French National Day

Faraway Celebration

My dear readers,

July 14th, is of course the parade of the troops on the Champs Elysees but it is also a day filled with festivities where fireworks and popular balls are organized in all France!

Since 1880, July 14 is a national holiday. You should know, my dear readers, that if the festivities organized everywhere in France appear today as an evidence, their origins and their stories are complex and astonishing.

On July 14, 1789, the Parisians seize the old royal fortress of the Bastille and begin its demolition. This day will mark the beginning of the Revolution and will be remembered as a day of freedom!

But surprise: our national holiday does not directly commemorate July 14, 1789 but the feast of the Federation, organized a year later, July 14, 1790.

Happy memories

I have many memories of this national holiday. I spent extraordinary moments on the banks of the Seine in Paris.

When I arrived in the capital, there were balls of July 14 organized to Châtelet, on the banks of the river. It was incredibly friendly... And even if we arrived alone or at two, we always left with lots of new friends. I have never forgotten this very special atmosphere.

The French National Day is a very important day for me because its date is linked to an unforgettable memory. We had a romantic evening with Mlle Inwood this night. A table was reserved for us on a riverboat. The dinner cruise allowed us to admire the fireworks from several exceptionnal points of view, from the bay windows or on the boat deck, far from the crowds.

There is no risk of forgetting this unique dinner... that we continue each year to remember while giong to the French National fireworks! 

See you soon!