I can not imagine what Paris must smell like right now.
A good many years ago, when I was 23, I worked in Paris for 6 months. One of the Metro stations en route from Charles de Gaulle to the flat I was in was Chatelet. It was clearly built in extremely close proximity to the sewers.
Even with your eyes closed, you always knew when you'd pulled into Chatelet.
It must be unbearable now.
Could there be any greater conceit, than for someone to believe that the universe has to be simple enough for them to be able to understand it ?