Paris, the city of love, fine food, art and stunning scenery. It’s a cliché right? Well, I’m sorry to say it, but I completely took in that cliché when I stayed in the city for four days earlier this year.
As recent residents in the south east of England after moving from Somerset, my girlfriend and I decided a break to the capital of all things culinary via Eurostar would be a perfect get-away.
It’s far enough away to escape from family and friends, but not too far that we’d suffer from jet-lag or a seriously empty wallet on our return.
When I was asked to write a blog for LBBD I thought the best way to tackle the colossal subject of the city was to break it down into my four favourite parts: Montmartre, the Musee D’Orsay, the Eiffel Tower and the Bateaux Parisiens.
I hope you enjoy and please visit my blog www.leemoran.co.uk for more of my travel photography!
Lee x
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Part One : Montmartre
The hippies and South American bands playing music on the steps of the Sacre Coueur as the sun slowly dipped down past the Eiffel Tower over the horizon was one of the highlights of my trip to Paris.
This was after we’d shuffled past a plethora of portrait painters hoping to emulate the previous incumbents of the district (including Dali, Monet and Picasso) who’d called out asking to immortalise us on their canvases.
One cheeky Italian, whose name I forget, charmed my girlfriend by saying he could restore my hair – in illustration at least – leading to chortles of delight from all around, from people lapping up my lack of hair a little bit too much for my liking.
The Basilica itself was a delight to behold, despite the throngs of tourists viewing for centre position as they sought to etch their memories of the intricate stone-works onto celluloid and video.
But I did worry the spectacle of a thousand nationalities marching clockwise through the church, being scolded by staff for using camera flashes or for talking too loudly, must annoy true believers, especially the guilt-stricken Catholics in line for confession we encountered as we exited the building.
The district is also a cracking choice for foodies on a budget – as we were. A wealth of restaurants offer standard French fare, and as I’m a firm believer of ‘when in Rome’ I plumped for the bowl of mussels.
As the dish is one I find not usually cooked well by the majority of places in the UK* (the only meal I’ve ever sent back was a feast of cremated mussels from a Sevenoaks gastro-pub in 2006) I was overjoyed to be presented with a full tasty bowl, which I’d classify as exceptional for the price.
* Any restaurants in the UK who’d like to prove me wrong can invite me to try their mussels by contacting me through my blog.
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