Paris may be our favorite city in the world. So when we learned that the opening ceremony of the Olympics would take place on the Seine on Debra’s birthday, we immediately began planning our trip. After investing in flights, tickets, and accommodations, we were met with a barrage of news warning about risks of terrorism, excessive security measures, restrictions, traffic issues, difficulties securing restaurant reservations, and overloaded metro forecasts. Despite these concerns, we decided to proceed with our plans but kept our expectations low.

I had found the perfect apartment at the tip of Île Saint-Louis, but then discovered that the entire river area would be sealed off except for those cleared with a QR code. After a month of anxiety, we finally received our codes just days before our flight. Turns out, having a QR code for access to the secure area on our island and along the river was like having a “backstage pass,” allowing us to enjoy some of Paris’s most beautiful sights as if we were nearly alone in the city!

The opening ceremony entry logistics were chaotic despite hundreds of pleasant volunteers who could say “I don’t know” in 9 languages. And then the temperature dropped and rain began – leaving us, having dressed for the typical hot Paris summer evening, shivering most the night. I’m sure the ceremony was better on TV!

Fortunately, the weather cleared up and was beautiful for the whole week we stayed. We went to 5 different venues and we encountered no issues with the metro, taxis, Ubers, or restaurant reservations even after events concluded. Security was tight but well-organized; heavily armed personnel were friendly and helpful. We attended various events including the opening ceremony, table tennis, beach volleyball, indoor volleyball, badminton, water polo, and even watched some tandem diving practice. Although some events were early qualifying rounds, they were filled to capacity with appreciative and excited crowds from around the world.