I’m a night owl. Always have been, always will be.
Even when I have the excitement of a Paris trip in front of me, I’m scared that there’s a good chance I’ll sleep through my alarm. It didn’t help that I got back from Evesham after midnite. Then I had to pack.
In order to make sure that doesn’t happen, I asked Chris of the 3 alarms’ to wake me.
I barely awoke at 8am and with great effort, choose not to listen to that little voice in my head, (just 5 more minutes). Got ready and met Chris at Kings Cross/St Pancras for our Eurostar train departing at 1028am. With check in and security screening okayed, we both fuelled our bodies with tea and coffee.
The train ride was smooth and we travelled in the Chunnel for about 20 mins. You hardly notice the descent into the water. Before you know it, we were whizzing by the French countryside, which didn’t look too unlike the English countryside, and we pulled into Gare du Nord in Paris.
We thought it best to get checked in before venturing the city, so we got a 5 day travel card. Metro travel in Paris is the same as tube travel anywhere. Once you get train travel down in New York and London, everywhere else is easy peasy. Paris trains are less claustrophobic, but are dirty like NYC’s N/Q/R/W and A/C/E line. I find London trains the cleanest of all three.
We arrived at Hotel Viator in Clichy and checked into our tiny 2 bed room on the second floor. It’s clean, has a private bath, is central and cost €177 for 5 days each – a great deal for what you get.
We walked up to Pigalle and the temp was 29c plus humidity…a proper summer solstice day, compared to London’s rainy mist this morning. Place de Clichy is similar to Trafalgar Square. Paris streets are wider and tree-lined and adorned with pretty houses with wooden shutters and wrought iron balconettes.
But it wasn’t until Chris brought me under a bridge to show me the Cimetiere de Montmarte that I got excited. A beautiful cemetery right in the midst of the city, under a highway! All the graves were above ground, with mausoleums that had beautiful stained glass and guardian statues. Some famous residents include Edgar Degas, Francois Truffaut, Nijinsky and writer Alexandre Dumas. We could have stayed there longer, but decided we should explore more of Monmarte.
Checked out the famous cabaret, Moulin Rouge in Pigalle, yes of the windmill fame and Baz Lurhmann film. I liked how it looks better in the daylight vs night time with its tourist trap sparkling neon lights. Sidebar: Clichy/Pigalle is Paris’ main red light district, along with Montparnasse and Les Halles. But if you ask me, I wouldn’t have thought so, which goes to show how fairly tame it is.
After lunch at Cafe Mansarat in Pigalle, we headed up Montmarte, a wonderful place for a wander. We trekked up the steep streets to see the Roman Byzantine basilica, Sacre Couer. At the front steps of Sacred Heart basilica, there are breathtaking views of Notre Dame and the Eiffel Tower from the other side of Paris.
On our way up, we passed through the Place du Tertre, the main square where artists hang out to do caricature portraits, amidst buskers and crowds of tourists, not to mention restaurant tables and chairs spilling out onto the sidewalk and square. All I kept thinking of was the movie, Amelie, which was filmed in Montmarte.
Paris is so colourful and mellow. Today is the summer solstice and the Fete de la Musique, a free, city wide festival of eclectic music performances. We came across a gospel band, a folk group playing steel drums and a reggae-pop band.
The lofty views from the top of the Montmarte overlooking the whole city is nothing short of spectacular! We descended down the hill and stopped to check out Moulin de la Gallette with its windmill dated back to 1205. Everyone knows the place through those Toulouse Lautrec paintings.
Chris was jonesing for a cold one, whilst I craved dessert. We found this cafe in Clichy that accommodated us. The nice owner only served drinks, but rather than have us leave, he rushed over to the creperie next door and asked them to make me one so I can eat it at his cafe with Chris. Our first example of French hospitality! After a couple rounds, and a couple hours of conversation, Chris and I headed back to hotel.
A great start to our trip, judging from us passing out so quickly after coming back to the hotel!
View more photos of my trip on my Flickr album.
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