Day 3 - Paris

March 16 -

Montmartre
Montmartre was the neighborhood I wanted desperately to see. It took up pretty much the whole day and didn't disappoint. Ascending the steep hill to the Sacre Coeur, there were several street performers trying to get money off the tourists. I wasn't having any of that and so told one of them trying to tie string around my wrist, "Don't touch me!". He stepped back and barked "Fuck You!" Being the New Yorker that I am, I turned back, calmly repeated his words back to him, and went about my business.

I continued to walk the steep hills and climbed the Sacre Coeur to the top dome. It was so fun afterwards to walk the small and winding streets, though understandably, it was a very touristy scene judging from the millions of souvenir stores around. Not to mention the plethora of professional street artists who chase you through the streets asking to draw you, for a fee of course. Still, the neighborhood had character, and I did see several locals going about their daily business. I did purchase a really cool necklace at a shop called Diwali on Rue Norvins. It only set me back about 15 euros, which was a great deal.

I ate lunch at a total tourist trap called La Vaissellerie. The thing is, I knew it going in, but was hungry at that point and didn't care. I ordered one of the Plats du Jour, this lasagna bolognese that was too gloppy with cheese, and a vegetable soup that looked as if I were spooning V8 into my mouth. However, the square the restaurant was on, Place du Terte, was crammed with artists painting and selling their art under the warm sun. The scene couldn't have been any better.

Exploring Montmartre was great, a real "Amelie" kind of day. Speaking of which, the guide book had the cafe featured in the movie but walking by, I noticed they were either closed for good or revamping the place. Stopped into Petit Bateu and bought a plum colored cotton tee on sale. It was a bit less than buying in the US, but it was the most expensive single item I purchased for the trip. Walked past the infamous Moulin Rouge, but it would be cooler to see it at night. Stopped into the Monoprix for a looksie and came away with a few items. A bigger shop would happen closer to leaving.

Pere Lachaise Cemetery
Using the Rick Steves cemetery tour, I only wanted to see a few graves - Oscar Wilde, Edith Piaf, and Jim Morrison. Wilde's grave is covered in lipstick kisses left by adoring fans. I wanted to partake, but felt deep down, it was disrespectful to graffiti a grave. Something I wasn't expecting were the many memorials dedicated to those who lost their lives in Nazi concentration camps. It was a sunny and beautiful day and so the peaceful sounds of nature also enjoying the day made for a great walk. Morrison's grave was shrined out and a friendly orange cat was nearby to bask in the attention of visitors.

Afterwards, I hopped the #69 bus into the center and stopped off at BHV department store. Nothing peaked my interest and so I crossed over to snap some photos of Hotel De Ville and to take night photos. First, I would need dinner. After the crap cheesy meal in Montmartre I was happy to settle down and have the most lovely warm goat cheese salad at Le Gribouille on Ru de Rivoli. It was delish. I also ordered a cafe creme. It's so American to order this anytime except at breakfast. But if you go to Paris, make sure you experience a cup. It's divine!

I headed over to Ile de la Cite to see the Notre Dame at night. On a night shots kick, I decided to walk to the Louvre, stopping along the way to snap various other scenes. On my way, I had only one safety concern the entire trip. A man approached me and asked where I was from. He proceeded to follow me down the street along the quay. I kept my pace to almost a gallop. There was no one to be found and I contemplated running, until I saw a group of people ahead. The man disappeared and I was glad to be rid of this experience.

I packed so much into my day and had no regrets doing so. My trip to Versailles was the next day so I went back to the hostel to wind down and rest up.