Black & Whte

This is a last-minute photo as we leave for Iceland, the land of fire & ice and much cooler temperatures. It has been so hot this month!  

Today is Bastille Day!!
Originally built as a medieval fortress in the Hundred Years’ War around the 1370s, the Bastille was converted into a state prison, where political prisoners and citizens awaiting trial were often held. Because some of its prisoners were detained under direct orders from the king (particularly during the reigns of Louis XIV, XV, and XVI), this place came to symbolize the tyranny and absolute rule of the French monarchy under the Bourbon dynasty, which had ruled over France for thousands of years. 

In early 1789, tensions were running high in France due to the state of the country’s economy (further aggravated by King Louis XVI’s decision to fire his finance minister, Jacques Necker, on July 10th) and the general disenchantment with the oppressive power of the monarchy. The revolutionary sentiment began to spread like wildfire, with fights all over Paris. On July 14th, reaching the Bastille prison, a group of revolutionaries stormed the fortress in search of gunpowder and weapons. After a brief battle, they could take control of the prison. The storming of the Bastille marked the beginning of the French Revolution, signifying the monarchy's downfall and the beginning of a democratic government. Bastille Day is therefore seen as a celebration of the well-known French ideals of liberty, equality, and fraternity associated with the Revolution

So enjoy your Revolution, and I will return with some photos in about ten days.