The Days Events.

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We’ve settled into a comfortable routine for ourselves now. We get up when we feel ready, not when a clock mentions a certain hour. First up makes a good strong cup of coffee and warms the milk, then sometime later either when the coffee (or bathroom) calls, we’re a pair again and almost awake.

As we awake we’ll plan the first of the days events! Two events a day is the goal. Our first today was Montmartre.

We took the Metro to the “Abbess” station, as close as we could to the highest place on the Mont. Then just up the road there’s a funicular that deposits you just below the Sacre’ Coeur. That way I save my knees It’s not called the Mont without reason. That reason being it has lots and lots of stone steps and steep inclines.

It’s called as I said Montmartre now, originally, in Roman times it was Mount Mars after the god of war. Typical of the Christian church though, on every ancient monument they’d build a church and on every important date of old they’d put something that suited them better. What! You thought that “Winter Solstice,” December 25th, was his real birthday?

Whatever, now it’s a fantastic tourist spot with a terrific atmosphere, great for people watching and with outstanding views of Paris from the summit.



We arrived before the annoying walking tours, squads of various nations, four deep and some 50 strong following the guide with the flag who stops his group just where you want to photograph or walk. So we got to soak up the atmosphere, took a table for two at the corner café and had a good cup of coffee and a croissant before exploring the Sacre’ Coeur. The fantastic white domed cathedral that crowns the summit. Strange though, perhaps because it’s relatively new as cathedrals go. (1900 ish) It felt sterile inside, helped by the priest at the door shushing everyone as they walked in. I thought it was so the believers could hear the prayers or chants in peace but all one could here was the line of slot machines in the exit way that grinds your 2 frank coins into a souvenir of your visit, for 3 euros.($5)





Then the smartness (Is that a word) of riding to the top, pays off.
The walk down! So much to see, One square has some clever artists doing sketches of passers by while others have their easels set up and painting all different subjects from around Paris for sale. These are people with real talent, people who love their art so much that they’d brave the tourist market to try and make enough to live while practicing their art in this area of the world. I unfortunately ‘don’t’ have one iota of that talent but I can see it in others.



Some of those other painters who have practiced and lived up here are Van Gogh. Toulouse Lautrec, Degas as did Victor Hugo, Sartre, author and philosopher.



We wandered down through the maze of narrow streets all with some sort of interest. Sharon was checking each of the gift stores for ‘bottle stoppers’ practicing her French as she went from one to the other. I could see the storekeepers making mental notes “Stock up on good bouchon de bouteilles” They would ask her how to say it in English, presumably so they could advertise them. She did score in one place and she’ll use it at home with her others but it wasn’t quite the class she was after. So, the search for the perfect one goes on.



We walked down as far as the Moulin Rouge dodged the cemetery. Sharon isn’t fond of dead people. I had to get a pic of the bright red windmill. It’s a grubby looking building but you can still go in to see some tired old shows, I resisted the pleasure.



We didn’t get to see that short stop Lautrec nor Nicole Kidman for that matter. In the immortal words of Frommer. “It’s just as tawdry and tacky as it was when Lautrec downed one absinthe after the other to endure it.”


Not Nicole Kidman...too much meat on the bone!


We stopped for a spot of lunch at ‘le sandwich’ shop and had a tasty bruschetta. Sort of open faced toasted sandwich with all sorts of good stuff on. Served by a lady who thinks Obama is “tres chic’ “



From there it was across the road to the Metro and back to our ‘hood.

Spanish Trad Jazz buskers on the Paris Metro.

Funny we stopped in at the corner bar for a beer and Sharon’s Monaco. The Owner greeted us like old regulars coming out to shake hands and take our order. Last time there I walked in and greeted him with Hello there, how are you? While he just smiled. This time I used the “Comment t’allez vous? Ca va? And (I thought….u huh!) impressed him.

A lazy couple of hours for a nap and to check email or write the blog, have dinner and we’ll be ready for the days “Second event!”

We’ll go out about 9 ish and find our way up the Champs Elysees see if we can find Laduree’ the Macaroon place and more….. www.laduree.com Check it out. Jenny C. says you HAVE to…! 75, avenue des Champs Elysées.
We’ll take them up to the top of the Arc de Triomphe and munch as we watch the lights of Paris come on.

Not a bad plan for the second “Event”

Doncha just luv it when the plans work out?