Bastille Day…The French National Day is the anniversary of Storming of the Bastille prison on 14 July 1789, a turning point of the French Revolution, as well as the Fête de la Fédération which celebrated the unity of the French people on 14 July 1790. (source Wikipedia)
How do they celebrate in France
On 14 July, there’s always a military parade in the morning starting at the Arc de Triomphe and ending at Place de la Concorde. In the evening, there’s a free concert on the Champ de Mars and fireworks are set off from the Eiffel Tower.
There’s also a tradition in Paris where fire stations stay open at night on 13 and 14 July to welcome visitors to celebrate. It’s called the Bastille Day Firemen’s Balls.
There are more fireworks, concerts and events all over France.
French people take advantage of the day off by meeting up with their friends and family for a picnic or a BBQ. Think delicious, but simple food, like cheese, sandwiches, charcuterie, pastries, strawberries and ratatouille (and Champagne, of course!). They’ll often play pétanque, a type of boules, in backyards and parks.
So how to celebrate this in Kuwait?
Well, as we are unable to travel, we can still enjoy the ambiance here in K-Town from the comfort of our sofa!
Order some delicious pastries
Kuwait’s has some exceptional patisseries, with so many to choose from; L’enotre, Bouchon, Pauls, Laduree, we’re spoilt for choice, but our fave is
Fauchon: Fauchon’s Executive Chef in Kuwait, Sylvain Arthus, (who also celebrates his birthday on Bastille Day, Happy Birthday Sylvian) ensures that the true French experience is re-created, using only the finest ingredients, you can enjoy delights such as pistachio mille feuille, a delicious mille feuille thats taken to the next level, a Fauchon eclair; creamy and simply perfect, macarons in soooo many flavours your totally spoilt for choice (they even have saffron), refreshing raspberry tarts; for us its the true taste of summer and enjoy the delicate flavour of coffee mixed with sweet cream and crunchy tart base with Fauchons’s Tiramisu Tart…. and we could go on. Though you can’t dine in at the moment, you can still order and take away from all their branches, just click [here] for locations and more details.
Enjoy the simple pleasure of cheese!
We love cheese, there is no getting away from it, its simply addictive! And in Kuwait quite a few ‘cheesy’ companies have opened up, offering cheese platters that are simply divine! If you’re looking for the authentic cheese experience, hidden away in Salmiya there is Kuwaits ONLY cheese shop; La Maison Du Fromage, its a must visit for the mouse in us and they deliver too!
If you’re looking for the ultimate cheese platter, then we strongly recommend @ktchnh delicious cheese platters that are soooo appealing to the eye, they’re almost too good to eat, oozing with fruits, from figs to red currents, and of course, various cheeses, and in addition they will also include meat if you prefer, make sure to order yours in time for Bastille Day!
Whip up a tasty home-cooked French meal
Don’t how to cook? Yet alone a French dish…then don’t despair, join Stéphane, of the online French Cooking Academy, and he will show you how, you’ll be whipping up a ratatouille and more classic French dishes in no time. Click [here] to watch this fabulous YouTube channel.
Fireworks!
Bastille Day wouldn’t be complete without fireworks from the famous Eiffel Tower. Catch them at 11pm, French time, live on France 2….the display goes on for 30minutes, so if you’re up for a late night, then tune in and enjoy!
Live Music
The incredible annual concert held at Champs de Mars, with the French National Orchestra will also stream live, from 8:30pm French time, on television and radio, so sit back, and enjoy, with your cheese, pastries and strawberries for a night to remember…..all be it in Kuwait, but it’ll be almost like being there!
So until tomorrow night…here’s last years concert to get you in the mood!