The best fireworks display I've ever experienced was in Paris on Bastille Day. But it was more than the fireworks themselves that left such an impression on me to proclaim this.
First, the Eiffel Tower was lit up in a yellow, golden glow. Then the strobe and sparkle lights started doing their jittery dance. No photos could really do this justice -- you just have to see it with your own eyes. And to hear the music live through the speakers elevated the wonder of the fireworks show (which lasted 45 minutes) to a new level. Many fireworks displays around the world don't play the music over speakers, so the people watching in person get less of a show sometimes than those watching at home. But that wasn't the case in Paris.
And then it happened. The large screens set up in the Champ de Mars next to the Eiffel Tower showed a glimpse of the crowd we were in. I had to do a double take, because it didn't look like people. There were so many of us gathered there that it looked more like a river of lava than a crowd of people. I snapped a photo because I didn't know if they would show it again.
To this day, I have never been able to find out how many people were there that night. Regardless of the number, which I would estimate to be close to 1 million people or even more, it was the most peaceful and friendly walk home to our hotels as I've ever seen in my decades of traveling. The subways were closed by the time the show ended, so we all had to walk Paris' streets packed with people. Everyone enjoyed meeting others from all around the world, we all helped each other with directions, and we bonded with just some of those million people for another hour as we walked back to a much-needed sleep.
Interested in having your own travel experiences like this? Visit www.planetglobaltravel.com or email us at info@planetglobaltravel.com today!
