2nd September (sunny and hot) 0 km

Had a great sleep last night waking about 7.30am this morning feeling well rested. Today was picked to reach twenty six degrees and it was already showing signs of being a warm one. Dad, now ensconced in his own little cupboard along the hall was also enjoying a good sleep. These hotels will cram you in anywhere, but I have to say, we have been pleased with our accommodation and price.

When Dad arrived we took a walk up the road to the supermarche to grab the necessary items for the day and for breakfast. Grabbed bread and pastries on the way back. Meanwhile, Julia had begun on the wages and other business related stuff.

Another enjoyable breakfast done and while Ju continued with computer work and uploading photos, it was time for Dad and I to take a load of washing to a laundrette in the Latin Quarter, not far from where we are. In fact it turned out to be quite a walk, but it was a lovely day and we chatted about Paris. After about twenty minutes we found the spot and a very nice young guy helped us with the instructions to set the machine up. As it was, the same bloke also showed us a sign on the wall later on, written in English, with the instructions. We had both failed to see them.

Whilst we were there we not only chatted to the young man, whose name we never got, but also to a youngish woman called Leticia, who spoke English well and we found out that she had spent a year at university in New York, hence her understanding of the language. Upon completion of that year, she returned to study at the Sorbonne. She was really helpful and suggested sights to see, including stuff around this Latin Quarter. We spent about an hour in there talking with them both before returning to Ju and having a bite to eat before hitting the sightseeing path.

Pete and Jimmy remember their glory days when they used to pose for knitting
catalogues back in the 70's

Hopped the Metro across the road, now very weary and on the watch for pickpockets, heading for Sacre Coeur. Built in 1894 and overlooking the city of Paris, it enjoys spectacular views. It also demonstrates how powerful the church was, being able to access such a lucrative position. 

One of the highlights for all of us wasn’t the church, but a guy who has been shown millions of times on You Tube, juggling a football and climbing a lightpole at the same time. This was the location that he operates from and he was absolutely amazing. 

Not only did he have a breeze to contend with, but also a very persistent cloud of midges!

Great shots of the church and although it was nice inside, we have seen so many spectacular churches over our times travelling, that this was so so.

Just down the hill was Montmartre, the famous arty farty village, where many famous celebrities have visited and/or been painted and is the home of the artistes of Paris. It was great to see some of the works on show. There are certainly some talented people around. Montmartre is the quaint small cobbled streets with restaurants and cafes type of area and on any given day, it’s packed and today was no exception. 

Human bodies packed in like sardines. It was now hot enough to boil an egg, so we decided to wander down the hill to The Moulin Rouge and grab an ice cream, Julia buying a nectarine on the way. Sure enough the famous windmill was there so it was click click, like all the others and back to the Metro for the ride home, stopping to pick up a Magnum, to eat in a shady park. It was now late afternoon and the Metro was crammed full. All eyes in our group were on anyone who looked remotely dodgy….which was everyone, but the ride home was uneventful.

Some down time back at the hotel before venturing out for dinner. Dad and I had seen a little place just around the corner, Vietnamese, the sign in the window telling us he would be open. When we arrived, it was closed, so we wandered further into the village, but then turned to come back when nothing was taking our fancy, a lot being closed. 

Yum!  This place was soooo good!

Saw an Indian place over the road who were open and it must have been fate, as we all agreed that this was the best Indian meal we’ve ever had. From the service to the meal itself, it was excellent. In NZ. Ju and I will quite often have a mango lassi at home, but this one was smooth and silky and went down a treat. From here, it was a short walk back to the hotel where we turned on the tv, to catch up with anything going on in the world, but apparently, nothing is happening. Then to bed.