“The revolution is a complex whole, like life itself, with the inspiring and the unacceptable, with hope and fear, violence and fraternity.” — Francois Mitterrand A big azure-and-gilt hot-air balloon, a reproduction of an 18th century model, wafted skyward in a “salute to liberty” as thousands of spectators gathered in the Tuileries Gardens last January for the official launch of the bicentennial of the French Revolution. The Republican Guard played a fanfare.
