What better way to celebrate France than with great food and wine?

Alliance Française of Bermuda will be marking the French Bastille Day with cocktails and dinner.

On July 14, 'le Quatorze Juillet', there will be French cocktails and dinner at Beau Rivage Restaurant, at Newstead Belmont.

Tickets are on sale at Pulp & Circumstance Paper until July 11.

They are $80 per person for members of Alliance Française, and $85 per person for non-members.

The celebrations begin at 6.30 p.m. Bastille Day is the French equivalent of Bermuda Day, Independence Day, the Queen's Birthday or Canada Day.

It is a day when the French commemorate the storming of the Bastille prison in Paris on 14 July, 1789 220 years ago.

This was a defining moment of the French Revolution, when the people revolted against tyranny, and asserted their fundamental rights.

"What Bastille Day means in practice is fine wine, excellent food, great conversation, and a general celebration of the French 'joie de vivre'," said group president Nicky Gurret.

"The spirit of Bastille Day was first defined as long ago as 1790, when the French celebrated their freedom by setting off fireworks, drinking fine wine, and running naked through the streets. Vive la France!"

For further information about the Bastille Day celebrations, or for general membership inquiries, please feel free to contact the Alliance Française at alliance.francaisebm@yahoo.com">alliance.francaisebm@yahoo.com.