La Fête Nationale

Thursday 14th July

Well what a busy day this was! We started with the defilés (processions) at Champs-Elysées, arriving just after 8am and it was packed. People everywhere. Horrible really. We decided to wander in search of somewhere better, but found a bench to stand on and see stuff as and when it happened. No wonder the Parisians decide to watch it on TV.

There were people standing on benches everywhere, like us, followed by policemen telling them to get off the benches, like us. What did surprise me was the disrespect of some people, in particular a Chinese girl and a Spanish boy who decided to climb on someone else’s car to get a better view – although they weren’t the only ones in fairness.

Bex brought a friend and I’m not sure, but I don’t think she knew that it was a military parade... and she seemed to get bored pretty quickly! I wasn’t really expecting it to be like the Disney parade...

After the parade, well I say after, it was during really but meh, we decided to try to get to Champs de Mars, but you need to cross the Champs-Elysées which is impossible. However, we did end up wandering by where all the tanks and other vehicles were waiting, and I think the soldiers were loving the attention from everyone, although there were a few having their cigarette break and even the military seem to text whilst driving! I love noticing all these little details, in my opinion they make the day more interesting :-)

We ended up going home to have some lunch and a nap with plans to meet up with Bex later for the fireworks. Me and Nick didn’t think it’d be worth going to Champs de Mars to watch the fireworks but we thought we’d head over there just to have a look and see how busy it was – this was 5 hours before they were scheduled to start.

What a difference from the defile! The atmosphere seemed really nice, helped by the sun, and there was live music playing on a stage which was all broadcast onto screens everywhere. Armed with cards, pasta and carambars we decided to sit and wait. We must have played nearly every card game we knew, and Nick is terrible at two-player Gin Rummy! I heard the song ‘Aux arbres citoyens’ and saw ‘Touch pas à mon pote’ stickers everywhere (it’s a campaign against racism). It was lovely watching the sun set just by the Eiffel Tower and I did feel rather touristy trying to take pictures of the pretty sky.

So then the fireworks started. Obviously you get some absolute idiot who decides to set off a firecracker or a flare (GRRRR) and then some more idiots with lasers beaming everywhere. Then in front of me was some guy with a camera who watched the whole thing through it whilst trying to take photos – as Nick said, why not just enjoy the moment?! Oh and the smoke, I must have passively smoked the equivalent of about 10 cigarettes. Apart from that, the fireworks were really good and they were set to songs from Broadway musicals :-D right down my street! Though why you would choose to end the national holiday celebrations in Paris to “America” from West Side Story?!

It all ended and the manic rush began to get out and to metro stations, thankfully I live pretty close so it was just a 20 minute walk – piece of advice, if you own a car, don’t even attempt to drive on that night! It was a very busy but worthwhile day. It’d be a bit stupid to be in Paris and not go and see one of the biggest events of the year – even if you do get a better view off the TV.