The next morning we all allowed ourselves to sleep in a little. After several busy days of sightseeing, it felt good not to rush.
We headed out on foot toward the Musée d’Orsay, walking through the beautiful Esplanade des Invalides. Stretching between the Seine River and the Hôtel des Invalides, the wide lawns and tree-lined walkways offered wonderful views of one of Paris’s most historic landmarks. Originally commissioned by King Louis XIV in the 1600s as a hospital and retirement home for wounded soldiers, Les Invalides is now home to several military museums and Napoleon Bonaparte’s magnificent tomb beneath its golden dome.
As we walked, we realized we had unknowingly found ourselves along part of the Bastille Day festivities.
What incredible timing!
Bastille Day, celebrated every July 14, commemorates the storming of the Bastille prison in 1789, one of the defining moments of the French Revolution. Today it serves as France’s national holiday and is marked by one of the world’s largest military parades.
This year’s celebration was especially significant. Nearly 6,700 troops, 98 aircraft, 31 helicopters, and more than 300 military vehicles participated in what was reported to be the largest Bastille Day parade ever held. France also highlighted its solidarity with its allies, welcoming Ukraine’s president as the guest of honor while showcasing its commitment to European security.
It was exciting to watch units from across the French Armed Forces marching through Paris. We saw soldiers, military vehicles, helicopters overhead, and aircraft flying as part of the celebration. While watching, one of the commanders walked over and presented us with a commemorative patch from Base Aérienne 702 (BA 702) at Avord.
The patch featured a fire-breathing dragon, a symbol traditionally representing strength, determination, and formidable power. BA 702 is one of France’s most important Air and Space Force bases and plays a key role in the country’s strategic defense. Receiving the patch completely by surprise made it an unexpected souvenir that will always remind us of spending Bastille Day in Paris.
Eventually we continued our walk to the Musée d’Orsay.
Although our timed tickets were for 9:00 a.m. and we were running a little behind, the staff welcomed us without any difficulty.
The Musée d’Orsay quickly became one of my favorite museums of the entire trip.
Housed inside the beautifully restored Gare d’Orsay railway station, built for the 1900 World’s Fair, the museum itself is a masterpiece. The soaring glass roof, enormous clock faces, and grand Beaux-Arts architecture are almost as impressive as the artwork hanging on the walls.
Its collection focuses primarily on the artistic revolution of the late 19th century, and room after room was filled with masterpieces.
We stood before paintings by Van Gogh, Monet, Renoir, Degas, Cézanne, and countless other artists whose works I had only ever seen in books. The museum’s sculpture galleries were equally breathtaking, filled with marble and bronze masterpieces displayed in beautifully lit open spaces.
Everywhere we turned there seemed to be another world-famous painting waiting around the next corner.
We wandered through gallery after gallery until closing time at 4:00 p.m.
Alan would have been so proud of us for staying until they practically had to usher us out!
After another full day of exploring, we walked back to our apartment, still trying to work through the ongoing issues with GuestReady and VRBO. Unfortunately, the apartment never really improved, and it remained one of the few disappointments of our entire European adventure.
Dinner that evening was simple but perfect.
We finished the leftovers from our delicious meat and cheese board, paired them with some incredibly sweet French nectarines, and enjoyed a quiet evening together.
Then it was time to repack our suitcases once again.
The next morning, our wonderful driver Nesrine would be picking us up to take us to the train station as we said goodbye to Paris and began the next chapter of our journey—heading south to the Mediterranean and the beautiful seaside town of La Grande-Motte.
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