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2024 Year in Review by an Australian in Paris

Olympics, baguettes, and more ...

MARTINA NICOLLS

Dec 30

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What a year 2024 turned out to be! As an Australian living in Paris, I can say this has been a dynamic year with highs, lows, and “I don’t understand” moments. Oh, and I volunteered at the Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics, so let’s start there.

The Paris 2024 Olympics & Paralympics: Where Inspiration Meets Grit

Volunteering at the Games was like stepping into a French movie with sporting stars galore in the Grand Palais – the Grand Palace. France secured 64 medals with 16 golds finishing fifth in the overall medal count per country.

The highlight of the Olympics for me were the “firsts” on the track in athletics – the countries Dominica, Pakistan, and Saint Lucia featured their first ever gold medallists: Thea Lafond for Dominica in the women’s triple jump, Arshad Nadeem for Pakistan in the men’s javelin, and Julien Alfred for Saint Lucia in the amazing women’s 100 metres athletic sprint.

If the Olympics were thrilling, the Paralympics were awe-inspiring. The resilience of the athletes put my grumbles about my sciatica into perspective. The highlight for me, volunteering in the Tribune Press Box for taekwondo and wheelchair fencing, was witnessing Afghan Zakia Khudadadi win the Refugee Team’s first ever medal on day one. She won a bronze medal in Para taekwondo in the women’s K44-47 kg category. Then I saw Thailand’s Saysunee Jana, in her sixth Paralympics, become the first female wheelchair fencer to win gold in all three of her competitions: sabre, foil, and epee. Triple gold – incredible! No wonder she is known as the “queen of fencing.”

Parisian Life in 2024: Don’t Bash the Baguette!

Life in Paris was as deliciously chaotic as ever. The baguette wars continued to rage – there is either a government "baguette tax" to curb over-production or – this year – a baguette shortage due to low wheat production. A baguette is the long, crusty bread, which is now UNESCO heritage listed, since 2022, as a “cultural treasure.” But, with the baguette shortage, there was a (joke) rumour that France would have to cancel the Olympics because “You can’t have a French Olympics without baguettes.” Of course, this did not happen and baguettes were on the breakfast menu in the Olympic and Paralympic Village. So, the French proverb – “Tis a long day, a day without bread” – is true!

Fire, Sun, and Heat

In 2024, bushfires raged across the globe. Close to my home, Australia celebrated the launch of the world’s largest solar farm, a proud reminder that we’re not just about barbies and beer. But closer to my French home, Paris sweltered through a record-breaking heatwave in July.

Trending Fashion

Fashion took a wild turn with "croissant couture" in Paris. Someone decided wearing hats shaped like croissant pastries was a good idea. It wasn’t. The holiday market stalls are still open into the evenings, selling all sorts of winter goods, including hand-knitted French berets and woolly vests, but I’lll be buying artisanal chocolates instead.

Looking Ahead to 2025

As I sit here at the end of 2024, with a glass of wine and a slice of cheese (when in France, after all), I can’t help but feel excited about what’s to come in 2025. But not as excited as some of my ambitious acquaintances at the breakfast café. One wants to conquer the Eiffel Tower’s stairs – a lofty ambition. Another wants to cycle through the Loire Valley while another wants to visit the Mont Saint-Michel – I’ve already visited both locations but there’s always time for another visit. I’ll be researching rural French cities to visit in 2025. Just a train trip away.

Here's to 2025 – may it be unforgettable for everyone, filled with laughter, challenges, and achievements.

Before I sign off, here’s my Paris poem for the year:

Paris, 2024: Time Eternal

Paris, a name that breathes like a sigh,

Under moonlit arches and a lavender sky.

She stands eternal, her spirit unfurled,

A beacon of hope in a spinning world.

In 2024, her heart beat strong,

Through Olympic chants and a global song.

Athletes gathered, dreams took flight,

Under her gaze of enduring light.

Women walked her streets with pride,

Their voices rising, a powerful tide.

From the Seine’s embrace to Montmartre’s crest,

They etched their strength in her timeless chest.

She welcomed all, from everywhere,

Each soul a voice throughout the air.

Her cafés buzzed with stories and dreams,

Her bridges wove bonds over shifting streams.

Love lingered here, soft as a kiss,

In twilight’s glow, a moment of bliss.

Lovers carved futures on a whim and a dare,

Under the Eiffel beam and its watchful glare.

Inclusion danced in her open square,

A mosaic of cultures, a world laid bare.

Hand in hand, they wove the night,

A tapestry spun from joy and right.

As the year waned, her flames burned bright,

A symbol of courage, of love, and light.

Paris endured, as she always will,

Her spirit never broken, her heart beats still.

December, Notre Dame’s bells rang clear,

Marking the end of a momentous year.

Paris enchanted, like a cooing dove,

A mirror of life, a symbol of love.

Though time is eternal, as I write,

Ticking as ever in an inky midnight.

Through politics, protests, and strife,

2024 gone in the slice of French life.

Photographer: Martina Nicolls

Can’t see the whole article? Want to view the original article? Want to view more articles? Go to Martina’s Substack: The Stories in You and Me

More Paris articles are in my Paris website The Paris Residences of James Joyce

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Embracing winter tranquility in rural France

Snowless, windless mist, and two cats … a tale of peace and connection …

MARTINA NICOLLS

Dec 25

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Away from Paris – 90 minutes by train – I spend time in rural France. The peace and tranquility of life in the countryside is a welcome relief at the end of 2024, a busy year for all.

Winter holidays in rural France offer a rare kind of magic, especially when spent with an 89-year-old aunt whose stories and warmth make every moment richer. Trading the hustle of city life for the tranquility of the countryside reveals a slower pace, where the gentle rhythm of life restores and rejuvenates. Just Jeanne … et moi!

Nestled in a cozy village, the days begin with the sound of ducks from the neighbouring farm, and the view of a morning mist. Aunt Jeanne’s two Siamese cats, regal and curious, glide through the house, purring a soothing contentedness and accepting their days with equanimity and satisfaction.

Here, time stretches luxuriously. The mornings are perfect for writing, inspired by the quietude and an unobstructed view of rolling fields kissed by winter’s soft light. Words flow easily in this serene space, unburdened by distractions. Afternoons invite shared cooking adventures, the kitchen filled with the aromas of crusty baguettes and croissants, escargot and poulet, and the occasional indulgence of hot chocolate or something stronger.

Relaxing is effortless. I practice the French language and stories are exchanged. Aunt, with her lifetime of wisdom, recounts tales that ground and connect, providing a living bridge to history. Outside, the countryside whispers its own stories – the rustle of leaves, the distant caw of a bird, the rhythmic patter of gentle rain on old roof tiles.

Spending the winter holidays here isn’t about grand celebrations; it’s about rediscovering simplicity, peace, and the joy of connection. It’s a gentle reminder that the most profound moments often lie in stillness, in laughter shared over simmering pots, and in the companionship of – human or feline – those who truly matter.

Photographer: Martina Nicolls