A Moveable Feast - Paris, France
Paris, France
Where I stayed
Hotel Montmartre mon Amour
September 2
"If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast." Ernest Hemingway
We got into Paris a little after 7am, and although the location of my bulkhead seat meant that I was one of the first off the plane it wasn't enough to miss a huge line at immigration which took about 30 minutes to clear. This was followed by another 30 minutes hanging around the baggage carousel waiting for my luggage to appear, then another half an hour lining up for a ticket at the airport train station, however at 9.50 Euros compared to a 40-50 Euro cab fare to my hotel, the latter at least was time well spent.
Don't know if I got lucky or all the airport trains follow this schedule, but I got an express straight through to Gare du Nord. The trip took about 20 minutes passing through a series of run down, semi industrial suburbs including Drancy - the site of the deportation camp where Jews, Gypsies, and others were held before being shipped to Nazi concentration camps during World War II. The lady at the ticket office told me to change trains at Gare du Nord, but really you technically have to change stations, walking about half a kilometre to La Chapelle then taking the train a couple of stops towards Porte Dauphine to Anvers.
Anvers is the closest stop to Sacre Coeur which is the second highest point in Paris (the Eifel Tower being the highest). In fact, the first thing I saw when I left the underground was the beautiful white basilica perched on top of the hill at the end of a steeply inclined street lined with tourist shops.
I used Google maps to guide me to the hotel – Monmartre mon Amor - which is only 5-10 minute walk from the station in Rue Paul Albert. It was just before 11am when I arrived but my room was ready. It's quite small but the location is fabulous and the place wonderfully quirky. Most of the chambers are decorated using a theme based on famous French couples with reds and browns the predominant colours. My room, Secrets d'amour, although not referencing the couples thing is extremely red, including the carpet, the doors, the wallpaper, tiled shower recess, and even the power points and lampshades.
Dropped my bags in the room and took an exploratory walk around the neighbourhood, heading down to the little square on the corner then turning left away from Scare Coeur. There are lots of bistros and bars nearby, and I also noticed a lot of Arabs and Africans in the streets and shops, many of them in traditional dress.
Had a cheese platter and a Rickard at a place called Panorama, then stopped at Carrefours on the way back to the hotel and bought a bottle of Chateau Saint Amour for 6 euros and some saucisson sec (sort of like a mild peperoni). Already noticed how much cheaper things are here than back home – my lunch only cost 11 euros, and I saw a slab of Forme D’Ambert at the super market for less than a euro – the same piece would have cost $8-10 back in Australia.
Couldn’t get the wifi to work in my room so took my ipad downstairs to see if the guy at reception had better luck (he didn’t). Also had a look at the room next door which is bigger and has a view over the rooves of Paris, however for 150 euro (an extra 30 euro a night) I’ve decided to stay where I am.
Walked north up Rue Paul Albert and turned left before climbing one of the steep sets of stairs that lead to Sacre Coeur. Kept walking to the tourist precinct and took a turn around the artist’s market before visiting St Pierre’s which sits in one corner of the same square. St Pierre’s is the second oldest church in Paris and dates from 1133. It was originally part of the Abbey of Montmartre which housed a convent of Benedictine nuns. There’s a lovely statue of the crucified Christ on your left as you enter with a couple of votive statues further along the wall. I lit a candle and placed it beneath the statue of the Virgin Mary (you can’t be too careful on holidays). There’s also a statue of France’s patron saint St Denis holding his decapitated head in his hands against the eastern wall.
Having ticked the St Pierre’s box I walked back to Sacre Coeur. This beautiful church was begun in 1873 but not completed and consecrated until 1919. The architect, Paul Abadie, drew inspiration from both the Romanesque and Byzantine architectural styles which lead many contemporary critics to label the structure gaudy and over embellished.
It’s worth coming just to admire the view which is truly panoramic, but the building itself – both exterior and interior – is from my perspective a must see for anyone visiting the City of Light. The key feature of the design is the 271 foot-high dome which has a pair of archangels neatly fitted into two V-shaped vaulted arches, their wings spread protectively over the congregation below. Luc-Olivier Merson’s massive golden mosaic - Christ in Majesty – is set in another cupola above the altar. The stained-glass is a little too modern for my taste, but the rose windows are quite nice.
The last time I came here in 2000 the exterior was being cleaned and was covered in scaffolding. Today however it looked stunning with its pure white walls and domes framed against a cloudless deep blue sky. I got there about 2pm and it was quite busy, but not overwhelmingly so (apparently the best time to visit in order to miss the crowds is early morning or early evening, and preferably not on a Sunday).
Located a post office and bought some stamps then wrote the postcards I bought in Montmartre while sipping pastis at a café around the corner. Dropped my cards back at the post office and hit a few bars starting at Troquet where the barman made me a lethal Long Island Iced Tea, apologising for the fact it was 8 euros instead of the "standard" cocktail price of 5 euros! Claire de Lune’s is situated on the corner of the intersection just up from Troquet so I stopped there for the "Fin du Monde", a "surprise" cocktail of indeterminate composition which tasted a bit like ginger beer. This was followed by a Mohito at a place on the corner of Muller and Fuetrier (called Le Muller I think) before I headed back to the cluster of cafes around the little square next to my hotel.
Had another Mohito at Le Ble Et d’Olive at the top of the stairs that lead into the square, then sat on the terrace of Café Americano and had some terrine. It was only about 5pm at this stage, but with just an hour or two of sleep since Sunday morning I was running on fumes so decided to call it a day.
September 3
Asked the guy at reception to book me a cab to take me to Orly Airport tomorrow – he suggested a shuttle which for 20 euros plus 6 euro booking fee is almost half the price of a taxi, and also to have it pick me up a little after 6am to ensure I get to the airport in time to check into my 8.50am flight to Bordeaux. On that basis, I booked a wake-up call for 5.50am.
