This morning I woke up feeling well rested and refreshed after nearly nine hours of uninterrupted sleep. Aaahhh. I needed that, probably more than I’d even realised. I vaguely remembered having a weird dream last night that I was Amelie Poulin and the Travelocity troll kept showing up everywhere. Don’t ask.
I spent today walking around the different areas of Paris. Starting off in Montmarte, I meandered through the streets around here, stopping off for a croissant and appreciating the sleepy pace of a holiday weekend morning. After wandering around for an hour or so, I started to notice less locals and more tourists on the streets. Sure enough, I looked up and there were the steps to the Sacré Coeur, right in front of me. Well, what the heck, I’m a tourist too; I joined the throngs and visited the church (iconic from the outside, more or less an ABC from the inside) and walked around the Artists’ Quarter for a bit. The rain kept stopping and starting, and the artists in the square were scrambling to keep up with the weather, covering and uncovering their little areas with practiced efficiency.
A short funicular ride to the bottom of the hill, and I jumped on the metro and headed to the Marais district. This historic neighbourhood is actually a diverse mix of districts, one next to each other. Every so often, I’d look up and realise that the scenery had changed. Part of it seemed to be the Jewish area, though most things were closed, it being Saturday and Passover after all. But I found it amusing that Paris has a Schwartz’s Deli. No idea how the smoked meat compares to the Schwartz’s in Montreal, sorry. Aside from that, there was an area that was nothing but shop after shop of jewelry wholesalers, an arts district full of galleries and eclectic shops, and an area with bars and restaurants that looks like it is probably very lively at night. I had a scrumptious lunch at a great little cafe, and browsed around for the rest of the afternoon.
I’ve come to the conclusion that Easter is a very fun time to be in Paris, because of all the chocolate. Every few steps, I pass a chocolaterie, and they’re all packed with last-minute chocolate bunny shoppers. Of course, I had to indulge in a little sample (or three).
Back at my temporary “home”, we opted to stay in for dinner. We picked up some groceries, and Julien whipped up a scrumptious batch of crepes – perpetuating the French sterotype, true, but in this case with delicious results. Accompanied with some very passable cider that only cost a euro and a half (!), it was one of the better meals I’ve had this year.
After dinner, we headed out on the town, Julien taking me on an impromptu pub crawl to some neighbourhood spots. A few drinks, some good conversation… this is what life is all about.
All in all, it’s been a great couple of days in the City of Lights. Not long enough – it’s never long enough – but I know I’ll be back.
Great Entry!