The Second Day

The second day was completely planned out. After returning late from the Eiffel Tower to the hotel the previous night, I started here shortly after 9. According to the weather forecast, it was supposed to rain, so I planned my day accordingly.

The day began with a coffee and a walk to Café Saint Louis. On the way, I passed through the Passages Couvertes, covered passages filled with antique shops, bistros, and bookstores (of course, everything was still closed). After about an hour, I reached Café Saint Louis. These facades adorned with lush flowers seem to be in vogue in Paris. The café is entirely pink, from the tables to the flowers and the parasols. There, I enjoyed three fine creams and did some 'people watching.'

After that, I continued to the Musée Carnavalet. The museum showcases the history of Paris (and France) and provides insights into the former life of the city. Do you see the painting with the houses on the bridge? In the past, every square meter was utilized for living space. The ground floor was mostly shops, while the three floors above were residences. Even cellars were built into the arches of the bridge.

In the afternoon, I booked a guided tour through Montmartre. Lucy, our tour guide, provided us with a lot of interesting information and shared a few funny anecdotes ('Napoleon's tomb is in the Invalides. If you want to see the sarcophagus, you literally have to bow to it because you stand elevated at a railing and have to lean over to see his remains').

The man protruding from the wall is a character from the novel Le passe-muraille, who could walk through walls but eventually got stuck. It is said to bring luck to touch his golden hand.

The Rue Lepic connects the Place Blanche, where the Moulin Rouge is located, to Montmartre. It is also an important street in a novel that inspired me to travel to Paris.

What I learned otherwise: Paris has 2.1 million inhabitants. The city is snail-shaped and divided into 20 arrondissements. Everything outside of these 20 arrondissements does NOT belong to Paris anymore. This is very important to Parisians. When I said to the tour guide: 'I didn't even know Paris had a skyline (La Défense)', she laughed and replied: 'No, no, Paris does not have a skyline; La Défense is located beyond the city limits.'

The tour ended at the Basilica Sacre Coeur. Apparently, it is a famous pilgrimage site and part of the Camino de Santiago. The basilica is made of a limestone that has a self-cleaning property, so it turns white again as soon as it rains.

The tour was truly great! Afterwards, I finally went back to the hotel for a short break.