Day 23 - Paris, France

Today we headed out walking up the Champs-Élysées to Charles de Gaulle-Étoile Metro station at the Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile and caught the subway up to Anvers in Montmartre. We had coffee in a local cafe and walked up the stairs to the Sacré-Cœur Basilica. The wind was howling and the making the temperature appear very cold, so we quickly ventured inside after a brief stop to admire the view back across a cloud covered Paris skyline.

The Basilica is quite stunning inside so we spent around thirty minutes wandering around and exploring. Unfortunately the crypt and dome were not open so we then ventured back out into the streets of Montmartre and explored the artistic area of Paris. A place where some famous artists have spent their time over the years. It's a great typical Parisian area and fun to explore, even though the weather was not so conducive to spending too long outside.

We found a cafe around 5pm and stopped for a warm drink and then purchased some french pastries from a shop across the road to take home with us. Very cheap indeed. 2 pain au chocolat, with a free extra et 2 croissants, also with a free extra only cost €4.40.

Now dark outside we headed for the subway and back home for dinner.

Observation: Sadly fur is the fashion item of choice here in Paris for girls and women. It was also present in New York, but here it is very much a key part of the fashion and women of all ages wear it, even entire full fur coats. Many shops feature it prominently in the range or even specialise entirely in it. If you wear fur, even around the collar of a jacket, then shame on you. It's appalling. The animals are often skinned alive to make these 'fashion' items.

Today's Weather

Very overcast, wind chill causing the apparent temperature to feel very cold. Light rain at times. Maximum Temperature: 12 C