It was a hot summer night and the beach was burning. There was fog crawling over the sand.
No wait. That's a song.
This was a real hot summer night- back in Paris in July. July 13 is the day before Bastille Day and has become a special occasion in its own right.
Le Bal des Pompiers. Held as a fundraiser for the firemen (pompiers) on this one special night of the year every firestation throws open its doors and puts on a party (although some stations have a second party on the 14th as well)! And what a party it is.
After dinner I headed down to my local station on rue de Vieux Colombier in the 6th.
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Thankfully I'd left my bombs and tanks back at the flat
and so didn't have any trouble getting in |
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| I got there earlyish, 9.30 or so, but it was already humming |
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| Mais oui! |
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| Any cry of Tout Le Monde by the DJ and the crowd goes OFF |
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There was plenty of on bar dancing
by all ages |
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| Classier than beer debris (although that was there too) |
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| The queue for entry as I left about midnight |
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| went well around the block |
Le Bal des Pompiers usually goes from 9pm-4am. It's a great night out if you're lucky enough to be in Paris (or elsewhere in France) in July. A great celebratory atmosphere. And wonderful value- this one was free entry. There may have been somewhere for donations, but I didn't see it. The drinks were very reasonably priced too.
4 comments:
Thanks for taking us along. I've always wanted to celebrate the 14th in France, and the 13th too. Thanks for playing along. Here’s my Dreaming of France meme
ah yes - summer evenings in Paris - people in the streets, and good music. Magnifique! C'est un bon souvenir.
Have you done everything in Paris that you have dreamed of, Louise? Or do you still have items on your Paris Bucket List?
Bastille Day is a great time to be in France Paulita, I hope you get there one year.
Tamara- it is a wondrous time to be there, so many special events are great fun too.
Oh Deb I'm nowhere near ticking off the Paris bucket list! I've seen many of the main sights now I guess, but there is still so much to do, and I'd really love to go at different times of the year, and see and feel the moods of Paris. I'll never have had my fill I suspect...
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