Snooty waiters and surly Parisians – can France shed its rude reputation for the Olympics?

France gets a bad rap when it comes to friendliness. Can it change for an Olympic summer? The Eiffel Tower at night. Photo: Carolyn Van Houten/The Washington Post Paris is in the home stretch of preparing for the Olympics.

A new 8,000-capacity arena has been opened in the north of Paris, the Olympic Village was inaugurated by Emmanuel Macron in early March, and authorities are still desperately trying to make sure the Seine is swimmable by the summer. Join the Irish Independent WhatsApp channel Stay up to date with all the latest news.