From the country that gave us Napoleon, escargot, and high-fashion runways, this news should come as no surprise: The 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris will break the mold. Organizers have missed no opportunity to put a distinctly French stamp on this international event, as TikTok personality one37pm pointed out in a video. Venues, ceremonies, medals, and mascots are all intended to highlight France’s unique architecture and history. The setting for the opening ceremonies will be the picturesque heart of Paris. The parade of athletes will be held on the River Seine, with each national delegation riding in boats fitted with cameras to project the athletes’ images on public screens. It may be hard for Paris to out-do opening ceremonies of the past, such as the four-hour extravaganza at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing or London’s 2012 Olympic opener featuring a Queen Elizabeth body double parachuting into Olympic Stadium from a helicopter. Nevertheless, in a significant first, admission for the hundreds of thousands of expected spectators will be free, a gesture also likely to be remembered. Open-water swimming events will also be held in the Seine — a plan that alarmed fans who recall that the river flooded with untreated sewage as recently as last year after heavy rains overwhelmed the city’s old sewers. French officials say the city has dug a giant reservoir nearby to collect excess rainwater and prevent a recurrence. The Eiffel Tower will be a looming presence over a temporary arena built for beach volleyball and other events. The layout ensures that the nearly 1 billion expected TV viewers will get an eyeful of the iconic 135-year-old iron spire. The Eiffel Tower plays another pivotal role. Iron taken from its girders during renovations in the past century has been forged into the center of each Olympic medal in the shape of a hexagon (mimicking the rough outline of France on a map). While most Olympic mascots have been cuddly animal figures, France’s quirky mascots, the Phryges (pronounced fri-jee-uhs), are red, white, and blue cartoon characters modeled after a conical hat worn as a symbol of liberty during the French Revolution. It’s a brief reminder, lest viewers forget, that among all of its other distinctions, France is also one of the birthplaces of modern democracy. PARIS 2024: NOT YOUR GRANDFATHER’S OLYMPICS GAME CHANGING
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Inspired by AllRecipes.com
Summer Pizza
Fire up the flavor with a grilled summer pizza loaded with veggies and light on the cheese.
Ingredients • 1 lb pizza dough • 1/4 cup pesto • 1/3 cup shredded quesadilla cheese • 10 thin slices of zucchini • 10 thin slices of summer squash • 2 mini bell peppers, thinly sliced
• 1 thin slice of red onion, diced • 1 strip cooked bacon, chopped Butter Glaze (optional) • 1 tbsp butter • 1 tsp steak seasoning
Directions 1. Preheat grill to high heat on one side. 2. Reduce the flame on half of the grill burners to low. 3. Roll out pizza dough into a circle. Place dough on the grill over high heat. 4. Close the cover and let dough grill for 1–3 minutes until bottom is slightly cooked and shows char marks. 5. Use tongs to flip crust over and move it to the low-heat side. 6. Brush dough with pesto, sprinkle with cheese, and evenly distribute veggies and bacon. 7. Grill for about 3 minutes until cheese is melted; then carefully remove. 8. Optional: Combine butter and seasoning. Brush crust edges with butter glaze and place pizza in broiler until golden.
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