Bastille Day

Bastille Day Fireworks : Prevessin, FR

On July 13th, the village of Prevessin held its annual Bastille Day festivities. The next night, the neighboring village of Ferney-Voltaire held its annual celebration. Here are a couple of photos from each villages' fireworks' display. The photos aren't the best and lack a good backdrop, but I did the best I could without a tripod attachment (Prevessin) or knowing the exact location of the display (Ferney). That said, these are definitely a far cry better than last year. Next year, I think a trip to Paris to see the fireworks at the Eiffel Tower will be in order.

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 7/10

Viva la France!

Perfect Timing : Bastille Day Fireworks : Prevessin-Moens, FR

Today is Bastille Day in France. The holiday is to France what Independence Day is to the United States. Yesterday evening, the Village of Prevessin-Moëns held its Bastille Day fete which included fireworks around 10:00 at night on the grounds of a chateau in a park just across the street from my apartment complex.

Finale : Bastille Day Fireworks : Prevessin-Moens, FR

These aren't the fireworks in Paris,* by any means, nor are they as good as the ones I took last year on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., but they were fun nonetheless.** I'm told that in a few weeks, the Swiss will celebrate the creation of the Swiss Confederation and will put on a fireworks exhibit on the lake unlike any I've ever seen. I can't wait!

Photo copyright: Janet Kincaid, 07/09

* Taken by my friend, Virginia Jones, who is in Paris this summer. Be sure to check out her Paris blog. It's fabulous!
** I am sans tripod and was trying to shoot timed exposures while holding the camera. Eventually, I remembered I have a "fireworks" setting on my camera and used that. The quality improved a bit once I switched over. Still, not my best work.