Victory in Europe Day, May 8th, is a national holiday in France. In Arles, last year a huge festival featured American jeeps, music and dancing from the 1940's in the Place de la Republique.
This year the obelisk and fountain in the center of the Place are covered in scaffolding, so the celebration was smaller. And I just kind of stumbled upon it.
I was looking at the scaffolding, when a small parade appeared on the east side of the Place, headed towards the Hotel de Ville (town hall). Flag bearers led the way, followed by dignitaries, and a number of people in uniforms.
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| Hotel de Ville |
Inside the Hotel de Ville, a man in a navy suit wearing a tri-color sash and a woman wearing traditional Arlesienne costume laid a wreath at the base of a monument honoring a war hero.
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| The couple in the center placed the wreath. |
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| The color guard, and the wreath, held by the man near the door |
A moment of silence was observed, then the ceremony ended. I left before their reception began.
On the walk back to our house, I found an interesting piece of art, on the side of a building along rue de la Republique.
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