Our time in Paris is coming to an end and part of me wants to pack as much as possible into each remaining day, and part of me just wants to relax and enjoy. But the days are long enough now that we can relax and still fit plenty in. So we start today by wandering over to the islands, so close to our apartment and now very familiar, and yes, a favourite.
The weather has been absolutely glorious all week, not as warm as Sunday but sunny and mild and Paris looks gorgeous. The trees are finally bursting into bright green, it's a delight, and I'm so thankful that this week has finally seen the lovely weather I've been waiting for.
A newly married couple are having their photos taken on the banks of the Seine. As her groom helps her up, we notice that the bride is wearing black bike shorts underneath her dress................... I wonder if he'll be in for a surprise later today..........!!
We dawdle across the bridges, making the most of the sunlight sparkling on the Seine, and wander up the river side of Île Saint-Louis to Île de la Cité.
The tourists are out in droves this morning, but it's amazing (and lovely) how quiet the streets can be just a mere block away from the main strip. After our visit to Bertie's cupcakery (see previous post here) we sit on the wall by the river and enjoy the sunshine and our delicious treat, then we wander on towards Place du Chatelet with a plan to catch the Metro to an area we haven't spent so much time in - the steep, windy, cobbled streets of Montmartre.
As we wander it seems that every day we find something we've never noticed before, even in areas we've visited already. Today we spot a large building at the end of a hilly street, so since we're nearby, and the sun is shining.............
It turns out to be the church of Saint-Vincent-de-Paul, and Parisians are enjoying the sunshine on the steps at the front. That's a typically Parisian thing to do we've discovered - if there are steps bathed in sunshine, then the locals will congregate - workers having lunch, homeless warming themselves, mothers with children, and tourists too no doubt.
Inside the church is cool and dark, with a huge vaulted ceiling and massive columns, lots of gold and the ubiquitous statues. It's impressive, as are most churches in Paris we've discovered. I'm now at the point of saying "really not interested in popping in to another church". It reminds me of when I was in Florence, and got to the stage where I felt that if I saw another painting of the Virgin Mary and the baby Jesus I'd scream ;-)
We don't intend to climb to Sacre Coeur again but we catch sight of its white dome between the buildings and we end up there anyway. Today it looks gorgeous in the sunshine - a big difference from the cold, grey, overcast day we had last time we were here.
The warmer weather has brought the scammers and black marketeers out in force, and we're accosted by several men who are blocking the side paths up to the cathedral so that everyone who wants to walk up that way has to pass through. They're very insistent and they grab arms, wanting to engage each person in the making of a plaited bracelet. Of course if you comply and hold the end of the coloured threads while they're plaiting, then you will be asked to pay for it. We're firmly polite but it takes some doing to discourage them. We watch them accost several others, and when one man refuses to take "no" for an answer from a young woman on her own, my protective husband performs a blocking move to foil their plan. It's a shame that a simple "no thanks" doesn't suffice, and it's a pity it's come to this but at least it's only in the more touristy spots. Where are the gendarmes when you need them??
We spend the rest of the afternoon wandering in Montmartre, which is the perfect area to do just that. The narrow and hilly streets are home to an eclectic mix of shops and restaurants with residential spaces above. Almost every street has something interesting to look at, and it's not crowded away from the main tourist spots.
We're definitely relaxed now, and simply enjoying still being together in Paris, with no particular direction to go, commitments to keep, or time to be home. And so we wander on................
(Don't worry, we do get home eventually) ;-)
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