Waiting for the Lights...

SDC11207

One thing that surprised us was the hour of sundown in Paris, 10 pm.  We had a long day this day, meeting Andre and Rosalia at their "romantic" place for lunch, walking again in Notre Dame, finishing some shopping, walking in the Tullieres.  Waiting for the dark.  At 9 pm we took the metro over to the Trocadero, bought our crepes (Nutella and banana) found an open bench below the Trocadero and people watched.  There was a group of young men (in their 20's) who were barreling down the street surrounding the fountains on their skateboards, screeching to a halt using their gloved hands.  People arrived to wait for the lights to come on the Eiffel Tower, tourists speaking all kinds of languages (a couple from Spain occupied the first bench below us).  It was fun trying to guess who might be honeymooners.  Young men selling Eiffel Towers came along speaking French, asking us what language we spoke when we didn't respond and switching easily to Spanish or English, stopping to joke with us when we told them we already had our souvenir towers.  Just when we thought we might wake up on the bench the next morning, it happened.  It was dark, the lights began to twinkle.  It was like magic.