Bastille Day!

Hey, look!

It's me on Bastille Day!

Oh, yeah. That's the totally unimportant Eiffel Tower being blocked that that other girl's head.

That's right. I joined Bastille Day celebrations near the Eiffel Tower and watched the most incredible fireworks I've ever seen (or probably ever will see!).

Apparently this celebration is a big deal. I've never seen so many people in my life.

All lit up and waiting for fireworks to start!

They were scheduled to begin at 10:30, but that's "French time." (Which means they didn't start until 11.)

Bam!

Aww!

I love this one! My professor's seven-year-old daughter snapped this beauty! She handed back my camera saying, "Here, Jessie. I got a really good one."

She certainly did!

Because this is such a popular celebration, we arrived in the afternoon to find a good spot. We passed the time playing French board games (similar to Chutes and Ladders and Sorry!).

Oh, and in the bathroom line.

That killed an hour. Seriously. There was one free restroom on a nearby sidewalk but it only admitted one person at a time. Not so bad, though, right? Here's the clincher: it self-cleans between each person! Yes, you read that correctly! It's a good idea and all, but an extra minute (we timed it!) multiplied by a very long line = a long wait.

No matter! We had a fantastic time! Definitely one of my favorite experiences so far!