Bastille

Bastille Day

Bastille Day is the day that marks the beginning of the French Revolution. Bastille was actually a prison which was raided, even though it only held seven prisoners. Because the term "Bastille" holds somewhat negate connotations, French people typically just refer to the holiday as 14 July.

Just like Americans make holidays into holiweekends, Bastille Day simply cannot be celebrated in just one day. Over the weekend, I noticed many shops and businesses shut down, simply to enjoy the time with friends and families. Our class was cancelled not only the Monday of the 14th, but the preceding Friday, as well.

Even though the French people like to relax and enjoy the extended weekend, the real celebrations begin on the 13th of July, starting with the Firemen's Ball. Traditionally, fire houses in every arrondissement  open their doors to the public for a night of dancing and celebrating. Of course, the parties range in size and ambience from fire house to fire house, but after lots of research, it seemed that no matter where you went, you would have a blast. Lindsay and I decide to stay close to home and go to the fire station we pass every day on our way to school. The parties last from 9pm-4am, so we decided to head over shortly before midnight.

What we didn't expect was the hour long line wrapped down the block. We decided to grab a glass of wine at a nearby café and hope the line would dwindle by the time we came back. As it happens in a small bar, we ended up making conversation with the bartender and couple next to us. They then noted that they were pretty well acquainted with the firemen and could help us skip the line. We got right in via the VIP access and were greeted with loud music, both American and French, a massive swarm of people, also American and French, and a great time!

Getting trampled by the crowds. 

The Port-Royal Firemen's Ball. 

Needless to say, we allowed ourselves to sleep in the following morning and missed the military parade. I ended up taking a late afternoon stroll through the Gardens of Luxembourg, just as people were beginning to lay claim on spots to view the fireworks. It was tempting to stay put here myself, however, once again I put well over an hour of research into the fireworks and discovered a hidden gem of an area to watch.

But before we jump ahead, let's talk about our holiday meal. Lindsay and I met for dinner at La Rotonde, a place we stumbled upon it by happenstance. The prices were a bit much, but the holiday spirit had rubbed off on us and we decided to splurge. If you ever find yourself in Montparnasse, I would highly recommend this grand eatery, especially for the beef filet with bernaise sauce. Also, if you're as daring us to try the snails, they too were wonderfully tasteful. Even more delightful than the food though, was the company we met. A friendly American couple was seated right besides us, and in Paris, that means you are practically sharing a table. We started by making small talk with them, and ended up staying for the duration of their meal, even though we were finished before they even received their first course. We laughed over jokes and stories and they graciously shared some insight on life with us. When a street vendor came around selling roses, the husband treated all three of ladies! I just keep learning that traveling brings you closer to humanity through all the amazing people you meet.

Enjoying some snails!

The wonderful couple from Florida!

Finally, after our perfect holiday meal, we ventured off to a spot I read about on another man's blog. We looked into dinner cruises (too expensive) and the famous view from Champ de Mars (too crowded), and finally came across a little area called Place de Catalogne, a high peak of Montparnasse. As we were walking, we could hardly get a glimpse of the beautiful Tour Eiffel, so I was becoming disheartened with this stranger's advice. I was becoming especially doubtful when we started venturing into what looked like the financial district of Paris, with sleek modern buildings and even a high rise. However, after one turn of a corner, the buildings opened up just enough for a picturesque view of the tower. We grabbed a seat on a wide platform in the center of the roundabout and waited with a crowd of about a hundred for the show to start.

Normally, the next segment of this post would describe the fireworks show itself. However, my words cannot do the view justice. I've tried to capture a moment in my photo below, but even still, it is one of those life moments you need to experience for yourself. As much as I love the Fourth of July, nothing will ever quite compare to seeing fireworks shooting out of the Eiffel Tower.

View from Place de Catalogne

Table pour deux, s'il vous plaît!

Table for two, please! 

Over the past few days, Lindsay and I have truly experienced what it means to dine in French tradition. We've visited restaurants ranging from high class brasseries to take out baguette sandwich shops. Through these delicious encounters, I have picked up on so much of the French language as well as the cultural customs of dining out. 

1. No matter how crowded a restaurant is, they will always be able squeeze you into an outside table. This is possible because the outdoor tables are set up in a way that everybody sits next to each other and faces out to the street, as it should be! In America there is always that awkward pause as to see who is going to grab the seat with the great view and who is going to stare looking back at the paneled restaurant wall. The French have certainly got this aspect of dining mastered! 

2. Speaking of dining on the street, some tourists may be hesitant to grab the table with the great view  because of Paris's spotty weather. Well, take it from me, don't hesitate for a moment to eat outdoors. Any decent restaurant with outdoor seating also tends to have a retractable awning. As soon as the light sprinkles start to hit the sidewalk, the awning stretches out and takes you under its cover. This is so essential because the weather in this beautiful city tends to change multiple times a day.

3. Always share a sandwich. Keep in mind that the baguette is a staple to French cuisine. It arrives with every meal in one way or another. When grabbing something quick, like a sandwich, the baguette will still make an appearance. Actually, it's really the star of the show. Meaning, any sandwich or panini that you order, will be served on a WHOLE baguette!

4. Don't expect to be waited on hand and foot by the staff. Don't get me wrong, every patron is treated with respect and a smile, however the general relationship between diner and server seems to closer to equal than in the states. In America, there is a degree of expectation that all diners should be treated as royalty by restaurant staff to a point that is almost degrading to the servers. Personally, I've worked as a server for years, and I have quite a bit of experience with humiliation and frustration due to patrons speaking down to me simply for being their server. Americans need to learn to appreciate one another like the French do. Jobs in the service industry are simply just jobs, and there is no need to demean that title. This is especially true because many people don't have any experience or knowledge of how emotionally draining and physically exhausting that job can be. Ok, enough of my rant! Just remember not to ruin your own dining experience by getting frustrated with the service. Besides, the French food is so exquisite, there is really no reason to be flagging down your server. 

5. However, one result of the laid-back service, is that it can be quite difficult to get the check! Usually, we have to spend a few minutes scoping out the scene until we spot our server, and then flag them down with a "L'addition, s'il vows plaît!" The servers do make up for this wait though, since usually they will the bring the check along with a dish of coins so they can make change for you on the spot. 

6. There are a couple rumors about the French dining experience that should be cleared up. Before coming over here, I was told by many people that I would have to pay for tap water, pay even more for ice, and then even have to pay to use the bathroom. So far, I have not run into this problem at all! Multiple restaurants have brought carafes of water without us even requesting, and we were even able to get some ice with it. Also, every restaurant with table service also provides its patrons with a restroom, free of charge. I do notice that a lot of the shops and take-out places do not provide this luxury, but I don't really see that as an injustice to the people in any way. 

Unfortunately, after quite a few days of heavy spending, tomorrow starts the more structured part of our trip. We begin our class, which lasts 9am-5pm, we also have to stick to a more restricted budget. This by no means will put an end to the galavanting, just that maybe it is time to try our hands in French cooking!