New Season, New Home.

September 1st 2010

With a new month closely followed by a new season, it was time to finally settle
in one place after a summer of playing in Europe. (For photos of this epic
experience, head to Luke's flickr). After a few tears at St Pancras station in
London, (and more tears on my behalf all the way across the channel) I bid
farewell to the important ones in my life and set off for "Gay Pareee."

Having grown a tough skin backpacking in Europe since my arrival in Paris the
first time around, the thought of the city as a big scary place was dull in my
memory. I was still reluctant to catch the metro at peak hour after the last
experience... however this time around I was more than pleasantly surprised.

Rather than feeling confronted and alone, I felt that I tapped into something
more that the City had not yet shown me.

The change between Chatelet (the station right in the center of Paris where many
lines meet) and Line 7 (our new local line!) is quite a hectic change. It involved a
whole lot of walking, and by a lot of walking I mean, you pretty much walk the
distance between several train stations. On our way I could hear the most
amazing music and I found myself tearing up... What was wrong with me?!
Crying still from a teary farewell to the parents and sibling? I couldn't be
jet-lagged from a 1 hr time difference.  I put my finger on it when we turned the
corner and found a 12 piece orchestra, playing the most beautiful tune. In the
underground. 12 people, all on violins of various descriptions, in colorful
clothing and with huge smiles on their faces, playing the most
beautiful music... It was "Pachabels Canon in D" and for those of you who have
had wedding fantasies as a little girl, or indeed have seen any sort of romantic
comedy in which the protagonists get married... they probably walked down the
aisle to this song.

It was a beautiful "welcome to your new home" present. I began to realize that
Paris is just that kind of city.. where orchestras play in the underground, purely
for the beauty of doing so, (and I guess to make a couple of dollars from the
romantics who go weak at the knees at Pachabel.)

While everyone on Facebook at home is overjoyed at the sudden appearance of
spring in Sydney, we are bracing for a cold winter. Lucky for us, 15 square meters
isn't hard to keep warm...