Days 06 – Montmartre et Sacré Coeur, the last day of our workshop here
The last day of any workshop is always a little sad. It is our last day for a while with old and new friends. In this case, after imaging, two of our participants had to leave to head for home. That left four of us, and we took off for Monmartre, the longtime center of Bohemian Society. I’m not sure how much of that is left these days with visitors from all over the world, but some things really haven’t changed.
It was a relaxing day. Everyone had gotten some great images, and we were just savoring the city and some of its facets.
It was long past lunchtime, so we found a little café, one that Arnie and I have eaten at several times, and relaxed over quiche, omelet, salad, and even a pizza … and of course, the obligatory bottle of wine and carafe of water. The days are long gone when it was unsafe to drink the water, so it’s nice to not have to pay for water any more in Paris. The wine is, alas, not free, but one can find many house wines that are quite inexpensive and very tasty.
At this restaurant, the waiters are in traditional dress and add to the ambiance of the place. They also tend to be hams, and there is a lot of joking going on with those who are open to it.
We split up after lunch, each exploring different areas, running into one another here and there. It was a relaxing afternoon.
Montmartre boasts of many singers: Edith Piaf, Charles Aznavour, Patachou, Maurice Chevalier, Georges Brassens, Yves Montant, among many others who either lived here or got their start here. The same goes for artists. Think of Picasso, Van Gogh, Renoir, Toulouse-Lautrec (who did all those wonderful posters of Paris), Utrillo, Pissaro … Today, Place du Tertre (small hill), that famous square bordered by artists, has not changed much over the decades. Painters sit facing outward, their oeuvres on display, painting their next “masterpiece.”
There is Sacré Coeur, that white basilica that one can see from almost anywhere in Paris, but the light was harsh for photography.
Paris is definitely a place for lovers. We have seen several weddings or evidence thereof in confetti or horns blowing in streets as a line of festive cars roll by. The light caught my eye up a narrow street. There, a bride and groom were having their photographs taken by what appeared to be friends. I picked a totally different angle, as I loved the edge light on their cheekbones and providing beautiful highlights.
We started out in Paris watching lovers on Pont des Arts, and we ended up our workshop seeing more in Montmartre. How fitting.
In a quiet side passage, we found a lovely spot for dinner. Lunch had been late, so we ate lightly under a pergola of Wisteria – Soup à l’Oignon for most of us, and a quiche au chèvre (goat cheese). Paired wit a delicious 2003 wine from Beaune, we were quite happy and sated.
Trying to find a bus stop in Paris can be challenging. You can see on various maps where the buses go and what stops they make, but that does not help you actually find a bus stop for #85 to head back to your hotel. I kept stopping in a restaurants and asking, and we finally succeeded. We were dropped off at Jardin du Luxumbourg, and it was just a short walk from there.
What a lovely day. We’ll probably run into one another tomorrow, but meanwhile, we have two more days in Paris. Dinner with friends, then a reunion with another friend.
Life is good…
Next: Subject to whim and whatever …
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