By Stephanie Leese Emrich
“So, how were the Paris Olympics?” Countless friends and colleagues have inquired. Our response, “Paris was Paris. Only better, if that is possible. Glistening. Photogenic. The Olympics, always sensational and moving. The combination, out of this world!”
On a personal level, the Games were set out to be my dream trifecta: favorite world event. In my (other) favorite city. With my favorite person. They all three delivered!
It all goes back to 6th grade at Meadowbrook School in Northbrook, Mademoiselle Monzell’s French class. We started to learn the language, including a few verb conjugations, and French culture. Culture included cooking, fashion, literature, art & performance. Plus of course, sports. This all led to being part of the early days of forming the Paris Committee of Chicago Sister Cities International in 1996.
The Paris Committee has been my heartbeat for 28 years, more recently helping initiate the Paris-Chicago Rowing Exchange. The two cities have clubs (Lincoln Park Boat Club and the University of Chicago, both under Coach Trish Brubaker’s impactful leadership) and the Aviron Marne & Joinville Rowing Club in Paris. From the water to the clubhouse, friendships established on both sides of the pond are meaningful ~ providing learning lessons about culture and what a beautiful world this is when people share common denominators.
From ship to shore, a spectacle! Views coming & going from atop the Tournelle Bridge: The Refugee Olympic Team led the Parade of Nations, with USA (!) then hosts France for the grand finale. Playlist extraordinaire, Can-can dancers + skywriting in formation. A profound moment in time.
Thus, when Paris was announced as the host city for the Summer 2024 Olympics, we jumped into action! We secured our favorite apartment in a quaint, tree-lined neighborhood with bakeries galore. We booked tickets as they became available through the Games ticketing system. This took rigor and concentration. Recalling that Paris is 7 hours ahead, the discipline to make the 10AM Paris time ticket sales paid off with us rising at 3AM. Or just staying up (very) late so not to miss.
“A poem of motion, a symphony of swinging blades.” I’ve been paddling for 30 years and am a rowing fan for 20. Today was The Ultimate water moment! French boosters of this sport are wild in the best way. Singing! Dancing! Of course they have a great deal to boast about given their legacy.
First priority: Open Ceremonies. Paris announced their aspirational design of hosting the opening on the Seine versus a traditional stadium setting. “Count us in!” we rejoiced. Seated on the Pont de la Tournelle, facing Notre Dame was a heavenly location. All the stories including Quasimodo in the belfry and the incredible comeback of Notre Dame’s restoration came with high emotion. Then the parade of nations, boats of all sizes and shapes, sailing down the Seine. Our entire section welcomed the USA boat with uproarious applause! Sideline entertainment and jumbotron screens let us see what TV viewers saw at home. We are soon to watch the recorded version (4+ hours) with croissants and fromage to relive the moments!
Summer Olympics Travel Tips
Anticipate a variety of weather. When they say there’s minimal air conditioning in France, believe them! We were ready with all sorts of layers and portable fans.
Pay attention to what other visitors are experiencing. A polite eavesdrop can easily manifest into a great adventure. Real-time advice is valuable when traveling, with due respect to guidebooks and the professional writers. Admittedly, seeing the June issue of Town & Country further tantalized our tastebuds in anticipation of the equestrian events at Versailles.
Art first, then Sports! The ^En Jeu^ exhibition at Musée Marmottan Monet sets the tone for The Games. Smartly curated sports history lesson from a few of the masters! Legendary mansion, Marmottan houses the world’s largest Monet collection.
Don’t miss the Olympics themed special exhibitions around town. Museum curators take deliberate time and resources to cultivate dramatic gallery walls. Our two favorites in Paris: Musée Marmottan, dedicated to artist Claude Monet. The collection features Impressionist and Post-Impressionist Monet paintings. On top of that already delectable experience was the athletic and Olympics history themed exhibition. Musée d’Orsay on the Left Bank of the Seine, designated several rooms to sports-themed paintings. Both visits provided artful perspectives on the humanities side of the Games we would witness in person.
Skip the retail – bring home the memories in your camera and in your heart. I do like souvenirs! But the Olympics are more than the tchotchkes. The people connection cannot be duplicated. Adding here — the t-shirt and cap we purchased at the airport duty-free shop are a hit now that we are back in the States.
