The best news we have had recently was in an email from Hamish to say that he had a ship called the SALZBURG available to take us from Busan, Korea on October 9 to Auckland with a stop in Suva. That means an extra week in Korea, but that is not a worry; we will find a way of using that week. after a few days in Auckland there is a freighter going to Sydney. Last parts of our round the world jigsaw are now ready to go into place. Today is hot in Paris (32C) and tomorrow may be hotter, so we spent some time recovering in the hotel in between sorties. Still quite geographically timid we decide first up to find the Gare du Nord, which is only 200 meters away, but in which direction? Compass to the rescue. Should have bought a Tom Tom. Found a ticket window at the station and planned our exit from Paris to Copenhagen on August 9. It will cost us 250 euros for fast train and overnight couchette fees on top of our Eurail Pass but it works well and will save hotel fees. Next up we ventured around the block following a free map and came upon a long market place in Boulevard de la Chapelle. Clothing, shoes, fruit, vegetables all dirt cheap. These stallholders know how to cut overheads and margins.
We had morning tea in a bistro. It seems people buy cakes at the patisserie and drinks at the bistro so we went next door to the boulanger after our drink and chose from these:
The girl wrapped them beautifully.
and we ate them in our room. Why don't they serve coffee in the patisserie? Union rules?
We ventured out in another direction and found the church of St Vincent de Paul, which we had not heard of before.
We eventually ended up at the Markets from the other direction. By this time the place was seething with bodies so we bought some fruit and retreated with our hands on our wallet and handbag. When we came back the lights and the TV failed so we had to move upstairs to the attic on the 6th floor, where we felt La Boheme was located. But the heroine's hands were hot and sweaty so we agreed to try and find the Basilique Sacre Coeur. Following a crowded Boulevard we kept looking north until it suddenly appeared like magic.
Wow! What a contrast to all the cheap shops on the Boulevard. My first Paris Landmark since first learning of them sixty years ago. The inside was just as beautiful as the outside with impressive stonework, stained glass, paintings and towering dome; and the bonus was the panorama of the city looking south.
But the Eiffel Tower is still invisible except that dozens of blanket on ground sellers had them at 4 per euro. On the way back to the hotel Lyn bought a small suitcase on wheels to take the strain off our packs which are being stretched to their limit when we move hotels.
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