Tuesday! Tuesday ended up being our big pack-it-in day – we hit a number of sights on our must-see list, knowing that we wanted to leave some open time at the end of the week to see where the wind blew us. First up: Montmartre. Plus croissants.
Croissants with a soundtrack, no less!
I’ve been to this neighborhood several times but always end up getting a little lost, which I love, as there’s always a new discovery. We wandered into the courtyard of le mur que je t’aime (the wall of I love you) and spent awhile hunting for the English “I Love You” among the 250 languages represented. Never did find it! But we felt the love, nonetheless.
Montmartre has the cute cafe scene down pat.
Reading break! What a luxury to just stop and sit whenever we felt like it.
(Let’s be honest…Juliette sat, I took pics.)
I see PINK. La Maison Rose is one of my orienting landmarks – I knew we were getting close to the hilltop.
We spent a few minutes wandering among the artist stalls at Place du Tertre, admiring the in-progress portraits.
And then, there she was…
Sacre Coeur is stunning and the view is beautiful, but holy crowds. The plaza and stairs were packed to the gills, so Juliette and I decided not to linger and instead wandered down a lovely, quiet staircase.
Much better.
How many pictures do I really need of Juliette descending the stairs, you might ask?
A lot.
We did it! We’d earned a beverage.
We grabbed a sidewalk table at 9eme Sauvage and ordered an Orangina and a cafe creme. Both went nicely with the passion fruit tart we split.
We felt like we still had quite a few steps left in us, so we Metroed over to Pere Lachaise for a cemetery stroll. Juliette asked, “A cemetery? Are you sure?” But once we got there, she understood the appeal.
I’ve walked these cobblestoned streets so many times – Pere Lachaise is in my Paris Top 5, particularly on an autumn day. Juliette made a math game of calculating the ages on the gravestones, which in hindsight is a bit morbid, but it kept her walking!
Bench break.
Last look…our feet were gettin’ tired.
We popped into a market to grab cold drinks and apples and then opted to rest our feet on a boat! We bought afternoon tickets for a Seine cruise and let the sights come to us.
This is such a good way to see the city, particularly when it’s hot and your feet hurt.
From the Bateaux Mouches dock, we walked toward the Champs Elysees, pausing every block or two to window shop for outrageously priced clothes and bags.
We wanted to catch at least one bird’s eye view of the city and I opted for the top of the Arc de Triomphe, since it had been almost 20 years since I climbed those stairs with Shane.
We climbed all 284 steps to the top, Juliette urging me on as I started to pant, and then…the payoff.
Paris rooftops at golden hour are so damn good.
Alright…pictures snapped. Let’s eat!
We took the metro back to the Marais, did a little shopping at BHV (found some shorts!), and then scored a perfect table on the patio at Pizza Sant Antonio. I’ve eaten a lot of slices here…
Top night. Top moment, clinking my Aperol Spritz with her Sprite, remembering all the drinks I shared there with friends during my year abroad. To be there again with my very best buddy!
When it’s 80 degrees at 9pm, you stop for gelato on the way back to the apartment.
Goodness, I knew my girl had a down-for-anything kind of sprit, but Tuesday it was apparent that she can HANG. Should have bought her a double-scoop.