Postcard from Paris: Olympic fever takes over the streets

Balloon over the Tuilleries.

The Olympics is a lens that magnifies all aspects of life when it lands in your city. When the Olympic torch entered the city on Bastille Day reactions on the streets of Paris were also fired-up to a new level. Opinions have ranged from excitement to concern to anger: inflation, security, traffic restrictions and even a possible return of the dreaded bed bugs. ‘Was it even necessary, Paris 2024? And why now?’ people asked.

Street banners throughout Paris with an Art Deco flavour hark back to the Paris 1924 Olympics 100 years ago (Image credit: Minako Norimatsu)