The Morning After the Olympics Ceremony

After watching the Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony on Friday night on television, I wondered what all the decorations looked like in person. I wanted to see Lady Gaga’s stage and wondered if Marie Antoinette was still standing in the Conciergerie windows holding her head.

Wandering from the Bastille to the Seine I walked along the upper quai. I saw the enchanted golden staircase on the tip of Square Barye where Lady Gaga sang on and danced in pink and white plumage. I could still envision the movements and the moments. Ahead of me lay the next island to inspect.

The island of Île-Saint-Louis was open to pedestrians again. The pink flags were still hanging along Quai de Béthune where the can-can dancers entered their stage. The pedestrian traffic was light. Under the grey, wet sky, I found bright flowers and residents on their morning strolls. Further on along Île de la Cité, the wall of the Hôpital Hôtel-Dieu was still draped in gold that acted as a backdrop to dancers on Friday and to workers on Saturday dismantling the stage and the bleachers.

The Italian film crew in front of me made the same overshoot and they missed their shots. By the time we made it around to the front of the Grand Palais, it was too late. We were salmon against the stream of spectators. They went their way; I went mine through the back gardens of the Petit Palais, past the Jeff Koons statue of tulips.

I followed a crowd through the Gardens of Champs-Elysées planning on taking the closest metro at Madeleine. On the way, by Concorde, I saw a forlorn statue, one of eight representing French cities. Lady Lille was staring at the back of the decorated bleachers. Even she had no ticket to see any events. Instead of heading to Madeleine, something drew me toward Place Vendôme and the Tuileries Garden.

As I approached rue de Rivoli a mounted staircase caught my eye. I followed the crowd up and over the staircase into the garden. In front of the barricade decorative in Olympic colours was a lone green garden chair. A line formed; I stepped into the line. There, looking over the top, was the “Montgolfier” — the hot air balloon and the cauldron where the Olympic flame was lit on Friday night. It turned out to be a better view than the official one. Tickets are free to enter the garden and see the cauldron (without standing on a green chair). Now I decided my day was almost complete, but one more stop.

One of the goals of the day had been to see the five Olympic rings in front of the Louvre pyramid. Mission accomplished. After almost 20,000 steps and 13.21 km (8.2 miles), I called it a day and walked through the Louvre arcade. At the Palais Royal-Musée du Louvre metro station, I could put away my umbrella. The sun would be hot and shining on Sunday.