Fête de la Musique - solstice d'été

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLfyJ8_8dDWDLsC-s8jA051ZvOrpYDb8td6Wyysb-uGXKsRXbKyLCSFzyTtQWIyqpfs8h3x7cTPiFBCT3oCbBRN_u4Z1bdx9722_UZLccG_Zy-a15Cbcu95CoYx2FSbl4WU8KQU3n5ajM/s1600/2010+June+21+00116.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLfyJ8_8dDWDLsC-s8jA051ZvOrpYDb8td6Wyysb-uGXKsRXbKyLCSFzyTtQWIyqpfs8h3x7cTPiFBCT3oCbBRN_u4Z1bdx9722_UZLccG_Zy-a15Cbcu95CoYx2FSbl4WU8KQU3n5ajM/s640/2010+June+21+00116.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Summer Solstice</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">So what does the <i>solstice d'été</i> have to do with music?  In Paris and many parts of France the summer solstice is accompanied by a grand celebration of music, with all genres and forms.  You can visit the churches for special concerts, listen to street musicians in the squares and gardens.  The cafés have jazz quartets and pop music and everything in between.  The music begins early and extends to the wee hours of the morning. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">"The musicians are asked to perform for free, and all the concerts are free for the public. It’s the reason why they are used to play in open air areas as streets and parks or in public buildings like museums, train stations, castles… Furthermore, the Fête de la Musique is a way to encourage the major music institutions (orchestra, operas, choirs, etc.) to perform outside their usual locations." (<a href="http://fetedelamusique.culture.fr/fr/edition-2013/presentation/" target="_blank">official site here</a>)</span></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">This photo was taken of the "piano man" on June 21, 2010, Fête de la Musique, a wonderful day spent with friends soaking up beautiful weather and a variety of music.  </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Wish I was there today.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Pont Saint-Louis</span></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">75004, Paris</span></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>

Fête de la Musique - solstice d'été

Summer Solstice So what does the solstice d'été have to do with music?  In Paris and many parts of France the summer solstice is accomp...

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Piano man

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMmRPBLatErYDDmiynJRdaIcKcE99noG0xyA2YMuY_0je5tsyv9csox2KGFOV01JvUXftPxZyC2tNg8v3E2v9JyCpqpTqubDZu42y2NwZXyXtvkl9U-lYIyXCPXTBs_3oaQCbhQBn9OvQ/s1600/2010+june+21+rescued+00117+b-w.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594028567765624210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMmRPBLatErYDDmiynJRdaIcKcE99noG0xyA2YMuY_0je5tsyv9csox2KGFOV01JvUXftPxZyC2tNg8v3E2v9JyCpqpTqubDZu42y2NwZXyXtvkl9U-lYIyXCPXTBs_3oaQCbhQBn9OvQ/s640/2010+june+21+rescued+00117+b-w.jpg" style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; DISPLAY: block; CURSOR: hand" /></a> <br /><div></div><br /><div></div><span style="font-family:arial;">Last June (2010) we crossed from Ile Saint Louis to the back side of Notre Dame on Ile de la Cité and saw this "piano-man" singing for coins and pounding the piano keys on Pont Saint-Louis. I snapped this photo not knowing that he was a regular around Paris. I have just discovered his photo in Bill Gillham's book "Parisians' Paris." If I see him on this trip I will get his autograph in the book! </span><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span>

Piano man

Last June (2010) we crossed from Ile Saint Louis to the back side of Notre Dame on Ile de la Cité and saw this "piano-man" singin...

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