At last the Olympic torch reached Paris. Its journey had taken three months, starting 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 departments such as MartiniqueA Caribbean island that is an overseas region of France. .

Its arrival in Paris was timed to coincide 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 - one of 540 people who would carry it through the city.

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 Emmanuel 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."

"Depending on the sports, some of them have to ensure they have the exact right weight prior to the games, and maintain it," says the head of catering, Estelle Lamotte. "Other sports like cycling and running are much more glutenA protein found in some grains, such as wheat. -centric. We have 32 sports, so you have 32 different ways of eating, and requirements...

"Many of the teams have nutritionistsSomebody who advises others on their diet and nutrition to help them stay healthy. , and often they will literally tell the athletes every day what they have to eat and where to find it so the athlete doesn't have to think."

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 Putin 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.

Olympia - A town in western Greece.

Marseille - A port city in southern France.

Martinique - A Caribbean island that is an overseas region of France.

Bastille Day - The 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.

Francophone - French-speaking

Impasse - A situation in which you can make no progress, often due to two sides not agreeing.

Halal - Meaning "lawful", a dietary rule followed by many Muslims. It includes rules on how animals should be slaughtered.

Gluten - A protein found in some grains, such as wheat.

Nutritionists - Somebody who advises others on their diet and nutrition to help them stay healthy.