The stories of my life on a little island in the middle of the Mediterranean sea ... and my occasional adventures beyond these shores.

Tuesday 17 April 2012

Wednesday Wanderings: The Streets of Montmartre

Montmartre – the word rolled gently off my tongue and was lost in the gentle spring breeze. After the boulevards of Paris, Montmartre had a more homely feel. There was no way of escaping the crowds that thronged there on this beautiful March morning. But I was able to lose myself and feel alone in a crowd of thousands. All I needed was a place that exuded its own unique vibe. And Montmartre did just that. There was no doubt to me that Montmartre danced to the beat of its own drum.
Darin's view of Paris - Day 3 (87)
It’s an uphill climb from the Metro to the top of Montmartre, with the church of Sacre Coeur, like a huge iced wedding cake, gazing benignly at the groups of visitors. From beneath its pristine domes there is a panoramic view of Paris.
Darin's view of Paris - Day 3 (96)
Glancing upwards, grimacing gargoyles seem to be mocking the humans jostling underneath their stony gaze.
Darin's view of Paris - Day 3 (105)
Leaving their menacing glares behind me I quickly headed towards the narrow cobblestoned streets. The atmosphere was cheerful, although the persistent  badgering by street artists who want to paint a quick portrait or caricature does mar the beauty of the place somewhat.
Darin's view of Paris - Day 3 (115)
Darin's view of Paris - Day 3 (138)
Paris - Lorna's Day 3 (85)
There is a unique charm about Montmartre, perhaps some might say that it is a tad contrived, but it is charming, nonetheless.  And from the art on sale at Place du Tetre, to the eclectic offerings of the souvenir shops, there is no doubt that this particular charm is totally French. Montmartre has lost none of the bohemian character that attracted so many penniless artists and writers at the turn of the last century.
Darin's view of Paris - Day 3 (122)
Paris - Lorna's Day 3 (70)
There was something utterly whimsical about it. But it was a type of whimsy that I could not quite put my finger on. Perhaps it was a whimsy derived from all those bohemian souls that used to roam its streets (and who knows, perhaps they still do). Or more likely it’s a whimsy derived from the mouth-watering crepes smothered in Nutella that I was eating. Whatever the case, Montmartre quickly became my favourite spot in Paris.          
Darin's view of Paris - Day 3 (130)                 Darin's view of Paris - Day 3 (125)

14 comments:

  1. I think my favorite picture is the one with the sidewalk with the people walking by the interesting wall and the pretty flowers. Love the look of the bricked streets and the people appearing to walk in tandem. I would find any place whimsy too where I was eating crepes and nutella.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I think I belong to the rare people who don't like Paris ! I have been there several times and once for 10 days staying with a friend to help her moving into her new appartment ! Ever since I have enough of Paris, people are so unfriendly !

    ReplyDelete
  3. I would love to have an opportunity to roam here! So much to see, so much history to learn, and I love how you capture this place so beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I adore Monmarte. I loved Paris when I visited, and often hanker to return. I went in the early 70's, so feel there might be changes to enjoy(or not). My third novel will see my character visit Paris in the mid 1800's. I couldn't resist.
    Lovely pictures, thank you for sharing, Loree.

    ReplyDelete
  5. My goodness, so charming! I love every single photo Loree.

    ReplyDelete
  6. That second to last image made me actually crave being there. I can almost smell the humidity in the air -- and that's saying a lot for a desert girl!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thanks for this particular tour!
    Great pictures!
    Sue.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I don't know what it is, maybe your wonderful pictures in particular, or your enchanting writing but I got a feel of being in one of Joann Harris's books especially Chocolat and The Lollipop Shoes. Thanks for the lovely trip, I loved your Whimsy feel about it all : )

    ReplyDelete
  9. Thank you so much for this post Loree. I am off to Paris next week, on my own. I have had a plan from the start, to go to Montmartre. It will not be the first time. The last was in 1978. I bought three postcards when I was in Montmartre, an artists rendering of street scenes that I loved. I still have those postcards and I am taking them with me. I am going back...I know it will be very different but it is one of those things...that I feel I just need to do..
    For this, I thank you...you reminded me of a very special place.
    Love all your images and descriptions... :) xx

    ReplyDelete
  10. After all my trips to Paris, I have yet to go to Montmartre,
    thanks for the tip, enjoy the weekend,
    Maureen

    ReplyDelete
  11. Thank you so much for sharing I'm so envious now. Everywhere looks so quaint and cozy. Oh well maybe someday I'll be as fortunate as you to visit. Happy weekend.

    Lisa x.

    ReplyDelete
  12. what a lovely tour around an exquisite part of paris. i'm happy to back in blogworld and clearly have a lot to catch up on - just saw the mouthwatering shot of the red velvet cake in your previous post.

    xo

    ReplyDelete
  13. So many years in french classes, our teacher would have us memorize the major landmarks of Paris. I used to dream about seeing the little icons on the map. Then, when I did...it was magic...just as you described. So beautiful.

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for stopping by. I read and appreciate every one of your comments. I will do my best to reply whenever I can.

LinkWithin

Related Posts with Thumbnails