Day 3 – Paris: Montmarte & Oberkampf
We had a late start this morning as I didn’t sleep good and still wasn’t feeling well, but it was vacation so I had to power through. Today we planned to visit and explore Montmarte. We arrived at 12pm and walked to the top of Sacré-Coeur Basilica. It was massive and what looked like vines on the railing from afar were actually tons of locks. It also had excellent views of the city below. Then we walked around Montmarte following a free walking guide of the city that I found online. We stopped at the Le Close vineyards, La Maison Rose cafe, and then decided to take a break at a coffee shop.
We continued following the walking tour map to see Picasso’s first studio and the “I love you” mural (which sadly was closed but we could see it through the gate). I needed a pick me up so we popped into a cafe for a cappuccino. Around 2:30pm decided to get lunch since I realized all I had eaten today was a croissant.
We walked to Moulin de la Galette and sat at a table outside. We ordered 2 glasses of red wine , and decided to be adventurous and try the frog legs appetizer. I was nervous but honestly it was delicious, and tasted very similar to chicken but more tender. We also ordered escargot and coq au vin to share. It was a warm hearty meal, perfect for the brisk weather outside. To end our lunch the waiter recommended their homemade mousse for dessert. While it may not look appetizing, it was delectable – the chocolate literally melted in your mouth. I could have eaten a whole bowl full of it.
As we walked down the steps of the Sacré-Coeur Basilica, I realized one of my earrings was missing. Upset, since I just bought them before this trip, we retraced our steps up and down the staircase and right when I was about to give up I spotted it on the stairs – how lucky! On our uber ride back I couldn’t get over the influx of people that had taken over the streets. What a difference between our first day in Paris compared to now.
Tired after a day of exploring, we took a power nap since our dinner reservations weren’t until 9:30pm. Tonight we were headed to Pierre Seng – a French Korean fusion restaurant in the Oberkampf neighborhood. The restaurant features a surprise menu where you have to guess what the ingredients in each dish are and the waiter tells you after you finish. The dishes were all very tasty though some could have been heated up a bit better. Something that I noticed during this trip to Paris is that a lot of the restaurants are playing American songs even if the majority of the clientele are French. I wish they played French jazz or even French hip hop for more of an authentic vibe.
