Paris, France and the Olympics
- Nimrod
- Oct 11, 2024
- 16 min read
July-August 2024
Introduction and the First Day in Paris, France
We arrived in Paris, the final destination of our two-month journey through Spain and France. We were a little worried that by this stage, we might already feel "full" and that it would be difficult to experience the Olympics and the city as they deserve.
This city doesn’t let you stay indifferent. It’s stunning, it’s vast, it’s bigger than those who move and live in it. It has a soul of its own, and it grabs you from the first second and doesn’t let go.
How exciting it is to be here after many years of not visiting the city, and for the biggest event in the world no less.
I know Paris is different now than usual—streets are blocked, entire famous areas and landmarks have been turned into competition venues, and hundreds of thousands of tourists and sports fans are filling its streets.
We arrived by train from Lyon to the Gare de Lyon station, and from there to the apartment we rented for the next 12 days.
The apartment is in the 13th arrondissement, in a charming neighborhood in a building with an inner courtyard, on the third floor with no elevator.
A sweet, small apartment that suits us perfectly. They even arranged a portable air conditioner for us, which isn’t something to take for granted here.
The district has lots of restaurants from the East, practically a Chinatown, which really suits our taste.
Attached is a map with the various sites we visited in the city (not all of them, but selected ones).
For more posts
The Second Day
We started with a morning run in our district and in the nearby 5th district (the 20 districts of Paris are arranged in a spiral).
Afterwards, we went on a self-guided tasting tour in the Marais area in the 3rd and 4th districts. Dorit is in love with these sweets—no choice... We visited a patisserie called Carette at 25 Place des Vosges. It’s a six-room hotel with a patisserie, and there we had a vanilla tart with a crisp crust that makes you want to live forever—just like in Alphaville song.
The second place we visited was by chef Christophe Adam, called l’Éclair de Génie, at 122 Rue Montmartre, where we tasted an excellent pistachio éclair.
The third place was a boutique by Pierre Hermé, where I got some chocolate-covered orange peels that I really love. The address is 18 rue Sainte-Croix-de-la-Bretonnerie.
To summarize the tasting portion, I’ll say this: I’m sure there are other patisseries in Paris that are just as good, but these were definitely delicious and unique.
We also passed through the 'Jewish Quarter' and saw kosher shops, bakeries, and sweet challahs. Somehow, it always feels strange to me to encounter Jewish symbols abroad, as if they’re out of context, right? We’re so enclosed in our tiny country that when I come across a Jew wearing a kippah or a shtreimel, it feels like some kind of illusion...
The Pompidou Center and the Picasso Museum are also located in the Marais, and there are many beautiful galleries here as well.
These artworks (like in the picture below) are somehow replicated in many galleries around the city, and when you see them in the window, you try to remember if you’ve already been here or if it’s a new gallery you haven't seen yet.
I don’t know, I haven’t seen the Mona Lisa being replicated... I guess the younger generation of artists wants to sell quickly and in large quantities.
Sitting on a bench in this beautiful garden (Place des Vosges). In general, it seems like Paris really spruced itself up for the Olympics, or maybe the years are just being kind to it…
And suddenly, as if they fell from the sky, a parade of Africans with music and two guys who look like they’re about to hunt down some unfortunate Parisian any moment now and toss him into a big, bubbling pot. I guess my imagination is running a bit too far…
Today we’re going to the Olympic pool in the evening to watch the semifinals and finals—what excitement!
It’s really very thrilling to experience the Olympics. We arrived by subway to the La Défense Arena in the business district of Paris and got seats in row 50, quite high but hopefully not too much...
The atmosphere is electrifying, like at a rock concert with lights, music, and energetic hosts. But something strange is happening, as if consciousness is now divided between reality and the 'reality' we are used to, reflected through the giant screens. The reality that the directors and cameramen create for us.
When the starting signal is given, it’s hard to decide which reality to watch now—the one with the close-ups and the action underwater or the real one right in front of us, with the swimmers diving into the water and paddling with all their strength to the finish line.
The distance from the pool and maybe the water create some kind of physical and mental detachment that enhances the experience. The swimmers operate here according to a strict protocol of timing and format dictates, like in reality TV... It is basically a reality show, right? Only here, contestants are immediately eliminated without any unnecessary delays...
The Third Day
We started in the Marais district, where we visited a tea shop (Mariage Frères). We also stopped by the Merci store to see what all the fuss was about (nothing special in my opinion; they didn’t even turn on the air conditioning for us). We visited Île de la Cité, the island that is essentially the center of historic Paris.
