Bastille Day

Bastille Day is the national day of France. 

It's like July 4th, but crazier. July 14th is when the French gained their independence, and just like in America or any other country, people party hard on their independence day. Fireworks, food, parades, crowds, alcohol, everyone and their mom come out to the streets on Bastille Day. However, every Parisian stay in, and every tourist roams the streets. 

Like in New York City on New Year's Eve, streets are closed, restaurants are packed, people are drunk and New Yorkers are out of the city.

Fortunitly enough, my friends from the states came to Paris during this time, so we decided to go into the heart of the city for the Bastille Day events. That was our first mistake. Half the metros were closed, half the exits were blocked off, and if I only knew French, I would be able to understand the announcements over the speakers on the metro. 

But French is not my strong suit, so we decided to go to the Arc De Triumph to watch the parade and the fly-by of the French planes. The moment we stepped out of the metro, all we could see where millions of people. I mean, it's 11 a.m., and people are going crazy. You look up, and suddenly, we see red, white and blue smoke fuming out of the jets speeding over the Arc. Don't get me wrong; it was an unbelievable site. 

We decided to have a charcuterie board lunch near the Eiffel Tower and then explored the Muse D'Orsay. If you don't know that museum, it's absolutely incredible. It might be the greatest art museum of all time. You're witnessing the originals from Vincent Van Gogh, Claude Monet, Edgar Degas and Gustave Moreau; I mean, these are some of the best artists that have ever lived. The art witnessed that day was honesty, something that needed to see by everyone. I am a bit of an art fanatic, but that museum was something to see. 

After a few drinks at a cafe, we headed down the street to check out the Seine River and the views. All of a sudden, the madness started to happen. We began hearing police bells and crowds of people walking. Again, everyone spoke French, and I couldn't understand a thing. Let me tell you; I wish I did because we were stuck in a gated spot in the street for the next four hours. 

The police blocked off parts of the street for the Bastille fireworks and we had absolutely no idea. We were enjoying a fine stroll when suddenly we were stopped by army men saying we had to stay in or we couldn't get back in. LIKE WHAT??? 

So we stayed, and three hours later, the fireworks exploded off the Eiffel Tower. I might be being dramatic, but fireworks were coming from everywhere. Lights were covering the sky, millions of heads just facing up; the best firework show I had ever seen. Even though the day was filled with crowds and confusion, seeing those fireworks was by far worth it. 

Would I go to Bastille Day again? Absolutely not, but it's an experience I will remember forever.  

bisous bisous <3