At last the Olympic torch reached Paris. Its journey had started at OlympiaA town in western Greece. in Greece, where it was lit for the first time. Next it went to Athens, and then by boat to MarseilleA port city in southern France. . Its route from there to the French capital was higgledy-piggledy, criss-crossing the country and even being flown to overseas departmentsAdministrative regions of France. such as MartiniqueA Caribbean island that is an overseas region of France. .

Its arrival in Paris coincided with a key national holiday, Bastille DayThe national day of France, celebrated each 14 July. It is the anniversary of the storming of the Bastille prison, which was a major event during the French revolution. . In the heart of the city it was handed to one of France's greatest footballers, Thierry Henry.

The idea of the long relay, writes Roger Cohen in The New York Times, was to "bring all of France and the FrancophoneFrench-speaking world together in a joyous celebration". Instead, "France has endured a season of bitter division... and the country finds itself in a chaotic political impasseA situation in which you can make no progress, often due to two sides not agreeing. ".

This is the result of the general election called by President Macron. Although left-wing parties came together to defeat the hard-right National Rally, it is not clear who will form the next government.

The Olympics have traditionally been seen as an event above politics, in which people from all over the world were brought peacefully together. In Ancient Greece, those going to them could travel through hostile countries without fear of being attacked. And although Macron has failed to bring harmony, it is hoped that the chefs catering for the event will do better.

The operation is a huge one. The dining hall in the Olympic Village is 220m long and 24m wide and can seat 3,500 people.¹

It is divided into six restaurants, each serving a different type of food, from French or Asian to halalMeaning "lawful", a dietary rule followed by many Muslims. It includes rules on how animals should be slaughtered. . Up to 40,000 meals will be served per day.

The challenge is not just to satisfy the competitors' hunger. "You have to understand there are certain athletes who want a carb-heavy diet, there are certain athletes who want lean protein," says chef Jeff Leidy.²

"There are a lot of different factors that you have to take into account, and then wrap all that up into the question of 'How do I make it taste? How do we make it look good?'"

He adds that bananas are athletes' favourite food: "We anticipate getting two or three million bananas."

There are many other people to be fed too, from staff to spectators. The head of the Paris Olympics Etienne Thobois expects 13 million meals to be served altogether.³

Is food the key to world peace?

Yes: Coming together to eat is something that all cultures have in common, and discovering the food of other nations is the most enjoyable and effective way of opening our eyes to them.  

No: However well ordinary people connect over food, world peace depends on politicians who are driven by their own ambitions. The best meal in the world will not persuade Vladimir PutinRussia's ruler since 2000. He is a strong opponent of the West. to withdraw from Ukraine.  

Or... Sport is a much more effective key. People who cannot communicate in any other way can share the excitement of watching top athletes - and there is no greater opportunity for that than the Olympics.