The Eiffel Tower sparkled beautifully. Alas, Australia's leading beach volleyball duo couldn't quite match the dazzling show behind them.
In their bronze medal match on Friday, the lights quickly went out on the hopes of Mariafe Artacho del Solar and Taliqua Clancy as they sought to land a second bauble after their silver-medal heroics in Tokyo.
As if suffering a hangover from the previous evening when they endured an agonising semi-final loss to Brazil, the Aussie pair seemed strangely flat as they were quite outplayed by the high-voltage Swiss duo of Tanja Hueberli and Nina Brunner 21-17 21-15.
Yet even though Clancy could only admit how much the defeat had stung, the Australians were adamant they felt proud to have played their part in such a spectacular show at what has become one of sport's most wondrous ampitheatres.
And playing on the ultimate Parisian beach has lit a fire in them, so the Olympic adventure for the two thirty-somethings could still be extended to Los Angeles - and even beyond to Brisbane.
"Yeah, I still love the sport and I still love these big moments, and that's the crazy part of what us athletes chase," sighed Clancy afterwards.
"So as much as I hate this feeling right now, I want to bawl my f***ing eyes out, I know that it's going to turn into a positive.
"It definitely stings for sure and I'm sure this game will be haunting me for a long time but also the positive is that it will definitely keep the fire burning.
"It definitely became second nature by the end playing at this venue, but I still love to hear how everyone in the crowd just loves how electric it is.
"And from the first game and just taking that moment to soak it in, I'm never going to take that for granted that I was able to play under the Eiffel Tower. It's a very special venue."
Or as Artacho del Solar put it: "It's the best".
An incredible party venue too with Brazilian fans out in force, later cheering on their duo of Ana Patricia Silva Ramos and Eduarda Santos Lisboa to a memorable 26-24 12-21 15-10 gold-medal win over Canada's Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson.
On this night though, 30-year-old del Solar and 32-year-old Clancy were never really in the hunt for their medal, a burst of brilliance from the Swiss in the middle of the first set effectively taking the stanza away.
It only got worse in the second set with Hueberli's blocking excellence and Brunner's remarkable speed across the sand ensuring the end of the Aussies' ambition.
"It was obviously hard, knowing it wasn't our best performance out there to finish it off, but we've still done a great job throughout the two weeks and to make it to another semi-final at an Olympic Games, it's something to be proud of," said Artacho del Solar.
As for the LA Games in 2028, the Peruvian-born player said: "Never say never. I've always wanted to make it to five Olympics, finishing at home in Brisbane. So I'd love to come back for it. We'll see what life has in store."
In the short-term, reckoned Clancy, a holiday was in order.
Maybe a bit of sightseeing around Paris? But, er, perhaps she wouldn't need to visit the Eiffel Tower.
"That's a tick," she smiled a mite ruefully.
