PARIS — About an hour earlier than the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics started, I approached one of many a number of dozen law enforcement officials stationed outdoors the Place de la Concorde.
“Parlez vous, English?” I requested on the planet's worst French accent.
“Slightly,” she replied with a smile.
My mission was to get as shut as doable to the Tuileries Backyard in entrance of the Louvre Museum. In March, AFP information reported that the Olympic flame will burn there all through the Video games. Extra lately, pictures began appearing on social media of a closely guarded sphere that regarded suspiciously prefer it would possibly comprise a cauldron.
Usually, the stroll from Place de la Concorde to the Louvre would possibly take 15 minutes, however this night time was something however regular. Police imposed a safety perimeter alongside the banks of the Seine and barricaded lots of the surrounding streets. Even for those who had a ticket, it was troublesome to discover a clear path to the seating space.
After I requested the police officer outdoors the Place de la Concorde the right way to strategy the Louvre, she checked out me as if I had simply requested her the right way to fly to Jupiter.
“It's going to be difficult,” she mentioned with a chuckle. – I don't suppose it's doable.