Saturday, March 17, 2007

a day at montmartre

Skye plays Wednesday night open mikes at a Scottish bar called the Highlander. Old photo:



Friday afternoon I went to Montmartre, in the 18th arrondissement, where one will find both Sacre Coeur and an infestation of tourists. Before I left, my host famiy was thrilled to be able to inform me that Mme de Lassagne's great-grandfather was one of the architects that designed it. I'd been wondering why they had a dishtowel with a drawing of Sacre Coeur prominently displayed on the kitchen wall. (I remain incapable of fixing this sideways-turning. Somebody help!)



From the top of the hill, in front of Sacre Coeur, you can see almost all of Paris.







There is this square, whose name I forget, where artists congregate and do portraits of tourists as well as selling their own stuff, generally in the category of "Paris buildings and bridges." Walking through here you get accosted non-stop by people trying to get you to buy things. I had five euros on me, exactly, and told them so. No one believed me. I said it was true, really, vraiment, and I had to eat.







In Place des Abbesses, down the hill a little, there is this fabulous metro entrance.



And this is the Vespa I have been pining after for a long time. Eventually I will get it. Mine will hopefully a) not look like it ran into a pole, and b) have a seat.



There is also this section of three or four blocks of stores that sell fabrics almost exclusively, but there are also these indescribably bizarre stores like this one. If I ever need a bellydancing skirt in Paris, I know where to go.



At the bottom of the hill in front of Sacre Coeur is a carousel. Skye enjoyed it greatly.



After my third sighting of a Scotsman clad in full regalia, I was stumped. (Let's be honest, after the first I was pretty confused.) Turns out it was "L'Ecosse a Montmartre" weekend (week? I forget), meaning Scotland at Montmartre. I never did find out why.

They had this fabulous band, though: five drummers and a bagpiper, and they were rockin. The dude at the back with the long hair was my favorite person I saw all day.



Before we left, Skye and I got bracelets made by two of the guys who hang around Sacre Coeur harassing tourists, trying to sell these friendship-bracelet-type things. I forget what the guy who made Skye's was named, but the one who did mine was named Alpha. They were from Guinea and we chatted in French for a while. I had trouble understanding his accent and did a lot of nodding and smiling. My bracelet is in Jamaican colors; Skye's is French. Also I bought that ring in a little shop run by an African woman in a turban; I bargained, nervously.



Anticlimactic ending! Ta.

3 comments:

Mouse said...

i got lost at sacre coeur and was accosted by those bracelet guys, too. he wouldn't listen when i said i didn't want it and when he tried to tie it on my hand, my teacher got really mad, ripped the bracelet off and threw it at the dude. and the guy goes "ah! you are american! americans do not like peace, no?" it was probably my second worst experience in france, the first being almost drowning in nice.

Lyn said...

just found ur blogspot! u can take a look at my french wanderings too if u want! (ask me 4 the site)
its great to exchange notes :P
Lyn-ni

annalisa said...

hi lyn-ni! what's your site?