Saturday, May 23, 2009

Sounds of Summer

The weather's warmed up quite a bit this week and it's time again to open up the windows and let the air flow through our apartment. We don't have any screens but fortunately bugs don't seem to be a problem. But the sounds of the street? That's another story. Even though we live off the beaten path, those dudes on motor scooters love to go full blast down our block, giving their bikes a few extra revs for good measure. Plus there's the horn honking when someone parks in front of an entrance making it impossible for others to enter or exit. And then there's the trumpet and saxophone players with their boom box accompaniment that come out in the evening to serenade the folks nursing beers at the cafe down on the corner. The first time we heard the music, the kids opened up all the windows, eager to know where it was coming from. Now the thrill is gone and it's just one bad rendition of "Hello Dolly" and "When the Saints Go Marching In" after another. Last night, though, we got a special treat: an inebriated soul singing the "Marseillaise." It's not charming but you've got to admit that it's local color.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

What a hoot. Those guys sometimes serenade on Blvd. Malesherbes. The first time I heard them I thought it was a marching band. What a disappointment.
Terry

Starman said...

You must really love the Féte de la Musique.

Anonymous said...

I feel your pain. When I lived in NYC's East Village in the '90s, a Jimi Hendrix imitator planted himself in the courtyard of St. Marks in the Bowery Church, conveniently located directly across from my apartment and played Purple Haze over and over and over and over.

What's amusing and quaint to walk by becomes the sound track to nightmares for those close by!

Patricia said...

When we rented a house in the south of France, it was wonderful to open up the windows and let the fresh air in, but oh the bugs (sans screens!). That is a "cultural difference". I could not imagine not having any screens in my house. Especially because my daughter is terrified of bugs. But, then again, maybe she is terrified of bugs because we have screens and they do not enter our house!

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