Day 11 - Montmartre; 12,000 Steps

Today was pretty much unplanned.  I did know that I wanted to go back to Passage Panorama to see if the shop where I saw something I wanted to buy was open.  Happily, it was.

I thought about walking down Rue de Rivoli to the stop for the #67 that would take me up to Grands Boulevards as well as Montmartre, but since a #69 was at my stop when I went by, I jumped on, and I'm glad I did.  Because of construction on Rue de Rivoli, the next 2 stops were blocked, so I would have had to walk a lot further than I had planned.  I transferred and got off a block from Passage Panorama.  It was really quiet in the Passage, but it was just a little past 10, so many places were just opening.  I was so happy to see that the shop was open.  The proprietor was very friendly and we chatted in a combination of French and English, and I was able to buy what had caught my eye in the window last week.

I rode up the hill to Montmartre and got off at Pigalle where I could get on the Montmartre Bus, which meanders through the narrow streets in a circuit.  I rode all the way up the hill to Place du Tertre, which is near Sacre Coeur.  This square is quite touristy as it is where the artists are located.  The artists are vetted, however, and some of their work is quite good.  I walked around for awhile, but didn't buy anything this time.  I didn't go over to Sacre Coeur as my objective this trip is to avoid crowds wherever possible, and I have been there before.

For lunch, I went to Chez Plumeau on Place du Calvaire, which is just around the corner from Place du Tertre.  This restaurant is mentioned a lot on the Trip Advisor Paris Forum, but it was a slow day and I was the only one there.  I had an interesting salad with ham, onions, poached egg, and tomato.  The ham, onions (cooked), and egg were served on the lettuce in a cup made from a crepe.  Under the crepe was a piece of toast with melted cheese on it.  As I said, it was interesting.  I washed it down with a glass of white wine.  The server spoke excellent "American English," but had never been to the US.  He said he had been to England, but he watches a lot of American TV, thus his accent.

After lunch, I walked down Rue Lepic - a long downhill street, if you start from the top.  This is the neighborhood where many artists like Monet and Van Gogh lived, but it is pretty much gentrified now. Originally Montmartre was the country and there were several windmills.  There are only two left.  One is a restaurant - where Renoir painted a famous picture - and one is privately owned.  Then, of course, there is La Moulin Rouge, but that's another story.  I walked all the way down the hill back to Pigalle where I caught a bus.

I got off the bus near Rue Cadet, which is a shopping street in the 9th Arrondissement off Blvd. Lafayette.  When Mom and I were in Paris in 1994, we stayed at Hotel Cadet Opera, which is on that street.  However, my reason for going was to use one of my Food Passport coupons at a small shop specializing in all things duck; specifically, foie gras and pate.  The shop is owned by a young man fro Southwest France.  His partner's family raises ducks and processes all of their product.  He gave me a tasting of duck pate with foie gras on toast that was delicious.  He also spoke excellent English and we must have talked for at least 45 minutes.  It was hard to drag myself away.  I did buy some foie gras and rillettes (sort of like pate, but spiced) to take home.

Back on the bus and "home."  It was a fun day.  I really enjoyed visiting with these locals who were so friendly and forthcoming.

I did not study French as much as I should have before this trip, but I do seem to be doing okay with what I know.  I can make myself understood better than I can understand spoken French.

Paris is not exempt from homelessness.  I have seen more homeless on this trip than on prior ones.  Just about everywhere I go I see people sleeping in doorways or on the sidewalk next to a building.  Sometimes they have a sleeping bag, or even a mattress, but I have seen some who have nothing more than cardboard for a cover.  There are also lots of beggars sitting on sidewalks, many with dogs.  Yesterday, as I was waiting for the tour bus to pull out, I saw two different men dig through trash, checking Starbucks cups.  If there was anything left in the cup, they drank it, then put the cup back in the trash.  To travel, I think, means seeing the ugly as well as the beauty; otherwise, you are not experiencing the truth.  But, it is still very sad to see.