After our dinner at Maceo, we awoke at around 9:00am and after showers and trip reporting headed back to our favourite breakfast place near Notre Dame.
We had decided against Versailles as the Petite Trianon is closed for restoration and we particularly wanted to see that. Plus, we plan a full on %26#39;museum and culture%26#39; trip next year, with my Mum and brother. That way my Mum and I can get museum passes and do all the related things of interest whilst my hubby and bro shop %26#39;til they drop!
We headed up to Montmatre, which as massive %26#39;Fabuleux Destin d%26#39;Amelie Poulain%26#39; fans is always a must. It was a stunning, sunny day and really quite hot, so the crowds were out in force! We arrived at Pigalle and walked through the seedier bit of Montmatre. We saw the adult video shop used in %26#39;Amelie%26#39; as the work place of Nino, which was another tick on our %26#39;seeing places in the film%26#39; list!!! We then went to see the Musee de l%26#39;Erotisme.
This was quite a disappointment as we had expected a sort of history of the area and much more Lautrec style stuff, of which there was really very little. Three floors were given over to very violent modern Japanese artists and we felt quite miffed we%26#39;d had to pay to see stuff that was basically just on sale and not very good! Oh well, with our internet discount (see the Musee%26#39;s website) we only paid 5 euros).
We next walked all the way up to Sacre Coeur - and when I say walked I do mean it! The line for the funicular railway was enormous, and we didn%26#39;t fancy standing around being targets for the bracelet guys, so we took the stairs. I was quite proud when we got to the top! Plus we got very little hassle with the bracelet guys this year, compared to last when they hurt my wrist and chased us!
We then went on a wild goose chase to find this vegetarian restaurant: we found it, but it was closed on Sundays...
So off we go again, by now pretty hungry and with the time nearing 14:00. We gave up on Montmartre as it was so busy and got back on the Metro to Sorbonne, where we had pleasant altho%26#39; not great pizzas on the Place de la Sorbonne. We then went - with the rest of Paris - to get ice cream from Berthillon on Ile St Louis. We queued at the window and it only took around 10 mins to get our ice cream, which was fab. We then got baguette, cheese and some wine for that evening and decamped back to the Hotel des Mines for the evening.
We were up early yesterday, our first wedding anniversary, and grabbed a quick espresso at Montpernasse, where we went to our old stamping ground, the huge Monoprix. We got all the essentials for home - a couple of boxes of wine, Grand Marnier, garlic bulbs, tapanade and pate for my loved one. We also got stuff for lunch on the Eurostar.
Then, we got our bags and left for Gard du Nord. With no trouble on the Eurostar and some with the English trains (surprise, surprise!) we got home to North Devon last evening happy and tired.
One of the best things about a holiday is being both sad to go and very happy to be home. We missed our new puppy very much whilst we were away, and were so glad to collect him from my parents house! And, lest we forget, however good our holidays in Paris are we also live in one of the most beautiful parts of this world ourselves! Well, so I think anyway...
And, it is not even raining today, so wonders will never cease!!!!!!!!!
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Riotstar, thanks for sharing your adventures in Montmartre. Happy 1st Anniversary to you and your hubby! And enjoy your new furbaby!
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Riotstar,
Great post. We were in Paris last week and spent an afternoon in Montmartre. I was well aware of the braclet guys but was really shocked at how agressive one guy was towards my daughter. She kept yelling NO and walking very fast and he just kept persuing her. She%26#39;s an adult but It was still a bit unsettling.
I agree with you about the sad to go and happy to be home. I think it%26#39;s the perfect time to leave.
Linda
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lmd15,
I know, they can be really quite frightening. I was a bit shaken after the incident last year, and they chased my Mum and called her a %26#39;English wh*re%26#39; the year before.
I don%26#39;;t know why they are not moved on or something... We found the Notre Dame beggars asking %26#39;do you speak English%26#39; worst this year. I ignored one woman and she followed us some way until we went down to the Metro!
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I am just starting to research Paris for a trip thi summer - what are the %26#39;bracelet guys%26#39; you are mentioning? Let me know, thanks! :)
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The %26#39;bracelet guys%26#39; are a group of scammers that lurk around the funicular railway and the park in Montmartre.
They come over saying %26#39;hello!%26#39; or %26#39;bonjour!%26#39; and then tie a little bit of string round your wrist. They proceed to make this in to a %26quot;bracelet%26quot; whilst chatting on to you.
The first time we went we got caught and the next few times we headed quickly passed saying %26#39;non merci, non merci%26#39; - but they can be quite aggressive.
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Thank you so much! I definitely would have fallen for that had I not known about this!
Merci!!
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