Bonjour blog readers,

I’m still posting my recent Italy trip (I have more photos and text to put up), but I just wanted to mention the upcoming music festival in France, known as la Fête de la Musique.  It’s held every June 21st (to mark the beginning of summer) and this year falls on a Saturday. As an added bonus, the weather is forecast to be perfect: sunny and 25°C.

Lana Del Rey is performing free at Olympia concert hall at around 8 pm.

All over the country there will be music, singing and dancing in every park, street, music hall, square, rooftop and garden. All of it FREE. I had planned to head over to my favourite spot in Paris:  the Jardin du Palais Royal where several concerts are scheduled, but today at work I received an unexpected invitation from Jack Lang, the creator of the Fête de la musique, former French minister of Culture, and now president of the Institut du Monde Arabe. The invitation is for a private happening with champagne à go-go on the rooftop of the Institut du Monde Arabe, a stunning Jean Nouvel building in the 5th arrondissement. Down below, on the big square in front of the IMA, a line-up of free concerts are planned.  

ça va chauffer !

A word of warning, however, concerning this festival.

Many years ago, a girlfriend called Véronique and I made our way to the Place de la Bastille on the evening of June 21st to see and hear Peter Gabriel in concert.  We got sucked into the vortex of an immense, churning crowd and were separated.  I panicked (I don’t like crowds) and the more I tried to get out, the further I got sucked in.  I then lost my sandals (don’t ask me how it happened, but it did.)  And then I was hassled and groped by men in the crowd.  It was pretty awful.  It took me a long time to extricate myself from the seething mass and when I did, I was shoeless, shaking, and my top was ripped. It’s a miracle I still had my purse, keys and wallet (this was before cell phones).

Barefoot, I staggered to the nearest metro station only to find it closed for security reasons due to the crowds.  I ended up walking home to the 9th arrondissement from the 11th, dodging revellers, drunken brawls and party animals along the way.  I never did see Véronique again that night.  Nor did I see Peter Gabriel!

So be careful. The metro and buses will be jam-packed and, as the night progresses, very rowdy.  Don’t even think of getting a taxi.  It won’t happen.  You might have to walk a long distance and, sadly, the last decade has seen gangs and violent confrontations taking place in the streets, namely along the Champs Elysées.  The police will be out in full force.

So my advice to you, dear reader (those who will be in Paris, that is) is to go out early and head back home fairly early.  Especially if you have children with you.  Because I want you to be safe.  I want all of us to be safe.

Here’s a good program of events –

https://quefaire.paris.fr/programme/59097_fete_de_la_musique_2014