Bienvenue à Paris - pour les Jeux Olympiques!

Arriving at Charles de Gaulle airport on 11 July marked my fifth touchdown at Paris since the early 2000s. 

Unlike previous visits, mostly for a few days of tourism, Olympic writing or the handover ceremony from Tokyo 2020, this time I'm setting up residence for several weeks.

The longer visit to the City of Lights is thanks, in part, to a certain national Olympic committee which initially (in early 2024) offered a long-term pre-Games volunteer assignment that was later reneged only after some nonrefundable accommodations were secured. 

But I'm not bitter -- in just two days I've gotten reacquainted with Paris, walked a couple dozen kilometers, seen three museums and stopped by Hotel de Ville (city hall) in relation to blogging credentials. Here's one happy writer easing into a summer of experiences on the heels of a week vacationing in the Mediterranean resort of Antalya, Turkey.  

All across central Paris there's a curious mix of activities in anticipation of the Games. Lots of construction, though most of the venues (except for the stadium seating along the Seine) appear to be in place and operational. 

Look of the Games banners and bunting are going up on a few more buildings each day. Not one person -- local nor tourist -- seems to know a thing about Olympic pin collecting traditions. 

But everyone knows the torch relay, and with today's national holiday hundreds of thousands will see Olympic torchbearers at iconic sites across the city, including the Arch de Triomphe, Petit Palace, Luxembourg/Senat and other destinations. After the morning parade my intent is to reconnect with the torch relay convoy at the Louvre, where the flame will visit Mona Lisa herself. Stay tuned for photos.

By the way, thank you for reading. If you made it this far, count yourself among the 851,375+ all-time visitors to this website. 

Will it reach 1 million by mid-August 2024? 

With appreciation to all readers, please share, comment and repost if you care to help achieve this ambitious goal in play since 2008. 

Photos by Nicholas Wolaver

Paris 2024 En Cinq Cents Jours

Where will you be in 500 days? 

With God, a bit of planning, several serendipities and a month's pay, my aim is to be somewhere along the Seine. 

That's where, rain or shine, the flotilla of French watercraft will transport athletes of the Games of the XXXIIIrd Olympiad as part of the riverfront Paris 2024 opening ceremony. 

A lot can happen in 16 months. It's perhaps easier to predict my location just after next year's 26 July, since the recent five-ringed ticketing sale yielded two wish list track and field tickets at Stade de France.  

What tickets did you secure so far?

It's also easier to predict my desired location in about 400 days, when the next Olympic Torch Relay begins in Greece. 

The traditional route from Olympia to Athens will be a fitting preamble to the flame's arrival aboard the Belem, a massive ship, at the scenic French port of Marseille, fitting as the Greeks founded the city around 600 B.C. (thanks, Wikipedia).

In addition to Paris' opening ceremony, my hope is to also discover ticket options for tennis at Roland Garos, as well as climbing (already sold out), diving and equestrian, one of the Olympic sports not yet experienced in person. 

Also curious which City of Lights parks may emerge as pin trading hubs (a personal favorite is Tuileries Gardens). On which points of the Paris map would you pin your badge exchange dreams?

See you in 500 days -- bon voyage on the journey and adventures that await us all!

Images via Paris2024.org and this site