Highlights of Paris

Sacre-Coeur and Montmartre neighborhood - Our hotel is at the bottom of the hill going up to Montmartre.  This used to be a town separate from Paris where many now famous artists stayed - Picasso and van Gogh among them.   The Sacre Coeur is the church at the top of the hill and is a huge tourist draw.  Behind the church there is still a small vineyard that produces a small batch of wine each year that gets auctioned off to raise money for the church.  Given the number of votive candles that were lit in the church that must be a big fundraiser too.  There is a beautiful view of Paris from the church grounds (if it isn't foggy).   There are plenty of cafes with outdoor seating for people watching.  And a square lined with artists selling their work or drawing portraits or caricatures.

Modern or traditional at the Cemetery

The Agile Rabbit sign in Montmartre

Busker juggling a soccer ball while climbing a lamp post.  View from Sacre Coeur

Sacre Coeur on a foggy morning

Cemetery - This enormous cemetery still has a few spaces left but you better not mind close neighbors.  You'll have some famous neighbors too though (like Fournier of the Fournier transform for you mathematicians, and the Escoffier family for you culinary types).  You can choose your style of monument it appears.

Brunch on Ile Saint Louis - we brunched at Café St. Regis on eggs benedict and eggs Norvegian (with smoked salmon instead of ham).  Perfectly cooked eggs, lovely light hollandaise sauce, fresh squeezed oj.  Very friendly and amusing waiter (putting down my oj and coffee he referred to them as my vitaminee and my cafinee).  Shops on the Ile are open on Sunday unlike all the major department stores.

Hot chocolate - The elegant Rue St. Honore hosts several elegant chocolate shops.  We had a hot chocolate upstairs at Jean Paul Hevin, chocolatier. 

Markets - On Sunday we went to the organic food/products market not far from the Luxembourg Gardens.  You could eat your way through that market if you weren’t set on having brunch later.  Beautiful displays of leafy lettuces, purple artichokes, apples, salmon colored chanterelles, breads of all sorts, savory and sweet pastries, crepes, fish, cheeses ….  .  We also went to the Bastille market but got there as the vendors were packing up.  It's a big market with all sorts of products including clothes and accessories.

Display of mushrooms at a store in the Les Halle area

Les Folies Pigallion - we have not been in this place so it's more of a curiosity for those past their club-going years.  It is visible from our hotel window and we can tell you that the general hours of the place seem to be midnight to about 10am.  In the morning the stragglers stumble out and into waiting cabs or are off to the nearby metro stop.  We thought most places closed at 5am, but I guess if the party's still hot …

Wandering the streets - this has always been our favorite activity in Paris.  You head off in a general direction and stumble across cute stores, incredible architecture and whole areas you never knew existed.  Always carry a copy of Paris Pratique for when you get tired of walking and want to figure out how to get back to your hotel.