Hello the internet! This will just be a quick, picture-heavy post to say we arrived safely in Paris yesterday afternoon, narrowly avoiding the Icelandic volcanic eruption to locate our Montmartre flat by about 4pm. It's small but super charming; located at the end of a mews in which two little boys were playing a game involving a toy ironing board and some bottle caps, and an assortment of French adults were having an extended lunch/dinner/wine-drinking session and teasing stray Americans who happened by (us).
Our place is four floors up with a view of Montmartre Cemetery and the dome of Sacré Coeur. David and I really enjoy being able to grocery shop and make our own food when traveling, so it's nice to have a real kitchen (more than one burner!). They even left a bottle of white Bordeaux and some lovely roses.
After showering and grabbing some delicious baguette sandwiches at the boulangerie across the street, we set out in the dusk and walked up to Montmartre, with the dome of Sacré Coeur to guide us. Our neighborhood, which feels comfortably lived-in, quickly gave way to a sleeker, more restaurant-heavy area with lots of appealing sidewalk seating, and wine shops with tempting window displays.
I liked this twee graffito:
We strolled past the former home of Picasso at 13 Place Emile-Goudeau, to the pleasant sounds of a busking guitarist in a cobbled, leafy square. Eventually we arrived in the center of Montmartre, with its postcard and poster stands and its many packed cafés.
The night was extremely pleasant, around 65 degrees with just a hint of a breeze, and all of the outdoor courtyard seating looked immensely appealing.
By this time the dome of Sacré Coeur was tantalizingly close, offering a different perspective down each narrow street.
Lack of sleep, though, was beginning to catch up with me, so we made our way back down the steep Montmartre steps, past the diners in the now-darkening cafés, and back to our welcoming flat.
I had a great night's sleep, although I still have that slightly hung-over jet lag feeling. We plan to take things easy today, explore our neighborhood, which includes excellent tea and cheese shops, the graves of Stendhal and Degas, and a rather thrilling fabric store. A bientôt!
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Cross-posted to Evening All Afternoon.
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