Behind the Sacré Cœur: finding Montmartre

What will I find hidden?

I visited Paris on a school trip when I was 12 and remember everyone wearing bérets, having our caricatures sketched in the Place du Tertre and forcing down tiny coffees on the steps under La Basilique du Sacré-Cœur. We felt fabulous and French and I loved it. But Montmartre divides the population. It's not what it used to be, they say. The magic is still there, hidden away, say others. So on my final day in Paris, I grabbed my camera and wandered around without a map trying to stay away from the hilltop until the final moment.

 

If there aren't many people, you've found the right place. The old village where 19th century artists all flocked, selling their paintings for rent and meals, joined into Paris as it expanded. Stepping away from Boulevard du Clichy, you soon find the village taking over from the peep-shows.

Shops, vineyard and the Sacré cœur - but not how I remember it.

It was a lovely place to wander around with surprises popping out all over the place. A vineyard, sculptures, murals. A great spot for this flâneuse.

Le Passe-Muraille (The Man Who Walked through Walls) was sculpted by the actor Jean Marais apparently which is just mind-blowing to me - why isn't this more well-known? This statue commemorates the intriguing story by Marcel Aymé written in 1943 about a man who can - would you have guessed it - walk through walls.

Love from all over the world

I finally found myself arriving at the back of the SC and was surrounded once again by Paris's tourist population. I'm not one to shirk the mainstream and I believe usually things are popular for a reason. It can't be denied it's pretty magical atop that hill and the view over the rooftops of Paris is one of my favourites. I never could quite detach myself from my tourist persona in Paris - the fact is that it still remains totally magical and other worldly in my eyes. So never quite a Parisian, but I tried to become more than a tourist and it ended up being quite a nice space to occupy.

A Mouzaïa wander and a Buttes Chaumont picnic

Mouzaïa in the 19th: a hidden village inside Paris

At the recommendation of one of the women that I live with, I grabbed my camera and spent an hour exploring the unusual neighbourhood which centers around Rue de Mouzaïa. Behind concrete tower blocks, you can find this little haven of flowers and felines. There were no tourists, and I even got some funny looks as these Parisians are certainly not used to having their territory snapped.

This area makes a fun change from the beautiful (but repetitive) Haussmann style of central Paris. Little pedestrian alleyways run off the main street and meandering up and down them, you'll find cute gardens and houses better suited to a village far away from the capital. There are plenty of helpful signs warning you about the dangerous and savage animal population, so thankfully I knew to watch myself around this wild cat.

The charming details of the villas

 I saw families playing in their gardens which is certainly something you miss in the city where a private garden comes with a hefty price tag. The charm is in the detail so this is not a place to visit if you're in a rush but is a great add on if you're heading to the Parc des Buttes Chaumont. As I happened to be...

Parc des Buttes Chaumont

 I had been invited to a little picnic and so four ladies gathered with wine, bread, cheese and radishes for a thoroughly French meal. We nattered away until dark, until we were kindly welcomed back to one of the girls' pad for snuggles with her cat. Lots of wine was had, and the next morning, I had about 50 blurry photos of that cat. A good time indeed.

Wine and whiskers

Un weekend à Paris: Canal Saint-Martin and Jim Broadbent

Canal Saint-Martin: the picnic and protest edition

 Les tous petits plaisirs. If you haven't seen Amélie, you need to correct that immediately and learn to enjoy the small pleasures in life. Such as skipping stones on Canal Saint-Martin. My classmate very wisely proposed a picnic by the canal last weekend and so we ate our Sésame bagels, chat about life and watched the world go by. A gorgeous afternoon, enjoyed with many Parisians. Protesters marched past, stylish kids scooted along and boats passed through the locks. Simply charming!

Popular with the locals, we searched for an empty spot

My weekend in Paris was finished with Roger Mitchell's Un week-end à Paris, newly released here in France but came out in the UK back in October as Le Week-End. I was completely enchanted by this film. Beautiful shots of Paris, a honest look at a long-term relationship, and quiet humour. I loved the throwback to Godard's Band à Part and I now dream of recreating the dance scene in a little bistro. It was a film that I wanted to instantly see again once the credits rolled and think if, like me, you enjoy New Wave films, Jim Broadbent or Jeff Goldblum do not miss this!

Jardin des Plantes: home to a thousand and one orchids

The mysterious gazebo atop the labyrinth may cause expressive dancing

Sunshine hits the 5th arrondissement

To profite bien du soleil, after my classes I headed to the Jardin des Plantes to soak up the vitamin D along with every other Parisian with a lunch break. This garden has a pretty rad history, thanks to the little Menagerie. This zoo housed all the animals that survived the French Revolution in the Royal Menagerie of the Château de Versailles, although most had been eaten or sold. Whilst it was being constructed a lion, a polar bear and a sheep (amongst others) had to live in harmony in the basement of the museum. When it was finally ready, visitors apparently spat at the lion and yelled obscenities at it since it represented the guillotined Louis XVI, and he too, was once the king of the jungle.

However, not one to release my anger on wild animals, I popped into the Mille et une Orchidées exposition to admire the crazy selection of beautiful orchids. I was definitely the youngest person there by around 65 years, however since watching this awesome video about Marianne North, I have decided that flowers are basically The Best Thing Ever for a young lady to enjoy. Transported to the Tropics I wandered the expositions in an absolute daze - the sudden warmth, the sweet smells and the complete confusion of having just stepped out of Paris and into a jungle. Magical.

Mille et une Orchidées

Only missing a paint brush...

Tea Time in Paris: A Priori Thé

Galerie Vivienne

On a rainy afternoon in Paris, what could be nicer than a spot of afternoon tea? A very international group of twenty-something girls met in the Galerie Vivienne, one of the many hidden passages in the second arrondissement. In the 18th century, these passages were popping up all over the city, turning it into a shopping labyrinth. Of those that survive, some are definitely of the shabby-chic variety but the beautifully preserved Galerie Vivienne's amazing mosaics and grand architecture transports you back to the belle époque.

We headed to A Priori Thé (a nice French pun to show that tea is an absolute priority) for small talk and scones. After indulging, I wandered off with a Swedish dancer I had just met to explore and admire the curiosities in the windows of Galerie Vivienne and other passages in the area. If you fancy a little window shopping away from the tourist crowds, this is the area to delve into - old maps, faded books, retro toys and lots of lovely treats.

Magical mermaid skull and hot-air balloon voyages - some of the many delights to be found

The flâneuse in Paris

A rather gloomy day of sightseeing in the City of Light marked my arrival in Paris. I've been here before, many times, thanks to my Erasmus year. But never to live permanently. Well... perhaps permanently. TBC.

The first thing on my list was the exhibition of Brassaï photographs at the Hôtel de Ville. Amazingly, I found myself among Parisians on their lunch breaks and not another tourist in sight; although maybe they were just blending in as well as I hoped I was...

I studied Brassaï's work at university in my favourite module with my favourite teacher which really helped me enjoy my afternoon there since I am a bit of a photography novice. This is not a review, although it is brilliant and I recommend it heartily! But in bringing back my memories of this class, I remembered the flâneur. 

The image of the stroller, an urban-explorer, obviously appealed to the romantic student in me and has stuck in my head ever since. The flâneur wanders the city and observes its people, its everyday existence but from a distance. He is detached and objective. In my seminar we discussed the lack of the flâneuse, where are the women wandering the streets of Paris? Well, it was a pastime that only rich and educated men could undertake.

So, welcome to the 21st century. During my stay in Paris, in my wanderings of the city, I will become a flâneuse and enjoy all that this city can offer.