After lunch, we had a tour to catch. It was conducted by the same group that did the Madrid tour we enjoyed so much, so we really wanted to give it a shot. Only problem? We had SO much time finding the starting point! We were really worried we wouldn't find it, but in the end, it worked out just fine.
The tour itself was wonderful, and even though I didn't take that many pictures on the actual tour because I had seen a lot of the sights already, the information our tourguide shared with us was great (and I've tried to intersperse it with the proper pictures in other posts).
We did see the Louvre pyramid for the first time, though, so I enjoyed getting a picture with it! Fun fact: Some of the windows of the Louvre complex (not the pyramid) have orange dots in the panes. Apparently, these windows are the only ones firefighters are allowed to break during a fire, otherwise they get fined. I'm glad I'm not a firefighter in Paris!
The weather was beautiful, and after our tour finished, we were going to head to a second tour (I'm such a good tourist). On the way to the starting location in Montmartre, we passed the Eiffel Tower (again). Despite the dozens of pictures I took of the tower, every single time I saw it I got a smile on my face because it was so pretty and it seemed so surreal.
Montmartre:
Montmartre is a district of Paris that is atop a large hill, and it has a great personality because it's a lot more residential than the rest of the city. This is also where the infamous Moulin Rouge is! I didn't go inside, but it was fun to take pictures out in front, especially because I got to stand on this huge air vent that made me feel like a more modest Marilyn Monroe.
We also spotted this awesome shiny apple, so of course we took an artsy shot! While waiting for the tour to start, I also spotted this crepe hut that had a HUGE line. I vowed to go back and have one later. My instincts turned out to be good, because our tour guide pointed to the hut once the tour started and said they had the best crepes in Paris.
Once the tour started, we began heading up the Montmartre mountain. Luckily we stopped often to hear stories, because otherwise I think we would have all been very out of breath! One of the first stops we made was at an apartment where Vincent VanGogh used to study. It was cool to see how the famous artist used to live as well as hear his story. (Apparently, he liked to eat paint. His favorite color to munch on? Yellow.)
Next I saw the last-standing windmill in Paris. Since up until this point, I hadn't seen many windmills in my life unless they were on a minigolf course, I was pretty stoked. (My mind would be blown when I got to Belgium.)
The place we were meandering to was the Sacre-Coeur church at the top of the hill, and all the while there was an increasingly beautiful view of the the church peaking out through the streets. The tour was in the evening, so the daylight was beginning to fade, and it brought out a sense of magic along with it (but it also made it harder to take pictures - bummer).
We saw a cafe that Van Gogh liked to freqent. Also very cool (and super cute! I want to drink coffee there!).
Right near Van Gogh's cafe, there was a restaurant that Picasso liked to dine at. The story goes that because he was so poor, he offered to paint a picture on the side of the building to pay for his meals. Now the lucky owners have a Picasso mural outside!
Our Paris couch-surfing host helped teach us a lot about regional French wines, and before this I hadn't realized that a part of the interesting thing about wine is that where it is from helps tell its story. This is a picture of the only vineyard remaining on Montmartre. Apparently the wine is absolutely horrendous, but because it is a rarity, collectors will pay an arm and a leg for the Montmartre label. Go figure!
This has to be my absolute favorite photograph of mine. My camera just decided to be astoundingly cooperative in the fading light, and I got this gorgeous shot of the back side of the Sacre-Coeur. It was a moment where I was glad to have a tourguide, because he showed us the backside that tourists don't often get to see, but is much prettier than the front!
Our tour stopped at the church to go inside for a few minutes and take a break. The interior of the church was gorgeous because there were intricate mosaics everywhere. The view outside, however, was even better. Night had fallen, and from our vantage point I could see the small twinkling lights of the city below me. It was warm out with a nice breeze and there was a singer performing on the church steps, and it was really just a perfect moment.
The last stop of the tour was the Artist's Square on the mountain, and this is where aspiring artists gather to sell their works. It was really cute, and it was also interesting to see that the legacy of Montmartre being an artist's quarter still exists (Picasso and Van Gogh would be proud). Our tour ended with a glass of wine, and because this was the artist's district, our guide said there were a lot of great but reasonably priced restaurants around.
French Dining:
Laurie and I found a suitable restaurant with a cozy-looking interior and a cheap but delicious menu, so in we went!
First up was the appetizer: pesto mussels!
I've been trying to develop a liking for seafood, and I'm happy to say that I thought these mussels were absolutely delicious!
Next was my entree: steak with steak-cut fries. Not as good as bistecca in Florence, but I don't think anything ever will be (sigh...). Still quite good though! And I loved having french fries.
I have to say that the highlight of the meal for me though was definitely my FLAMING creme brulee! I was so shocked when it arrived at the table still on fire that at first I looked around for a fire extinguisher. Then I mentally panicked, because I wasn't sure if I was supposed to wait for it to stop flaming or what (don't worry, I didn't dig in until the flames subsided). It was very interesting to see the sugar caramelizing before my eyes, and when I finally got to crack in to the crispy crust, it was sooooo good. I was stuffed when I finished my meal, but it was worth it!
After that, we headed back to our host's apartment and had a well-deserved night's sleep! And the next day was the impending "Louvre Day", so we needed to stock up on as much energy as we could!
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