Impromptu Concert

Probably what was most surprising to me during my recent visit to Paris was captured my last evening there, as it warm, and I strolled along the banks of the Seine, from above, from the Île Saint Louis to the Île de Cité. I was aligned to take the perfect photo of Notre Dame de Paris bathed from the front by the setting sun. The interesting part was the people; with no worries of being rained upon, and the awe wearing off from the sights and architecture around me, the changing landscape was the variety of young people who flocked to the edge of the water to enjoy… the sun, life, and their environment. Needless to say, they were also enjoying each other's company. The little jazz ensemble that had collected together was interesting to me because they had such a maturity to their sound for being so young. The trumpet player especially evoked Chet Baker's sound. In fact, I could stand there, listening from above, jealous that I, at that age, could never have just entertained the throngs of people around me like that. No music, no stands. The food and wine being consumed was immediately elevated with free music. The whole scene was foreign to me. For those seated there that were Parisians, I am sure nothing was foreign about hanging out in the open air with friends and strangers. I gather many might have been foreign students too, making memories they'd cherish for the next 30 years of their lives. To soak in this environment too much you either have to be rich (to live in the city), be a student (whose tenure here will be short), or else live outside the city and travel in. I gave up the opportunity to share the experience myself instead by snapping away with my Canon. I figured I could reflect on the magical evening later. This last shot (above) captures the musicians from afar, some minutes later, as the sun was officially setting behind "Our Lady." It was unseasonably warm that day (80 degrees) in mid-May. But the scene was postcard perfect and I think the experience would inspire anyone to relax, enjoy one's environment, and those you consider your friends. That, and how I'd never turn down visiting again in another May.