Countdown…
Expect mass exodus of Parisians to gites and maisons secondaires elsewhere 
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To be honest the Olympics wherever they are held don’t float my boat at all but that is my preference. Hopefully this year it will bring in lots of revenue for the french economy and also make use of the facilities and modernisations of the areas that have been used to benefit the locals especially in the northern Paris run down areas.
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“managed to make a rather pretty part of Paris look like the bleakest part of Sunderland on a wet Sunday in 1973”
Aren’t you glad you’re not in Paris!
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I had a couple of beers with a french guy who is predicting industrial action and article 16 in time for the Olympics such is the disgruntlment with the games among the French.
I keep getting emails trying to sell me tickets. Not the slightest bit interested and most likely scammers anyway but some vulnerable folks might get sucked in to parting with a lot of cash.
Londoners were the same leading up to the 2012 London Oympics and that turned out pretty well apart from the “somebody did a lot of drugs and thought this crap up” mascots and logo.
And Anish Kapoor, who’s always been an interesting artist, made the worst piece of sculpture in his whole career… Eventually it got turned into a very expensive fun fair attraction.
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Possibly the least worst part of the “legacy”.
This amused me (as I have no interest in opening ceremony).
THE OLYMPICS OPENING. CEREMONY
Currently the opening ceremony is not yet able to be hosted on the Seine as the river is still running too fast.
There is seating on the Alexander IV bridge (the pretty one with all the gold) looking downstream to the Eiffel tower, there is seating along the North (right) bank, and at Trocadero.
If the parade on the Seine goes ahead it will be possible to watch it (if you have a ticket) between Alexandre IV bridge and Trocadero.
This link allows you to see the speed of the Seine: Vigicrues.gouv.fr :
ANYTHING ABOVE 250m3/sec is too dangerous for swimming or for unpowered barges.
The rate is coming down but it is STILL ABOVE 500m3.
If it rains again it will never be safe in time for the opening, so the opening ceremony will be at the Stade de France!
Despite the people in charge saying All YEAR that there is NO PLAN B for if the ceremony on the Seine can’t take place, the Seine hasn’t been At normal speed at any point this year!!!
That means there has been NO rehearsal for the opening ceremony… There was just too much rain this year.
So no-one knows how they will control lots of unpowered barges sailing down the Seine YET.
Presumably the athletes are aware they need to wear a life jacket under their kit?
What could go wrong?
Quite an interesting interactive website in order to follow the huge rivers all over France that need to be empty before this works
www.vigicrues.gouv.fr
Watch Under Paris on Netflix or other streaming sites. Might make some folks a bit wary of goingin the Seine. I too, have no interest whatsoever in the Olympics either the cermonies for opening and closing or any of the events - Yawn!
I found this article by the grauniad Paris correspondent a bit humorous, reflecting thoughts expressed in the thread. He reminded me a little of the inimitable Gary Imlach of ITV4’s TDF coverage.
PS I have a vague memory I might have posted another of his articles - about Mbappe comments about Le Penn’s party during the Euro’s.
This, from The Athletic, is interesting infi about this year’s Olympic medals:
What are 2024 Olympic gold medals made of? Explaining the Eiffel Tower connection
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By Lukas Weese
5h ago
Winning an Olympic gold medal is considered a crowning achievement for an athlete, so it’s only fitting that the physical medal represents the significance.
What’s on each gold medal is special for every Olympic Games, but Paris 2024 is particularly notable because, when athletes win gold, they will take home a piece of the Eiffel Tower, an iconic landmark of the host city.
The Eiffel Tower played a major role in the Paris 2024 opening ceremony. From beaming lights and the Olympic rings to the comeback performance of Celine Dion, “La Tour Eiffel” showcased its grandeur to the world. And now, it will be part of the athletes’ medal collections.
What else is unique about these gold medals and how are they connected to the Eiffel Tower? Here’s what to know.
How many Olympic medals are created?
Around 5,804 medals were developed for Paris 2024, per multiple reports, which note that approximately 2,600 medals have been created for the Olympics and 2,400 for the Paralympics.
How much do the Olympic gold medals weigh?
The gold medal weighs 1.17 pounds. The silver medal, by comparison, weighs 1.16 pounds while the bronze is one pound.
Who designed the Olympic gold medals?
Chaumet, the French luxury jewelry and watch brand, designed the Olympic medals. Founded in 1780, Chaumet is owned by LVMH (Moët Hennessey Louis Vuitton).
What features are on the Olympic gold medals?
The Olympic gold medal consists of three features: the hexagon, radiance and setting.
In the middle of the medal is a hexagon. It pays homage to France’s nickname “L’hexagone” given the country’s roughly six-sided shape.
The hexagon is surrounded by several strand-like shapes. This symbolizes the radiant light, as Paris is often referred to as the “city of light.”
On the six edges of the hexagon are claw settings. The shape is similar to those found in the rivets on the Eiffel Tower.
Olympic rings were illuminated on the Eiffel Tower during the opening ceremony of 2024 Games in Paris. (Photo: Ludovic Marin – Pool / Getty)
What is the Eiffel Tower connection?
The Eiffel Tower was the defining fixture of the 1889 World Fair. The original tower was made with wrought iron.
When the Eiffel Tower underwent renovations in the 20th century, they preserved pieces of the original iron and kept them in storage. Those chunks make up the hexagon figure in the middle of the Olympic gold medal.
According to multiple reports, 0.04 pounds of iron renovation pieces from the Eiffel Tower are included in each medal.
Gold, silver and bronze medals began at the 1904 St. Louis Olympic Games. It’s estimated that 1,011 medals will be handed out at Paris 2024. This is the first time a piece of a city’s historic landmark is included in an Olympic medal.
How much is an Olympic gold medal worth?
According to Forbes, a Paris 2024 Olympic gold medal is worth approximately $950.
There was a recent Fr24 programme on this subjeci ,that’s probably available online
The mens’ cycling is now doing the circuits in Paris, so fun to watch. The crowds in Montmartre are huge!
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So many extraordinary photographs are coming out of this year’s Olympics
I’d say that in these reflections of the triumph of human spirit, photography qualifies as art.
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Have just learned from the NY Times that ‘medal’ (not to be confused with meddle) is now available as a verb -
Gymnastics Live Updates: Simone Biles Falls Off Beam and Fails to Medal
See also “summiting” (a mountain), “actioning”, and of course “Googling”. 