Bastille Day in Paris
July 14th is France’s Bastille Day – its 4th of July. I had hoped to be back in Paris in time for the start of the parade (especially since my hotel is just blocks from the Arc de Triomphe) but, because metro stations were closed on the Champs-Élysées, I did not make it there quite early enough.
I checked-in to my hotel and as I was dropping off my suitcases I heard planes flying overhead. Of course I ran outside with my camera to see what was flying overhead. I was expecting to see a group of fighters doing a pass but that was just the start. I think the French brought out examples of everything they had: Mirage fighters, cargo planes, helicopters, tankers and even trainers. Everyone was represented.
The Champs-Élysées was the parade route but on most of the side streets were military vehicles. These were being kept company by soldiers. I say they were being kept “company” because the soldiers spent most of their time posing for pictures with tourists and locals or helping kids (young and old) climb up on the war machines for a better look (or picture). The atmosphere was very laid back and friendly. Today, everyone was a Frenchmen!
Later that night, I headed towards the Eiffel Tower to meet up with friends from Houston (well, one is now a resident of Paris) for dinner and to watch the fireworks. Most of the streets in this area were closed to traffic so it was nice being able to walk around (although heading home took some time and creativity). The outdoor cafes were busy as were the shops and stands that popped up.
The night’s festivities started with a concert … don’t ask me who performed because I do not know who they were and I was really not too interested. I was more interested in watching the fireworks. We ended up standing between the concert stage and the Eiffel Tower. The fireworks, though, were on the other side of the Tower and we ended up watching them thru the Tower. This actually was OK – it provided an interesting frame for the firework show. Also, being this close also was nice in that we were able to enjoy the music. This being France, they did not just play any music but opera. I know, you may not care for opera, but this really made for an interesting mood.
Here are a couple of videos to see and hear what the celebrations were like (this are big: 27-38 megs):
