Paris | Le 14 Juillet

Today is France’s independence day, Bastille Day.  The day commemorates the storming of the Bastille, which took place on 14 July 1789 and marked the beginning of the French Revolution.  The prison of Bastille was a symbol of the absolute and arbitrary power of Louis XI.  By taking control of the Bastille, the people signaled that the king’s power was no longer dominant…the nation was in control.

Crowds lined L’avenue des Champs-Élysées for the military parade and fly-over…

(I will be drinking champagne and watching the fireworks in Paris at 10:30 p.m. on this terrace that overlooks the Eiffel Tower. Check back for pictures of the fête.)