Montmartre, Paris

I am now sitting in my little hotel room in Montmartre, listening to the sounds of the street several floors down. I was last in Paris two years ago and must admit that it really is a city that you could fall in love with. My hotel is only a short walk from the Sacre Coeur Cathedral in Montmartre and each morning I walk to the top of the hill to soak in the view and watch the dozens of artists practising their skills in the Place de La Tertre. What an ideal place to enjoy a coffee and croissant.catching
Paris is such a copact city that the best way to explore it is on two legs. I lov eto just walk and see where I end up. Today I started from the Place de La Concorde and followed the River Seine to the Eiffel Tower. Since I had already been to the top I just sat for quite a while watching the passing parade of people. I then cut back across the river through the gardens of the Palais de Chaillot andon to the Arc de Triomphe. I sat at the start of the Champs Elysees and tried to imagine the recent Tour de France which completed those famous final laps here before awarding the final Maillot Jeune to Cadel Evans.
From there I followed the Champs Elysees all the way back to the obelisk at the Place de la Concorde. The surface of the road is certainly no Beach Rd and is quite rough in places. It would have been so exciting to watch the peloton sweep past on that final day.
I have another two days in Paris before heading to Singapore for another 3 days. Then it’s back to Melbourne. The weather in Europe has been unseasonally warm, in Paris it has been high 20’s and sunny every day. I suspect that it may be a shock finally coming back to Emerald, but I really looking to catching up with everyone.
I hope to be back in France in two year’s time for our planned Loire Valley ride. I have already had a lot of poeple express interest in this trip so if you would like to be kept informed you should let me know without delay.
Au revoir
Dennis