Our first day in Paris

It seeems like ages ago now but only a week and a half ago we arrived in Paris having travelled there by Eurostar to the Gare du Nord. We caught a taxi to what was to be our home for a week - a top floor apartment in Montmartre. I had seen the apartment advertised on the internet and thought that it would be better to stay in an apartment rather than a hotel which would have proved far more expensive.

What they didn't tell us in the particulars was how tiny and, I mean very tiny, the lift would turn out to be.

Our apartment was in the attic and up many, many flights of stairs.

Throughout our whole stay I only ventured into the lift twice - it gave me the collywobbles and I felt extremely claustrophobic. I had to close my eyes otherwise I think that I would have had a panic attack. You could just about fit in an adult and a small child. Anyone that was a size 16 or over would not have fitted in!

It was literally a shoe box on a pully! What did I do - I used the stairs - easy going down not so easy coming back up - 120 steps! Good for the calf muscles!

The apartment was very compact but perfect for our needs - all we needed was a base - a place to sleep and have breakfast and some evening meals.

The apartment had two bedrooms - both compact and a half bath - which made Our Daughter have hysterics when she first saw it!

The apartment was nicely decorated and had everything that we would need.

It was lovely to wake up in the morning - whilst I was getting myself up and dressed the Other Half would be off to the boulangerie for some fresh croissants and baguettes, to the greengrocers for strawberries and cherries and to the convenience store for some fruit juice. This then would be our sumptuous breakfast.

The apartment was kitted out in industrial furniture - metal coffee table and metal topped dining room table and chairs. The rooms were all painted white and the furniture was all grey with a wooden floor. It felt very french! Well, we were in France!

Having emptied our suitcases, we made our way to the Place du Tetre - stopping en route for a crepe for our lunch.

We walked around Place du Tetre - admiring the artists at work - not only painting but their desperate attempts to persuade people to have their portraits done!

Our Daughter pointed out this strange face in the wall and I took a photo of it - we were to see many more of them during our stay - it's a tad creepy don't you think!

We came across a yawning pusscat!

We came across some street art.

We saw another one of those funny faces.

We saw the Sacre Coeur! We agreed that during this visit we would wait in the long queue and have a look inside.

A mural on a shop front.

On our way back from the Sacre Coeur we came across this lovely red car.

We made our way back to the apartment passing on our way, a street artist who was using chalk to do this gentlemans portrait on the pavement. 

During our weeks stay we regularly walked past and saw other pieces of his work - which will be revealed in later posts!

There was a Church nearby and we went and had a look inside.

It was nice and cool - the temperature outside had been in the high 20's - too much for me!

Having cooled ourselves down we left the Church and went looking for a shop which we had seen when last in Paris a year ago which sold some pretty quirky stuff. On the way there we went past a very french looking Tibetian Restaurant.

We went past some street art by Miss.Tic.

We located the little shop that I had been looking for! It was still there! I bought two enamel brooches - one shaped like a cactus and another a fountain pen. I love those sewing threads on top of the cupboard - what a wonderful way to add colour to a room!

Look what else they had for sale - dolls heads and little blue toilets circa Sindy 1970! In the cabinet above you can also see that on sale was a selection of eyes!

We made our way back to the apartment passing some street art.

Montmartre is on a hill and therefore everwhere we went was either up or down - we felt like a part of The Grand Old Duke of York's ten thousand men!

And every day when we got back having marched up and down I then marched up 120 steps to the flat!

The Other Half and Our Daughter squeezed themselves into the lift - I had visions of them being stuck and me with very limited french having to contact the Fire Brigade!

We had a light supper and sat down to watch BBC Sky News which consisted of report after report of the riots in London, Birmingham and Manchester.

Until next time,

June.