Bastille Day

[Ed Hamilton]

July 14th is France's Bastille Day, a holiday celebrating their independence from unruly kings and queens.

In spite of the recent frog bashing and smashing that has been going on in the US in the last (too many) months, the French maintain a tradition of living life to the fullest including eating, drinking, the arts and dare I write sex?

In Chicago and other cities around the country there are Bastille Day celebrations, will you raise a glass to a celebration of freedom for the common people of the world? I'll certainly have a glass of that "virgin bottle of 6-year-old, oak-aged rum from Martinique" Paul Pacult mentioned in his Wine Enthusiast magazine a couple of years ago.

[Jason Perlow]

Ed, how is Bastille Day celebrated in the French West Indies?

[Ed Hamilton]

Bastille Day is celebrated much like our Fourth of July, without as much of the political posturing that goes on in the states.

Of course the French Flag, the tricolor, is everywhere and there is plenty of food and drink, parties with music and dancing in the streets. All commercial business is shut down for the day, as if the islands need another excuse for a party and since Bastille Day falls on a Wednesday, I wouldn't expect much to happen Thursday morning and by Thursday afternoon, well you're almost into the weekend!

[John von Pey]

I don't celebrate it at all. Some years ago I went to Paris for a concert of Jean Michel Jarre on july 14th, and it was awesome. But after 21.00 no taxi drove anymore, so I had to walk more than 2 hours to get back to the hotel...

Furthermore I celebrated my birthday yesterday (12th), and I'm still recovering from that (I got two bottles of Havana Club 3y. Nice anecdote (?): one of the givers went to a liquerstore and asked for a rum. They came with Bacardi. "no, not that stuff". "Okay, than you want Havana Club").

[Ed Hamilton]

Ah yes, I've made the mistake of not checking out transportation in foreign countries. In Martinique, taxis stop at 18:00 and it's still light outside. Fortunately, I've always been able to hitch a ride and have met some very interesting characters along the way.