Bastille Day 2011 Fireworks at the Eiffel Tower

Here is the entire 34 minute Bastille Day fireworks show put on by the City of Paris (mairiedeparis) at the Jardins du Trocadéro behind the Eiffel Tower.

This year's show had the theme: "From Broadway to Paris" You can see the shorter stop-motion photo version here.

N'Importe Quoi Photo of the Week

You don't normally see anything in Paris airspace except pigeons and the occasional news helicopter. So even Parisians came outside to get a look at the zeppelin flying over the Musée d'Orsay this week.

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Open-air Drinking Ban in Paris

As drunken French youth get more unruly after dark, Parisian police begin enforcing the open-container laws. Is it the end of wine with your picnic on the Seine? Not exactly...

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Summer Sparkles for the Eiffel Tower

To celebrate the French presidency of the European Union this year, the Eiffel Tower is lit up with blue lights and golden stars (just for the summer). Makes for pretty cool photos that none of your friends back home will have!

You wouldn't think the Eiffel Tower would need to do a thing to attract visitors, but I have to admit they've made an effort to lure even jaded Parisians to the top with a summertime Champagne bar (open daily from 5-10:30pm on the top floor). 

The first level terrace is decorated with a blue and white Atlantic seaside theme, with beach chairs and "sand-like" flooring (whatever that means). There's also a photo exhibition of lighthouses in France and around the world. In case you get bored of the view...

And to help keep you cool while waiting in line (both at the bottom and when switching elevators on the first floor), there are now water misters. But do these really work when there's already 70% humidity? Lol!