Bastille Day in Greenwich

As has been the case for a number of years now, a small but heavyweight group of Greenwich residents gathered in front of Town Hall to raise the Tricolor and sing "La Marseillaise". The weather was warm and picture-perfect, as was every aspect of the ceremony itself.

The French flag was raised by Henri-Pierre Gerin and his grandson Sofiane, who came all the way from Annecy, France to be with us today. Henri-Pierre is the uncle of Jean-Louis Gerin, who of course is the famous Greenwich restauranteur of eponymous fame. Mme. Chantal Chauvin, Adjunct Consul-General of France in New York, was with us for the fifth and final time. As always, she told us of various events in the long history of Franco-American friendship, and made us feel glad that France is one of our closest friends. Next year, she mentioned, she will be in Marrakesh. Presumably she is moving up the diplomatic food chain, and we wish her well.

Then it was off to Meli-Melo for crepes, coffee, and freshly-squeezed orange juice, as well as viennoiseries from Versailles, donated in honor of the late founder and proprietor Maurice Versailles. Among the many local residents who crowded into this perenially popular Greenwich bistro were First Selectman Peter Tesei, the mercurial Ed Krumeich, singer and songwriter JD Southard, and many members of the Alliance Francaise. Accordion music was provided by Corinne Kuzma http://corinne-kuzma.com/ of the Cirque du Soleil.

Your scribe permits himself only one crepe every two years, as the Greenwich Bastille Day event alternates between Meli-Melo and Restaurant Jean-Louis. This year's was as delicious as ever. Merci, Marc!