Kanga And Wombats Adventures

Good morning Paris!

We’d been pretty lucky to spend a week in Paris back in 2016. It sounds blasé but we didn’t feel the need to visit the big ticket items again.

Except, that is, our local ‘hood, Arrondissement 18 and the heart of Montmartre! Ascending the ‘stairway to heaven’ we landed smack bang in the middle of Place du Tertre (place of a mound), the artist’s square.

Surrounded by cafes on all sides, the green and leafy square provides a great backdrop for buskers and freelance artists making a living from drawing portraits of tourists. We even took a picture of those taking a picture of those drawing a picture!

We did the only sensible thing and found a cafe to engage in some good old-fashioned people watching. A happy piano accordianist entertained us while we sipped and ate. Or maybe it was us entertaining him?

Around the corner, Sacre Coeur was very busy!

The lovelocks on the fences were in their millions. In fact, the fences looked solid until you got up close and realised they were padlocks not panels.

Our Airbnb host, Alexandre, had suggested some alternative places to visit, so we bravely sourced our ‘Navigo’ passes from an unforgiving machine (think Opal cards), headed underground to the Metro and popped up at Place de la Concorde and one of Paris’s newest museums, the Hôtel de la Marine. Only opened in 2021, it is housed in the building that was once the HQ of the French Navy, hence the name.

We donned headphones and set about touring the building.

Originally, the building was used by the Intendant of the Garde-Mueuble who was a high ranking official appointed by the King to oversee, maintain and protect all the furniture and decorative items in royal residences. These pieces were considered National, not personal property.

It was like Versailles without the crowds.

The chandeliers were out of this world, and I loved the detail on the curtain tassels.

And the view from the balcony would have been great, except for……

Fans were pouring in for the England v Argentina play off for 3rd place.

We had to smile at these happy lads who seemed oblivious to the fact they were standing about chatting in what was a popular spot for taking an iconic photograph!

A walk along the Seine showed just how busy Paris is at the moment. The tour boats were frequent, fast and full!

Our next recommendation was the Place des Vosges, the oldest purpose built and designed Square in Paris (1792). Dedicated to King Louis Xlll, it is a 140sq m closed Square, with only 2 entrances that pass through arched pavillions. It is surrounded on all 4 sides with lines of 2 storey red brick residences with white limestone trim and very steeply sloped slate roofs.

Originally called Place Royale, its name was changed after the French Revolution in tribute to the northeast region of Vosges, for being the first area to pay taxes under the new government.

In the chaos of Paris, what a haven!

Finally, Alexandre suggested we visit Musee de Carnavalet, dedicated to the history of Paris. What a quirky place!

Along with the usual recreations of lavish 17th and 18th century rooms, it had sculptures, paintings, and all manner of weird objects, even a fireplace that looked like a cupboard!

One of the weirdest displays I found was parts of a 1614 statue of Henri lV that was destroyed in the French Revolution. Only these parts were ever found.

I loved these wrought iron pub signs that had been saved after the pubs had long gone.

One of the fondest memories we had of our 2016 trip was dinner at our local restaurant,  Bistro Montmartre. We’d built up quite a friendship with Gina, the owner.

We were astonished to find that 7 years later, including the disaster brought to many restaurants with Covid 19, that Gina was still there!

We were welcomed with open arms and treated like royalty. Needless to say, we booked to return tomorrow night!

No tears before bedtime, just one more peek!