Sunday and Monday in Paris we were joined on our wanderings with my friend Sally who is kindly putting us up for our stay here
So off we went on Sunday….keeping a close eye on the rain forecast to Montmartre in Place de Clichy….if you watched the Olympic cycling road race you would have seen them traverse the cobbled streets of this area!
So here we were in the queue to take the cable car up…
To the cathedral on the top of the hill, we persevered with the queues as the 300 (or so) step climb did not look inviting…
The last bit we could easily manage….and then the crowds..
Viewing the church….
And the view of Paris!!!
Padlock fences have certainly become a thing in Paris (and many other parts of Europe these days)…
And you can buy your padlock(and key) and cheap nasty tin Eiffel towers from the hawkers laying their wares on a mat!
We the wandered into the village…
Trudi fascinated by this statue(actually a human) who she waited to move for 30 minutes….he didn’t and she eventually did and joined Sally and I for our morning coffee…
Next to a plethora of souvenir shops…
Art (oil painting) galleries
Caricature artists…
And Throngs of people!!!
Not being one for crowds we headed downhill (this time on foot)
Shadows on walls…another piece of art…
Steep cobbled streets…
Chained up bikes…
More steep streets and finally….
The famous Moulin Rouge theatre..booked out well in advance….then…
Sally’s favourite Irish pub…lunch and a drink…the day that promised rain was holding out beautifully!!
Where Trudi almost (S instead of P) found her name on the vinegar bottle for our chips!
After lunch we went around the corner to the 2nd largest cemetery in Paris – Montmartre Cemetery…
Where family’s have houses…
The original owner of the Moulin Rouge has statues!
And Rugby players have carved plaques!
Many more famous muscians and Jewish family’s…a very interesting visit as Sally could tell us about many of the people lying at rest here.
Nearing late afternoon we utilised our three day transport pass and took a bus home to Clichy…just beating the rain for an evening in, and a light dinner of baguette, cheese and pate!
Today…Monday, promised to be very wet but changed overnight so we roared off to the metro(train) and headed towards the River Seine to take our Baton riverboat trip! We arrived at the Champs Élysées and headed towards the river…
Passing the Petit Palace
And the Grand Palace as we walked to the Bateau Mouche(the riverboat operator of choice) catching the 11am one as the sun was breaking through…
Off we go!!! Down the river…
The grand Palace glass top dome where the Olympic Taekwondo was held!
Under the first of many bridges spanning the River Seine
The bridge to Des Invalides with its golden statues!
The Louvre museum (home of the Mona Lisa)…
The riverboats moored along the shores of the river…
Hotel De Ville which has been the headquarters of the municipality of Paris since 1357…
And Notre Dame cathedral dating back to the 4th century now under reconstruction after a five destroyed its roofs in 2019!
We then headed back up river past…
The Eiffel Tower, after a sunny break in the weather, the clouds were once again rolling in..
Making a U-Turn, by the railway bridge, opposite where the Parisian Australian Embassy is, where Kevin, Rols and Sally have all worked..
Having done the tourist trip and spying most of Paris’ landmarks, with less humans, we left the city centre and trained back to place de Clichy for lunch…
Trudi’s fabulous rectangular pizza, and Sue lashing out and taking dessert for lunch….
The infamous, Crepe Suzette! Butter, syrup and liquor added to flames at the table…delicious and rich, but I had to have (at least one time)!!
At this time rain was threatening, having left us alone all day, Sally headed home and Sue and Trudi dug around in the op shops (that mum and I had found many years ago!) came out to RAIN, umbrellas up, poncho on and we battled on to look for bargains..however gave up and jumped on bus and headed home around 4pm!
And the day ends with Sue writing and Trudi, Sally and Stephanie (Sally’s daughter) playing cards!
All who wander are not Lost girls 