We slept until 11:00 a.m. and were feeling well rested, when I went down to the petite dejeunier room and conjured (after receiving many scowled glares) up two delicious strong Café Au laits.
When can I take you out?
On the way back to the room, I was kept busy fighting off advances from the front desk reception, who ran up the stairs to open the door for me saying, “I am very sportif,” and “When can I take you out?” Helen and I were laughing about it in the room.
And then pressured for a time as we left the hotel, “Five o clock?” He asked. Then, “I get off work at 7:30.” So we would be sure to stay out past the appointed hour.
On our way to the metro, a very nice cafe guy offered us directions in his charming French; and Helen said that I should take him over the other guy any day. Not including boyfriend of course, who would always be first place.
So we asked twice info (from) people along the way, and managed uneventfully to get to Montmartre. It was crowded as heck, so we followed the crowd to take the funicular up to the top by Sacre Cour. The weather was windy, and off-and-on rainy, as we wandered the cool cobblestone crowded streets.
Helen and I bought our long-awaited Paris sweatshirts. (Helen already had two from the same shop, that she bought two and five years ago.) Then we settled down in a nice sidewalk Bar and ordered Cheese Welsh Rarebits on toast with a half bottle white wine, as we sidewalk watched the many crazy people and tourists go by. Our waiter was really friendly-also flirting with us, and he gave me his address to do correspondence with him, too. One thing I can say is, France 🇫🇷 is very good for the ego! The place was Le Petite Bar.
We then proceeded to meander among the cobblestone streets with hundreds of other nationals, among the working portrait, characature, and still-life, landmark artists. It is still an enjoyable and special atmosphere, although it has been completely overrun by the likes of us! We managed to buy a few souvenirs, including a lavender Provence doll I found- made in France 🇫🇷 and we each got a mini watercolor- Helen of Sacre Cour and I Champs Elissey.
After watching a band from France/ Spain 🇪🇸, we wandered into a nice terrace cafe for glacé- overlooking all of Paris including the Eiffel Tower. It was just gorgeous! As soon as the sky cleared, they opened the window wall and it was just spectacular! We sat, gawked, talked and enjoyed, soaking in the atmosphere.
Next, we meandered on down around the winding roads to the bottom of the hill, stopping in souvenir shops on the way. Struggling to take the metro, we did fine up until the first change, then got misdirected in Gare du Nord. Luckily, we asked a nice lady with her little Terrier dog, who was also misdirected, and we ended up going together with her! She sat across from us, and motioned, “three stops” before getting off!
Once we were back in our territory, we landed the hotel easily, but stayed far away, as it was just 7:30.
(The place on Montmartre with the terrace was “Patachou.”) Nice view of Paris!
So now it was Sunday eve, and all of Paris was all but shut down! We had choices of Tibet, Indian, Pakistan, Chinese for dinner, and luckily stumbled across an Italian place not far from home. (Apparently back in 1999 I was not into those foods yet! And I know Helen wasn’t.)
The place was small and cozy with a family party going on upstairs (there’s always something going on upstairs) but we stayed, clearing the place out until two more young American girls showed up, wanting meatless dishes too. Helen had an awful, green pasta pile, and I a burnt crust thin pizza with hardly any cheese. The only thing good was the wine. Salad lettuce bland. We didn’t even have dessert.
Back at the hotel however at 11:00 p.m. we were happy not to see the pick up boy and funny Helen (Peaches) ordered an espresso and I a Perrier, which we spilled on the way back to the room. We are just out of control laughing!
Saturday 6 June, 1999
