Saturday, July 30, 2011

Bastille Day Celebrations 2011

So, I know this post is a little on the late side...but better better late than never!
Le quatorze juillet (or Bastille Day as it is known in English) is celebrated on the 14th day of July every year in France.  This date marks the one year anniversary of the storming of the Bastille (a French military prison in Paris) in 1790.  The storming of the Bastille was one of the events that lead to the commencement of French Revolution and is sometimes referred to as the Fête de la Fédération.

To celebrate le quatorze juillet, the French military parades down the Champs Elysées from the Arc de Triomphe to Place de la Concorde while a fly-by takes place overhead with jets seen in formation. 
Fly-by exhibiting National colors
Fly-by on Bastille Day in Paris
Fly-by as seen from the Tuileries

Following the Parade on Rue de Rivoli
Following the Parade on Rue de Rivoli
This year this was a special treat...parachutists dropped from the sky for all to see!
Parachutist near the Eiffel Tower
Parachutist falling from the sky
In the evening, fireworks are displayed above the Eiffel Tower at the Champs de Mars.
Bastille Day fireworks
Bastille Day Fireworks
The fireworks in Paris are incredible...unlike anything I have ever seen before.  And they last FOREVER.  I honestly get bored of them after a half hour passes by and they are still going on!  But they are fun to watch anyways! I usually watch the fireworks from in front of the Tuileries near the Louvre...it less crowded there and you still have a great view.  If you ever have a chance to visit Paris for Bastille Day, be sure to go!
xo Ceilidh

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