Sara, your ending quote,"...the city is far from having caught Olympic fever. Instead, it’s on the verge of a nervous breakdown," perfectly captures how locals feel at the moment. We, too, plan to be gone. However, I think the city will ultimately benefit from all the improvements undertaken.
I do not envy any city that hosts the Olympics, or to visit at that time. Yikes! But this is a super good POV and information firsthand. Thank you, Sara!
Sara... now you have become truly French.... grumbling! There IS a lot that's good and magical about the Olympics coming here. Yes, all the construction etc. is a hassle, but we're all going to enjoy what's there later. And, though I couldn't find a way to BUY a ticket on the ticketing page that opened up on Nov. 30 (I think it was) -- I couldn't find the "panier," cart, to actually purchase what I had added -- there WERE relatively inexpensive tix, in the €35+ range, with many around €90 for popular sports.
I'm not yet sure if I'll be here for a bit of the games. I do expect to leave for at least some of the usually-very-hot August, and I don't want to go near the Metros during this time. But this summer also is a once-in-a-lifetime in Paris.
The thing I'm worried about is security. It's horrible that one bad actor (or more) could ruin so much preparation by everyone. The world is bad enough at this point....
and, if you swim in the Seine and get sick, at least you have French healthcare to help you :-0
Sara, your ending quote,"...the city is far from having caught Olympic fever. Instead, it’s on the verge of a nervous breakdown," perfectly captures how locals feel at the moment. We, too, plan to be gone. However, I think the city will ultimately benefit from all the improvements undertaken.
I do not envy any city that hosts the Olympics, or to visit at that time. Yikes! But this is a super good POV and information firsthand. Thank you, Sara!
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I loved this missive! I don't blame you for a second--sounds like a nightmare. But at least it's a shared nightmare. Already, there are stories!
Sara... now you have become truly French.... grumbling! There IS a lot that's good and magical about the Olympics coming here. Yes, all the construction etc. is a hassle, but we're all going to enjoy what's there later. And, though I couldn't find a way to BUY a ticket on the ticketing page that opened up on Nov. 30 (I think it was) -- I couldn't find the "panier," cart, to actually purchase what I had added -- there WERE relatively inexpensive tix, in the €35+ range, with many around €90 for popular sports.
I'm not yet sure if I'll be here for a bit of the games. I do expect to leave for at least some of the usually-very-hot August, and I don't want to go near the Metros during this time. But this summer also is a once-in-a-lifetime in Paris.
The thing I'm worried about is security. It's horrible that one bad actor (or more) could ruin so much preparation by everyone. The world is bad enough at this point....
Not only the biggest pain ever in our proverbial butts, the games cost a fortune and will increase the states disastrous debt.
Disgruntled from the Paris suburbs.