Happy Bastille Day!!!
Whether you call it Bastille Day, 14 juillet, La Fête Nationale, French Independence Day, or the French Fourth of July - ten days later and with better food, today is the day!
What does Bastille Day commemorate? On July 14, 1789, anti-monarchists stormed the Bastille [prison] in Paris, and the French Revolution was born. Who cares if there were only seven prisoners, and the mob was really looking for ammo? It's the thought that counts.
Next to Halloween and All Saints Day, Bastille Day is my favorite holiday. Still not sure? Here are just a few reasons to love Bastille Day:
* Fireworks at the Eiffel Tower
* A chance to celebrate liberty, equality, and fraternity.
* French wine and champagne - Okay, they have nothing to do with Bastille Day, but they are French and traditional.* Military parades down the Champs-Élysées
* A Bastille Day feast. We're not talking your mama's hot dogs, folks. This is my feast, you'll probably want to plan your own:
- Pâté & baguette
- Salad Lyonnaise
- Coq au vin
- Potato Gratin
- Mousse au Chocolat
- Fresh strawberries with crème chantilly
* Don't want to cook? Bastille Day is the perfect time to visit a French restaurant.
* Patrouille de France over Paris
Vive La France! Vive La Republique!
Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité
Do you have a favorite holiday?
Let's hear it. I'm in the mood to celebrate!
13 Brilliant Insights:
We must be kindred spirits, VR. Whenever I think La Marseillaise, I think of this scene from CASABLANCA. {One of my favorite movies, by the way}
In fact, Major Strasser from my Victor Standish and Sam McCord novels is THAT Major Strasser. And in my mythos, Sam was Rick and Meilori was Elsa in a variation of the tale.
I am such a romantic. Happy Bastille Day!
Hehe, somebody told me recently that I should name the rooster in my back yard Coq au vin ;)
I still have my Frances from back in 1998 - they had Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité on them :)
LOL - it's the thought that counts!
Perfect reasons for a party!
Ha! I will have to add the holidays! (along with Cinco de Mayo and Guy Fawkes Day)--my French Revolution knowledge really is only the snippets I remember from Tale of Two Cities... (which is to say very little, but there are some good lines!) but I love a little cultural immersion and an excuse to drink wine.
Very nice to see all the pretty colors.
Bonjour! Bonne fete Bastille!
Okay, that's about as much French as I can muster today. Frankly, I am just so pleased to have found you via Bryce Daniels. Like Bryce, I, too, am a thriller writer. We seem to be more rare than many other genres today so I thought I would hold out my hand in greeting. I'm also your newest follower. Feel free to come on over to my "place" sometime. In the meantime, I will trolling through your blog.
May I please have some of that chocolate mousse? I'm salivating here, V.R. I had some plans of going to SF to celebrate Bastille Day but work got in my way. Now I'm grumpy and hungry.
Roland - Casablanca is one of my favorite movies too, and this is one of my favorite scenes. You *are* a romantic Roland!
Trisha - LOL! I don't think the rooster would approve of the name choice.
Diane - One of the best things about blogging? I can use all the clichés I want! ;)
Carol - When food and drink are involved, I'm there!
Hart - I really should add Guy Fawkes Day to my calendar. I owe him one. I ate in the house where he was born: great fish & chips. (He wasn't there.)
Michael - They're prettier when seen from Paris, but blog posts are less expensive than plane tickets. :)
Nancy - Welcome!!! So glad you dropped by. You bet, I'll be over to visit.
Stephanie - Help yourself to the mousse. I'm only sorry it's not quite the same in virtual form. Wish I could have attended the San Fran. Alliance Francaise Bastille fete this year. I understand they had "live guillotine pole dancing." Seriously, what is that???
Are you in Paris or somewhere in France? If so, you lucky soul. I would love to be sitting at a sidewalk cafe right one, enjoying a glass of wine and people-watching!
Elizabeth- Sadly, I'm in Atlanta. Not that Atlanta isn't great—it is—but Paris is the most beautiful city in the world.
Ah, bastille day! i totally forgot, thanks for the reminder:)
Mark - Never too late for champagne and a good meal!
Post a Comment