Andy & Kristin Europe 2015: Paris: Day 1

We arrived from Krakow Sunday evening and our apartment is about 100 m from the Pompidou Centre. Great location but the apartment is a genuine 4th district, and very Parisienne. 2nd floor, lots of steps.

After settling in we went for a walk and dinner. We walked down to the river and back and had a delicious dinner at a nice French bistro, Le petit Marcel, which is about 20m from our apartment.

On Monday we decided to do 2 organised walking tours. (On Mondays most museums in Paris are shut). We found a business called City Free Tours. We had the same guide, Chris, for both.

The morning tour was in Montmartre (martyrs mount, named after St. Denis, the patron saint of France, who was killed by the Romans here, decapitated ). Even though we'd been here in 2009, the tour showed us a lot we hadn't seen. The Highlights: Sacre Coeur, Moulin Rouge, Vincent van Gogh, Moulin de la Gallette, St Denis, Dalida, Picasso, Utrillo, Renoir, the 3 windmills of Montmartre and the last vineyard of Paris (which makes the most expensive worst wine on France).

From Sacre Coeur we went down to the non-tourist side of Montmartre and had lunch (soup and beer).

We took the metro back and decided to get off onthe other side of the river Seine at St. Germain. We then walked pass the medieval ruins, St. Michel fountain and Notre Dame.

The second tour started at 4 pm and took is around the Marais district ( which is where we are staying). We thought we were running late but when we got there, the tourists were there but no guide, he had got on the Metro and gone the wrong way! (and he is a local).The Highlights: Marais, Jewish Quarter, Henry IV, Place des Vosges, Hotel Sully, Synagogue, Art Nouveau.

Most importantly, Chris showed us the street (Rue des Rosiers) where they sell falafels, delicious, and showed us a great little place to eat dinner. Miznon is the restaurant and it does "pita breads". Andy went the lamb and Kristin went the cauliflower. These were served like a normal falafel, which is common in the Jewish Quarter. This restaurant allows you self serve dips and breads. A great, delicious,quick and inexpensive meal.

After our meal we decided to walk to the Louvre and eventually got to Place de la Concorde, where decided to go up to Madeleine and catch the Metro home.