Montmartre and Paris

Monday, July 21, 2008
Montmartre, Paris

We bid adieu yesterday to K and K, very sorry to have to leave but inevitably drawn towards home now that our time in France is almost over. We arrived in Paris and made our way to our studio apartment at the base of the Montmartre butte without any incident except for the entrance gate of the Montparnasse metro station going shut on me, pinching my shoulders in a death grip I slowly managed to extract myself from by brute force – backwards, of course. That’s what I get for trying to get through with Reed and myself on only one ticket, hustling Reed through first. Fortunately I was rescued by the kind young man behind me who beckoned to me to come through with him, since my ticket had been rendered invalid once used. So I snugged myself up against his back and we made it through together, yet another example of the kindness of French people.

We spent Sunday evening among the hordes of tourists, going up and down the stairs of the various levels below the face of the whipped cream edifice towering over the rest of the city that is Sacre Coeur church, and admiring the view of the streets falling away Montmartre to the rest of the city laid out below, before bathing in the miniature bathtub in our miniature bathroom in this typically tiny Paris apartment. Still, it’s ours for a few days, with our own mini kitchen and t.v. and it’s much better than a claustrophobic hotel room.

Today Walt had his day out and about alone while Reed and I went to the playground in Luxembourg Gardens, where we stayed from 11 am until 3 pm, breaking only for a lunch of a panini, quiche, and some ice cream at the Buvette café right next to the playground. I sat on a bench and read while Reed ran around with the other children of all nationalities and gave his utmost to the fabulous play structures. Unlike four years ago, this time he protested but only mildly when I said it was time to get back. I didn’t have to carry him kicking and screaming all the way back to the Odeon metro stop, thank goodness. This time we got to admire the wrought iron balconies and window grates and geraniums on windowsills that are everywhere in Paris, which must be my favorite thing about this city. On the way back home on the metro train I thought how nice it was to be getting to know that one little bit of Paris so well. Even though Reed and I aren’t charging around the city visiting lots of museums and all the other beautiful parks, I don’t mind. I’ve got this relaxed feeling about Paris, that we have plenty of time, and that we will have many other visits in which to discover new corners and new views.

We had a delicious dinner in the apartment of pasta with cream sauce, sliced tomatoes in vinaigrette, salad, cheese (Roquefort, fresh goat cheese, and Lou Perrac – a runny sheep’s cheese K&K introduced us to), melon, and chocolate cake. Walt’s headed out again for an evening walk and Reed and I have settled down for an early bedtime. Tomorrow’s another big day.