Celebrations: La Fête Nationale

Every year on July 14th France celebrates its national holiday commemorating the fall of the Bastille in 1789. Fireworks are usually involved.

[Source: Monteux.fr]

Not far from here lies the large village of Monteux which is famous for its pyrotechnic displays. Yesterday evening found us picnicking on the grass at Lac du Monteux waiting for night to come and the fireworks to start. The weather was perfect.

Warned that the best views would be from the amphitheater farther around the lake, three of our party (Doris, Detlef and Kevin) decided to go there while Bonnie and I opted to remain in place. They saw details that we missed but we loved the sensation of the fireworks seeming to explode overhead and we all agreed that they were some of the best fireworks we've ever seen.

[From my personal collection]

© 2017 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

Sunday Drive: Carousel Animals, Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer - 2011

Of course Bonnie and I had to go to Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer during our week-long visit to the Camargue and its environs in 2011. We strolled around the town, ate some paella, and witnessed the local Course Camarguaise (a bullfight, French-style, in which the bulls are the stars and the men run around trying to attract their attention).*  So it wasn't that surprising to find a black bull on the carousel.

[From my personal collection]

 *To get a sense of what happens in the arena, here's a video of one. (Warning--turn your sound way down as it's very loud.)

© 2016 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.