Bastille Day

Wednesday 15th July

Yesterday was Bastille Day, and though the days of the Revolution are long over the French still celebrate the day when the King was overthrown, the Aristocracy put to the guillotine and the Bastille stormed and all the prisoners set free.  In subtle ways the French have never quite been the same since the revolution, they are citizens and not subjects, they elect their head of state, and maybe the authorities are more than a little aware that the French cannot be pushed too far or they might rise up again.

The Bastille day celebrations were held down by the river near the Pont Roman.  Co-incidentally it was also the Tuesday night market so there were two big parties in town on the same night.  The night market was a bit thin though a few people did manage to do both.  We had the Café open but it wasn;t as busy as last week.  At ten I went down to the Pont Roman.  A big stage, a concreted area for dancing and lots of tables, lights strung out, a children’s ride and a huge crowd of I would say mostly French.  The music was traditional and the French were waltzing and dancing, I joined a few friends who had been there all evening.  At eleven there was the obligatory and very expensive firework display.  It was truly spectacular.

We don’t really have an equivalent celebration in Britain, no remembrance at all of the Civil War.  The nearest we have is Bonfire Night, not a bank holiday – and here we remember someone who failed to bring down the Government, we celebrate the burning of the rebel Guy Fawkes, not a successful revolution.