La quatorzième de juillet

So we have read that the French don't refer to it as Bastille Day--violent and unseemly connotations, you know--rather, the 14th of July. OK. D'accord. Anyhow, our Bastille Day started as we were getting ready to leave the apartment for our visit to the Parc de Buttes Chaumont: jets thundering above, part of the air show that accompanies the military parade on the Champs Elysees. (The turning point in the taking of the Bastille was when the army troops arrived and decided to support the Revolution). Clearly it was a holiday...the big stores closed, the thin-margin stores open, the restaurants and cafes and such all open. Quiet in the morning, but then getting more crowded as the day wore on. Our next indication of the national holiday was when we walked into the subway station...

and began noticing all the signs about line and station closures that evening

...and then when we left the Parc Buttes-Chaumont, and found the 19th
Arrondissement Mairie bedecked with flags and military vehicles from the
parade arriving en show

P was impressed with all the big vehicles

All named for famous battles

All-terrain, high mobility vehicle

Snow camo?

Anyhow, we felt relatively safe (greater Paris registers 9 (nine) violent
crimes a day, so we feel pretty safe anyway)

After a late nap and dinner, we boarded bus #69 at Place Leon Blum, hoping to
take it as usual all the way to the Champ du Mars and from there watch the fireworks
extravaganza from the Trocadero and the Tour Eiffel; alas, at the Louvre, the bus
driver announced it was the end of the line and we all had to get off

Happily, we could see the Tour Eiffel sparkling and twinkling from there, the
beginning of the Tuileries, so we just found a place to sit

Enjoyed the sights

Munched on our pastry snacks

And waited for the show to begin

And then, a few minutes past 11, it did begin

Grandma was handling the camera during the fireworks and didn't get many stills, 
but she did get some great video ofthe 2014 Bastille Day fireworks in Paris, to be 
seen shortly at http://youtu.be/309Slekqc5Y

We were concerned about the crowds and transportation--500,000 were expected
on the Champs de Mars that evening--so we left a few minutes early and caught
the #1 Metro back home, P driving us all the way...a great Bastille Day and July
14th!