Bastille Day's Night

We were quite happy at the thought that our sojourn to France would encompass July 14, Bastille Day (or La Fête Nationale as they insist on calling it here - "Bastille Day" sounds so much more romantic!).  It commemorates the storming of the Bastille fortress-prison in 1789.  The Bastille held prisoners we would call political prisoners today, but it also housed a lot of guns and ammunition, so breaking its barriers was seen as a powerful symbol of a new nation arming itself, leading as it did to the end of feudalism and the drafting of the declaration of the rights of Man and of the Citizen.  It was also a decisive end to the French Revolution. 

And a good reason for a rip-norting fireworks display!

We joined the crowds beginning to assemble along the embankment of La Soane, facing the cake-like Bastille and what looks like the weedy cousin of the Eiffel tower.

This is such an odd item and seeing it gave rise to the most obvious question "why?"  Our personal tour guide told us that when the not-shy-and-retiring Bastille de Notre-Dame de Fourviere was built in 1872 with private money, a prominent Lyonnais disliked its silhouette so much that he had a small replica of the Eiffle tower built in 1894 to distract attention. 

I know the Paris World Exhibit of 1888 was a huge success, but I also know the Eiffel tower that was presented there was considered a horrible blight on the landscape.  I suppose the Lyonnais either thought that placing such an ugly creature there would distract attention admirably as desired, or he was a visionary who know not only that the Eiffel tower would later become a beloved symbol of Paris but that its association might increase Lyons' standing in the world.

Anyway, back to 2012 and July 14.

One thing that is common for such events are bals, where real people dance on the streets to real music. Imagine!  There were three bands set up, all quite different but all also oddly quite similar in their rather retro approach.  One was particularly catchy for placing themselves in a converted holiday trailer carvan, kitted out with all sort of kitsch items, like antimacasars on the chairs, an occassional table, and light switches on the wall.  We particularly liked the fact that a peice had been cut out from the ceiling to fit the bass (and the player).

We joined in the dancing and after a hour or so it was dark and all went dark for the fireworks display that came from behind both buildings on the hills, which made it a sort of battle one against the other (the Basilica won by the way) which both outlined rather dramatically. 

It deserved the 'oohs' and 'aaahhhs' it received, and the applause afterwards.  One darn good firework display - perhaps the best I've seen.

And then we all got back to the dancing.