Olympic cauldron draws enthusiasts and tourists to the Tuileries Gardens in Paris

She was one of the queens of the opening ceremony of the Games on Friday 26 July. Within 24 hours of being lit by Marie-José Perec and Teddy Rainer, the Olympic cauldron already had an audience. Dozens of people gathered Saturday morning in front of the gates of the Tuileries Gardens, lining the Louvre pyramid and the Place de la Concorde.

Even from a distance, the object conceived and designed by designer Mathieu Lehannour has its effect. Missing from Grenoble with their two children on the first train on Saturday were Cyril and Nomi. “No Disappointment”. The massive appearance of the basin is impressive with a diameter of seven meters. “It’s even bigger”, whisper to the children. But to get closer, you have to wait a little longer and brave the rain.

As its lighting came at the end of Friday’s grand opening, members of the public wondered if they would be able to enjoy it up close. Paris 2024 is set Website You have to register free of charge for scheduled slots every 15 minutes from 11 am to 7 pm every day. More than 80,000 people have already reserved a place, Mathiu Lehannour told a press conference on Saturday.

While waiting for the fateful moment, everyone positions themselves on their phones to find the perfect frame to photograph the ball nailed to the ground. “We have to ask the staff to move around so we can take some without anyone.”Christoph jokes, addressing the man in charge of security.

He lives in the neighborhood, enjoyed the ceremony from his living room, and wanted to see the flame before going on vacation and moving from the capital. “I don’t think we got a good look at her on TV, the cameras were so far away.” He slips away. Like him, others are curious. Joggers running around the garden are stopped, patrolling police take advantage of the opportunity to destroy the object.

Shortly before 11 a.m., security personnel bustle behind the gates: opening is imminent. Valerie-Anne and Alexandra walk through the neighborhood to see an exhibit, finally closing and taking time to admire the view. “It’s something to see in real life after this grand ceremony that once made you proud to be French.”, Alexandra assures. There are also some disappointments as some people come but don’t register. This is the case of Nomi who accompanied her husband and her son Baptiste to the ceremony. The family, before they return to Chambery by train “I’d like to see her closer.”

Baptiste is in a wheelchair so getting to the gates was already quite a journey. The mother tries to negotiate expedited access, but the defense refuses: “The seats are full.” Very quickly, those who try their luck on the official site are disappointed. The ticket office is full and it is impossible to get a seat on the same day as the capacity is limited to 300 people per slot or 1,200 people per hour. Around 1pm, the organization informed us that Saturday was full. The Savoyard family enjoys a clear view, without one last photograph.

In front of the entrance gates, dozens of people are waiting with or without tickets. Cheats with system languages ​​and filtering mechanisms. Dylan had arranged it himself. He was in front of his computer “At 11:59 p.m.” One of the first ticket holders yesterday. Along with his father Laurent, his godfather Jean-Louis and his aunt Cécile, the young man arranged the visit. Although Jean-Louis deplores the lack of personalities to renovate the place, the group relishes their opportunity. “Carl Lewis could have been. He laughs. He was there last night.” “It’s small, Slips Cecil, It means once in 100 years, we’ll never see it again, or sweeten strawberries.

Inside the garden, each group can stroll and enjoy the view. Emilia, 3 years old, plays with wet earth and is not afraid of puddles. “She watched the ceremony and danced, but broke down during the speeches.”, his parents Dimitri and Jessica smile. Being from Saint-Ouen, they consider themselves lucky. “We were planning to go see the flame and when I logged on to the site at 10am, I got a slot for 12:15pm.”Assure Dad, he salutes the ceremony and the tribute work to this basin and hot air balloon.

The organizers of the festival, in fact, wanted to make a nod to French exploits. Physicist Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier and Marquis d’Arlandes conducted the first unmanned flight in history in an airship on November 21, 1783 in Paris. Later, physicist Jacques Charles, who on December 1, 1783 launched a more powerful, safer and more sophisticated hydrogen-filled gas balloon from the Tuileries in front of 400,000 people.

The first hour of the visit is quiet. After the fountain tour, a few photos taken, everyone returns to the exit. Once inside, it wasn’t time to tour, but “There’s no reason for people to stay there for two hours,” Justifies someone from Aimko who manages the organization of the project. Melanie and Kellyanne, a young couple from Paris, pose with friezes in hand. “We absolutely loved seeing the basinThe young man believes, We’re here 11 hours after it burned.” As soon as the booking site opened, he rushed. “She’s beautiful and it’s great that she’s so approachable”He mentions.

“I’m amazed by the place. In the middle of the Tuileries fountain, it’s exceptional.”

Kellyanne is the visitor who came to see the cauldron

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Virginie swallows her disappointment at the sight of this Olympic flame. She came from Lille with her husband and children for the opening “I wanted to wonder”. In the arena near the Quai d’Austerlitz, he regrets not being able to enjoy the show, which was staged mainly for television, and only saw the boat parade. “Looking at the basin, we feel a little more blessed, the installation is spectacular”, she observes. Maxim, his son, agrees, but mentions the same thing “A Similitude with the Sinks at Kinepolis”A cinema complex in Lille.

As he puts his son to bed, Laurent delights in the way this flame burns. It does not burn using fossil fuels, but 100% electricity, thanks to a device developed by EDF. “It is clever, He advances, Burning gas for two weeks would not have been in keeping with the objective of green and eco-friendly sports.” Burns until August 11. But those hoping to see it take to the skies over Paris shouldn’t be surprised. The balloon does not take off until 10pm. It would be an opportunity for Delphine, who had come from Sarende to the Olympics, to come back and see her. “At night and in the wind, it still moves.”