The somewhat sudden arrival of the heat has prompted the return of evening strolls. When the sun sets and it cools down a bit, it's as if the cities take on a different rhythm. People who take their dog out for its last pee are around all year, but at this time, it's as if the owners need to go out as much as their pets. They take it more calmly and take a longer walk. The noise of traffic decreases, and open windows allow the sounds of homes to reach the street. You can hear someone beating eggs to make an omelet, and further on, a neighbor playing the trumpet with a mute provides a soundtrack that lends a nostalgic air to the atmosphere.
Every night, at the house on the corner of the traffic light, they always have the same television channel and watch a word-guessing game show. A group of girls leave the yoga studio with their mats rolled up and slung over their backs. They chat before saying goodbye. At street level, you can see a child's room in a house with the light on at the bedside table, waiting for the creature who lives there to go to sleep. The sales assistants from three neighboring shops have a little supper on the terrace of the bar next to them. They greet the regular customers who have known them for years. People taking out the trash to the dumpster take the opportunity for a stroll before going back upstairs. The owner of the ceramics workshop is scrubbing the classroom with all the chairs on top of the table. The "closed" sign is hanging on the door. There is still light on at the accounting firm. In the back office, the accountant can be seen extending the day in front of the computer. He must be doing clients' tax returns against the clock. The ice cream boy is yawning behind the counter, waiting for someone to feel like getting a cone after dinner. A young father comes out of the doorway pushing a baby stroller. Tiny hands are sticking out. The trick to get him to fall asleep with the gentle rocking of the wheels on the pavement never fails.
As you walk past a garden, you can smell the jasmine climbing the facade wall. Restaurants, at night, with the lights on, seem more welcoming than at midday. The square is lively, and the garbage truck drowns out the conversation of those who have come out for a small glass of wine on the terraces. The courtyard of a convent school is open because there are some youngsters participating in an amateur five-a-side football league.
It's nice to look up and see balconies and windows. It's a good time to observe the apartments and the variety of light bulb tones. People living in living rooms with fluorescent light and warm homes where each lighting fixture has a specific purpose. Families having dinner, grandmothers peeking out to watch life on the street, and others watering plants. In one apartment, a group of friends are setting the table outside to celebrate something. The next-door neighbors are a married couple sitting on two loungers with their backs to the street to watch television in the living room. In some kitchens, dinner is still being prepared, and in others, the dishwasher is already being loaded. From time to time, you say goodnight to a neighbor in the neighborhood with a knowing smile of sharing the custom of the evening stroll. A slow, pleasant walk that becomes a different way of inhabiting the city. You observe your surroundings from another point of view, more human and more serene. You're not going anywhere specific, but it's the time that makes you most aware of where you live and what place you are a part of.
