5 January 2014

We have booked a Paris Greeter walking tour today. The “Greeter” is an international organisation of volunteers who, for free, will show you around their neighbourhood. 

Phillippe was our guide and he was born in the 20th Arr. We met outside a coffee shop and spent two hours walking the most interesting back streets of the Arr. He was quite knowledgeable on the history and architecture and spoke very good English. 

It was a wonderful and informative two hours, (9,000 steps), which included a café where Edith Piaf sang (must be true – it had a sign saying so, and a statue of her in the adjacent square) and the Cimetière du Père-Lachaise, where a lot of famous people (including her) are buried and it’s the largest open space in Paris. Very few people about due to the holidays, so it was an easy stroll.

Lunch was taken in the sunny corner of the enclosed terrace at Le Bistrot du Metro, overlooking the fountain and Mayor’s office on Rue Gambetta, the main rue in the 20 Arr.

I enclose a food photo for those craving them. We had smoked salmon entrée and for plat principle, the Moules Marinières with frittes. Flashy counted the moules and we each had 92! Of course, they were sweet, dainty little beauties about the size of your big finger’s nail and the frittes were hand cut. A half litre of Cote du Rhone washed them down nicely. Home now for a power nap I reckon. Still 149€ under budget for the week on daily living. Must be buying the cheap wine!













Moules Marinières with frittes












Blue sky, crisp 9c in the cimetiere pere lachaise










Home made soup

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