It seems like the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics were just a few days ago, but the Paris Olympics and Paralympics will also start on July 26. My personal impression as one who lives in Paris is that I started to feel “it’s almost here” from about May. I would like to tell you a little bit about the situation in Paris from May to the beginning of July.
In the metro system, signs announcing stops are now accompanied by stickers that say “Here is the stadium” and other information is also posted on corridors and other areas.
Flags for the Olympic and Paralympic Games were flying everywhere in town, and when I went to see what the venues were like, it seemed that preparations were steadily underway everywhere. Many places were closed to traffic.
On July 14, Revolution Day, and the following day, July 15, torchbearers ran all over Paris, and I went to the Place de la Bastille on the 14th. The Place de la Bastille is home to the Opéra, where ballet lessons were being held as a torch event, and when the time came, the runners quickly ran past them.
From July 18 to July 26, when the opening ceremony is held, traffic restrictions and closure of metro stations will begin around the Seine River. According to the map issued by the French Ministry of the Interior, a permit will be required for all persons to enter the areas marked in gray, and vehicles will not be allowed in the red areas without a permit. After the opening ceremony and for the duration of the Games, traffic regulations and public transportation conditions will change for each area and date, so it would be a good idea to check the interactive map provided by the French Ministry of Transportation (in French only) before going out.
In the apartment where I live, rooms for overnight stays have been built one after another since about a year ago, probably in anticipation of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. In particular, I think it is due to the sunlight and security of the rooms on the first floor, but other than the room where the manager lives, there was nothing but storage space, but at one stroke, three rooms were transformed into private accommodations. The residents have a bad reputation because travelers who do not understand the rules of the building come in and out of the rooms.
When I looked at the website for one of the rooms that became a private accommodation at the beginning of July, a small room for two guests cost 200 euros per night, but it was not filled at all during the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Not only this, but I also saw news that it is going to be a disappointment for the general lodging and food and beverage industry.
Public transportation is surprisingly expensive, with tickets, with the exception of tickets for residents, almost doubling in price for the duration of the convention. There was talk of free tickets for convention ticket holders, but the increased number of flights during the period, the cost of construction on several routes, and the employees’ strike notice resulted in extra bonuses for the employees, which doubled rather than eliminated the cost of free tickets. Speaking of extra bonuses, it seems that public hospital employees, police and military police, and garbage collectors also receive extra bonuses.
Let us take a look at the results of a survey of 1,000 French people aged 18 and older by the French Institute of Public Opinion (IFOP), published at the end of May. According to this survey, 39% of the respondents were “indifferent,” and this percentage would be 51% if we narrowed it down to the poor. In addition, nearly one-third of the French population chose negative answers such as “worried” and “angry.
Still, half of the respondents said that France will host the Olympics and Paralympics properly and that they will watch the games in some form or another, so I think there will be a certain amount of excitement once they start.
A survey of 1,000 French people over the age of 18, conducted by Elabe for the French news channel BFMTV at the beginning of May, showed similar results to the IFOP, but in addition, 70% of respondents said the cost of holding the event and tickets were too expensive, and 40% questioned the safety of the opening ceremony. In addition, 70% of respondents said the cost of holding the event and tickets were too expensive, and 40% questioned the safety of the opening ceremony.
What made me laugh at the results of this survey was that 70% of the respondents thought that the Seine was not swimmable. Although the organizers have spent a huge amount of money to purify the Seine and promote its cleanliness and safety, I don’t want to swim in the Seine at all! There will be a free swimming pool at Paris Plage, which will be built for a limited time during the summer, but every year I am impressed by the people who swim here.
Some of the demonstrations following the results of the National Assembly elections have just turned violent from the end of June to the beginning of July. The Japanese Embassy in France, where I am registered, has sent me an e-mail with the “2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games Safety Leaflet,” calling for caution. Even if this is not the case, petty crimes are an everyday occurrence in Paris, so we will need to be even more careful than usual.
I am not very interested in the Olympic and Paralympic Games, not only in Paris, and I am planning to leave Paris during the Olympics because I am concerned about transportation and security. Many people around me are like that. Whatever the case may be, it is a festival of peace, and I hope that nothing important will happen and that it will end without incident.
© Source travel watch
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