Montmartre Moments

The 18th arrondissement was my home for an entire month, and for that reason the Montmartre area will always be my favorite district in Paris. In case you missed it, here are a few older blog posts featuring the neighborhood that I lived in during my stay:

Paris Adventures: Day One

The 18th Arrondissement

The 18th Arrondissement Pt. 2

Of Fairs and Food

I had no idea that there was going to be some sort of artisinal food fair up at the Sacré-Coeur today, but I'm really glad that I didn't miss it! There were rows of stands selling everything from cheese and champagne to foie gras. Today was also my first time venturing inside of the Sacré-Coeur, which is crazy considering the fact that I live right by it! Anyways, I'm taking a couple of exciting day trips out of the city this week. I'll be posting more photos soon!

The 18th Arrondissement Pt. 2

I took an afternoon walk over to the Sacré-Coeur earlier today. There's always a ton of tourists around, but you can't beat the views of the city from up there. I have no idea what part of Paris I'm going to explore this week but it's nice not having everything planned out.

Here's another quick video that I shot around the neighborhood. I have to admit, I'm having a lot of fun shooting these video clips! :)

The 18th Arrondissement

I've only been here for five days, but I already love my neighborhood! On one hand, I totally feel like a local since I live away from the center of the city where most of the main tourist sites are located. On the other hand, the Sacré-Cœur Basilica is just a five-minute walk away, so if I ever want to join in with the tourists, all I have to do is head up the street!

A few other thoughts:

+ My windows face three other buildings that form a sort of enclosed courtyard. Somebody in one of the other buildings plays classical piano! Whenever he or she practices, I like to just sit back at my desk and enjoy the music. At one point earlier today, this mysterious pianist started playing theme music from Harry Potter haha!

+ A couple of days ago, I discovered that there's an Asian restaurant just a few doors down from my apartment. It's currently my only source of rice (grocery shopping has been rather difficult for me). I think that the owner is starting to recognize me whenever I come in. He can't speak any English but he always bears with me when I attempt to make an order in French (ordering usually involves a lot of hand gestures haha).

+ As I'm writing this it is POURING rain outside. I'm so glad that I decided to take a day off from exploring the city! It's just movies and pajamas for me today! :)

Paris Adventures: Day One

I was exhausted when I finally arrived in Paris yesterday morning but I couldn't just sit and relax in my apartment on my first day! After doing some grocery shopping (which was a whole other adventure - more on that later), I decided to wander around the 18th arrondissement and check out the neighborhood. I love the fact that the Sacre-Coeur Basilica is just a 5-minute walk away! Plus, the surrounding areas are filled with cobblestone streets and Parisian architecture!

Here's a few other random stories from yesterday:

+ I'm extremely proud of myself for figuring out how to take the RER B train from the airport to Gare du Nord (the North Station). I don't know any French except for what I learned through Google Translate (haha), so navigating the transportation system is a major accomplishment in my mind.

+ I took a taxi from Gare du Nord to a nearby cafe, where I needed to pick up my apartment keys. The cafe was literally one block away from my apartment and yet I still got lost. Lucky for me, a very kind woman named Sylvie helped me out after I asked for directions (in French!). So thank goodness for kind strangers!

+ Grocery shopping is an adventure when all of the labels are in a language that you can't read and all of the prices are in Euros haha. And I haven't visited the local bakery yet, but I saw several people carrying baguettes on the street yesterday. Guess what I'll be buying soon!

I'm heading over to the Trocadero Gardens across from the Eiffel Tower later today, so I should have more photos soon!