With the Olympics, every day is like a Super Bowl. Consider the rigors of planning, packing, managing details for your time away. Multiply that by 7 if you are attending 7 Olympic events. While each is special and entirely worth it, each event is a different outing. From the fencing in the Grand Palais to the Archery at Les Invalides, the days are beautiful and long. Fortunately for Paris, it was still light at 9PM.
Take in one extra special meal. We prefer luncheon over dinner. It’s easier to select your table and become acquainted with the service team. They are fresh, ready for the day and there are typically less guests. I ask for 11:30AM seating to be sure.
One of our research go-tos in France is the Michelin List. With 132 Michelin-rated restaurants in Paris alone, this takes patience. Instead of making it drudgery, look at this as a treasure hunt. Be fair to the venue – only book one at a time without duplication. Be sensible about your arrival times.
Sit at an outdoor cafe’! Café Janou in the heart of Paris claims the “best chocolate mousse” and we think they are right. People-watching and conversing with locals is a true snapshot of Parisian life.
On the downbeat for a moment: As a non-smoker – smoking on the streets is more obvious than in other cities and it became apparent on our first day. If there are 8 guests seated for lunch – eight will be smoking. While eating! All personal opinions aside, it is noticeable and something to consider.
Whether you call it the City of Light or the City of Love, we call it both while celebrating our 216th! Le Taillevent is a long awaited experience going back to our dating life. Like our marriage, we can say it is la peine d’attendre! Worth the wait.
On the upside! The Paris Metro system remains outstanding. Efficient, well-lit, the city is ideally signed with plaques everywhere with colorful didactics and signature Parisian. Familiarize yourself prior and spend time with an agent once there to get your bearings.
Study up on the athletes prior. There are plenty of resources available. Watch or go to the qualifying trials for added benefit. Reserve time after your Olympics vacation to attend welcome home celebrations plus meet & greets back in the athletes’ hometowns. Evening and daytime talk show hosts honor the Olympians and it’s rewarding to hear their stories.
Be sure to look at the permitted versus inaccessible items list. The Paris list showed SPF “spray only” with larger size backpacks allowed. Every city is different.
An engineering & cultural feat! The Olympic Cauldron, created by French designer Mathieu Lehanneur, set a precedent. Floating 200’ above Paris every evening, shining without fuel, a photogenic sight! We will keep this flame in our hearts a long while.
Everything takes longer than we think. We Chicagoans think about travel time in minutes. The world refers to distance.
Attend the marvelous Hospitality Houses each night. Several are free admission and without reservations. Others are ticketed with fees. Our favorite visits were to New Zealand hospitality house at the 5-star Marriott Champs Elysées Hotel. The event revealed the Olympic torch bearers for the Opening Ceremonies. Splendid in spirit, the New Zealand hosts welcomed us into their native culture with tasty Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc.
We made it a point to attend Fencing! The Perfect European Sport, steeped in history & making its way around the world. The magnificent •Grand Palais• cast its brightest light on this beautiful athleticism. A piercing dance for the ages!
We experienced the best of the Swiss – staged as <Maison Suisse> at the Embassy of Switzerland. The nightly celebration is a pristine showcase for Swiss innovations. Plus, delicious risotto with enormous wheel of cheese set the tone for an internationally delightful evening.
Expect LOUD. Bring ear buds or noise cancelling headphones. Perhaps I wore my Walkman too loudly in the 1980s. Right now, performances are on high volume – be prepared for the sound waves.
An afternoon fit for a king & queen! •Equestrian Dressage• at Château de Versailles gets the prize for most iconic venue. Precise maneuvers, spellbinding to observe the choreography & evident teamwork between horse and rider. A stunning plus uplifting event!
Next time, we will stay for the Paralympics. The athletes are now referred to as competitors, no longer simply “participants.” I am in awe of the rigor of these competitors and get teary eyed with the awe of what they achieve.
About the Author: Stephanie Leese Emrich is a life-long Chicagoan. As a career concierge and museum professional, her pivot to education simply gratifies. She is full-time faculty at Roosevelt University | Heller College of Business. Stephanie is excited to launch the course she finished designing while at the Paris Olympics, titled: Introduction to Sports as Business.
