Daviot Kelly, Staff Reporter
Members of a French platoon do a ceremonial march during The French National Day Reception hosted by Ambassador Francis Hurtut at Hillcrest Avenue, St. Andrew on Thursday night.
AH, WHO knew that when a bunch of Frenchmen and women took over the Bastille that the day would be celebrated so many centuries later.
Jamaica did its part to celebrate with our friends from Europe in a quiet, homely reception on the French embassy grounds on Hillcrest Avenue. Members of a French platoon visiting the island lined the embassy driveway. But this wasn't to make you uncomfortable; in fact it underlined how safe you were within those walls. These same soldiers would later come marching down the gardens in unison and in song.
French Ambassador Francis Hurtut, celebrating his first Bastille Day in Jamaica in his new post, remarked that July 14 wasn't the swashbuckling day with a great battle we might think. But for the millions of French citizens around the world, it is a day when they celebrate their values and true patriotism. He thanked his Jamaican colleagues - no better yet - friends and suggested that the day was the perfect opportunity for him to celebrate the friendship between the two nations.
And so, after raising his champagne-filled glass to Jamaica, France and the Bastille (or the symbolic fall of it anyway), guests delved into the culinary treats that awaited them. Now, no French reception is complete without an extensive collection of cheese to choose from. The French are also known for their wine and copious amounts of the fine beverage were also served up.
On a serious note, a minute of silence was taken to remember the London bombings. So another year, another opportunity to reflect on the tenets of the French Revolution. Liberty, fraternity and equality still ring true.
