We're trying desperately to adjust to the Paris timetable. Really want to sleep in as long as possible. Thankfully Hotel du Temps offer an easy café (coffee served French-style as espresso) and croissant service you can bring to your room.
As it turns out, there was absolutely no reason to be in a hurry to get anywhere today because May 1 is a national holiday (
International Workers Day) in France and nearly ever single business and attraction is closed. In fact, the
Louvre is only closed three days each year - Christmas, New Year's Day and Labor Day. Luckily we'd planned to be outside today anyway so our schedule wasn't impacted much.
A Daytime Walk in Montmarte
We were so impressed by
Montmarte at night, we thought we'd try it again during the day. Plus, we really wanted to get back to the
Montmartre Cemetery (Cimetière de Montmartre). It offered the most spectacular views from atop at night - the crypts resting peacefully below on their private streets with their own pet cats.
Our walk was filled with the bustle of spring - both in nature and with a gush of tourists hitting the area. The once-quiet streets we had visited the evening before were now bursting with pedestrians.
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| The hills of Montmarte, Paris, France |
Lunch at Tifinagh
We enjoyed a traditional French meal just before entering the cemetery. This restaurant is located just outside the main entrance...which should be noted is on Avenue Rachel. It should also be noted that none of the other surrounding streets (which are completely walled off) will get you in this place no matter how badly you are trying to during day or night.
We think the French are trying to reduce their social healthcare burden by killing their elderly off early with these miniscule winding staircases which offer the only access to "toilettes" in the building. It's sort of like "hang on for dear life" if you want to make it back down without breaking something. A fire pole would be easier.
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| This staircase was so small your feet barely fit on each step. Montmarte, Paris, France |
Montmarte Cemetery
Even though it's not the biggest, nor the most frequently visited, something spoke to us about this little slice of Paris. (Two other notable cemeteries include the
Montparnasse Cemetery and the
Père Lachaise Cemetery. Here are a collage of photos from our experience. We added the black cat for good measure.
(He's one of several strays being fed by a local community of crazy cat ladies.)
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| Montmarte Cemetery, Paris, France, 18th Arrondissement |
Our Move to our little Apartment in the 6th Arrondissement
Meh. That's about how I can sum up this little room they are calling an apartment. However, as a high point, it is conveniently located near loads of restaurants, a market, tons of bars, a laundromat, and many of the best attractions. I should also point out that it was only $58/night so I may have shot a little low with my Airbnb arrow this trip. My theory was that we'd go low on the accommodations so we could spend more on food and drink. I think we're doing a pretty good job at that. I just have to remind myself of that point when I can't lift my elbows in the shower because the stall is so small and when I'm whining about the lack of light because it's on an interior courtyard near the ground floor. (The rain hasn't helped either. We continue to wish for sunshine.)
Dinner at Del Papa
38 Rue de Buci, 75006 Paris • Google • Yelp
We had a lovely dinner just around the corner for our new home base. Italian flair and fresh food made directly in front of our table. Excellent desserts too. (Something we've sampled regularly while here.)
Chad's Evening Stroll to Tour Eiffel
Did I mention that we're having a hard time adjusting our sleep schedules? Chad took advantage of the situation by walking over to the Eiffel Tour for this daybreak shot. He found some interesting (macabre) art along the way. Enjoy!
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| The Eiffel Tour (Tour Eiffel), Daybreak in Paris, France |
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| The Paris Art Scene 2015 |
