There are sooo many reasons I am anxious for the XXXIII Olympic Games beginning this week.  

     First of all, I love Paris. It is my most favorite city in the world (well, almost, maybe just a tad behind New York) and the last Paris Olympics was a 100 years ago in 1924 when I wasn’t around, so this is my first vision of those remarkable venues. Secondly, the 1900 Paris Olympics were the first to feature female athletes, many of whom became Olympic champions. Fittingly, this year the Paris Games claims yet another first: the first to achieve full gender parity, both in the Olympics and the Paralympics. Equal numbers of women and men are represented among the 10,500 athletes, with 5,200 of each gender competing.  

     Oh, and did I forget to mention that I just love Paris and all things French (food, wine, fashion, and of course, the indomitable people.)

     I am soooo tired of all the political drama and ugliness, violence and wars, climate disasters and dire economic predictions on television and in the media that I long for something that is true and real and based on actual achievement. I need to be reminded of the universal indomitability of the human spirit, of the virtues of resilience and the strength of character that propel people to persevere even in the face of possible defeat.  Most of all, I need the inspiration of those who work so hard for so long and risk their whole athletic futures on one shining moment; even those who fail in their quest manage to do so with grace and dignity. To me, these mostly young people are champions before they have even competed in the Olympics. That’s inspiring. These days, god knows we all need to be reminded of what that kind of character looks like. 

     The other night, I watched a documentary, Le Grande Seine (mostly in French with subtitles), on the preparations and planning for the opening ceremonies being staged on the Seine. In another first for Paris, this will be the first opening ceremony not held in an Olympic stadium. Bien sûr, of course. Leave it to the French to be stylish and original. The work, the planning, the incredible organization and execution of this extravaganza — everything from writing the music to designing the costumes to choreographing the dance performances (on rooftops, no less)  and coordinating the movement of boats and barges transporting 10,500 international athletes from 206 countries down the River Seine in the Parade of Nations — will culminate with the lighting of the Olympic torch and a spectacular fireworks and drone-light display behind the Eiffel Tower.

     The Parade of Nations route, which begins at the Pont d’ Austerlitz bridge at the Jardin des Plantes and travels four miles downriver to the Jardins du Trocadéro across from the Eiffel Tower, recalls one of those Seine River barge sightseeing cruises as it passes some of the most iconic landmarks in Paris: the Louvre, Notre-Dame Cathedral, Les Invalides, and the Place de la Concorde. An expected 320,000 spectators will be lining the River route (notwithstanding the recent coordinated arson attacks on the high-speed train network and, hopefully, without any additional worldly ugliness thwarting the joy of the Games). Another billion people from around the world are expected to be watching all this as it’s happening. Now that’s a lot of people on a river-barge cruise!!

     It’s all so exciting, so uplifting, and so much needed right now. The Olympic torch represents the light of spirit, knowledge and life, and its passing from one carrier, one country to the next symbolizes the passing of the torch from one generation to the next. What could be more welcome, and more timely.

     But that’s enough from this armchair Olympic tour guide. I have to go now. The Opening Ceremonies are just about to begin!