Paris turns on the style

The Eiffel Tower exploding in a cascade of lights, public buildings adorned with colourful logos and banners draped the length of the Champs Elysees. It may not yet be spring in Paris but the French capital has laid on a spectacular show for one of the most crucial weeks in its recent history.

When the Olympic inspectors arrive tomorrow evening to examine Paris's bid to stage the 2012 Games they will be greeted by an impressive show of lights, publicity and enthusiasm.

London's 2012 team were buoyed by positive noises from the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) evaluation commission visit last month. The delegation, led by Morocco's 1984 hurdles champion Nawal El Moutawakel, were impressed by the vision of London's bid and the enthusiasm of Lord Coe's team.

But Paris, still favourite, believes it is playing to its strengths as one of Europe's most beautiful cities. Its team's view is simple: the Olympics deserve to be staged in a city synonymous with style, passion and joie de vivre - encapsulated by their bid slogan: "L'Amour des Jeux".

Which is why Mrs El Moutawakel and her team, as well as being showered with briefing notes and presentations, will also be driven past some of the city's world-famous sites, brightly decorated for their four-day visit.

By day Paris is as beautiful as ever, by night the effect is magical. The Eiffel tower lights up like a firework on the hour throughout the evening. A giant illuminated Paris 2012 logo adorns the Hotel de Ville, headquarters of Paris mayor Bertrand Delanoë¬ while the Pont de la Concorde twinkles in the dark, its arches picked out in Olympic gold, red, blue and green.

Across the Seine the Assemblé¥ Nationale is decorated with the Paris 2012 logo. Taxis and even police cars have been decorated with bid stickers and billboards adorn the headquarters of major companies and bodies.

Key Mé´²o stations are decorated with photographs of ordinary Parisians willing the Games to be staged in their home town. Some restaurants and brasseries sport Paris 2012 table settings, while 400 bakeries are wrapping their baguettes in bags decorated with the logo.

Shop fronts are adorned with flags and posters. Marie-Yvonne Blanc, who runs Le Fromagerie near the Paris stock exchange, said: "We have got a very dynamic mayor who has really galvanised support for the bid."

A recent IOC poll found 85 per cent of Parisians support their city's bid, compared with 68 per cent of Londoners and a woeful 59 per cent of New Yorkers.

Marlene Rigault, 20, who works for a publicity agency near the Louvre Museum, said: "It would be a marvellous spectacle, as well as bringing new facilities, investment and jobs."

H owe ve r, a planned strike by French unions on Thursday threatens to bring the Mé´²o, trains and post to a halt. And there are some who would rather the ?3billion the Games will cost was spent on housing, health and education.

But Lord Coe's Parisian counterpart, Philippe Baudillon, told the Standard: "Paris looks really fantastic and support for the bid is spreading - from our key national decision-makers to the Paris streets, to the Mé´²o and train, to businesses, to schools and even to bakeries. We are delighted with the response."

When, on Friday night, Mrs El Moutawakel and her team sit down to savour some of the city's finest cuisine at a banquet with President Jacques Chirac in the sumptuous surroundings of the Elysé¥ Palace, Paris's supporters will be hoping the city has done enough to capture not only their hearts but their votes.