Grondahl: What I saw at the Olympics

A beer at a corner bistro in the golden hour in the Marcadet section of Paris.

Heavy underdogs Cuba men’s beach volleyball team took Sweden to several match points in a hard-fought three-game match and almost a major upset.

A brass band led the crowd in a singalong of “Sweet Caroline” at the Eiffel Tower beach volleyball court.

Armed soldiers and police were everywhere in Paris as part of intense security for the Olympic Games.

A group of Dutch fans catch their breath after the Netherlands team beat the Czech Republic in a beach volleyball match.

An antiquarian bookseller on the Left Bank of Paris.

A literary pilgrimage draws throngs of tourists to the famous Shakespeare and Company, where literary legends hung out, on the Left Bank of Paris.

Raising a toast at Mikkeller Bar Paris, a craft beer pub, with our French nephews Christophe, bar manager, far right, Raphael and my wife Mary.

Extensive restorations continue on the Notre-Dame Cathedral, including replacement of the spire, after a catastrophic 2019 fire.

At women’s basketball games at Stade Pierre-Mauroy, a converted soccer stadium, in Lille north of Paris.

Victorious Swedish beach volleyball players greet their fans.

Mary and Paul Grondahl enjoy the action and atmosphere in the iconic Eiffel Tower beach volleyball arena.

The Eiffel Tower was the backdrop for the stunning 13,000-seat beach volleyball arena that featured a DJ, live bands and a beach party atmosphere.

PARIS — Paris is one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

Add on the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad and the French capital is next-level exceptional. It is a 16-day fever dream of 329 events in 32 sports played out at 35 venues sprinkled across the country. It is a dizzying kaleidoscope of sport.

And everywhere a fan goes during the Olympics competition, one is surrounded by some of the greatest architecture, food, art and culture on the planet.

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We experienced surreal moments. In the shadow of the Eiffel Tower, my wife, Mary, and I watched a breathtaking men’s beach volleyball match as heavy underdogs Cuba took top-ranked Sweden to the brink of a massive upset after a half-dozen, back-and-forth match points.

Here was a 13,000-seat arena with tons of white sand imported to create a........

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