Saturday, July 27, 2013

July 14 - Bastille Day!


*NOTE Today's post will contain links to youtube videos.  I hope you'll take time to check them out!!!

Today is the French Independence Day.  It is an annual blow-out (a la our 4th of July) commemorating events of 1789 that began the French Revolution.  We lazily rouse ourselves with coffee & tune in the parade that’s happening live in Paris.  Outside we can hear the testing of a giant PA system that has appeared overnight along with barriers along the Promenade Anglaise.   When I was making arrangements for this apartment I asked if we would have a view of fireworks for today & Nathalie assured me that, “Mais oui, it will happen right in front of your window.” The preparations underway seem to confirm this & I am getting excited for tonight!  

We are spending another day on the beach so we grab all our gear & head down.  First stop is to one of the million stands selling souvenirs to pick up a raft & some “Jellys”, hard plastic shoes to navigate the rocks.  The raft allows me to paddle way out near the boats & let the surf push me back in which I do endlessly.  We settle back onto our chaises for the afternoon.  Again we have lunch on the beach, I select pasta with seafood while Ernessto tackles a bucket o' mussels.  So far I’m batting 100 as far as seafood for meals here.  In this part of the world, pourquoi pas?  


























In the early afternoon the sky begins to cloud up so we head indoors to watch Le Tour.  Once upstairs we can see activity in the streets, something is about to happen.  Ernesto points up & I look just in time to see a formation of jets do a fly over signifying the start of the full military parade, thrilling!  Every conceivable branch of the armed forces is represented, even police on Segways, 
















 As the “official” parade winds down we hear drums off in the distance.  We look to the West & a drum group is making its way toward  us.  They stop right under us & perform & we dance on the balcony.  As they continue to the East they get just out of view behind a palm tree but I can hear roaring & smoke coming from that direction.  I jokingly say to Ernesto, “Maybe it’s a dragon.”  SWEAR TO GOD 5 minutes later I am proved correct as a two-story animatronic, smoke belching, illuminated DRAGON slowly creeps up from that direction.  As it pulls to a stop (once again RIGHT UNDER OUR WINDOW!!!) a girl runs up, attaches a ring to the dragon’s jaw  and begins a brief Cirque du Soliel style acrobatic performance dangling 15 feet in the air!! 




http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CFztg3sfQkw

THEN as that winds down the drummers (ANFORA BUTACADA, they are on Facebook) make their way back.  Well, this is more than I can stand & I race downstairs .  My mom says I’m like a cobra in a basket when I catch a rhythm & today is no exception!


























By now the sun is beginning to set & stages are being wheeled out into the streets all along the Promenade.  We are treated to an excellent Latin group in front of our apartment.  Now we are back on our balcony & we dance & enjoy from above as do our neighbors.  The entire building is in the groove.  As they finish their set a driver pops up from under the stage to drive them a little further down the beach and another band takes their place.  As 10:00 rolls around the lights dim & music stops as the big show is about to commence.  Subtly, unobtrusively two sturdy boats have appeared in the harbor.  The beginning strains of Ravel’s Bolero, one of my FAVORITE pieces of classical music, drift from the speakers and an EPIC fireworks display begins.  The whole thing is choreographed to the music & we move from Bolero to some Cirque du Soliel techno to the Gotan Project & back to a big crescendo finish of Bolero.  All I can say is WOW!!!  This is some of the most beautiful pyrotechnics I’ve ever seen.  The reflection in the ocean is a huge plus & I love how the little boats are illuminated every time there’s a big bright display.



















http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VRFnCgFRDOI&feature=relmfu


When it is all over we go downstairs to enjoy late dinner & watch the revelers make their way to all of the parties happening in Nice tonight.  What a night!  If we had to go home tomorrow I would feel like we have had an action packed trip.  But we still have a full week to go & we aren’t even in Paris Yet!!!

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