On the morning the French celebrate the founding of their republic, Paris was silent. We were practically alone on the metro.
Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge after their wedding. Photo by Aurelien Guichard
“What are you doing for July 14th?” we asked a colleague.
“Nothing. I don’t celebrate it. It’s nothing to celebrate. I only recognise religious holidays. France would have been better off without the revolution. Besides, there are more religious holidays.”
The 14th of July marks the day when the French got fed up with their Louis’s. Harvests were poor. People were hungry. The spirit of the Enlightenment was in the air.
“Yes”, we replied. “You shouldn’t have killed the king and his entire family. Now, you can’t have a royal wedding.”
