My family and I were in a group tour around central and northern France in August 2017. Now, as you probably know, I’m Greek, and for me, the month of August is generally synonymous with insufferable heat. However, in central Europe, this is apparently not the case. August is sort of like a sneak peek into the upcoming autumn. Or at least that’s the impression I formed when I arrived in Paris.
Walking out of the airport in my tank top and my thin leggings was my first mistake. I quickly wrapped myself in my light coat - which was sufficient for the time being, as it was only early in the afternoon. The tour bus picked us up and took us to our hotel, where we rested a little. But of course my family, being adventurous and curious souls, wanted to explore the area. We looked it up on Google Maps and realized that the hotel was a walking distance from Montmartre. “Perfect!” my mom said. “Let’s go to Montmartre!”
After almost half an hour in the rain, we arrived at Montmartre. It was getting darker and subsequently colder, but I pretended not to care - because admitting that you’re cold to your mom who told you to wear something warmer is certainly not an option. Despite my slight discomfort, I couldn’t help but stand in awe of what I saw around me; Montmartre was beautiful. We walked among the picturesque Parisian cafes and restaurants and then decided to take a little sightseeing train; it was merely drizzling, but still not an atmosphere suitable for walking.
We saw all the significant buildings, houses, churches, and of course the cabarets! Our final stop was - you guessed it - the Moulin Rouge! Somehow, it had never occurred to me that a cabaret named “Red Mill” literally has a huge neon-lit red mill right on top of it… But it was impressive! We took some photos there and hopped back onto the train, which brought us once again to the centre of Montmartre; from there, we went up to see the Sacre-Coeur… What a sight it was! Someone was sitting on the stairs, playing his guitar and singing. How French, I thought, how Parisian!
Later that night, I was forced to admit that I had absolutely frozen with my light coat. I ended up buying a sweater that said “Paris” on it, in one of those tourist shops… And I was so thankful for that warm, cosy sweater during the rest of our stay!
(photo taken by me)
Want another post about France? Check out Saint-Malo - crepes by the sea
Tags: #paris #france #montmartre