I also had him mark the location of the closest Orange store on a map for me and set out to buy a simcard for my ipad – not being connected to the internet is like losing a limb. It was still pleasantly cool as I walked up Paul Albert and turned left into Rue Chevalier de la Barre where instead of continuing up the steep stairs that lead to Sacre Coeur I turned right onto Lamarck which, at least at this end, is a quiet and pretty residential street. I made another right at Rue du Mont Cenis, walking down a flight of stone steps littered with broken bottles and vomit and smelling of stale ****.
Shop l'Orange didn't open till 10 so instead of continuing down Mont Cenis I turned left into Rue Custine which soon became Rue Caulaincourt. I bought a punt of fresh raspberries and headed back to Mont Cenis and found the church next to its little roundabout that the guy at reception had provided by way of a landmark.
It’s called Notre dame de Clignancourt and is on rue Hermel. There's a set of steps behind the main altar that lead to the Chapelle de la Vierge where a mass was being celebrated. Looked like a pretty good crowd for a Tuesday morning. I sat in the main part of the church (which was empty except for one woman sitting a couple of rows up from me and an African guy standing near the main entrance staring up at the stained glass) and ate my breakfast berries. Not sure if this constitutes sacrilege or not.
Conducted my simcard transaction in French which was quite hilarious (for me at least - not sure how my shop assistant, Cynthia felt about it). I think the base cost for 1 month was 10 euros but when I rattled off a list of cities I plan to visit Cynthia pursed her lips and shook her head and pointed to the 20 euro package on her screen which gave me 2 gigs of download that's apparently is a must in the south of France. I had to pay an additional 6 euro which I presume was for the card. It was after 10 when I’d finished at Orange and all the cafes were still packed - doesn't anyone in this city hold down a job?
Couldn't be ***** climbing back up the hill so I caught the metro from Jules Joffrin (which is right in front of the church) to Pigalle. The metro ticket machines give instructions in multiple languages which makes it really easy to get around. I bought a ticket for 1.7 euros which I think covers the whole of central Paris - haven't worked out if they have a fixed time limit yet.
Stopped at a place called Brioche Dolce (or was that something they sold?) opposite the station exit and had a cup of granita (citron-mangle, pomme verge and fraise) for 2 euros and documented my morning's adventures on the now fully net-enabled ipad.
Asked the guy who served me how to get back to Sacre Couer and set off in that general direction. Another stunning day in Paris and just a little too warm to be comfortable in a jacket so I stopped at a tourist shop a couple of doors down and bought a T with "Paris France" on it (just in case I forget where I am, though this may backfire once I get to Bordeaux).
Wandered back through the cobbled streets of Pigalle past cute cafes and bars to the park at the base of Sacre Coeur. The only thing I don’t like about Montmartre are all the hills so I caught the funicular rather than face the stairs. Changed into shorts and my new T back at the hotel then headed off for some lunch.
Walked through the touristic centre of Montmartre beside Sacre Coeur, down Rue Lepic and across the Place Clichy bridge to Cimitiere Montmartre. This is the final resting place of the painters Edgar Degas and Fragonard; Adolphe Sax, inventor of the saxophone; dancers Goulou and Vaslav Nijinsky; and composers Hector Berlioz and Jacques Offenbach, none of whom I managed to find. Nevertheless, it’s a very peaceful place for a walk away from the bustle of Paris.
I had lunch at an upmarket place on the corner of Lepic and Rue des Abbesses called Basilic; foi gras and snails (sans shells) in a garlic and cream sauce. Not overly impressed, but lovely décor and good service. It also gave me an opportunity to confirm my ANZ Travel Card actually works (which it does). Wandered back towards the hotel and caught the funicular to the top of the hill again.
Had a drink at Corcorans Irish Bar next to the funicular. It’s like every other Irish bar in the world, which made it somehow reassuring and immediately comfortable. I ordered a small Kilkenny and sat at a table outside where I could see the big dome of Sacre Coeur poking over the trees to my left. Maybe it was too early, but I was the only customer - the staff outnumbered me three to one.
Finished my beer and wandered around to La Bonne Franquette which is in the main tourist precinct on Rue St Rustique and had a Stella at a table outside. The weather was gorgeous – mid 20’s, cloudless blue sky and a soft warm breeze.
To ensure the afternoon was not completely devoid of culture I visited Espace Salvador Dalí at 11 Rue Poulbot. This one of several museums dedicated to the Surrealist master and has about 300 of his works. These are mostly etchings and lithographs, including a series based on the Old Testament, but there are also a number of sculptures including a couple of bronze versions of the melting watch made famous in his painting The Persistence of Memory. There’s a plaster reconstruction of the chapel of St Pierre’s church (the same one I visited yesterday) which is used as a proscenium arch for one of Dali’s films. Entry cost is 11 euros and the signs are in French and English. You exit thought the gift shop, where amongst other things, you can buy a T shirt with Dali’s memorable quote: "I don’t do drugs – I am drugs".
Down the hill from La Bonne Franquette is a lovely little bar called Maison Rose. As the name suggests its painted pink and has tables outside on both side of what appears to be a relatively quiet residential street. I had a glass of the house red for 4.5 euros then stopped at a shop on the way back up the hill that sells ceramics.
Crossed to the unfashionable end of Montmartre and had a couple more drinks.It was 7pm by this stage so I stopped at De Ble Et d’Olive and had the Couscous Royal for dinner. This was a quarter chicken, two lamb skewers and a couple of merguez served with couscous and a bowl of vegetable soup. Not bad and reasonably good value at 22 euros. The light started to fade about 8pm, but it was still pleasantly warm. Finished the night with a couple of glasses of room wine while watching CNN in bed.