Saturday in Montmartre

On Saturday we set out with our friends Georges and Angela to explore the 18th arrondissement of Paris. We were out for over 6 hours with Alessandro, caught in 2 or 3 rains, took the metro a couple of times and managed to get up the butte to the Basilica of the Sacré Cœur. Despite the rain the views were breathtaking. Alessandro got his first tour of a church and didn't seem to like having to be quiet and being held by his parents. His favorite part of the day by far was enjoying the street performers. He got a taste of a traditional mime and enjoyed beautiful harp music but his all time favorite was probably the breakdancers. He likes to get his groove on- what can I say?

This part of Paris is just beautiful. The roads are made of cobblestone and the sights are just simply charming. It is of no surprise that many famous artists liked to work there since they do always pick the coolest places! After a couple of hours we all hit our breaking point of being cold, wet and hungry so we found space in a small bistro and enjoyed a long lunch of simple and delicious food and washed it down with yummy red wine. Alessandro had a crepe with whipped cream and then was very cooperative and took a nap in his stroller after Chris walked him around the block a couple of times. After lunch Georges and Angela left to visit old friends and we took a nice long walk to find the most direct metro line to Notre Dame since it was on our way home. I am not sure if we found the most direct route but we ended up in a very African part of town and it was nice to see African ladies in vibrant batik prints with babies wrapped on their backs. I was shocked to see one of them push her way through the exit of the metro with her baby barely clinging on as she scored a free ride on the metro. It was just like a west African lorry park Paris style. By the time we made it to the Notre Dame area it was raining again, Alessandro needed a diaper change and he was hungry. We had to take a quick look and then try to find a taxi home which took a bit of effort. When traveling with a toddler you have to know when to fold em'- you can't see everything! All and all it was a fantastic day. After getting Alessandro settled for the night we went out with Georges and Angela for a meal in the Latin Quarter. Then we walked along the Seine to a bar on the roof of one of the many beautiful buildings. The top of the bar was all glass and you could see into the eaves of the buildings next to it. We could see directly into the Louis Vuitton building and the studios where the magic probably happens. It is as close to LV as I will ever get! People watching was top notch at this bar. The drinks cost more than a lot of meals (therefore we only had one) and I was shocked to see that for a city known for it's style that some of the latest styles are very ugly. Apparently all the kids are wearing huge dark rimmed glasses that really don't look good on anyone. I must be getting old!