The mobile bridges across the Ourcq Canal were removed. It is now impossible to follow the river on the north bank, as construction workers dismantle installations. Trucks come and go, loaded with beams. Philippe Coquelet, a resident of the 19th arrondissement who left Paris before the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games (OG) and returned on the closing day, said: The Parc de La Villette "was a construction site before the OG, it is a construction site after the OG."
An iconic location for celebrating the Games, which hosted Club France, delegations from 14 other countries and sports federations on its 55 hectares, La Villette was transformed into the "Parc des Nations." A festive venue where fans from all over the world watched competitions on the big screen or participated in sports initiations. "Nearly 1.4 million people were welcomed here" during the Games, according to La Villette.
The crowds have disappeared. "Where is Paris?" one onlooker complained to his friend. Visitor numbers were at a low point during Assumption week. In the reopened Jardin des Vents et des Dunes playground, the few children present climbed up and down small hills and ran and played on swings, slides and tunnels. Parents and leisure center staff watched from their benches. Silence reigned outside Casa Colombia, where supporters and athletes from the South American country used to gather and where, until the end of the Games, cumbia tunes escaped from the walls. In this calm, solitary souls scribbled in their notebooks on picnic tables behind what used to be Club France.
Supporters deserted the park, much to the dismay of many site workers. One security guard missed the fervor of the festivities and the fact that he can no longer improve his English. Nearby, his colleague, resting his head in his hand, seemed overcome by boredom. The Petite Faim food kiosk mourned its customers. "We used to close at 11 pm until Sunday," said stand manager Brenda (persons referred to by their first names did not wish to give their last name). But since Monday, she has been pulling down the metal curtain at 7 pm. "It's the lights that go out," she said sadly.
While tourists may be in short supply at the Parc de La Villette, on the Place de la Concorde in the heart of Paris, workers at the former Games sites could not say the same. The remains are also a major attraction. All day on Wednesday, August 14, Yuri and his colleague hung Paris 2024-stamped canvases on the fences defining the temporary competition site currently being dismantled. It hosted the BMX freestyle, breaking, skateboard and 3x3 basketball events. "People are looking through the fences that we haven't covered up yet. They're asking us for signboards in the colors of the Games and for canvases. "I've even been offered €25 for a piece of fabric," said Yuri laughing. He prepared a message on his phone, ready to be translated into any language: "We don't have any canvas to give away here."
You have 49.06% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only.