Paris - Day 3 - Bastille Day parade and Notre Dame - 7/14/05

Shannon and Anna had visited a friend last night in northern Paris and didn't get in till 2 am so we left them sleeping and Steve and I got up and left to find the Bastille Day parade around 9:30 am.

We headed toward the Champs de Elysse. The closer we got the more police/military personnel we encounted prohibiting access down side streets to get to the parade. The closer we got the more people we encountered also trying to find the parade. We had a chance encounter w/another spectator at place de Madeline who informed us that this would be a good place to stay since this is where the marchers have to pass through at the end of the parade. We tried hanging out near the barricades awhile but then the police made people move on so we moved on to the Champs de Elysse.

The closer we got the more people we saw and the crowds were getting progressively worse. We wouldn't have been able to get anywhere close to see anything so we headed back to the place de Madeline and had a great view of the military marchers finishing with all their various different uniforms. We had no idea what the different uniforms or groups represented, but they were all very colorful. There were several fly overs of military planes in formation of all types and helicopters. We were wondering if the parade consisted of any military equipment and about that time the tanks started driving by along w/all the other military vehicles, ie road graders, water trucks, fuel trucks, and whatnot vehicles w/guns and men carrying guns.

I noticed a little boy, probably about 9, standing on the street corner near us w/ a shiny silver helmet and a blue uniform of some kind. It was very fascinating watching him watching the parade go by. Again, I didn't know what kind of uniform he had on. Then, towards the very end of the parade, wouldn't you know it, men in the same uniform started passing in fire trucks and the little boy got very excited and started waving to them since he was also in their uniform. It was very enchanting to watch.

After the parade Steve and I walked back to the apartment around 12 and the girls were up. They had watched the parade on TV and wanted to know if we had seen Chirac. No, we hadn't. As usual, they had seen more on TV than we had being there in person.

We then headed out to join the massess of tourists to see Notre Dame, St. Chappelle, and the left bank. While at Notre Dame, we read about St. Denis, one of the sculptures on the front w/his head in his hands. The story has it that he lost his head to the guillotine, then picked it up, put it under his arm and walked to MontMontre (the mount of martyrs) to get to heaven.


We happened to pick St. Denis as the street to follow to get home in the afternoon (since we had not been on that street yet). We left the girls shopping in the southern walking mall area of St Denis and headed north up St Denis to rue Paradis. Shannon had a map of Paris to get back , but we also told her to follow St. Denis to Paradis to get home.

We found it pretty fascinating, that rue St Denis, is lined w/lots of ladies of the night out front of their establishments "advertising" for work. It felt a little like 42nd street in NYC. A very interesting and "colorful" part of town. The girls found it all very entertaining and just part of another day in Paris and got home safely w/o any problems.

We bought the DVD Chocolat earlier in the day and watched it at night in the apartment and then left it for Shannon's host family to enjoy the next time they are in Paris. I had forgotten that Johnny Depp was in the movie, so he was a lot of fun to watch.

We heard several firecrackers going off during the evening. Steve left around 8:30 pm to hike up to Montmartre to watch the fireworks from the steps. Nobody else felt like going back out. So we sent him off w/the map of Paris, a compus, and a little pinch light to see the map coming home (which he later was very glad to have).

He spent the evening on the steps of Sacre Coeur w/lots of others listening to the fireworks but never seeing them. He didn't realize that the fireworks were around the Eiffel tower which is hidden by trees from Montmartre. You have to walk away from Montmartre to see the tower. But alas, he had a good time anyway. He was able to help another tourist wandering around w/a map around midnight who had just flown in from Houston.

We have seen lots of tourists in Paris, and other parts of France wandering around w/maps in one hand and guidebooks in the other, so we felt quite at home looking the same (despite Shannon being very put out w/me for looking like a tourist). The only difference between us and them has been that WE HAD A COMPASS! a definite "must" to have for any future trips. Thank you to Sandy and her sister for recommending this little item to bring.