The overcast skies and slight drizzle that greeted attendees at this year's 4th of July celebration at the U. S. Ambassador's residence in Paris did little to dampen the spirit of the day.
In the courtyard, guests enjoyed the musical strains of The Ambassadors - a U. S. Air Force jazz ensemble - as well as displays of an American Field Service ambulance and a tribute to Quentin Roosevelt, WWI veteran and son of President Theodore Roosevelt, who lost his life in combat during WWI.
Courtyard of the U. S. Ambassador's residence
© Discover Paris!
American Field Service ambulance
© Discover Paris!
Tom and I made our way through the residence to the grounds out back, where hundreds of people milled about.
Crowd on the lawn at the U. S. Ambassador's residence
© Discover Paris!
When we passed the first set of tents, we were surprised to see two food trucks parked on the lawn.
Le Camion qui Fume, the American-owned burger grill on wheels, was supplying free burgers for everyone. The lines were impressively long and they remained so throughout the entire event.
Le Camion qui Fume food truck
© Discover Paris!
Tom waited for over 30 minutes to get our burgers and the best fries I've eaten in a LONG time, while I checked out the rest of the food and beverage offerings.
Tom with his burger and beer
© Discover Paris!
Dozens of vendors supplied food and drink for the event. The most unusual offering was bite-sized sweet "burgers" from the Marriott hotel chain - they consisted of chocolate mousse (the "meat"), a sheet of white chocolate (the "cheese"), and a slice of strawberry (the "tomato") on a tiny sesame seed bun. An almond paste rendition of the Statue of Liberty presided over the table.
Statue of Liberty overlooks "sweet burgers"
© Discover Paris!
Four Marines stood as flag bearers for Old Glory and the U. S. Marine Corps flag.
Flag bearers
© Discover Paris!
As usual, the official ceremony opened with the Dip Tones (the U. S. Embassy choir) singing the French and American national anthems. Then Chargé d'Affaires
ad interim Mark Taplin gave an eloquent speech (in French) honoring Myron T. Herrick, U. S. Ambassador to France from 1912-1914 and 1921-1929.
Taplin served as the Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy beginning in July 2010 during the tenure of former U.S. Ambassador to France Charles H. Rivkin. Ambassador Charles Rivkin and his family permanently vacated the residence last November, following his nomination by President Obama to serve as Assistant Secretary of the State Department’s Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs.
Then Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo took the stage and spoke passionately about relations between the City of Paris and cities in the U. S. She specifically talked of her visit to NYC and the sister-city relationship between Paris and Chicago. She invited President Obama to come to Paris' City Hall as an honored guest.
Chargé d'Affaires a. i. Mark Taplin and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo
© Discover Paris!
The ceremony closed with music by the phenomenal vocalist and New Orleans native
Nicole Slack Jones.
Nicole Slack Jones
© Discover Paris!
Fortunately, umbrellas were only necessary for brief periods during the afternoon.
Crowd watching the ceremony
© Discover Paris!
After the ceremony, both the Marines and the singers mixed with the crowd.
Nicole Slack Jones (center) and admirers
© Discover Paris!
Marine corporal greeted by a woman
© Discover Paris!
Marines mix with the crowd
© Discover Paris!
Looking forward to next year!
U. S. Marine corporal and Monique
© Discover Paris!
************
If you like this posting, share it with your friends by using one of the social media links below!
