First, a confession: this is one of my favorite series to write for the newsletter, and I did not write one in April! Please forgive me.
I know many of you like these news highlights, too. But I do have a reason that I don’t have to share but will because, well, it’s the truth: I was overwhelmed with deadlines! April was the craziest work month for me in ages, a fact I attribute to the Olympics and a bunch of magazines waking up somewhat late to the fact that they need and want to report about Paris more generally to be released as the Games kick-off. Good for me in theory but everyone had the same idea at once, so tricky for my brain and body. While I tried to maintain many of my regular ancillary activities, I felt a form of burnout creeping in and opted to loaf on the couch with a book instead of adding more hours on the computer.
I followed the news, though, and reported on interesting stories I’m excited to share soon and soon-ish. All that to say, I am back now with an overdue glance at some of the stories that have caught my eye!
79 DAYS UNTIL THE OLYMPICS: THE ROLE OF SPORT
See that gal above? That’s Sarah Ourahmoune, one of the women in my book The New Parisienne who won an Olympic silver medal in boxing at Rio 2016 and has been on the The Paris 2024 Board of Directors which runs the Olympic and Paralympic Games Organising Committee. That committee comprises former athletes, local political leaders, the Greater Paris region authorities, the Seine Saint Denis departmental council, and representatives from other participating towns.
I know from speaking with her for the book that access to sports radically transformed her life and her career opportunities in a way that she believes is crucial to uphold and develop further for young generations. But that’s particularly urgent for those living in the severely underprivileged and historically underfunded suburb of Seine-Saint-Denis, north of Paris. Many of the development plans, which the IOC insists were in place before the Olympic bid but were accelerated by the Olympics, along with the construction of the Olympic Village in Saint Ouen and a new aquatics center, are among the steps she told me could instill a lasting sense of community and purpose where it has most been lacking. (For reference, Seine-Saint-Denis has the least number of public pools in France, for a population of 1.6 million).
So while locals might gripe at the disruption of the whole Olympic and Paralympic affair, the cost of metro and bus tickets (a racket, to be clear), and a heightened security apparatus, the legacy of Paris 2024 could, if the execution matches the means and the ambitions, finally lead to change that has been needed in these northern suburbs.
This piece (NYT) about the Saint-Ouen mayor Karim Bouamrane addresses some of the points, along with the transformation underway that would have taken decades to achieve without the Olympics (it shouldn’t but here we are).
STILL, IT ISN’T ALL ROSES….
From pushing out migrants to covering up Olympic construction-related deaths, risks of gentrification, and bid promises that were never meant to be kept (completing the Grand Paris Express train, for one), there remains plenty to critique about these Games and, furthermore, a city such as Paris hosting them in the first place.
A few stories highlight many of these controversies and concerns:
France Says It Built the Olympics Safely. Migrant Workers Don’t Count.
Paris Promised the Olympics Would Be Accessible. The Clock Is Ticking.
Uncertainty reigns around Seine swimming competitions due to pollution and…. fecal matter (!!) (At a press conference I attended last week with Mayor Hidalgo, she insisted it will be clean and suitable for swimming before the opening ceremony…)
STUDENT PROTESTS AT SCIENCES PO
Occupy Wall Street-style protests have spread through American college campuses, and they have also found their way to Paris (Politico), where students at Sciences Po, one of the capital’s elite institutions, have demonstrated and set up encampments and been met with police intervention. I believe in the right to protest—this piece highlights how I feel about this particular protest. All of these things can be true: words used in protest matter; not everyone is violent, the media tends to focus on the most radical individuals; and dissent is part of a healthy democracy. And when I’m frustrated by the way this moment is being covered and interpreted, I try to channel what my dear friend Rahaf Harfoush reminded me of several months ago, and that is that movements of all stripes— women’s rights, civil rights, anti-war— were seldom popular at the time that people were pushing for them. At the time of MLK’s death, he was an unpopular figure, and far too many Americans rejected civil rights.
AMERICAN LIBRARY TOURS
May 20th marks the American Library in Paris’s 104th birthday and to celebrate, they have opened up dates this month for expert-led free history tours of the library. You’ll learn about the WWI origin story, the Lost Generation of American writers who frequented the library, the librarians who kept book lending going during the Occupation, and a whole lot more.
Sign up for one of the tours here.
And if you missed my conversation with library director Audrey Chapuis, catch my podcast episode with her below!
EUROPEAN ELECTIONS ARE UPON US: WHY THEY MATTER
Much of Western Europe is leaning further and further to the right, which means if we want to protect liberal values and social rights, we need to prepare to use our voices in all upcoming elections. The next big one is June 9, when representatives of the European Parliament will be elected. This BBC story offers a helpful summary if you’re curious about what’s at stake and how the vote functions. (I, myself, was surprised to learn some countries allow 16-year-olds to vote!). Either way, I’m ready!
How Europeans vote will shape the direction of the EU over the next five years, on climate change and migration, greater integration or increased nationalism.
In most EU countries you have to be 18 to vote, but if you're 16 you can vote in Germany, Austria, Belgium and Malta, while in Greece the minimum age is 17. In a handful of countries including Luxembourg and Bulgaria, voting is compulsory.
THE RAINIEST PARISIAN WINTER / SPRING IN RECENT HISTORY
You weren’t imagining it if you were in Paris since November: it’s been among the rainiest and greyest on record. And if you’ve only read our endless complaints, now you know why. Thank goodness for Vitamin D supplements.
The Seine also flooded in certain areas which resurfaced videos like the one above, recalling the intense floods of 1910. Even if you don’t understand French, I recommend watching for the period imagery alone!
BONUS ROUND:
-I can’t say I follow sports but I do have a considerable interest in French talent making it big. It brings me a lot of joy to see Victor Wembanyama continuing on his path to stardom as he was named the 2024 NBA Rookie of the Year (France 24).
-In case you missed my story about the Notre Dame masterworks currently on view at the Mobilier National, read it here on Condé Nast Traveler. For anecdotes that didn’t make the final story, read my newsletter update here.
-My good friend Charli James (and fellow book club member!), a journalist for France 24, got an early look inside the half-billion-dollar restoration of the Grand Palais. Watch below!
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Finally downloaded the app to my phone 😁. I have been considering a visit to Paris but I was a bit hesitant because of the Olympic Games preparations, maybe I’ll do it anyway 🌸!
I've just spent at least two delightful sidetracking hours trying to identify which Paris trip I went to St Denis but I can't find it.
I intended to see the old Kings monuments in the Cathedral but I fell under the spell of the High St and all the African shops. This too was the only place I've ever been to where I had to check in my shopping trolley with the security man before going in the supermarket. I loved it there. I felt right at home. That probably says seriously bad things about me that I love and seem to be drawn to the dodgy Paris places. I can see why filming there might not be a great idea from a personal security point of view but I took loads of photos,of shops,and no one bothered me or seemed to mind. I bought a long purple gown,a house dress,it's perfect for rare sweltering summer days,rare in UK. It's polyester silk and cost €8 and it's fab. If I lived in Paris I would shop at St Denis because the prices are what I call sensible. Also it had a lively vibrant vibe. They say that about places you might get mugged in! Like our St Paul's in Bristol! I hope all the people there now dont get gentrified out.