day 5 : heading for Paris

We took the Eurostar to Paris and headed straight to our lodgings. It was lovely ! Fully equipped, including a kitchen. About the only thing missing was an adapter for the power point so we left one behind when we left. AND it cost only slightly more than what we would have paid for a budget hostel in Paris.

We passed by the Moulin Rouge coming out of the Metro

the road leading to loft-paris, all of 20 meters from the Moulin Rouge

The studio at loft-paris.fr .

See that map on the wall ? Paris, and Metro lines.

We freshened up, had lunch at Quick and headed for the Champs Elysees. A word about Quick. It's a French and Belgian fast food chain that serves (you gotta love this) American-style franchise burgers and freedom fries. Yes, a French McDonald's !

Dream had her first taste of subway buskers.

These two hopped on, performed two songs, collected and got off a few stops later.

got off the Metro at the Arc de Triomphe

walked the entire length of the Champs Elysees,

the most expensive strip of real estate in Europe

the gardens at one end of the Champs Elysees

it was just a pile of logs left on the sidewalk, but on closer inspection,

i suspect that it was an art piece that had not been completed yet

there were quite a number of 3-wheeled motorcycles around

We headed back to the Loft again before walking to the peak of the hill that is Montmartre.

View from the couch. They actually provide oil, spices and

juices if you wish to cook in the kitchen. All in the price.

the place was tricked out with a tv, CD player and wifi

another 30 meters down the road from the Loft, and this is what we get.
It's actually on the fringes of the Paris red light district.

As we walked along, we realized that we didn't know exactly how to get to the hill. So when we saw a guy walking along holding a big camera and looking like he knew where he was heading to, we followed him. After a while, we realized that there was another guy with a big camera following us. Guess he thought that we knew where we were going to.

passed by this on the way up the hill

this was when we knew that we had reached our destination

a sample of stuff that was sold in the shops along the roads

potrait and caricature artists lined the main square

Montmartre is a haven for street photography

the main square had restaurants everywhere

We were almost the only Asian tourists that we saw when we were on this hill. I guess that it wasn't as well known as the Eiffel Tower or other landmarks in Paris. It wasn't really conducive to tour packages either.

It was, however, free - which attracts back packers. It was the highest point in Paris - which leads to free views of the city. And for those who had more time in Paris, Montmartre is steeped in history with many famous artists having worked in this area - the likes of Monet, Picasso, Matisse, van Gogh and Dali being the most famous of the lot.

the Basilica of the Sacre Coeur, a little further up from the main square

with Paris in the background

we were there until dark

passed by the main square on our way back to base camp

I liked the way the roads looked in photos

the shops were already closing on our way down

I took this B&W photo with my phone.

Further down the hill, the night clubs were in full swing.