Paris Postcard: Locked-down city eerily quiet before Olympics begin
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While all eyes will be on Paris when the Olympics kick off Friday, the City of Love this week resembles more of a ghost town.
Why it matters: A large swath of the city along the Seine River — home to the opening ceremony — is closed to all but those with permission or Olympic credentials.
I took advantage of the situation to take a walk along the Seine, which I practically had to myself.
- The only people I encountered were a few workers putting the finishing touches on the stands for Friday's festivities and an array of police on foot and on boats ensuring the area was kept secure.
Zoom out: Even outside the perimeter, the city seems eerily quiet, with an unexpected drizzle adding to the malaise. There was plenty of room at the city's many cafes, which I'm told would normally be packed.
- Many tourists not looking to attend the Games chose to go elsewhere, while plenty of Parisians are fleeing the city to avoid the Olympic crowds and closures.
- The result is a wide-open city for those that are here.
The one exception: The Musée d'Orsay, where my journalist credentials were not enough to gain me entrance.
- I was told that while I could visit for free, I still needed a reservation — part of the city's crowd control for the area. I headed to the Rodin Museum instead, which was also far from crowded.
Vehicle traffic, though, was still heavy, as private cars and taxis had to navigate a series of restrictions even more stringent than those placed on pedestrians.
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