If one of your lifelong dreams is to watch the Bastille Day fireworks in France, plan to show up on July 13 or even July 12 just to be on the safe side.

The French are contrary people. Bastille Day, France’s national day, marks the anniversary of the storming and subsequent fall on July 14, 1789, of the Bastille state prison. But for mysterious French logistical reasons, cities and towns across France tend to schedule the fireworks display, Bastille Day’s most eagerly awaited and pretty much only event, for July 12 or 13.

This year, Nantes celebrated Bastille Day on July 13 at 11 p.m.

Go figure.

It was a chilly night for July. We found a spot on the Quai de la Fosse, along the Loire River, and we watched the sky getting darker and darker, and lights getting brighter and brighter, creating a magical atmosphere. The river became an abstract painting with long, blurry reflections on the water.

I looked up when I heard the first bang, or maybe it was a long fizz before the blinding lights and the mesmerizing display.

We had a great spot, probably the best I’ve ever had in Nantes. The sports-themed soundtrack was awful—Eye of the Tiger, really?—but it was a truly spectacular show.