Bastille Day - 14 of July - Part 1 - Défilé Militaire

Bastille Day in France is the national holiday, to celebrate the French revolution. I hadn't been in Paris for the 14 of July since I was 10 years old and still remember military planes flying down the Champs Elysées with red, white and blue smoke. This year I wasn't disappointed.


We arrived at the Champs Elysées on Tuesday morning with what seemed to be the rest of Paris, but actually managed to find an area that was quite manageable to watch the parade. After going through the security check, who thought our camelback full of water was a great idea, we watched patiently as the dozens of branches of the military and guard services stood at attention, waiting for Président Sarkozy to drive down the Champs.

La Garde Républicaine

Président Nicolas Sarkozy

The défilé militaire, as it's called, starts with the 9 jet fighters roaring down with red, white and blue smokes trails, then a steady barrage of military air planes in perfect formation.

The parade is concluded with another fly by, this time several fleets of helicopters.


more pictures on the photo site: http://picasaweb.google.com/DKSPENCE76