Still en route to Calais
Continuing on again: About an hour after returning to the hotel, we were on the coach and off for our final optional excursion - "Farewell Dinner and Montmartre".Passing by the Moulin Rouge, we stopped at the foot of the hill (Montmartre means "martyr hill") and stared up at its crowning glory - the Sacré Cœur (Sacred Heart) church.
Instead of climbing the 430 steps to the top, we took the funicular. :P
At the top we were given a panoramic view of the city stretching out below.
Instead of entering the church immediately, we took a nice walk through the cobbled streets of Montmartre, which also happens to be the "heart of Bohemian Paris". There were many souvenir shops and art shops around, and artists prowled the pavements sketching portraits on the spot.
Our walk ended in front of the church, and this time we went in. Apparently Mass is held around the clock inside, and photography is banned. We walked quietly around the walls, seeing the many altars and admiring the shimmering deep blue-and-gold mosaic dome, before exiting the church.
There was enough time to return to the souvenir shops and get my painted postcards (among other things), before we took the funicular down and got on our coach again.
We entered the main Parisian roads again............and the bus drove through the compound of the Louvre.
So we got another chance to see the long buildings and the glass pyramids, and decided that our trip earlier in the day was mostly wasted. :P
Next we crossed the Seine and alighted, then walked down narrow sloping streets lined with bistros. We arrived at our destination - the Bistrot de la Montagne - but had to wait for our tables to be prepared because the previous tour group had just left.
Finally we could enter the warm cosy (and dim) retaurant to thaw, and were served some champagne. We were given a menu to select from, and after I had listed my choices - French onion soup, chicken fillet with mushroom sauce, and peach melba - I noticed the two large flasks of wine (red and white) beside me, and immediately poured myself a glass of red wine.
Our dinner was spent eating, drinking, talking, and being entertained by an accordion and guitar player.
After my two glasses of champagne and one glass each of red and white wine, it was time to leave. I made my way through the narrow aisle and up the little flight of stairs out of the restaurant, climbed onto the bus, and reached the hotel room without tripping or walking into any walls. :P
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