Monday
9th September
Our
train from Niort to Paris wasn’t leaving until midday but John had
a 10am medical appointment at the hospital there, so we were up
early, packed and been dropped off in the town centre in time for
John to make his commitment.
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| Niort street with sea snake |
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| Eve, Perry and John wait for the train |
It
was good to wander around the city just going wherever the streets
took us. We found the city centre, a couple of cathedrals and the
main shopping district before heading back to the railway station.
We’d only been there a few minutes when Eve and John turned up.
Time for a coffee, a chat, and tearful farewells before the two-hour
train journey up into Paris. Luggage problems again. Not enough space
but we figured it out in the end.
Robyn
had booked us into an Airbnb apartment in Montmartre up by Sacre
Coeur Cathedral. She had stayed in the area six years before with our
daughter Catherine on the way to England – Cath studied in Norwich
for a semester at the end of 2013. Rob had tried to get the same
place as previously but it didn’t seem to be available this trip so
we were over to the east of the cathedral, a bit further away.
 |
| Apartment lounge |
The
place was tiny, though serviceable for two. It is quite amazing how
much you can get into a small space (I’m thinking somewhere between
30-40sqm) if you really try. My suitcase ended up on the living room
floor as there wasn’t room for it in the bedroom, and the kitchen was in a small alcove in the hall. The major thing
to consider is what you’re using it for. We wanted the location and
somewhere to crash out at night. It served both those purposes very
well.
After
getting into the apartment following a coded keypad at the front
door, a coded key store inside a mailbox, the world’s smallest
elevator (1 person and 1 case at a time), and depositing our stuff,
we headed out into the wilds of Montmartre.
Robyn
was particularly interested in showing me the spots that she and Cath
had frequented and by the time we had wandered around looking at all
of that it was time for the walking tour we’d previously booked.
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| Moulin Rouge |
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| Drinking fountain |
 |
| Obligatory cake shop |
I
guess if you get the right people running such a tour then you’ll
be presented with interesting snippets and stories in just about any
location you care to name. We certainly got that. In the two hours
that followed, we were told about famous singers who lived in the
area, cafes which featured in major films, the infamous nightclubs
and theatres of the district, the drinking fountains, the weird statues, the vineyards at the top of the hill,
and the history of the cathedral. We ended there with a great view
over the city, a bit of a thirst and some degree of hunger. The walk
had been well-paced and entertaining. Which is all you could ask for.
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| The cathedral |
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| The view |
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| Tired |
Rob’s
favourite café/restaurant from her previous visit appeared to have
changed style so we found a place nearby. Even the Parisian waiters
weren’t as surly as I remembered. Fed and wined we headed back to
the apartment and a well-earned sleep.
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