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| the ubiquitous symbol... |
Once again, trying to feed The Small King meant we got out the door around 1 pm. Oh well. I felt like a super-cool Parisian resident with my Navigo metro pass; no more fumbling with paper tickets for us! I just waved my pass over the machine in the "Navigo only" lines, and voila! I'm on my way. Hehehe of course I still look like a tourist when I stand slightly furrow-browed trying to figure out which metro lines to get on once I'm past the turnstiles... I can't ever seem to remember off the top of my head, but instead obsessively check the maps whenever I see them. I wouldn't make it as a secret agent, nope.
My main goal today was to try some Parisian second-hand stores-- something I've never before tried. A bit of researching had suggested that
Guerrisol would be my best bet, since I wasn't particularly set on any one brand or vintage item, but rather would enjoy looking and seeing what I could find. On my loose "list" were: French-made/designed children's clothes (I have a whole host of cousins, nephews, nieces, friends' children and then my own that I can buy for-- so much fun), sweaters for Ryan, and leather boots for me. I didn't find any boots in my size (40/41 are hard to find in Europe, much less second-hand), but that's ok. I'll keep looking! I did grab some adorable kids' clothes, though; I absolutely love French styles for children. I tend to avoid the American teeny-bopper style that's flashy and sequined and prefer more classic simple childish-looking items. I also did find several men's sweaters by good French brands for 2 euros a pop! I guess one fellow shopper could sense the deal-hunter in me because he came over so excited to show me a men's coat selling for 5 euros that he knew retailed for over 500 -- he just had to tell someone! There was also this really stylishly-dressed older man (maybe 65) who was getting sweaters, and I kind of watched what he went for and copied him, since he managed to pull off quite a good look. :)
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| Our Small King |
After my purchasing, Liam was beginning to get heavy, and I was pretty hot from wearing him and all my cool-weather clothing in that overheated store. It was starting to rain a bit, and a Starbucks beckoned across the street. I grabbed a black-and-white mocha, refusing to think about the price, as well as a mug of hot water to heat up a bottle for him. All the workers seemed to be African/Arabic immigrants and they absolutely swooned over the baby. I've had about a dozen people come up to me and start telling me just how beautiful he is. I must say I agree. :)
We people-watched (I tried to identify the languages around me) and enjoyed our respective snacks. I let Liam lick a bit of my goat-milk-yogurt and he couldn't decide if he loved it or didn't.
Afterwards we hopped back on the metro to the next stop of the Basilisque du Sacre-Coeur (Church of the Sacred Heart) on Montmartre hill. I always enjoy walking up the cobble-stoned streets to this district, lined as they are with stores hawking every sort of tourist paraphernalia, or fabrics. This time, since I was pretty encumbered with baby & bags, I took the "funicular" (cable car) up to the top of the Butte. There were some pretty impressive street performers! One ripped African climbed a lampost, held a soccer ball between his foot & chin while performing acrobatics... another, fully covered in gold paint, sounded exactly like a bird when he moved.
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| Sacre-Coeur... never gets old! |
It was starting to sprinkle as we walked down the hill back into the metro stop. The metros were P.A.C.K.E.D. One nice lady was trying to help me --making sure I got a seat, advising me to wait til the next train, etc. It always does my heart good when a capable young man gives up his seat without being asked, to me as a young mom or to an older man or woman. Decency in my fellow man is always good to see. (understatement I know). Now I'm back in the apartment unwinding and trying to hold off eating until Ryan gets home. Someone is cooking in one of the other nearby apartments and it's mouth-watering. French cuisine, you know... Lumiere had it right "the dinners here are never second-best!"
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| View from Montmartre |
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| Eiffel Tower of Chocolate |
After my purchasing, Liam was beginning to get heavy, and I was pretty hot from wearing him and all my cool-weather clothing in that overheated store. It was starting to rain a bit, and a Starbucks beckoned across the street. I grabbed a black-and-white mocha, refusing to think about the price, as well as a mug of hot water to heat up a bottle for him. All the workers seemed to be African/Arabic immigrants and they absolutely swooned over the baby. I've had about a dozen people come up to me and start telling me just how beautiful he is. I must say I agree. :) 
1 comment:
Thanks for letting us journey with you through pictures! So glad you guys are having a great time!
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