Just so you know I'm not totally obsessed with the upcoming wedding (except to say it's TWO WEEKS from TOMORROW that we fly!), I thought I'd talk about la Fête de la Musique, an annual two-day event where you can find live music out on the streets of Paris in pretty much every quartier.
Last night, Georges and I took the Little Guy over to the Abbesses area of Montmartre, where we knew there would be a lot going on. Did I say "a lot"? That's an understatement: it was like one giant neighborhood block party, celebrating the first day of summer. Many of the restaurants had put out extra tables on the sidewalks, and in some of the squares there were barbecues grilling sausages (we had some spicy ones that tasted like pure wasabi so I don't know what spice was in there, but WOW! did my sinuses clear up!) and there were little stands everywhere selling beer and even crêpes.
With a small child in tow, we of course started and ended our evening early (home well before dark) but the Little Guy had the best seat in the house when he rode on his Papa's shoulders during part of our hours of strolling and listening to the different musical acts located every half-block or so all through the neighborhood. A DJ posted up on the roof over one restaurant seemed to be a big hit, with people dancing in the street below.
A little ice cream topped off the evening (and helped ease the "burn" of those sausages), and we enjoyed our stroll back down the hill to our part of Paris. Tonight, Georges and I might head back out later to catch a bit of music over a glass of wine or a lite bite to eat... the weather is still warm and it really feels like summer has finally arrived.
And now I'm in the mood for a real American-style barbecue in a couple of weeks, with my family. Maybe we'll "cook out" for the night before the wedding... it's not fancy, but it's home.
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Editor's note: After posting this, Georges told me the event was really only the one night, on the Saturday only. I don't know why I thought it was for two nights. Silly me.
