Walking and art, and steps!
Although we were both tired from our long day yesterday, we didn't sleep as well as we'd hoped. I think with me, it was the food (the porky sauce) and the strange room, and the noises from the street outside. We still felt fine when we woke up, and I was looking forward to breakfast, French coffee and a wander around the neighbourhood.
We were out by 9:30am and found a branch of Le Pain Quotidien on the Rue des Abbesses. Inside, it was lovely and sunny from the light streaming in through the large windows, and rustic in an appealing French way. We took our seats, had a good look at the menu, and placed our order. I chose pancakes with fruit while Sophie went for a ham and cheese croissant. Hot coffee completed our breakfast!
We sat and lingered over breakfast. I had enjoyed my fluffy pancakes with banana, raspberries and blueberries, and Sophie had loved her croissant. We decided to have another coffee at a café if we came to one, paid the bill and set off on the recommended walk around Montmartre.
Our first stop was a beautiful church, the Église St-Jean de Montmartre. We went in, paid for two candles and admired the stained glass windows. Back outside, we made for the "I Love You" wall, which we never really understood... It was situated in a little garden but was closed because of building works, so we could only see it from a distance. It was covered in, I guess, the words "I Love You" in multiple languages. Hmmm! We met the first crowd of students here, and they dogged us all day!
I was on the hunt for a new glasses case, and I wanted one with a black cat on it! We went into a couple of gift shops, and Sophie bought some bookmarks. We carried on up the street and went into an art shop, where I bought a poster of a waiter serving wine. Perfect for our wine nook in the kitchen!
We passed one café, and we were tempted to go in until I saw the price of a flat white... 6,50 euros! No thanks! We carried on along the street, stopping to look in shop windows and admiring the architecture and the village feel. Montmartre still retains the atmosphere of a village, with its cobbled streets, beautiful old houses and pretty cafés and restaurants.
Next, we came to a flight of steps, so up we went. At the top, there was a café and a quirky art shop with the word "merde" (or s**t) on everything! Sophie couldn't resist a little wall plaque for her bedroom!
We turned right, went to the end of the street and found the funicular railway, which was below us. It was very similar to the one we rode in Le Tréport, and I wanted to use it to get up to Sacré Coeur. We chatted to a large black crow here, who carried something in his mouth. He looked at us intently and then flew off!
We descended the steps, but before queuing for the funicular, we spotted a Fragonard perfume shop, and dived in. The scents were divine! I bought myself a soap in a gorgeous box, while Sophie splashed out on a bottle of eau de parfum. It was a beautiful shop, with an array of soaps, perfumes, clothes and diffusers, and we had great fun testing all the different perfumes!
I joined the queue for the funicular while Sophie went to get tickets, which proved to be a very confusing process. She bought what she thought were the right tickets, but when we eventually got to the barrier to ride the funicular, we weren't allowed through. In the end, we had to get help from a real person, who loaded the tickets (a bit like Oyster cards) with more euros. We then joined the small throng of people waiting to get on.
It was very cosy in the carriage as it ascended the short distance to the top. When we emerged, we both fancied a drink and a sit down, so we took a table at a restaurant nearby. We sat next to another flight of stone steps, and I could see everyone reaching the top and looking completely puffed out! A couple of show-offs were running up the steps, and we saw a few dogs enthusiastically make their way up, dragging their owners behind them!
We ordered two small beers and a club sandwich to share. It was delightful sitting in the sun, people-watching and chatting. It was a Monday! Normally, we'd be at work!
We sat and enjoyed our drinks and sandwich for a good while, both of us reluctant to move away from the pleasant restaurant. This was what Sophie wanted to do on this short break: not dash from tourist spot to tourist spot, but sit and watch Paris go by, drink wine and relax! So we did!
We did eventually move and paid the bill. We had a brief look at the gorgeous Sacré Coeur church, but there was a long queue to get in, so we said we'd leave it. It was tourist central here, with crowds of people, men trying to see hideous knick-knacks and padlocks to attach to the railings. We kept a close eye on our bags and waved several men away who approached us to try to sell us stuff! It was also warm now, and I was glad we'd dressed appropriately! Some people were wearing heavy coats!
We made our way further into Montmartre and discovered a vibrant area of shops, cafés, bars and restaurants. It was even busier here as people wandered along, and the eateries were packed with people enjoying the afternoon sunshine. The streets were very narrow and sometimes a little disconcerting when a van or car drove past!
We eventually found ourselves on the outskirts of this area, and it became a little quieter. We were still following our little map, and we soon came to a vineyard, a relic of Montmartre's past. Sadly, it was closed, so all thoughts of a wine-tasting in the sun vanished. The vineyard makes about five hundred litres of wine a year. I would love to try some!
A celebrity sighting?
By now, we were gently descending the hill, and soon came back to "our" street, the Rue des Abbesses. We had talked about ice cream, so we looked at the menu of one restaurant, but they only did scoops, and we both wanted a bit more than that! The next restaurant had a full dessert menu with my favourite - Chocolat Liégeois! We settled back in our seats, ordered the creamy puds and a glass each of Alsace Pinot Blanc to accompany them. Bliss! Sophie had a Café Liégeois and hoped it wouldn't keep her awake tonight!I had a wonderful time people watching, and saw who I thought was Sir Keir Starmer sitting opposite at a café. He was identical, but Sophie disagreed. Whoever he was, he was having a whale of a time, so maybe not Sir Keir!
Sophie saw me intently watching everyone who passed by, so she came to sit next to me as she felt she was missing out! We certainly saw some characters walk past! It was heaven to sit in the sun, relax and look forward to a musical night out!
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