Vive le 14 juillet!
Since our anniversary falls in July, we picked the tour dates that made it possible for us to be in Paris on Bastille Day--another once-in-a-lifetime thrill! Bastille Day is a national holiday that celebrates the storming of the Parisian prison in 1789, which began the French Revolution. It is similar to our 4th of July, with parades and fireworks.
Our day started with a walking tour of the Marais district, and as we were standing in Republic Square, a group of mounted soldiers trotted by on their way to the parade.
Later in the day we visited the historic Arc de Triomphe and hiked to the top for a majestic view of the Champs Elysees. Because of the holiday, the street was closed to traffic. We strolled down the middle of the flag-lined avenue and enjoyed window shopping and people watching.
Our day just continued to get better and better! After dinner at a sidewalk cafe, we attended a Vivaldi concert in Sainte Chapelle. What a glorious experience! Then, after cramming on the subway like sardines to get back to our hotel, we met our wonderful guide Marie. She stayed up late to take us to a perfect spot to watch the fireworks--which was just down the street from our hotel. The amazing firework display was the best we have ever seen! Seeing the fireworks shoot off of the Eiffel Tower is something we will never forget. We are so glad we chose to be in Paris on July 14th!
