Summer Solstice

Yesterday was the Summer Solstice. The sun went down at 10:04 p.m. I didn't even take Bailey out for her second walk until 10 p.m. because yesterday was also the Fete de la Musique in Lille and all over France. More on that below.

We went to the last concert of the season at the opera last week. It was two guys playing various instruments.

One played stringed instruments and the other played wind instruments. Most were unknown to me.

Sweet William purchased at a market last weekend.

Wildflowers (intentionally planted and maintained) on one of our walks.

This was on an evening walk a few days ago. It doesn't show in the picture but there was one planet visible just above the moon, Venus, I assume.

On late evening walks I put Bailey's lighted collar on her. It makes it easier for me to keep track of her if she's running through the woods after dark.

Harry the heron at the lock on the canal. 

The Fete de la Musique is a nation-wide event with a wide variety of musical performances all over the country. Some are indoors like this recital of guitar players from the music conservatory in Lille. It was held in St. Catherine's church which is nice because it's a large, stone building and we are currently in the midst of a heatwave. It was very pleasant inside and the performances were good. I had forgotten the range of music that can be produced by an ordinary acoustic guitar. 

This was a guitar/flute duo and the sound of that solitary flute in that cavernous church was just amazing.

Most readers know that I don't care one whit for religion in general or catholicism in particular, but old churches are beautiful spaces. There's lots of old art work in this one.

We went over to the conservatory itself for the next event.

This space is also beautiful but it was hot and the music wasn't as good so we didn't make it all the way through it.

Much of the music was in the streets, like this fanfare (a brass band of university students), playing outside our favorite beer bar. There was a lot of street music, much of it electronic, very loud, and accompanied by much drinking, partying, and general merriment that went on well into the night. Bailey didn't care for it and we might send her off to her boarding camp for this event next year.