Bastille Day in New York

Bastille Day on East 60th Street, New York City. Photo: Michele.

Allons enfants de la patrie,

Le jour de gloire est arrivé!

East 60th Street was in full swing today celebrating Bastille Day two days early. Presented by the French Institute Alliance Française, the street fair had dancing and singing, drinking of wine and eating of fine foods, face painting and balloon animals for the kids, and loads of booths with raffle prizes and French products for sale. It even had a very sassy mime. (All photos below by Michele).

Did I mention food? Loads of items to choose from including fruit tarts, brioche, crepes, tri-colour macarons, canneles, and more. It was a fun day and a perfect excuse to celebrate everything French.

Jumping July

I'm not going to lie—June was one stinker of a month (the lack of posts on this blog can attest to that). Therefore I'm placing my bets on July being a vast improvement. How can it not? There are two revolutionary holidays to celebrate—the Fourth of July and Bastille Day. In honour of the latter and the fact that I'm currently studying French (trying would be more accurate), look for some French-flavoured posts over the next few weeks. À bientôt!

Bastille Day

This afternoon Bastille Day was celebrated a day early on the Upper East Side. Hosted by the French Institute Alliance Francaise, three blocks of East 60th Street were taken over by vendors selling food, drinks, and gifts along with various organizations advertising everything French from learning the language to travelling to French-speaking countries. There were also wine tastings for the adults and face painting for the children.

The Hungry March Band

Les Petits Chanteurs de Monaco.

The day was filled with performances including Can-Can dancers, a marching band, and Les Petits Chanteurs de Monaco (school boys who sounded like angels). Everyone seemed to be having a good time even if the humidity made it a tad uncomfortable.

Hello there, Patrick Bruel.

The highlight for me was running into singer/actor Patrick Bruel whose photo I quickly snapped (I felt like a member of the paparazzi). If you're not familiar with his work, you should check him out (he's performing in New York on November 1).

Sorry to get in your way, Mr. Cunningham.

There was a surprise waiting for me when I got home and started to look through my photos. While attempting to photograph the balloon man, I unknowingly took a photo of the legendary Bill Cunningham. At first elated, a second later I realized I probably ruined his shot. So apologies, Mr. Cunningham. If I had been paying more attention, I would have moved out of the way.

Leaving the event, there was one last special treat in store. Across Fifth Avenue, next to the park, was a collection of classic Citroëns, many of which had Quebec plates. It was such a delight to see the various models and all their different colours. Wouldn't it be lovely if everyone drove cars like these?

So Vive La France and Happy Bastille Day!

Imagination

This little girl proves that children really do have the best imaginations. Listen to this little Amelie lookalike and see if you don't agree.

Thanks to Lenore Nevermore for posting on her blog.

Ladurée

The recent opening of a New York branch of the French pastry shop Ladurée had me venturing up to the East Side this weekend to purchase some of their famed macarons. Ladurée, which began as a Parisian bakery in 1862, is credited with creating the macaron that we all have come to love—two small round cakes filled with a soft filling of deliciousness.

The crowds at the Madison Avenue location have been large and so I was pleasantly surprised when I arrived to find the line was not spilling out onto the street.

The shop is adorable. With pale green walls, old portraits, bottles of fragrances, and candles it’s almost like stepping into an 18th-century boudoir.

The inevitable problem with shops like these is I immediately want to buy everything—the candles, the bags, the chocolates. But I refrained. I was there for one thing and one thing only—macarons. 

Rows and rows of macarons, flown in from France, greet you when you reach the counter. It's an extremely hard decision to make but I settled on a decorative purple box of eight—four caramel à la fleur de sel (my favourite), one citron, one fleur d'orange, one chocolat, and one pistache whose green seems to match the walls. I waited until I was back home to have one and they are incredible. Crunchy and soft at the same time and extremely sweet. Well worth a trip uptown for a special treat or gift.

Photos by Michele.