Olympics: A Paris for all

As city prepare to ring in the new, Parisians haven't forgotten the old

The majestic Eiffel Tower in the background, overlooking the beach volleyball venue for the Games. Photo | AFP

PARIS: Paris. The City of Lights is alight. The crisp summer air smells of festivity, sports and celebration. It turns into a heady mix when it mingles with wafts of freshly-baked croissants and coffees across the ‘rues’ and boulevards lazily lingering in the cool breeze.

No city has earned as many monikers as this city -- romance, art, culture, gastronomy and, of course, ‘revolution’ -- one just needs to name it. The Seine is draped in all its fineries. So are all its iconic locations. The morning smelled and felt like a freshly-brewed coffee and artistically-baked croissant.

It is only apt that one of the grandest sporting spectacle will have a sprinkling of all of the above, even though it’s hard to shift the attention towards sports in this fashionably remarkable multi-faceted city. Yet, with the Opening Ceremony of the XXXIII Olympic Games just a couple of days away, people are warming up quietly in their own inimitable ways. History is what they believe has morphed into this sporting spectacle. The city where Pierre de Coubertin mooted the idea of the Olympics and hosted the Games in 1924 waited 100 years for this.

Just like the city, history cannot be torn away from the Games. Each of the motifs created for the Olympics has history behind it. Marianne, the personification of the French Republic since the French Revolution, is fused with the Olympic flame of hope and liberation. The red Phrygian hat, another symbol of French revolution, has turned into its mascot – the red Phryges.

The heart definitely beats at Champs-Elysees – the avenue that reflects the city. The avenue lined with elm trees with the heritage blocks selling modern merchandise, Parisian fashionable crowd... it's almost surreal. The amalgamation of old and new is evident even in what the shops display. From Louis Vuitton, Tiffany & Co and to PSG stores, the avenue boasts of some of the most luxurious brands in the world. Among them one window stood out – the 1924 Olympic memorabilia shop. As they celebrate the new, Parisians have not forgotten the old.

Though the arrival at the Charles de Gaulle airport was sedate (nothing about it yelled the Olympics), however, as one descended into the centre, the landscape kept changing. On the periphery (of the city), there was a buzz and occasional fliers and festoons running through the streets. For a country that has hosted marquee events like the football and the rugby World Cups as well as a host of international events, this perhaps is just another event on the calendar.

Arc de Triomphe cordoned off

The Arc de Triomphe stares at the world. It was cordoned off on Wednesday. Hoards of the public wanted to peer at the marvellous piece of art, but it was protected by police and other security agencies. There have been scares of protests and occasional threats. With one of the most politicised Games just a couple of days away, the security agencies are not taking any chances.

Parisians are celebrating but some of them are not happy that the metro fares have more than doubled for the Olympics. There is a sprinkling of discontent among the immigrants. The dedicated lanes for accredited officials and the Olympic family seem to be the fastest corridor to travel. Sirens have started blaring and will end only after the Games.
With some of the greatest sportspersons of the planet to descend here, the city will immerse in the grandeur of the greatest show on earth.