We also passed by the under-construction Notre-Dame Cathedral, which is supposed to open to visitors at the end of the year; for now, it’s fenced off and closed.
As I mentioned, Notre-Dame is still under renovation. That’s how it is; finishing touches always take time, not just with us. The target date is currently December 2024
We had lunch at a good Chinese restaurant in our district (Au Bourgeon d'Or)—wonton soup and some of the best dumplings we’ve had.
In the evening, we went to the Eiffel Tower and saw it illuminated and beautiful. It was packed with tourists and hot as hell, but beautiful, did I mention that?
The Fourth Day
We went to the pool to watch the preliminaries. I brought the telephoto zoom lens and photographed the swimmers. Afterwards, we wanted to visit the Musée de l'Orangerie, which is well-regarded, but it turns out you need to buy tickets in advance.
So, we wandered around the courtyard of the Louvre and the Tuileries Garden. In general, due to the roadblocks and the number of tourists, it seems that the natural flow of the city has been somewhat halted, and you have to navigate around entire areas to reach any destination. It’s a bit annoying and disruptive, but it’s the Olympics, so enough complaining.
We're in two days of heat and discomfort... Most days the weather has been excellent, especially in the mornings until noon. In the subway, they haven't managed to replace the cars with air-conditioned ones yet, and people are coming out like they've just been in a sauna.
Check out this short video to see the 'advanced' air conditioning method in the cars:
In the evening, we went to the Arc de Triomphe and from there walked down the Champs-Élysées towards Place de la Concorde. The area was blocked off, so we went back and took the metro back to the apartment. There were crowds of tourists on the Champs-Élysées as well as in the gardens.
There were also a lot of police officers at every corner of the city, especially in the areas around the sports venues. Speaking of police, there’s a pretty clear hierarchy here; there are almost no Black police officers, and in general, most Black people have very defined roles, much like in every major city in the world. Did I already mention 'Liberty, Equality, Fraternity'?
The Fifth Day
Today we started with a run toward the beautiful Luxembourg Gardens. We ran to the gardens, did one and a half laps, and then headed back.
Afterwards, we went to Galeries Lafayette (40 Bd Haussmann), including a view from the upper terrace. The view is lovely, but it’s very hot to stay up there.
Galeries Lafayette opened in 1912 and was established by two Jewish families. It features several impressive buildings with a 33-meter high ceiling adorned with flowers.
The roof of the Galeries was designed like a beach, and the view from the roof is impressive (the Eiffel Tower was built about 13 years earlier, so there has been something to see from the roof since the beginning).
Today we also visited three original passages in the city (Passages couverts de Paris).
Most of the passages are located in the second arrondissement of the city and were established in the first half of the nineteenth century.
They feature restaurants, cafés, as well as shops for pictures and art, handmade crafts, books, and stamps, and they are very special and beautiful. Here are some of the passages we visited:
Passage Verdeau ,Passage Jouffroy, Passage des Panoramas
The passages look like a fading world of art, a tradition of handicrafts and shops that try to preserve the splendor of the past. More and more restaurants and cafés are opening in them. These places are so beautiful to me, with their depth, the respect for art, design, and handicrafts, and everything that isn't fast, the 'here and now' is delightful.
It's like a parallel world, covered in glass and paved with marble that is still with us. How wonderful that we are fortunate enough to experience it.
Today we had a tennis match at Roland Garros (named after a French pilot from World War I).
It was amazing; the atmosphere in the stadium is impressive—Djokovic versus Tsitsipas. The Greek put up a fight and almost took the second set, but the Serbian won in two sets. During the match, when the crowd cheers for one of the players, it sometimes feels really frustrating for the other player. The mental struggle in this game is insane; you’re alone against all that crowd—what strength you need!
For the women's semifinal, we only stayed for a few games and then went home; enough is enough...
Equality, equality, but there were a lot fewer spectators for the women’s semifinal. Well, none of them were Djokovic; maybe if it had been Serena Williams, more people would have stayed...
The Sixth Day
In the morning, we traveled to the Promenade Plantée in Paris. Yes, there’s one here too, and it’s similar to the High Line in New York. It’s a walkway built on a section of an old railway track, about 4 kilometers long, featuring bridges, gardens, and water pools, and it also serves as a very nice running track.
Below the promenade, there’s an entire area of design shops, galleries, and artisan stores called the Viaduc des Arts. You can reach it from the Bastille metro station.
After that, we continued to another beautiful passage called Galerie Vivienne, and afterwards, I also wanted to visit Galerie Colbert, but it was closed.
