Day 3 - Yellow Jackets and Montmartre

After sleeping all the way through Thursday night, last night I was only able to sleep until 3 am - a symptom of jetlag.  I read for awhile, but was still wide awake, so turned on CNN and was ready to go down to breakfast at 7.

I left the hotel around 10 and because many bus lines were going to be interrupted today, I took Metro Line 7 to the Stalingrad station where I transferred to Line 2. OMG! That is a huge station and I had to go up stairs, then down, then back up, walking what seemed like miles.  Eventually, I felt fresh air coming into the tunnel and was met with another looooong flight of stairs, but with an escalator along side, and it was working!  Then another shorter flight of stairs up to the above-ground platform to the train.  The first train was jammed tight, so waited for the next, which was also jammed, but I got on anyway, holding my purse in front of me and keeping my hand on it.  I was planning to get off at Pigalle, but the train was so crowded I decided to get off at the stop before (Anvers), which is the stop closest to Sacre Coeur and the Funicular. It was raining quite hard by then, so I pulled up the hood of my coat and headed uphill toward Sacre Coeur and rode the Funicular up the steepest part of the hill.  I was going to ride the Montmartrobus, which runs a circuit around the the hill, but failed to see the stop right across from where I got off of the Funicular (I saw it while on the bus, going around its circuit).  It seems everyone else trying to avoid the day's "manifestations" also decided to go to Montmartre and it was crowded.  I had to wave off three "petition girls," who usually aren't aggressive, but saw no other scammers. I walked up the hill to Place du Tertre where there were only a few of the hardiest artists displaying their wares.   To get out of the crowd, I walked further to where I knew there to be a stop for the bus.

At the end of the line, everyone had to get off and cross a square to get onto what was probably the same bus to go back up and around the hill.  Well, the square is in front of the Mairie (City Hall) for the 18th Arrondissement, which is a very pretty building decorated for Christmas, with a church on one side and a carousel in the middle.  This is on the "backside" of Montmartre that few tourists ever see.  What a charming place.  It was nearly lunch time and I was desperate for "un cafe," so went to Cafe Nord Sud.  I walked in and a waiter immediately made eye contact. I indicated that I wanted a table for one and he opened his arms, gave me a big smile and sat me at a nice table looking out on the square.  I felt so welcome.  I ordered a "grand creme" (a large coffee with milk) and a "croque monsieur" (open-faced ham and cheese sandwich) for my lunch.

Paris has 20 districts or "arrondissements" and each has its own "mairie" or city hall with its own mayor and council under the larger umbrella of the Mayor of Paris and the Hotel de Ville, the huge "city hall"  on the Right Bank of the Seine.  Anyone who wants to get married does so at one of these "mairies," then has a religious service at a church if they so desire.  In fact, it appeared that there was a wedding going on today with people posing out front for pictures.

While I was having lunch the sky cleared a bit and the sun came out, but it was short lived.  I got back on the Montmartrobus, riding it to the Musee de Montmartre.  This museum celebrates the artists that settled in Montmartre in the 19th century, into the 20th.  In fact, Renior once lived in the building.  There were several works by him as well as Toulouse-Lautrec and others.  There were also photos showing how Montmartre looked during this era - quite different from how it looks now.  Originally, Montmartre was a separate village with vineyards. There is only one remaining and every year there is a festival when the grapes are harvested at this tiny little vineyard and made into a few barrels of wine. Montmartre was annexed into the City of Paris in 1859, so there is a lot of history here...along with tourists...but to really experience Montmartre one needs to get away from Pigalle, Sacre Coeur, and Place du Tertre.

While wandering around, I was surprised at how many available taxis there were. That made me happy because while I was hiking through the Stalingrad Metro station I decided to take a taxi back to the hotel.  Of course, I also thought that when I wanted one, there wouldn't be one.  Wrong.  I was outside the museum only a minute or so when two empty ones came along, so I hopped in the first one.  Since I had been up since 3 am, I took a nap after I got back to the hotel.

Everywhere I went today it was business as usual.  I did see some Yellow Jackets in a Metro car heading east towards the Opera while I was on the opposite platform.  They were yelling and chanting, but seeming to have a good time.  I also saw some on the street near the hotel, coming from the Opera area when I went out around 4:00.  But, they were non-threatening and appeared to be going home.  Some were carrying surgical-type masks.  I really haven't gotten a clear picture of what happened today from CNN - their news seems to be mostly in soundbites, repeated over and over again, without much depth.  I've just tuned to France 24, so maybe I'll learn more.  The picture in the background just shows Yellow Jackets milling around, so at least in that locale, it appears to be mostly over. The newscaster says that the level of violence didn't reach the level of last Saturday.  The city was very proactive and just about everything thing in "tourist central" was closed today.

The picture of Sacre Coeur was as close as I got as it was engulfed by people.

Only 8,300 steps today, but 15 flights of steps - I think that includes hills, too.