Thousands of Dedicated Athletes and Some Rich People with Horses
That’s how I heard the Olympics described and what punctuates that better than having the equestrian events at Versailles, home of the “ let them eat cake” Queen, Marie Antoinette. However, just as fittingly the Place de la Concorde in central Paris the site of the execution by guillotine of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette was transformed into a quintessential modern urban landscape the site of skateboarding, breaking (aka breakdancing) BMX and 3 x 3 basketball.
While the Bulls are neither athletes nor rich we did put in 15,000+ steps a day in Paris and we do have among us an avid rider ( Mia) who fancies herself competing at the Olympics one day. With Canada’s Paris equestrian jumpers ranging in age from 40 to 59 she has some time to practise. I can say with some certainty that I won’t be around to see her collect her gold medal.
We weren’t quite sure what to expect upon arriving in Paris. Would it be so massively crowded that it would be impossible to get around? Would it be empty of actual Parisiens who usually leave the city in August for their annual month long summer vacations? Would any groups try and disrupt the games? Plus, it was a well know fact that the French had not been wildly enthusiastic about hosting the games , an unwanted nuisance they said. Truth be told the French are not wildly enthusiastic about much. As Matthieu Lehanneur , the designer of the massively popular Olympic Cauldron said “ In France, French people are never happy . We are living in an amazing country but we are never happy”. Would these be the Grumpy Games?
But lo and behold like the Grinch something wonderful happened when the Olympics started: the French began smiling, and cheering, and engaging with the masses. When we first disembarked from the Métro (the Paris subway system) with 5 suitcases and 5 backpacks one very helpful Frenchman took two of our suitcases (each weighing 50 pounds), one in each hand and blithely carried them down two flights of stairs.
Although there were crowds around the Olympic venues that was to be expected. Security lineups moved quickly and efficiently. Getting around Paris was a dream thanks to the Métro with its 320 stations and 245 Kms of track. We never had to line up to get on the train or wait for the next one to come because the first one was too crowded, unlike rush hour on the TTC. There were 45,000 volunteers spread throughout the games - at the venues, on the Métro , at major attractions and generally throughout the city. Away from the venues Paris was blissfully uncrowded. Paris did itself proud and was rewarded with 64 medals and a top 5 finish, it’s best showing since the 1990s.
We stayed in a charming one bedroom apartment dating from the 1820’s about a 15 minute walk from the Eiffel Tower with timbered ceilings but otherwise fully renovated and with that one Parisian rarity: air conditioning. The only downside no elevator - something else the French are not fully committed to.
Of course there is an Olympics Champagne! Moët and Chandon has released a limited edition bottle sporting the French flag as its label with the Arc de Triomphe replacing its usual logo and crowned with a gold ribbon around its neck. Yes we did manage to keep a bottle or two in our larder along with (and I don’t know if I’m embarrassed to admit this) macarons from McDonald’s and of course some foie gras.
While the focus of our time in Paris was the Olympics we did manage a nice afternoon on the Île Saint-Louis, our favourite spot for ice cream and a couple of nice meals. Lunch at La Bourse et La Vie, a petite 24 seat French bistro with hands down the best crème caramel I have ever tasted and dinner at Pink Mamma, not a high end French dining experience but a more boisterous Italian restaurant. When travelling with a group of five aged 11 to 70 it’s important that there is something for everyone, at least some of the time.
There were some significant firsts for these games. Highlights include the first games to achieve gender parity, the first games where the opening ceremony was not held in the Olympic stadium and the first carbon neutral games where the Olympic cauldron was the first to be lit without the use of fossil fuels. It was composed of a ring of 40 LED lights and 200 high pressure water aerosol misters to create the illusion of flames. It sat in the Tuileries Gardens next to the Louvre attached to a helium balloon by day and every night at sunset it rose over 50 metres into the air. Manifique!
Now for some fun Olympic facts/useless Olympic trivia with a Canadian connection. While we had high hopes for both the men’s and women’s basketball teams neither came home with a medal. The last time Canada came home with a medal (silver) in basketball was in 1936 , the first year that basketball became a medal sport. James Naismith, the Canadian inventor of basketball (born in Almonte Ontario - one of my favourite small towns and also a relative through marriage of my friend Alison) threw up the first jump ball at the games and handed out the medals.
And did you know that (Ice) Hockey was originally introduced as a summer sport at the 1920 Olympic Games. Canada won the gold medal.
Now for our favourite Bull moments: Sophie - women’s basketball, Mia - artistic swimming, Sophie and Mia - waving our big Canadian flag and hearing from someone in Toronto that he had seen them on tv, Matt - watching the gold medal ceremony for women’s breaking (and each medal contains a bit of the Eiffel Tower) Natalie - the full Paris experience and moi - the energy and party atmosphere of the women’s breaking competition and the marvellous job that Paris did in staging the Olympics and the camaraderie and respect among all the athletes.
And so we left Paris with wonderful memories of our once in a lifetime experience.
