The "Pompiers de Paris" at the "Caserne de rue Sévigné"
Photo by Michael Honegger
Parler Paris Nouvellettre®
Your taste of life in Paris and France
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Wednesday, July 14, 2010 • Paris, France
Dear Parler Paris Reader,
Every year on July 13th, both my mother celebrates yet another birthday (this one was her 93rd) and the firemen of Paris come out to party and play. The "Bals des Pompiers" are an event one should experience at least once in a lifetime -- a tradition that goes back to 1937 when the first one was launched at the caserne (fire station) in Montmartre on rue Carpeaux. Every since then, the fire stations have turned a neighborhood party into a monumental event that rivals the fireworks at the Eiffel Tower for attendance.
Last night the line to enter the station on rue de Sévigné in the 4th arrondissement was the longest I'd ever seen it -- curving around the corner down rue Saint-Antoine several blocks to where the entrance of the Métro is at Saint-Paul. The line moved quickly however, as instead of trying to collect everyone's five or six euros to enter, the "pompiers" simply had a big box with a slot into which you could drop whatever donation suited you.
The massive and magnificent building with its enormous central courtyard and smaller adjacent courtyards was once the headquarters of a funeral home, but was before that the home of Messieurs Pinon de Quincy and de l'Avor, the nephews of Nicolas Pinon, comte de Villemain, advisor to the king, president of the Bureau of Finances, and governor of Brie-Comte-Robert who died in I724. It makes a perfect stage setting for a massive party without all the fire trucks inside, and so it did last night with elbow-to-elbow party-goers drinking up champagne served by the "pompiers" themselves.
The band played all the favorites and had everyone moving in their shoes. Meanwhile the pompiers poured up champagne and chatted up the girls...and boys. The Pompiers de Paris are well known to be the best looking and most athletic single group of young French men -- or so it is considered by eligible young (and even older) women, not to mention gay men who will swear they are mostly all bi-sexual. It's an ongoing debate, but should you wish to surf YouTube.com videos, you'll find lots to support these theories!
We left at midnight, but no doubt the party lasted until the wee hours of the morning. They're doing it all again, tonight, just in case you missed it!
I won't be there. Instead, I'll be picnicking on the Champ de Mars (weather permitting) in anticipation of the fireworks tonight at the Eiffel Tower -- the most spectacular display of "feu d'artifice" you can imagine, famous the world over.
As I write, the Champs-Elysées has gathered a crowd for the annual massive military parade involving 5,000 men, about 300 military vehicles, 83 motorbikes, 280 horses, 68 planes and 37 helicopters...according to French officials. This year's event recognizes the role troops from French colonies played in fighting for France during the two World Wars and the 50th anniversary of independence of 14 of France's former colonies by inviting many African heads of state who will be present when President Nicolas Sarkozy takes the salute and African troops will march alongside French troops.
It's all on TV, live at this very moment. I've never seen so many men in uniform in one place at one time...except there she is -- Carla Bruni Sarkozy in the grandstand reminding us of the feminine and beautiful side of France.
Happy Bastille Day!
A la prochaine...
Adrian Leeds
Editor, Parler Paris
Photo by Michael Honegger
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P.S. It was hot and sunny, and a great day to gather at Parler Paris Après Midi. Read all about yesterday's get-together at parlerparis/apresmidi.html And remember, there's no meeting in August, so mark your calendar for September 14th during "La Rentrée" for the next Parler Paris Après Midi.
