Bastille Day and Fireworks at the Eiffel Tower

Friends advised me that it wouldn't be worth going to the Champs Elysées to try to watch the Bastille Day parade, because the crowds are so huge that it's hard to see anything; better to watch on TV. But in any case, the rain bucketed down so staying home until later in the afternoon when it cleared was a good idea.

The theme this year was fraternity with the African countries that were former French colonies. Leaders were guests and troops from those countries marched. There were rumblings in the media about French politicians sitting alongside some murderous dictators. I philosophised that maybe the rain was symbolic - to wash away the sins of the past - those colonial ones and the recent massacres by African leaders.

I captured the first two images on my TV screen. Call me a sucker for macho stuff, but I'm so impressed by the expert military parachutists who always manage to land right in front of the presidential grandstand.

The evening enticed us to the Champ de Mars to watch the fireworks display. Shoulder-to-shoulder crowds built up early...

Gradually getting darker ...

Then time for the pretties ...

Apologies in advance for the videos. My bright idea of conveying some atmosphere through the videos wasn't so bright when I turned the camera to portrait view, to ensure that I captured the full height of the Eiffel Tower! So - here are two videos, but you'll need to turn your head or your monitor to see the correct view ... sorry !