This weekend, celebrations begin for le 14 juillet, Bastille Day, the French Fête Nationale. France will be draped in bleu, blanc, and rouge as citizens enjoy parties, picnics, parades, and fireworks. As much as I would love to be celebrating in Paris, I can indulge my francophilia right here in Wisconsin. I can celebrate Bastille Day at Le Rendez-Vous, our new French restaurant here in Okauchee Lake or head downtown to enjoy Milwaukee's Bastille Days. The annual festival features live music, an international marketplace, art exhibits, chef demos, wine tasting, mini French language lessons, French and Cajun cuisine, and even a 43-foot Eiffel Tower with an hourly light shows after dark. Those craving more French fare may wish to dine at one of the area's lovely French restaurants: Chez Jacques, Trocadero, Coquette Café, Le Rêve (photos and reviews here, here, and here), or my favorite, Lake Park Bistro (always a tradition on my birthday and our anniversary; see my reviews and photos here, here, here, here, and here). While downtown, why not visit the Kandinsky exhibit at the Milwaukee Art Museum? Together with the Centre Pompidou in Paris, the museum is featuring a remarkable collection of over one hundred works, representing every period of the Russian-born French artist’s career from 1900-1944.