Stairways to heaven

Started the day lounging around a fountain. As you do.  If you're French. I know this because the chair provided makes it impossible not to lounge. 

We them popped into the Orangerie to spend some time with Monet's water lilies.  There are two rooms of vast curved canvases showing them during sunrise, midday and sunset.  It sure beats the cheap water lilies poster that every good UofR freshman (me included) hung on her freshman room walls.  

On the way to lunch we experienced the lilac festival-Parisian style-with some 18th century building behind us. 

We also managed to find some boats for Rich

not quite the speed boats he prefers-though he did admire the amphibious car on one of the houseboats. 

We also saw a little antique car club setting up. 

And some rabbits. 

The boats, car show, "lilac festival" and wildlife were all because our metro train was not running and we had to walk to lunch-sometimes it's nice to not take the direct route, but instead stumble across some life along the way. 

So finally lunch-my favorite experience of the day. We found a place making Cuisine from Burgundy.  I started with eggs cooked in wine-amazing. Then I had cheese soufflé and finally crepe Suzette with grand Marnier - set afire right at the table. Highly recommend Auberge Bressane if you're ever in Paris.  The owner doing witty and clever card tricks at our table was a bonus- Kat loves close magic.

The sun finally came out for us and we headed up to the artistic enclave of Montmartre. Picasso, Van Gogh and many others made their home in hilly Montmartre & you can still find many artists there today-including a plethora of caricature artists. We did a self guided walking tour and saw the windmills (originally used to grind flour, later signaling famous cabarets including the Moulin Rouge)

This famous cabaret as well - Lapin Agile - were those rabbits earlier a sign? 

And we spent a little time at the famous Sacre Coer church steps

Admiring the gargoyles 

And the street performers 

Headed back down the hill we admired some art. 

And saw a fellow taking his blow up doll out for a cruise. 

Has this day feeling long to you?  It was to us. But we're not done yet.  We wanted to cap off the day at the Arch de Triumphe.  It's easy to get here, where you have a view of the arch

But between it and us was a very busy traffic circle not open to pedestrians. Finding our way across was the biggest challenge of the day.  Lots of false attempts  finding just the right underground stairwell.  We finally succeeded-and promptly forgot all the trouble. It's worth all the 284 steps to reach the top.  

 And full circle-a view of Sacre Coer from here.

Quite a day. With all the metro stairs( the Montmartre stop 'Abbesses' famously 118 feet underground and many many stairs from the surface), church front stairs, Arch de triumph stairs, and the five flights to our room my Fitbit says I went up 62 flights of stairs today. Paris is not for sissies.