We walked to the building of the amazing library and research center (Bibliothèque Nationale de France - Richelieu). We entered the reading room, where I took a photo of the stairs to the second floor. The place has been renovated in recent years, and it also has a very beautiful outdoor garden.
Overall, the atmosphere of respect created by such a place, both for the books and what they represent, also affects the people filling the reading room.
Afterwards, we stumbled upon another passage (Passage De Choiseul) and had some delicious ramen at a Japanese restaurant.
In the evening, I went out for a night photography session and managed to get some decent shots of the Eiffel Tower and the Passerelle Debilly bridge. Many streets are blocked; for example, the Alexandre III bridge is half closed, making it impossible to photograph.
The Seventh Day
We went out for a run in the Luxembourg Gardens and then strolled around our neighborhood in the 13th arrondissement, through the special streets of the Butte-aux-Cailles neighborhood, with its street art. The neighborhood is very unique, with low houses and sweet inner courtyards. There are cafés, bakeries, and patisseries here. It’s hard to believe that such a special place exists in the massive city of Paris.
We're waiting to cheer on the road cyclists and Itamar Einhorn, who is supposed to pass right under our house soon.
Look here at this lovely inner courtyard with its stone pavement and these well-maintained low buildings adorned with flower pots and all this greenery.
We cheered for Itamar as he passed by here with flags and shouts, and in the evening, we went out for one last swimming session and saw rising stars as well as a long-standing legend: Canadian swimmer Summer McIntosh, who swam the 200m individual medley, and Katie Ledecky, who swam the 800m. Both took gold.
The Eighth Day
In the morning, we traveled to the photography museum (Maison Européenne de la Photographie) located at 5/7 Rue de Fourcy, and it was an interesting and slightly different experience. There were photos from flea markets with beautiful frames, images taken from social media that were displayed, and various projects by the photographer Thomas Mailaender, some of which were intriguing and others a bit less so.
The building of the museum is beautiful, offering a lovely urban view. Here, I couldn’t resist taking a photo of the museum's stairs…
Afterwards, we walked to the small park at the end of Île Saint-Louis called Square Barye. Look at this place; it looks like the tip of the Titanic, doesn’t it?
After the visit to the garden, we bought a delicious nut cake at the patisserie near Place de la Bastille. We also ordered some quiches and an amazing cheesecake; the place is called AUX2ANGES.
From there, we continued to the market that starts at Place de la Bastille, called Marché Bastille, which has clothes, lots of vegetables and fruits, fish, seafood, and roasted poultry, along with quite a bit of food and some sculptures and clothes (open on Sunday and Thursday mornings).
Afterwards, we walked along the shaded Canal Saint-Martin towards Jardin des Plantes, a botanical garden with tree-lined avenues—stunning. At the end of the park is a lovely natural history museum for children (Gallery of Evolution).
The park also has a small zoo and displays of tropical plants in a large glass building. The garden was established in the seventeenth century. For anyone looking for a bit of tranquility, shade, and unique, diverse vegetation, this is the place.
After the garden, we took a bus to the Bercy Arena for the gymnastics competition (men's rings, women's uneven bars, and men's vault). The competition was interesting, though a bit sterile, and the facilities were somewhat distant, making it hard to really feel the 'in-the-moment' atmosphere, but it was very impressive.
Ninth day
In the morning, I went to the flea market area (Marché aux Puces de Saint-Ouen). This market is a collection of different markets (not exactly flea markets), some are indoor shops, and some are open-air like Saint-Ouen or Jules Vallès. It’s truly a paradise for lovers of antiques, art, second-hand clothing, music, vintage furniture, and various market ‘goods,’ along with plenty of street art and graffiti.
There's also a small garden (Jardin Ephemere) with beautiful street art and a small wooden deck path.
Like everywhere in France, the division is clear between the food and cheap clothing stalls, which are run by Moroccan and Algerian immigrants, and the other shops and antique/art stalls, which are run by the French.
The area is large and charming, and it’s worth at least half a day of wandering.
You can reach it by taking the metro to Porte de Clignancourt station. (Located north of the 18th arrondissement, open on weekends.) It's a bit far, but definitely worth it.
In the afternoon, we went to the Bourse de Commerce Museum for modern art. The building is magnificent, and the exhibitions on display are interesting—definitely worth a visit. The museum features modern works from the private collection of François Pinault (one of France's wealthiest individuals).
The building was used as the grain and commodities exchange until the early 21st century, and in 2016, Pinault was granted a concession to establish the museum.
In the first arrondissement, there’s still plenty to see, like the Palais Royal, its gardens, and the column installation in the courtyard (Colonnes de Buren).
