A Festival in the City of Light

June 21:

Okay, this is worth a detour from the itinerary. We had the most amazing experience tonight. It is our second night in Paris. Yesterday was lovely. After we checked into the hotel we walked into the Latin Quarter which was much as we remembered it, came back to the hotel, rested a bit, and went back out to the Latin Quarter where we had a good enough dinner and then strolled back to the hotel.

Today we walked a lot, all the way to the Pere La Chaise Cemetery, seeing the Marais in the bargain. We covered a lot of ground, and thankfully managed a taxi to get back to the hotel because walking back the 3-4 miles that we covered would have been a chore.

Tom napped, I fiddled around, and then around six we opened the bottle of wine we had purchased along the way and cleaned up for the evening’s stroll back into the Latin Quarter to people watch and have a leisurely meal in one of the myriad cafes.

While getting ready I was delighted to notice that right below our window (we are on the sixth floor of the Hotel Claude Bernard on Rue des Ecoles—near the Sorbonne), some musicians were gearing up for a gig. I went out on the small balcony of our hotel and snapped and recorded a few shots. How sweet. I figured it was just a random street scene.

Then we left and took our normal route to the Latin Quarter and noticed that…wait…there was another group playing on the next corner. Wait! Yet another on the side street! Oh my! Two groups are competing for space on the next street! And the next! And oh by the way, there are so many people you can’t breathe! Most are under 25 and all smoking.

Now. Lest you think these are pleasant little street combos strumming accordions and guitars with a girl singer crooning love songs, let me set you straight. THIS IS THE LOUDEST ROCK AND ROLL AND THE MOST RAUCOUS MUSIC I HAVE EVER HEARD!!!

As I write this, I lie in my bed (Tom is actually sleeping) and there is heavy metal music playing right under my window. Complete with amps turned to full volume. Oh well…It’s 11:34, they will turn into pumpkins at midnight. Yeah, right… I’m just grateful to be “home” safe.

Earlier, as we got closer to the Latin Quarter, the crowds grew larger and more aggressive, the cigarette AND the pot smoke was overwhelming, and the music was everywhere to the point that I don’t know how the musicians could play with all the competition!

As we progressed toward the Quarter, the crowds grew greater, and the music grew louder, and I grew more and more agitated. I am not prone to panic attacks, but I saw no means of escape, couldn’t even see a possible spot for a drink, and envisioned being caught in this maze of people and “music” for…the prospects of for how long are what gave me the feeling of panic.

We did manage, though, finally, to sneak into a familiar little café where a table in the corner, a couple of carafes of wine, and some French onion soup made the evening ever so much brighter.

We asked the waiter what was up—my fear was that this was the “new” Paris and this was normal for every night (last night being Sunday and a day of rest)—but it turns out that this was June 21, the annual Fete de la Musique, a country-wide musical extravaganza that started about fifteen years ago and is now a treasured tradition! Not just in Paris! According to the internet, la Fête de la Musique is a lively street music festival held every June 21st in Paris, and is one of the year's most popular events in the city of light. Hundreds of musicians gather in the streets, bars, and cafes of Paris, giving free performances of everything from jazz and rock to hip-hop and electronic music. This is how one can get a “taste of authentic Paris culture”. Needless to say, not only tourists like us are here, but people come from far and wide specifically for this event! I was telling Avery about it on the phone tonight and she said “oh yes, I forgot to warn you about that…we have it here in Cannes as well.”

And so thus fortified with wine and onion soup, we made our way back to the hotel although the crowds had not diminished (in fact were just gearing up) and the music had increased to ear-splitting decibels. You had to be there…

NOTE: As I’m writing this it has suddenly grown silent. It is 11:50. I breathe a silent prayer.

Within fifteen minutes, I am asleep….