5- Le 14 Juillet

Today, July 14th, is a really special day in France! Like the 4th of July in the US, it's a national holiday, so the whole country celebrates and it's like a huge party. It's called Bastille Day. It commemorates the storming of the Bastille prison in 1789 which marked the beginning of the French Revolution. Last night, even though it was the day before la fete (the celebration), the whole group went to Cagnes-sur-mer (a neighboring town to Saint Laurent) to watch pre-Bastille Day fireworks and hang out around the town, which was much more lively than usual. There was so much going on: a concert, fireworks, of course, and vendors selling balloons and patriotic trinkets. I went with two other girls to get ice cream at a glacerie next to where the concert was going on. We got a banana split and a sundae. The ice cream here is definitely better than in the US. Today, the celebration continues! Since it is actual Bastille Day, the fireworks will go on for longer and the town will be even more lively. I'm so glad I'm in France for one of their biggest holidays.