Traveling in Paris on VE Day

There is a parade so imagine metro and cafes closer to the parade route will be crowded. This is a day of remembrance for Europe. End of Nazi Germany and end of WWII. Personally, I think it would be thrilling to see the festivities and suspect you'll be just fine.

We were in Paris on Armistice Day (Nov. 11) this past year and it was inspiring. There will be ceremonies at the Arc de Triomphe in the early morning, and people will line up along the streets early. We actually went to the Arc late that night and a huge tricolor flag was still hanging inside the Arc and flowers were still around the area, with crowds very celebratory. The best part of the day was the bells ringing around the city at exactly 11 a.m., when the armistice was signed. (The eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month...). Don't know if that happens on VE Day as well.

We were in Paris for VE Day in 2010. I was actually disappointed that there was not more fanfare. We were staying right on the Champs Ellyse near the Arc de Triumphe. There was a very small, short parade and a short ceremony at the Arc de Triumphe. That area is always extremely busy and crowded and it was no more than usual.

It's France not the Netherlands. In all the books that I've read about WWII, the American vets consistently stated that the Dutch were the most appreciative people of all of the countries in Europe that they liberated. Even today, the Dutch people have 'adopted' the graves of fallen Americans and decorate them with flowers and flags on Memorial Day.

Canada, too, in the Netherlands. Ottawa right now is blooming with thousands of tulips sent each year from Holland. The queen took refuge from the war in Ottawa and, for the birth of her daughter, the hospital wing was declared part of the Netherlands so the current queen could qualify for the throne. Or so the legend goes. Certainly, three generations on, the youngsters welcome the old soldiers back to the Netherland with a warmth that is startling.

Thanks everyone - looking forward to the experience - just wanted to be prepared for any potential travel impacts. J