Day 6 Paris

April 1, 2010 Thursday 
Slept in. My back was sore from the stiff, firm bed. I missed the comfortable bed in London … and home. 8:50 a.m. I had a stack of Paris postcards which I planned to write and mail today. Beau was still sleeping so I woke her before the hotel stopped serving breakfast — croissant, Nutella (my new addiction), fromage (cream cheese), hard-boiled egg, and cafe chaud (coffee) with lait chaud (hot milk). Our first day of full sunshine in Paris — no rain! It’s a bit warmer but I still wore a jacket. We were so tired after breakfast that Beau went back to bed until noon. 1 p.m. Our street, Avenue of Versailles, was open for the fresh produce market. We walked by all the tents being set up for the afternoon. Took the Metro back to the Louvre to return Beau’s broken watch, then back on the Metro to Abbesses. Right by the station was a post office — perfect! Everything was labeled in French, so I prayed that my postcards would reach the States. We stopped at the first cafe we saw — Le Saint Jean.

Parisians were having cafe outside and smoking cigarettes (tabac). Inside, men lined up by the bar for cafe or drinks — never too early. Beau ordered an omelette and I had a roasted chicken, fries and salad. They serve fries (thick potatoes) with everything. The food was very good, about 20 Euros. It was a beautiful day, perfect for walking. We followed a crowd and noticed the hills and streets going up, similar to San Francisco. The steep steps lead to Sacré Coeur.

We could finally feel the warmth from the sun. Toured a bit and stopped for gelato at Tutti Sensi.

We ate our gelato on the steps of Sacré Coeur and enjoyed the panoramic view of Paris.

There was a huge crowd below so we looked to see what all the music and commotion was about. There was a group of street dancers called “Street Impact” who were break dancing for money. They were very entertaining and talented. One of the dancers, who they dubbed Sexy Boy, stole the show. 
Frenchman: That blonde is very … mus-COO-lar. 
Friend: He knows it too! 

Nothing gets between him and his Calvin Kleins. Damn, I bet he does yoga.
See street dancer video HERE. ;)
We took the Metro to Moulin Rouge (one of my favorite movies). Originally, we wanted to see the evening performance but it’s quite expensive, 92-150 € (with dinner) Euros per person.
We decided to return to Sacré Coeur and walk around Monmartre. Beau wanted to see the dancers again and the soccer ball juggler. I can’t imagine doing this all day for spare change. 

Montmartre is the most visually-appealing French village, full of cafés, boutiques and souvenir shops… a beautiful area to walk through. The aroma of crepes (with Nutella or ham and cheese) was mouthwatering. By 8 p.m., we took the Metro back to the hotel. Stopped by Marché Franprix (a local grocery store) for a late snack. Best 8 € Euros spent.

Photos: Beau and Ren Reiske © All Rights Reserved.