Montmartre

After a full day of exploring Versailles, we spent the next morning leisurely strolling down the Champs-Élysées. In the shadow of the Arc de Triomphe, the tree-lined avenue stretches over a mile long and is packed full of shops, cafés and historic buildings from the 1900 World’s Fair.

Dave and I ate breakfast at Ladurée, with an ulterior motive of trying their famed macarons. The bakery was lined with a colorful rainbow of pastries, and they tasted just as good as they looked.

In between window-shopping, we indulged at another macaron connoisseur, Pierre Hermé. They had more unique and unexpected flavors; one we couldn’t pass up trying was asparagus, which was actually pretty delicious!

At the end of the road we decided to take a spontaneous trip to Montmartre. The cab ride up there was an adventure in itself. We were shocked at how people drove in Paris. There were streets and roundabouts with absolutely no lane markings. To us it looked like complete chaos; cars were jammed in wherever they could fit. But our driver told us the rule of the road was to yield to the vehicle on the right, and somehow it worked.

Montmartre is a quiet, laid back neighborhood located on one of the largest hills in Paris. Dave and I instantly fell in love with its charming stairways and cobblestone streets. We stumbled across a plaza full of artists keeping cool underneath a sea of umbrellas. The Basilica of Sacré-Cœur marked the top of the hill, where we were rewarded with an expansive view of the city.

We ate lunch at B&M Burgers, and watched a lively bar across the street cheer on France in the World Cup. People were very passionate about the game. Fans passing by stopped in their tracks to watch. A truck driver slowed down to catch a glimpse of the score. And when a loud roar erupted, the two guys running our restaurant ran across the street to see what had happened.

At a quick stop for gelato at Amorino, we decided to have a French picnic for dinner. After visiting a couple bakeries and a cheese shop, we took our bounty back to our hotel room, and enjoyed it while watching the Eiffel Tower light up the night sky. For dessert, we couldn’t help but return to Fontaine de Mars for seconds of their dark chocolate mousse and crème brûleé. It was one of the best days we’ve had in Paris. It was nice to stray from the itinerary, and see parts of the city that aren’t on every tourist’s list.