Problem
How should I celebrate Bastille Day and where?
Answers
First - what's it all about? The storming of the Bastille, a prison in Paris, capital of France. In 1789. Year of the Revolution. Taxes were high, food prices were high, and King Louis XVI was unpopular, and so was his wife, Marie Antoinette, who was supposed to have said, 'Let them eat cake'.
When I was researching my book of quotations, entitled Who Said What When, I discovered that Let them Eat cake was supposedly said by another unpopular character more than a hundred years earlier. No record of a time and place for Marie Antoinette saying any such thing in her lifetime. The same applies to a lot of famous quotations.
How do I remember which of the many Louis kings was married to Marie Antoinette? Louis 16, and for him and his wife and the rest of France he was not sweet sixteen. In fact on Bastille Day things went very sour for him. He is supposed to have asked one of his ministers, "Is this a revolt?" And he got the riposte, to use a French word, "No, it is a revolution!"
Bastille Day is celebrated in France, Belgium, Canada. If you want to practise your French, it is also spoken in Switzerland and Saint Martin island in the Caribbean. Many cities have French quarters or French associations.
Romania's capital, Bucharest, has a landmark copy of the Arc de Triomphe and a statue of Charles de Gaulle. The Romanian word for thank you is m e r s i.
Hotels and restaurants and French areas worldwide have had red, white and blue of the French flag, French music, and French food.
In France expect to see military parades and fireworks and lights on public buildings. This year, 2017, American President Trump enjoyed a Michelin meal in the restaurant in the Eiffel Tower. The menu featured the Eiffel Tower and the Statue of Liberty. You could make your own menu if eating at home.
What could you do with red, white and blue? White meringue, with red raspberries and blueberries.
French Wines
Red wines from Bordeaux and white wines and sparkling Champagne.
French Water
Perhaps Perrier water. I recently discovered that Perrier water comes in many other flavours, such as Lemon.
In the UK you can buy a croissant cooked on the premises daily at my local branch of Tesco. Reminders of French and French language are all around in England. For example, you might enjoy:
au gratin, (with cheese)
bain-marie, (double boiler)
ballet,
banquet,
banquette, (long seat usually along wall)
biscuit,
bouquet,
bouquet garni,
buffet,
café,
canapé,
casserole
consommé, soup
chocolate eclair,
coq au vin, chicken with win
c r è p e, (thin pancake)
croissant, crescent shape flaky pastry
croquette, fried cylinder of mashed potatoes or other food in a casing
croque Madame
croque Monsieur,
croutons, diced fried bread, often in soup
duck a l'orange
entente cordiale
entrecôte,
flambé,
French onion soup,
gourmand,
Gourmet,
hors d'oeuvres, starter, literally outside(s) (dishes) of the work(s)
marrons glacé,
menu,
Pains perdue, (bread lost or egg lost sunk in the bread)
pâté
patisserie,
petits pots de chocolat, (small pots of chocolate)
pommes Anna, (sliced potatoes, layered usually with a cheese and cream sauce and onions)
soufflé
terrine
valise,
vinaigrette
vol au vent
and RSVP!
I have been keeping a list of French words used in English and so have other members of my family.
French Music
At some point you might play The Marseillaise. The French songs which come to my mind are the one I learned at school as a child in England, Sur le Pont d'Avignon. Later I loved to hear Edith Piaf sing Je Ne Regrette Rien. You might also like a song associated with food or drink, such as The Night they invented Champagne! Or I love Paris in the Springtime.
You could also celebrate by seeing a show called An American in Paris. It is being shown in London. There has to be a joke in there somewhere. I am looking for it.
Stories
In London the Borough Market area has had French bands. If your budget does not stretch to Michelin restaurants, you could celebrate French food in Cafe Rouge which has branches all over Britain.
One of my favourite French cheeses, Gaperon d'Auvergne. French cheeses are available in London at a grocers' with a chilled cheese room and a café , La Fromageri, which is near Baker Street station and Madame Tussauds. (Madame Tussaud was also French - and started her career taking waxworks of the victims of the guillotine).
Bastille Restaurants
Where do you find Bastille Restaurants? Place de la Bastille is in Paris.
https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/RestaurantsNear-g187147-d188456-Place_de_la_Bastille-Paris_Ile_de_France.html
Washington DC has a Bastille Restaurant.
One restaurant is holding Bastille Day event menu on Friday July 14th and Saturday 15th. Another is holding a Bastille Day celebration week until Sunday July 16th.https://www.tripsavvy.com/bastille-day-events-1040032
But you also find restaurants called Bastille in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and in San Jose, Costa Rica.
http://www.labastillerestaurant.com (Belfast, N Ireland)
https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g309293-d2479270-Reviews-Restaurant_La_Bastille-San_Jose_San_Jose_Metro_Province_of_San_Jose.html (San Jose, Costa Rica).
Tips
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bastille_Day
www.duolingo - to learn French free on line
www.caferouge.com (French restaurants all over England, Scotland and Wales)
https://www.lafromagerie.co.uk (French food, cafe and cheese shop)
wwww.us.france.fr (official tourist board website)
https://flights.ryanair.com/en-gb/flights-to-paris
https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attractions-g187147-Activities-Paris_Ile_de_France.html
Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.
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