Saturday 1st September Paris

This is the stairwell of the apartment building, very gracious

I had been planning to go to a gallery in northern reaches of Paris but when I started checking it out, the trip required a couple of train changes so went off it.  I headed off to Montmartre & Sacre Couer, wandered around there for a bit, wasn't too crowded as still early.  I was trying to get the courage to have a portrait done in Place du Tertre, I did the rounds a few times & chose an artist, sat still for 30 minutes or so, passed over my 50 euro, not sure who I got a picture of however! She was probably a bit too kind to me!

Sacre Couer

Me having my portrait done

After this spent some time wandering around Montmartre, more than I have before, very atmospheric old area, checked some immobliers (real estate) windows, prices are really up there, 3 rooms 750,000 euros. Ended coming out at Moulin Rouge,  lots of tourists there taking photos of the red windmill....so I joined them.  Diverted to the old Montmartre cemetery,  Emile Zola & Degas (amongst others) are buried there. It is set low as Montmartre is hilly & there is now a road going over the top of it, so from both sides of the road you look down into the cemetery.

Walking around Montmartre

Only in Paris, the dog is tied up in the supermarket while the owner is shopping

Strolling through Montmartre Cemetery

The Moulin Rouge

By then it was lunchtime so revisited restaurant from last trip Chez Janou, had an excellent meal,  whole fish on bed of fennel, provencale flavours, very nice. A lovely little Paris bistro, lots of French conversations going on.

Chez Janou, typical Paris bistro

I have done it again, walked my feet off,  from Chez Janou, which is behind Place des Vosges, I then walked to Ille St Louis for the special berthillon ice cream for dessert, I had two flavours, cassis sorbet & bitter chocolate & can vouch for the excellence of both, in fact as I type this, just thinking, stuff it, I  may have to have another one tomorrow!...  Then revisited old haunts on the Left bank,  really I do love the atmosphere there.

Next on the agenda was Musee D'Orsay (again) & no regrets,  It is a beautiful gallery  & the impressionist (& post) collections  magical, I counted 14 Van Gogh, including starry night, not the name, but you know the one I mean, I saw that one in Canberra when the Musee D'Orsay collection travelled.......would have enjoyed more if I didn't have to keep sitting down to rest! 

Back home to the 17th, 10 minute walk from metro at Arc de Triomphe, Charles de Gaulle Etoile......at least it is 10 minutes  if you remember to come out of the right exit,  you could end up over the other side of arc de triomphe & have to walk all the way around as 12 roads come off the roundabout. Hard to believe that all that confusion on top & the same is replicated below with people scurrying through tunnels to ensure they come up at the right exit.