In the evening, we went again to the Louvre area and the Tuileries Gardens to see the Olympic flame ball... It was a bit crowded and dusty, and I brought a tripod to photograph the ball, which was moving quite fast…
Day Ten
Today, I went for a walk intending to reach Les Invalides. I walked from the apartment through the 14th arrondissement, passing through the Luxembourg Gardens and Saint-Germain. I reached the Alexandre III Bridge and from there continued to Les Invalides. I wanted to cover the distance on foot rather than being underground on the metro, where I feel like I'm "missing out" on Paris.
It seems like it's impossible to take in everything the city has to offer. On every street corner or small garden, you discover a new world. When you walk a certain path, you're sure you're missing out on so much on other routes... I guess I’ll have to come back for a longer stay.
The Luxembourg Gardens, so beautiful every time. The level of gardening, attention to detail, cleanliness, and aesthetics are truly envy-inducing.
This man caught my eye on the street, and I had to react quickly to take his photo. He looks like he doesn't belong here at all, with the black coat, hat, and gloves. He reminds me a bit of the man on fire from a Pink Floyd album (without the fire) or maybe a retired "Man in Black." Even the look of the young guy to his right enhances the contrast he creates here...
It was barely possible to salvage a photo from the beautiful Alexander III Bridge. During these Olympic days, it's full of stands and barriers, making it hard to see it in all its glory...
And here is the garden and entrance to Les Invalides with the golden dome, which once served as a hospital for war veterans and today functions as the Army Museum. Napoleon is buried here under the golden dome of the church (Église du Dôme).
Day Eleven
Today we went to Montmartre and found a neighborhood quite different from how it was a decade ago. Although the area is very touristy, unlike the last time we were here, it was also pleasant and clean.
We started by passing through the famous Montmartre Cemetery, where notable figures like Émile Zola, Edgar Degas, Heinrich Heine, and many others are buried.
Here I found someone who isn’t the most famous, named Louise Weber, but she still seems important to someone. She was a can-can dancer in the past and is remembered with a photo and a flowerpot for anyone wondering what remains here after we’re gone :)
After a brief investigation, I even found a Wikipedia entry about her, and her nickname was La Goulue (the Glutton). It turns out she was the star of the Moulin Rouge and was likely of Jewish descent...
Additionally, she served as a model for photographers and painters, the most notable being Toulouse-Lautrec, and she appeared in paintings and posters, ultimately dying in poverty after trying her luck in business.
The beautiful Sacré-Cœur Basilica is still in its place, and you can overlook all of Paris from the steps leading up to it.
How can you resist these pies with caramelized dough and fruits? Well, we really couldn't, so we went back for another serving at Les Petits Mitrons, located at 26 Rue Lepic.
And what about the perhaps most famous club in the city, Moulin Rouge? The official site is here.
Cabaret shows, acrobatics, and cancan dancing are still here (remember Louise Weber?). The windmill here isn't real.
And this is indeed the last windmill here in the neighborhood, located at 83 Rue Lepic, symbolizing the spirit of the past when many such windmills operated here (now a restaurant).
The sculpture "The Man Who Passes Through Walls" (Le Passe-Muraille), created by the French artist Jean Marais, located at Place Marcel Aymé.
In the evening, we went to the Stade de France for the athletics finals, marking our last night in Paris.
The atmosphere was truly electrifying, and we were seated right on the track in row five next to the long jump runway.
The final race for the 400-meter hurdles featured a medal sweep led by Sydney McLaughlin, who set a world record. Femke Bol was tired from the relay the day before, but to be honest, she couldn't give Sydney a real challenge and finished only third, behind Anna Cockrell, who took the silver.
The Olympic champion in the long jump, Tara Davis-Woodhall, achieved a distance of 7.10 meters, which was enough for her to win gold.
The Italian jumper, Larissa Iapichino, is the daughter of Fiona May, who won silver medals in the long jump at the Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000 Olympics. In a moment of focus before her next jump... She ultimately finished in fourth place, hoping her mom won’t be too angry...
At the starting line before the race – the women's 1500 meters semifinals... Look at the tension and focus on the faces of these talented girls... Amazing!
The queen of the evening, Sydney McLaughlin, celebrates her gold medal and world record—truly deserving of the crown...
Video of the long jump by Olympic champion Tara Davis-Woodhall:
That's it, we're heading home after two months of traveling in the nature and cities of Spain and France, counting the days until the next trip...
Places we visited in Paris:
Food - there's not much here (we're not that into food)
13th Arr: A contemporary bar-restaurant called L'Age d'Or at 26 Rue du Dr Magnan.
