The Times folks are still trickling into Paris. Hellos and hugs, hugs and hellos from many we haven’t seen since the last Olympics. And some new faces too. It’s always the first rodeo for at least a few of us. For me, this is Number 11.
I imagine this is also true for the EatatJoes community. Some of you have been here for all 11, and some of you are being credentialed for the first time. Hellos and hugs to everyone! (Except Jim Luttrell, aka Keepin’ It Real.)
I arrived here on Sunday morning and I have almost memorized my train connections from the hotel to the MPC (Main Press Center, for those newbies or those who need a refresher). Everyone will be here by Thursday when we have our traditional staff dinner the night before the Opening Ceremony. For those who have a particular culinary interest in this trip, we’ll be dining at Le Bistrot des Campagnes.
Everyone will be here, that is, except Doug Mills. Even casual lurkers of the blog will know that one of the most fun and rewarding parts of covering the Games for me is getting to work alongside Doug, Pulitzer Prize winning photographer and all-round good guy.
It turns out Doug is really Forrest Gump. Inexplicably he is always in the front row at the most important news events. And, as the buzz in the photo room here is, “Doug always gets the shot.” A reference to his latest work: quite literally getting “the shot” after a bullet struck Trump’s ear. You may have seen his photo.
The Times has decided to keep Doug on the campaign trail instead of sending him to hang out with us. Priorities getting in the way of my Olympic experience. The nerve!
https://edition.cnn.com/2024/07/14/politics/video/doug-mills-trump-rally-photo-src-digvid
I’ve been finishing up an Olympics project that publishes on Thursday so I haven’t had much of a chance to take many photos for the blog. It’s mostly been back and forth on the train from the hotel to the MPC. But we do pass the Eiffel Tower on the train every day. Not a bad commute.
Tonight (Tuesday) we had dinner at a Peruvian restaurant down the block from the hotel. I can neither spell nor pronounce what it was, but it was incredibly good. A whole fish (hopefully not from the Seine) covered in a spicy both and served with rice. I’ll be back!
On Monday night I found some outstanding crème brulée also near the hotel. There may be a lot of crème brulée photos over the next few weeks as I try to test every last one in Paris!
You’ll be happy to know that the men’s room in the press center has a cabaret theme. I thought you’d like to see pictures of that!
it won’t be the same without you Doug. Be safe out there!
Eat at Joe’s 
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