Bastille Day

July 14, France’s day of celebration: Bastille Day.

Ben’s closest neighbor- the Government building. Keeps him in line 🙂
Grenoble, France 7/14

In honor of France’s big day, we decided to begin the celebration with the only true French breakfast we could think of: Crepes. We cooked up crepes with eggs. Crepes with jams. Crepes with Nutella and banana. Crepes with delicious fillings, a bowl of fresh fruit, and a cup of espresso. Délicieux.

Grenoble, France 7/14

After breakfast, I threw on a fantastic pair of Eiffel Tower earrings- a gift from an awesome friend in El Paso- and promised Ben it would be the ONLY time I’d wear them while in France. We’ll see about that. Thanks for the bling, Kimberly!

Eiffel Tower Ears- a subtle celebration

Earrings and all, we wandered through the town centre and into a part of Grenoble new to the both of us and hours later returned to his apartment, which was still flooded with music from the streets below as men rushed to set up for the big Bastille Day parade. So much excitement! So much anticipation! The government had even shut down Ben’s block from all traffic for the day in order to set up for the city’s parade. From advertisements to police warnings to barricades, the public was made aware that this was a very important event.

Grenoble, France 7/14

The parade was set to start at 6, so at 5:30 we were joined by some fun friends to watch from the balcony. People lined the streets and the music continued to blare and at 6:40, everyone’s gaze shifted down the street. The parade! Right on time 😉

Ces garçons hooted and hollered at their friend as he passed by in a military formation

Tanks rolled past, smaller ones leading the pack, and the larger guys bringing up the back. Each military personnel who rode along with the tanks extended his arms so that they appeared in a perfectly straight line from shoulder to middle finger. Very regal, very formal. To close out the parade, there were some gorgeous classic cars driven by men and their spouses, each dressed to match the time period of which their car was from. Very classy, very sweet.

Extension all the way those fingers (just like in synchro!)
Grenoble, France 7/14

The moment the street was clear of the final parade car, the sidewalks also cleared up. Everyone left in a hurry to find a spot to watch fireworks. The city offered huge picnic areas- bring your own food, but drinks were to be provided by Grenoble. Truly! We packed up our things and headed over to the park, scoring a perfect spot along with a few glasses of wine and some juices to share courtesy of the city. Exceptional weather meant that live music, family games, and picnics a-plenty were enjoyed by what seemed to be the entire town.

After dark, the park’s tower lit up in the most outstanding fireworks display we’ve ever seen. Set to music, the blazes were fired from the ground, the tower’s outer edges, and the rooftop. They continued for 20 minutes in full-force, accompanied by a young boy’s nearby voice sighing “Ooo La La” with every breath.

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