Adventures in Montmartre

Today, I woke up early to go to the open air market in Passy. It is in the 16th Arrondissement. I was very nervous to buy things, because my French isn't very good. Mostly, if anyone talked to me, I just said "Oui" and then watched what that got me. The first time I said it, I got a basket to put my stuff in. The second time, I got half a loaf of bread. And the third time, I got the bread sliced. My method seemed to be working out well. I went to the butcher to get some meat, but it was all very strange meat, and then there were oysters and I didn't know how to cook any of it. I also didn't know what to do about cheese. There were too many kinds at the fromagerie, so I skipped it all together, and will go back tomorrow when I figure out what kind of cheese I want. To drink, I bought an orange juice and an Orangina. I also bought some red bell peppers and some fruit. I'm not sure how all these things will go together, especially since I don't have meat or cheese to put in a sandwich. I found a supermarket down the street from me, so I will go there tomorrow to find meat and cheese.

After grocery shopping, I went to meet up with my friend Maria from the airport and her friend Chloe to go to Montmartre. Montmartre is the artsy part of Paris that was a famous hangout for the bohemians at the turn of the century. Van Gogh, Toulouse Lautrec, and Degas all hung out there. I brought my little black tour book with me so that we could have a little map and a guide to the places around the neighborhood. First, we went to the cemetery of Montmartre where Emile Zola, Alexandre Dumas, Degas, and La Goulue (the woman Toulouse Lautrec often painted) are buried. We wandered around trying to find the famous graves, but it was hard, because there was only one sign pointing us there, and the graveyard was very crowded with massive tombstones. We were able to find the grave of Dumas, but I couldn't find Degas. Instead I found a grave of de Gas. I'm sure if I stayed longer I could have found his grave.

Anyway, after the cemetery we went to the Moulin Rouge. It wasn't much to see, just a bunch of tourists taking pictures. It was cool to see the cabaret that inspired so many of Toulouse Lautrec's paintings though. Today, the Moulin Rouge has a Las Vegas style showgirl show. It is very cheesy. Also, the area surrounding the Moulin Rouge is kind of a red light district (it always has been), and it isn't the safest part of town at night.

After the Moulin Rouge, we went to the Sacre Coeur. First, along the way, we stopped at a food stand and I had a sandwich avec jambon et gruyere (ham and cheese). It was actually very gourmet. After, for dessert, I had a crepe with Nutella. It was so delicious and warm, it felt good in my hands on such a cold windy day. We sat on a bench under the Sacre Coeur to eat our lunch, then we climbed the millions and millions of steps to the church. The view from the Sacre Coeur is wonderful. You can see all of Paris. We walked into the cathedral and there was a mass going on. It was very strange because there were so many tourists walking around the cathedral during the middle of the mass. It was kind of a creepy church inside; very dark and there were nuns singing gloomy music and a priest talking about the sins of the world.

After we left the Sacre Coeur, we stopped at Place du Tertre, where street artists hang out painting pictures of the street and the passersby. I liked that little square because it was full of small streets with cute boutiques and cafes. I bought a hat there, and then we went back to the metro and now I am back here.

Tomorrow, I will go to IES in the morning for orientation and a language placement test. Hopefully, soon I'll get to go out at night and check out the social areas in town. C'est tout pour maitenant. A Bientot!

Leah