Going up the Mountain of the Martyrs

Still a little tired after our overnight train journey of the night before we didn't get up until 8.00 a.m. After showering and dressing we were out of the hotel by 8.30. This being Paris there were lots of little cafes where we could breakfast. We choose one two blocks from the hotel with a view up to the Sacre Coeur. Drew had two croissants while I had a slice of French loaf with olive oil these were washed down by orange juice and coffee.

We climbed up the hill of Montmartre and up to the Sacre Coeur. Yes we know there is a funicular, but after this holiday our legs expect some exertion!  Sacre Coeur is very special and though cameras aren't allowed inside we really enjoyed strolling around and spending a little time in prayer.

From the Sacre Coeur we went to St. Pierre's Church, the original 12th century Church on Montmartre. Drew loved the stained glass in this Church and took plenty of photos of the windows.

From the top of Montmartre we walked down through the crowds of tourists and came to a pretty restaurant called: Le Moulin de la Galette. This has one of the two remaining windmills in the area (the other is on the Moulin Rouge) which was originally known for its windmills. Le Moulin de la Galette had been a famous dancing spot in its time and a number of famous artists including Van Gogh had painted it over the years. I went in and reserved a table for tonight, I was amazed, I grant it was with the help of a book, but I managed to ask if I could reserve a table for 8.00 p.m., be told that I couldn’t but confirmed that I could have one either for 7.30 or 9.00 and indicated that I wanted to 7.30 one entirely in French. French is the weakest of my languages and I struggle with pronunciation more than with the words themselves, but to my astonishment I managed it. Sister Monica, the fearsome nun who tried, and failed, to teach me French in school would have been astounded.

We continued down the hill to the Cemetery of Montmartre. Drew loves a nice cemetery so he was busy taking photos of the graves, and some real nice ones there, are as you will see here.

From the cemetery we walked the short distance to the Moulin Rouge and past the seedy sex shops of this part of the town. Drew continued to take photos of everything we passed.

Climbing the hill of Montmartre again, we went to look for the restaurant where Drew first tasted Mussels (Moules) eight years ago. On that occasion we had four days in Paris and one of the days was spent in this part of town. The difference between February and August was the number of people crowded into the area of Montmartre with the restaurants. We identified the place, and as Drew likes his little traditions we decided we would lunch here. The restaurant is called Le Consulat. We went in and sat down. Drew was determined to have the same meal that he had had last time. I joined him this time, so we both had moules et frites. A huge bowl of mussels was served and they were really delicious. I love it when some of the most simple food is the one that really tickles your taste buds.

We walked back through the crowds and down the hill and ended back at the hotel at 2.30.

Saturday Evening

Being this weekend brings the holiday to an end and we have a travelling day tomorrow I’d looked for a Vigil Mass in Paris so that I could attend tonight before the journey tomorrow. I’d seen one in St. Vincent’s Church about 20 minutes walk from the hotel, but when up the hill this morning I’d noted that St. Pierre’s had one at 6.00. So I left the hotel at 5.15 and walked up to St. Pierre’s, that walk really is hard work. Getting there around 5.45 with plenty of time before Mass. Mass was a nice celebration with only 20 or so people in attendance, but a priest who took a calm and prayerful approach, singing the core parts of the Mass in Latin, meaning I could join in more easily than I could in French.

Drew arranged to meet me after Mass and when I came out at 7.00 there he was. We walked around Montmartre looking at the artists and the tourists for a while and got to  LeMoulin de la Galette at 7.25

We were sat promptly and decided we would opt for the Chef’s Menu dégustation, a five course menu, that was actually six courses.

The reason the menu was six courses was that the first course was a ‘gift of the chef’. This was a bowl of gazpacho de tomate. This impressed us as, fans of gazpacho as we are, this one was of an intense tomato flavour, with a balsamic drizzle and halves of cheery tomatoes in the bowl. An excellent start.

The next course looked like nothing I had ever seen, I hope the photo does it justice. It was carpaccio de bar aux zestes de citron vert, tartare de thon rouge et salicorne, it was made to look like the sea itself. So as well as each the sea bass you were eating a jellied texture designed to look like the sea. A clever idea, but bringing with it flavour, not just show.

Next we were served foie gras mi-cuit et brioche de Nanterre toastée, the richness of the foie gras was a bit much for Drew, I had half of his, but it suited me fine. The salad with French dressing on which is was served was also very tasty the smears were raspberry and plum.

The next plate was also a masterpiece, this was filet de rouget, gambas et langoustine, riz noir au combava et marmelade provençale – the range of colours on this dish was only matched by the range of flavours, a citronella sauce, a carrot sauce, a lovely limey flavour plus the textures of the fish and shellfish – delightful.

The main course was carré d'agneau aux figues rôties, pommes de terre ratte du Touquet aux fines herbes. We had been asked in advance how we liked our lamb, Drew went for medium I for pink, and they were both cooked perfectly for our tastes. The fig was a bit of a surprise, it looked like a roast potato and I only realised it was fig as I bit into it, still it provided a sweetness that went well with the lamb. The lamb was served over some lovely little mushrooms which had been lightly sautéed. Altogether excellent.

Finally came the final course and Drew had to sacrifice, as he does so often, to have both versions of the crème de glace et de pamplemousse, et macaron pistache. He thought both were excellent and they worked as a complement to each other, indeed he thought that twice.

We finished with a coffee and walked back to Sacre Coeur where a concert was taking place. We strolled down the hill and arrived at the hotel at 11.00 p.m. after another lovely day.