Montmartre: Pâtisserie Les Petits Mitrons au 26 Rue Lepic.
3rd Arr: Pâtisserie des Vosges à Carrette, 5 Place.
3rd Arr: Pâtisserie Éclair de Génie at 122 Rue Montmartre.
3rd Arr: Chocolatier Pierre Hermé at 18 Rue Sainte-Croix-de-la-Bretonnerie.
13th Arr: A good Chinese restaurant (Au Bourgeon d'Or) at 201 Av. de Choisy.
11th Arr: Boulangerie AUX2ANGES at 23 Rue Daval.
7th Arr: Bistrot (Bistrot du Passage) at Beau Passage, 14 Bd Raspaille.
Museums (check opening hours and book tickets in advance)
Photography Museum: Maison Européenne de la Photographie at 5/7 Rue de Fourcy (Metro station: Saint-Paul)
Bourse de Commerce Museum: at 2 Rue de Viarmes (Metro station: Louvre - Rivoli)
Other must-visit museums we've been to in the past:
Musée d'Orsay at 1 Rue de la Légion d'Honneur (Metro station: Solférino)
Musée de l'Orangerie at Jardin des Tuileries, 75001 (Metro station: Concorde)
The Centre Pompidou at Place Georges-Pompidou (Metro station: Rambuteau)
Musée National Picasso-Paris at 5 Rue de Thorigny (Metro station: Saint-Sébastien - Froissart)
Musée Rodin at 77 Rue de Varenne (Metro station: Varenne)
Musée du Louvre at Rue de Rivoli, 75001 (Metro station: Louvre - Rivoli)
Gardens and Parks
Luxembourg Gardens: (Jardin du Luxembourg) at 15 Rue de Vaugirard (Metro station: Odéon)
Tuileries Garden: (Jardin des Tuileries) along Rue de Rivoli (Metro station: Tuileries)
Botanical Gardens: (Jardin des Plantes) at Pl. Valhubert (Metro station: Gare d'Austerlitz)
Promenade Plantée: along Av. Daumesnil (Metro station: Bastille)
Square Barye: at the eastern end of Île Saint-Louis (Metro station: Sully - Morland)
Buildings and Institutions
Passages: For a complete list, see Wikipedia.
Passage Verdeau: in the 9th Arr at 6 Rue de la Grange Batelière
Passage Jouffroy: in the 9th Arr at 9 Rue de la Grange Batelière
Passage des Panoramas: in the 2nd Arr at 11 Bd Montmartre
Galerie Vivienne: in the 2nd Arr at 2 Rue des Petits Champs
Passage de Choiseul: in the 2nd Arr at 31 Rue Saint-Augustin
Galeries Lafayette: at 40 Bd Haussmann (Metro station: La Fayette)
Bibliothèque Nationale de France - Richelieu: Library and Museum at 5 Rue Vivienne
Pont Alexandre III: Alexander III Bridge (Metro station: Invalides)
Pont Neuf and Pont des Arts: (Metro station: Pont Neuf)
Hôtel des Invalides: (Army Museum and Church) (Metro station: Invalides)
Sacré-Cœur Basilica: in Montmartre (Metro station: Place de Clichy + Bus line 40)
Montmartre Cemetery: at 20 Av. Rachel (Metro station: La Fourche)
Arc de Triomphe: (Metro station: Kléber)
Hôtel de Ville: Paris City Hall (Metro station: Hôtel de Ville)
Le Palais-Royal: The Royal Palace (Metro station: Palais Royal - Musée du Louvre)
Markets (Check Operating Days and Hours)
Marché Bastille: Lots of food, fruits and vegetables, fish, as well as clothes and sculptures at Place de la Bastille (Metro station: Bastille).
Marché aux puces de Saint-Ouen: Open-air and covered markets (flea markets) at Rue des Rosiers (Métro station: Porte de Clignancourt) - a large area with about 15 different markets.
Neighborhoods, Areas, and Squares
Le Marais: The 3rd and 4th Arr (Metro station: Pont Marie).
Île de la Cité: The 1st Arr (Metro station: Cité).
Place de la Bastille: (Metro station: Bastille).
Place de la Concorde: (Metro station: Concorde).
Butte-aux-Cailles: In the 13th Arr, a neighborhood of small houses with a village atmosphere, stunning street art, cafés, and bakeries (Metro station: Corvisart).
Montmartre: In the 18th Arr, home to Sacré-Cœur, the Moulin Rouge, the last windmill, and Rue Lepic.
La Défense: (La Grande Arche) - a business and shopping district.
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