Paris 2024 -Les Jeux Olympiques

At the end of August 2023, I organized a trip to Paris for a small group of family members on a first-time visit to Paris. The group included my three nieces, ages five to 12, my sister Jacquie, sister Mishka, and her husband, Keith, Aunt Helena, and my mom, Cherry. We had all been in Europe to attend my daughter’s wedding in Tervuren, Belgium, and took the opportunity to explore afterwards.

I have been teaching the children French for a few years now, and wanted them to experience the language and culture of the ‘motherland’, first-hand. Of course I also held the thought in the back of my mind that the city, one year later, would be the “summer talk” of Europe and the world, and also be overrun with visitors and global athletic ambassadors. As it turned out, our little trip was a success: group of nine riding l’autobus parisien, dining out, walking along the River Seine, visiting La Tour Eiffel and Le Louvre, and even maneuvering le métro.

Watching the opening ceremonies of the summer Olympics, Axelle Saint-Cirel, the mezzo-soprano projecting a flawless, controlled rendition of La Marseillaise from the rooftop of Le Grand Palais, boats majestically gliding through La Seine, carrying the world’s most talented athletes waving proud flags; Céline Dion, standing with such grace, under the glittering lights of the Eiffel Tower, having the courage to inspire us with Edith Piaf’s L’Hymne à l’Amour —-filled me with nostalgia, and joy for how much I love that city, the french language, history, and culture.

I first visited Paris in the summer of 1982 as a college freshman. I had won an academic scholarship to study advanced French and film at the Université de Paris, Sorbonne Nouvelle. All my expenses were covered, except for my Kingston-Paris return airfare. My parents did everything in their power to get me to Paris and to spend time in London that summer. It was a miraculous feat they pulled off. I will always be grateful to them for their positive spirit, and courage. I made a promise to my mom that, “one day, I will take you to Paris…”

I’ve been to France dozens of times since 1982, but this 2023 trip was different; this was a special “dream come true” trip for my mother—for us…