France > Wandering through Montmartre

Shortly after ten o’clock, we—Raymond, Mirjam, Fred, Berlinda, Ron, Jose, Marco, and Ronald—drive toward the French capital in two cars. Along the way, we stop for a coffee and a sandwich at a roadside restaurant in Belgium. Around four o’clock, we approach Paris, and the traffic becomes increasingly heavy. As we reach the Paris ring road, it’s clear that we’re right in the middle of rush hour. In a long traffic jam, we drive clockwise toward Maisons-Alfort. Our hotel is located close to the ring.

France - SacreCur

Fred booked the hotel on the recommendation of a colleague. After about an hour in traffic, we arrive in Maisons-Alfort at our hotel. The hotel is on a busy street, so we park our cars in a garage one street behind the hotel. The hotel looks neat and well-kept. I share a room on the third floor with Marco, overlooking the courtyard. In the bar, we have a beer. In the evening, we take the metro across the street toward the city center. With one transfer, we reach the metro stop near Montmartre. Through the narrow streets, we walk up toward the Sacré-Cœur. From the steps, we already have a beautiful view of the illuminated church. At the Montmartre square, we look for a place to eat. Many restaurants no longer have space for eight people, and it’s a bit too chilly for a terrace. In one of the side streets, we find a pizzeria with a table available on the first floor. The prices are high—a half-liter of beer costs twelve euros. At first, my meal isn’t properly heated. On the chef’s second attempt, however, it’s more than made up for. The folded pizza tastes great after all. After our meal, we stroll through the Montmartre neighborhood. Since everyone is a bit tired from the day’s journey, we decide to take the metro back to the hotel. We end the evening with a drink at the hotel before going to bed.