Sunday in Paris. We spent most of the day in Montmartre, a quirky area of the city once home to artists such as Picasso and Monet, and the bohemian heart of Paris. We walked up the steep streets heading towards the Sacré Coeur, getting distracted along the way by patisseries, little vintage shops, or restaurants and cafés with people sat outside enjoying a leisurely brunch.
Seeing as it's one of my favourite movies, we had to do the touristy thing and visit Les Deux Moulins, the café from Amelié. It's exactly how it looks in the movie, minus the cigarette machine which they removed to make room for more seating. It's not exactly the nicest place of the many to choose from in the area - so we stopped for a quick beer and a photo opportunity. The Amelié memorabilia shrine in the toilets is pretty cool though.
When we reached the top of the streets and the Sacré Coeur, we were rewarded with some amazing views of the city. It was the first time we saw Paris from such a height, and it was worth the climb. Below, people lay on the grass soaking up the sun and the atmosphere.
On the way back down, more culinary distractions and more beers in the sunshine...
The Rue des Martyrs is a great street for specialist foodie shops, including a salmon and caviar shop, and an adorably named fromagerie - The Gourmet Mouse. We also found the very pretty (and pricey) Sebastien Gaudard, a haven of handmade patisseries, chocolates, confectionery and even ice cream.
We continued to walk down the hills of Montmarte, following our feet (and our trusty map) and for some reason ended up walking all the way to the Louvre. It was such a lovely day that riding the Metro just seemed like a waste.
On my list of things to see in Paris was the Ponts des Arts, or 'Lover's Bridge' - so we headed there and of course, attached our own padlock. It had to be done!
Having rested our feet at our gorgeous hotel just off the Champs Elysee, we tried to find somewhere for dinner that wasn't going to break the bank - not the easiest of tasks when you've chosen to stay in the most expensive part of Paris. Luckily we read a tip about the Rue de Marbeuf having some great places to eat so headed there, and were almost tempted to join the round-the block queue for Le Relais de l'Entrecôte. What is it about a queue for a restaurant that makes you think you have to go there?
We were far too tired and hungry to stand around watching other people eat though, so found ourselves spending the evening across the street at Chéz Andre, happily working our way through Chateaubriand steak frites and a bottle of Côtes du Rhône. Although perhaps a little old school (you've got to smile when a place has black and white photos of Richard Gere and Frank Sinatra on the wall), we found the food to be excellent and the service more than charming. The waitress even came to say goodnight to us at the end of her shift!
A perfect evening after a hard day of walking (and eating...and drinking).
Day Three coming soon, folks!
xxx
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