“Anyone Who Says Sunshine Brings Happiness has Never Danced in the Rain”… Anonymous

Sunday morning, it is grey and misty. We put our warm clothes, rain gear ( in case it picks up as forecasted) and walk through the neighborhoods to St. Suplice. We had visited the church earlier in our stay but returned now for Mass. The church offered a warm feeling with the glow of the candles and the bustling of local parishioners tending to the numerous chapels around the church, the news board announcing opportunities for fellowship, and on this dark morning we are glad to linger. Following the mass, the world class organist performs a concert for the faithful. In this sacred and majestic space, it is quite stirring.

 

 

Today is miserable. Les Miserables … not just a classic, but also a description of a winter cold heavy rain in Paris is February.

We decided to venture out… umbrellas in hand, rain coats on, boots… across the bridge to the Marais to have one more falafel pita before we leave. Last Sunday, the line outside the restaurant snaked down the street. Today, no one is eating outside. The tables inside are close and we settle in glad to be out of the rain. Soon the table next to us fills. The young couple next to us is American. It is their first time in Paris and we share places of interest and the other great places to eat. They are excited to be in this wonderful place. One of the great joys of traveling is meeting other interesting people. Though it was brief, we enjoyed our chat and felt a connection.

One of the few absolutes we had planned for this trip is happening tonight. We have tickets the the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées . A night of Polish Music with the Poznań Philharmonic Orchestra and the young pianist,Rafal Blechacz, winner of the Chopin International Piano Competition. As a very young man, Rafal Blechacz won all five aspects of the prestigious competition . His performance was so superlative that the judges chose not to award a second place prize as no one else approached his mastery. It is wonderful opportunity to attend a concert in a great city, in a great hall, with a great talent. There is on the one hand, a universality to the experience and on the other,nuances that are particular to the city and the audience.

The orchestra is exceptional with a conductor who is really satisfying to watch. Sitting in the second row, we get an up close view as he exudes the passion and emotion of the pieces and draws out the musicality of his players. The program is enjoyable whether you are a classical lover or just looking for a night out. One piece featuring a quartet, showcasing four musicians whose joy of playing was palpable.

 

It is easy to understand what the competition judges saw in Rafal Blechacz. The pianist is truly gifted. He plays with such delicate colors and shades of emotion that the audience is riveted. The conductor and the pianist are mesmerizing as they playoff each other, drawing out and pushing forward the colors and dynamics of the piece. The conductor shepherds the genius pianist as the orchestra swells in a crescendo behind him. The audience does not want it to end…a second and a third encore until finally he closes the lid on the keyboard, touches his heart as he humbly bows to the audience and then to the orchestra.

We head out out to the crowded lobby where there is a lively buzz among the patrons. We stop at the table selling books about the theatre and the concert and the performer. At intermission, we noticed the author of one of the books was there. He playfully turned the book over and placed it back on the table so his picture was displayed. We return once more to see the book when a older French woman notices us and asks if we like the book. When she discovers we are American, she (his wife we think, who is Polish, not French) asks if perhaps we are publishers as they are trying to get it published in the US. Guess we pulled off what to wear to a Paris theater and did not seem too shabby!

Before we say goodnight to Paris, once we are back home in our 5th arrondissement, we cross the pedestrian bridge behind Notre Dame. As we look out over river, over the city, the clock strikes midnight. We take a moment to dance under a misty Paris sky on the Ponte Saint-Louis!

With only two days left we finally go to Montmartre. Once the bohemian arts community of painters, poets and musicians, socialists and alternative life stylists, the Paris commune grew up here and it maintains its distinct charm.

Sacre Coure sets high on the hill and watches over all of Paris. It is said to have been built by Parisians in reparations for their sins following their loss to the Prussians. The antagonism that existed between the penitent Catholic Parisians and the radical socialist and avant-garde artists has resolved to a peaceful existence and offers a great place to straggle through the charming shops, the museums, the cafes . As we are going to have lunch we we turn the corner our young friends from the falafel restaurant are also searching for a cafe! We laugh at the chance meeting and exchange a quick run down of what we each have done since meeting the other day. It is a little like running into an old friend in an unexpected place. Funny how a brief encounter in a far away place can form a happy bond.

We have a wonderful lunch at a bistro off the main street. Refreshed and satiated, we wander through the streets of Montmartre down to the Moulin Rouge. The iconic red windmill still heralds visitors to the home of the can can and dancing girls captured in many of works of Toulouse Lautrec . We hike back up a hill to the Jardin de Renoir where his painting of the Girl in the Swing was done and the story of the Chat Noir comes to life in the Montmartre Museum.

What a great day! As we pad along towards a bus to take us home we run into our friends again! They are traveling with another young couple who look a little surprised at the joyful greeting we exchange. Safe travels home-maybe we’ll see you tomorrow!