Wednesday, July 04, 2007

Happy 4th of July


A special post for my American visitors today, although many of them won't see it, precisely because today is a holiday and that many seem to have taken the week off. This statue is part of a monument dedicated to the American volunteers who, as far as I understand fought during WWI. I am not quite sure why you can also see a plaque dedicated to WWII fighters on this monument but what matters is that it helps us remember. If you plan a trip to Paris and want to see it, it's located on the Square Jefferson (where I took this photo).

19 comments:

  1. Thank you, Eric! You never fail to make us Americans feel special. I love this photo! Although I must say I'm amused by the position of the airplane. It kinda reminded me of the old arrow-through-the-head gag!

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  2. Eric, this is a nice tribute...even with the airplane flying into the statue's head (I didn't notice the plane until soosha_q mentioned it) LOL:-) I spent the day cleaning out my garage (whew!) so as to get our cars parked inside before the neighbor kids go ballistic with their bottle rockets, M-100s, grenades or whatever they're detonating these days for the 4th of July. Anyway, merci! You are a friendly Parisian!

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  3. Ah bon, tout le monde est en vacances? Alors ça veut dire qu'on peut parler Français? ;) Je sais pas pourquoi mais avant de lire le commentaire je me suis dit que c'était une statue du Gl. De Gaulle.

    Are you slowly getting over the jetlag, Eric? It does take a few days. Hang in there, you'll be as good as new by this week-end.

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  4. The silhouette is a very arresting shot, and I agree it's a nice tribute (both the statue and your post)!

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  5. Je ne me rappelle pas d'avoir vu ce statue. Maintenant vous voyez pourquoi je n'ecris pas en francais !

    Je vais le chercher bientot. Square Jefferson. Hmm, ok, je vois ou c'est... merci !

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  6. Very good that you made this post! Whatever you may think about US foreign politics today, it's clear that Europe and France owe the Americans a lot!!!

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  7. Love the colour of the sky - very dramatic with the statue silhouetted against it.
    What is he holding in his hand - it looks like a shoe??

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  8. Merci Eric...No vacation yet...ca commencera le 1 aout! Ha ha ha!! San Francisco will never be the same after your visit..! ;-)

    I can hear the fireworks in the distance now!! Happy Independence Day to all!! Do something "independently"??? Huh?? Saw "Paris Je t'aime"...it was grand...except for the bloody part...ughh! Salut!!

    HappyStateOfIndependence

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  9. So sorrrrry...desole..SF is moi...TonTon-Flaneur..Happpppy 4th to All!!

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  10. AMEN! Happy 4th to all. Freedom to be cherished.

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  11. Yes Happy 4th July to all the Americans here!

    Great silhouette, Eric.

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  12. We are doing the traditional BBQ thing to celebrate the Fourth. We are also planning a special Bastille Day for later this month. Don't you just love American Francophiles?

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  13. Happy July 4th, everyone. The weather does not look too great this morning in Western PA, but we still have plans for a barbecue with a couple of friends, and we'll blast a few fireworks we bought the other day. The official fireworks were last night in most little towns in the area. We did not go, but caught a glance of our hometown fireworks display on the way home from an event that we had attended in the evening.

    Love that photo, Eric. I will look for a pic of that statue that is not a silhouette, to get a good glance at it. And I agree, the plane is a bit funny.

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  14. Now that I have enlarged this image, (merci soosha_q), I am experiencing déja vu.

    The image of this jet plane approaching a fixed object recalls the most significant night of television viewing of my entire life.

    9/11

    ça va sans dire?

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  15. If not for France, we would still be paying taxes to the Queen, we couldn't have done it without you. We owe France a big thank you!

    David

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  16. I did think of that as well, m. benaut. With a brother-in-law fighting in Iraq, and 2 other family members who will be going there early next year, the war is something that is always on my mind. The price of freedom is something none of us should ever forget.

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  17. Yes, Peter. Europe and France owe Americans a lot. Of course we owe them a lot, too. Particularly France for a little thing we like to call the Constitution.

    Thanks for the thoughtful post, Eric. Can't wait to see what's in store for le 14 juilliet!

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  18. Thanks for the post, Eric! Happy 4th of July to all the Americans here! I am in the middle of making an American flag dessert (cherry Jello on the bottom, a layer of whipped cream, a layer of sliced pound cake, a top layer of whipped cream, and then blueberries for the stars, and strawberries lined up for the stripes - fun to make! I wish I could send you each a piece!)

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  19. Thanks Eric. I feel pretty privileged...celebrating the 4th in the U.S.today, and next week, I'll happen to be in Paris for Bastille Day. And I'm neither originally from the U.S. nor France.

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