First Sunday of the month.

Today we were up at the crack of dawn (8.00) again. On the first Sunday of the month in Paris all the major museums and many minor ones are free for all. Mum had never been to the Musee d'Orsay, so we decided we would go there. To try and beat the heat and the crowds of people, we arose early and set out at nine for the gallery. When we got there the line was already large, but could have been much worse. There were guides there ensuring people kept in nice, neat lines as if herding cattle into a pen. The line snaked this way and that, looping around and fortunately was moving quite steadily, creating a sense of a ordered, but at the same time, chaotic crowd stepping forward and moving this way and that along their alotted lines. Once inside the museum, we wandered round enjoying the art works and I caused at least one man great consternation as he was evesdropping on our conversation. After saying to Mum that I didn't really like Sisley's work because I found them too flat, boring and uninspired (an opinion I stand by as my own and I'm entitled to) I noticed the man in front of us turn round and stare at me as if he couldn't believe his ears. How on earth could I not like Sisley? I could see his mind say. Not yet done in my shocking of people who clearly shouldn't be listening to me anyway; I later stated that I don't get it when people go round taking photographs of art as if to say yes I've done that museum I saw this, this and this, when really they don't see much of anything, but the lens of the camera. They are not enjoying the art; too busy taking photos to show they have been in the place. One man with a camera firmly attached to his hand gave me a strange look after this comment. We paused in the cafe for coffee and cake, before viewing the rest of the gallery. Having finished looking round the D'Orsay we then decided to go for a ride on the Seine. We bought tickets for the Batobus which is a hop on hop off boat and headed on up the Seine. Now it was us who had our cameras firmly attached to our hands. We passed Notre Dame, some passengers got off and others on and we remained; thinking we would do the whole circuit, but on the way to the next stop Jardin des Plantes, I spied a market running along the bank of the Seine. We hopped out and went for a wander in the Market ,after which we walked back towards Notre Dame stopping for lunch on a restaurant boat moored beside the Seine, before hopping back on the Batobus and resuming our journey. Now we were moving up the Seine again, this time by the right bank, before disembarking at La Tour Eiffel and walking to Bir Hakeim Metro to take line 6 to the Art Market at Edgar Quinet. Here I bought a painting from one of the Artists, before we headed home arriving back at 6 o'clock, 9 hours after leaving the house.

Montmartre, Sacre Coeur and Pigalle.

Today Mum and I explored Montmartre we took the metro from my place to Place de Clichy, then walked along Boulevarde Clichy towards the Moulin Rouge where we paused momentarily to take a photo, before starting the climb up the hill. We followed the little street near Metro Blanche up the hill past all the little specialist shops, bouchers, rotisseries, fromageries and poissoniers, not to mention lots of florist. We then stopped halfway up at a row of Cafes and entered one for lunch, where we both had a smoked salmon, prawn and avocado salad before continuing on up the hill. We past the Moulin de la Galette Restaurant and finally made it to the top and the little streets of tourist and painting shops that lead to the Place de Tertre. Here we bought an icecream before heading round the Place de Tertre looking at the art and then continuing on to Sacre Coeur. We went into Sacre Coeur, then took some photos of the view before heading down the loads of steps where we were accosted by African con artists attempting to tie bracelets on our wrists. From here we ventured into the depths of the material market, where we soon surrounded by loads upon loads of fabrics of all varieties. After this we stopped briefly in Rouchouart- Clignacourt at the bottom of the material markets for a very overpriced cool drink before catching a bus to the Tracadero. Once at the Trocadero, Mum saw the Eiffel Tower, finally having been in Paris for five days previously without catching a glimpse of it, then we trundled on home worn out from the busy day of walking. However, our day was not yet done; after a brief respite and cool down at home, we headed out again back to where we had come from to meet M at the Metro Pigalle. Having met up with M, we went down to a nice Italian restaurant called Fuxia in Pigalle, where I had dined last week with L and G. We had a very nice dinner before deciding to head home. On the way we were waylaid; after a phone call with L and decided to meet her and a friend up near Abessess Station, where we went for a drink before eventually arriving home where I am now writing this at 12.30 at night. It was a very eventful and interesting day, with a lot of walking as that is the only way of really getting around Paris. It wouldn't be so bad if not for the heat. As we were heading out again at 7 this evening we caught a glimpse of a electronic thermometer at a pharmacy which said 33 degrees. The heat is becoming unbearable and I am constantly raining; leaving me to wonder why it is that I was craving Summer having had two winters in a row.