Montemarte & Sacre Coeur with Kate & Laura

Today I finally made it to Montmarte and Sacre Coeur with Kate and Laura, who I met at Le Cordon Bleu .... the place to go to make friends we are all discovering!!

I have been trying to get there for about three weeks, but it has always rained the day I wanted to go!  This morning there had been a little rain, but that wasn't stopping us.

We arranged to meet at the metro stop Anvers, and for once I got it right!!! That may have something to do with the fact that I only had to travel on one line and then walk to the next metro stop .... I did ask a policeman if I was going in the right direction ... just to make sure :)

We wandered up the hill to the bottom of Sacre Coeur and then climbed the steps to the top, the view is breathtaking and you get a better idea of the size of the city of Paris and the density of the development .... so different from Australia.

There were a few hawkers on the way up, Kate and I managed to weazle away from them, but Laura let them make a bracelet from string for her, which they wanted 10 euros for, but she told them only 5!!  Kate and I then got caught by some people petitioning for donations, I gave 5 euros ... a least Laura knew what she was getting ... I still have no idea what cause or group I contributed to, except that the girl couldn't speak and was touching her ears and mouth, so I thought it may be for the deaf donated by the gullible?

We kept wandering upwards, feeling very lucky to be able to come here and have this time to wander around at our leisure and enjoy the beauty of this wonderful city.  It was even better having someone to wander around with ....

After reaching the top, we headed around to Place du Tertre to where the artists reside.  We all managed to dodge having our portrait sketched.  I had one done when I was 22 and I have no idea where it is .... I have a feeling it may have ended up in the bin! There were some nice paintings there, but they were over-priced, even the tiny one that we all loved!

Feeling hungry, we checked out a few restaurants to have lunch in and decided on a place, Chez Ma Cuisine, it served crepes, which I was keen to have and Kate and Laura kindly obliged. We settled in, ordered food and wine and proceeded to sit there talking and drinking for 5 hours!!!  We went in at about 1pm and it was 6pm when I first looked at my watch.  Luckily we were restrained and only had two bottles of wine ...  Bordeaux ... but we remembered to drink water and we also had two coffees.  I could easily have gone for the third, but didn't want to bring my Aussie drinking habits to the fore.

We did decide that we should do it again and Kate mentioned that there is a great bar with a fabulous view of the Eiffel Tower and it is best seen at night and the drinks are less expensive if you get there before 9pm!!  How can we not go???

The restaurant had a goldfish named Oscar who was looking decidedly seedy as the afternoon wore on - laying on the bottom of the bowl!  One of the owners said that he was still suffering the effects of his gin & tonic from the night before!!

We went back down the steps .... very slowly as it had rained and the thought of falling all the way down was too much, even with the relaxing effect of wine!  I was as slow as a nana and concentrating so hard they were all blending in to one.

I had wanted to buy some fabric, but we were so long at lunch that I only made it in time to have a look at a few pieces before the owner pushed the button for the electronic door making us scatter, which delighted him no end judging by his huge grin!!

Laura and I headed back together as we shared the same line for part of the way, Kate went in another direction. 

No your not drunk, the photos is blurry and we might have been, were it not for al that water and coffee :)

I will have to go back another day ... for fabric, but also because they have two shops that were selling the most divine glassware and pottery ..... I know I shouldn't but I may never come this way again???