Saturday July 14 in Paris

The first sign that today was unusual in Paris was the fact that there were no early morning street noises like trash pick-up or construction work.   Of course, it's a national holiday, Bastille Day!

The early part of the day seemed like a Sunday--quiet, little traffic and not many people out and about.   As the day progressed, the crowds returned.  The fireworks will begin about 10:45 PM.  (It doesn't get dark here until then).  There was a parade down the Champs Elysees, concert on the Champs de Mars and the fireworks at the Eiffel Tower.

Here are a few things we did early in the day.  We combined our "To Do" lists and Janice navigated us out to the Puces de Vanves.  It was a great brocante market.  (Brocante is not quite antiques, but not junk either).   We saw silverware, old clothes, furniture, buttons, bird baths, you name it.

In the same district is a statue of Thomas Paine that I have always wanted to visit.  It is a beautiful tribute to the man sometimes known as the "Voice of the Revolution".   Paine was influential in spurring on the American Revolution, and the French Revolution as well.  He wrote Common Sense before the outbreak of the war.  It convinced many Americans to support the patriots.  Later, he contributed The Crisis.  It encouraged Americans to keep up the fight.  Later, he moved to  France and supported the changes in government there.  He was such a "world citizen" that he was elected to the French Assembly while he was living in England.   He came to France to help direct the revolution, but he soon realized that it was taking a turn toward violence.  He was imprisoned for preaching moderation.  James Monroe, the new ambassador from America secured his freedom, and Paine returned to the United States.  Because of a quote from Napoleon indicating that every city should have a golden statue to Thomas Paine,  there is one in Paris.

Thomas Paine
Citizen of the World
English by Birth
French by Decree
American by Adoption