We went to the Clignancourt flea market today in the 18th arrondissement, also known as Montmartre. Right when we got off the Metro, there were a lot of people selling jeans and shoes. Then we got to the antique section with lots of twisting, narrow walkways between little stalls tucked into every corner selling furniture, artwork, glassware, jewelry, and vintage clothes. Old post cards seemed to be a popular item, so I bought a few. It was very chilly, but we found a vendor selling hot nutella crepes. Yum.
Since we were already in the northern part of Paris, we decided to walk up to Sacre Couer and I mean UP. The basilica is built on the highest point in Paris. We have a GPS that usually gives us the option of displaying the directions for walking, taking the Metro, or driving, but this time it only asked us if we wanted to take the bus or drive. I don't think too many people choose to climb all those stairs.
Normally you can get really good views of the city from the steps of the church, but the weather has been a little foggy.
The St Teresa statue was right as you went in the front door, so of course I lit another candle.
Since we were in the area, we also walked past the Moulin Rouge (it's the red building framed by the entrance sign to the Metro). This is a really bizarre area lined with sex shops and fast food restaurants. So far, this is about the only area in Paris I've seen that has signs displayed in English.
We keep seeing lots of old carousels. We have one right near the apartment, which I was using as a navigational landmark until I realized that they are all over Paris.
We stopped at Laduree for late afternoon tea. It's the inventor of the double-decker macaroon, but they have a huge list of decadent desserts to choose from. (Literally, their menu is a book.) This is a chocolate cream puff pastry. The shape is supposed to look like a nun.
