Olympic Diaries: Parisians' divided views on Games, half empty hotels and ‘safe’ Seine

For the fortunate few out of the 45,000 volunteers supporting the Paris Olympics, a chance meeting with tennis star Carlos Alcaraz at the airport has already made their volunteering stint special.

Paris is hosting the Olympics after 100 long years and the volunteers, who are the heart and soul of the mega multi-sporting competition, see the Games starting July 26 as an event of their lives.

"I am already 60 and retired. Safe to say that Paris will not be hosting another Olympics in my lifetime and being part of it now makes it the event of my life," said an excited volunteer at the Paris Orly airport, who didn't wish to be named.

"And 20 minutes ago, Alcaraz landed here and I helped him get his accreditation. So for me the experienced has already become unforgettable," she added.

Local transport fares double  

However, not all locals are pleased about the impact that the Games has already had on their daily lives. The local transportation fares have gone up from 2.15 euros to 4 euros since Saturday and they will remain in effect till September 8, when the subsequent Paralympics conclude.

The movement too has been restricted close to the Olympic venues, impacting public life. What goes in favour of the Games that majority of the 32 disciplines will be staged in the city and with its existing infrastructure including the iconic sites like the Eiffel Tower. "It is a proud moment for Parisians that the city is hosting the Olympics but that should not impact the daily life of the people. The local transport fares have doubled and that has not gone down well with me and the locals in the city. Increasing fares was not the best move by the authorities," said Victoire Delarue at Gare du Nord, the busiest train station in the city.

Benjamin Raucoule, who is working the Paris Games organizing committee, has been part of the mega project for the past two years and he is happy that it is all coming to fruition with the opening ceremony on Friday.

"I love sport and to be able to work on the biggest sporting event in the world is a dream come true. The experience has also prepared me for the future. I would also like to work on the Los Angeles edition in 2028," said Benjamin.

For volunteer Maud Thirouin, who aspires to be a successful architect, Paris staging the Games should be a matter of immense pride for all the residents of the city. "There are people who don't care much about the Games taking place in the city but a lot of them do. Volunteering has given me a lifetime opportunity and I hope to make the most of it,” she said.

Half-empty hotels  

A massive demand for accommodation was projected for the entire duration of the Olympics. A sizable number of Parisians have gone on holidays, putting their properties on rent to make a quick buck but surprisingly hotels have not witnessed the surge that was expected.

It is also the peak season in Paris but the demand remains lukewarm.

"At this time of the year, the per night tariff of our hotel is at least 120 euros, we are selling it for the half the price. That sums up the situation.

"Olympics being held is not so good for us. There are restrictions to move around and you need QR code to enter certain areas," said Samir, a manager at a hotel near Place de Clichy station.

Is Seine safe?  

One of the most ambitious projects that the local authorities undertook for the Olympics was the cleaning up of river Seine, which will be hosting the opening ceremony, triathlon and marathon swimming.

The ceremony, the first on water in the rich history of Olympics, should be a spectacular event but questions remain over the safety measures taken.

Swimming was banned in the Seine 100 years ago but with around 1. 5 billion euros spent on its cleaning, the river has been deemed "fit to swim" at least by Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, who finally took a dip in the river last week after multiple delays.