Day 31 September 15, 2008
I had big plans to go to a famous church (oh no, I haven't seen one of those yet), but the metro line that I needed blew up or something. I don't know. Does it look like I know French? Actually, no one can tell which is great, until I open my mouth and then they know I'm no native, but they're usually hesitant to switch to English because I might be worse in that language. Sometimes I am. Looking Amish has its advantages, I tell you what.
So I had to make up plans on the fly which is not my style. I did actually coble together a coherent day in the 18th arrondissement. I checked out the Moulin Rouge where lots of people were buying tickets to shows. Really? is all I can say to that. Then I went in search of the cafe where Amelie was filmed. It was shot on location and looks just like in the movie except that the outside tables were never shown.
I ventured into Montmartre Cemetery where still more famous people are buried. What's up with that, Paris? Do you make sure every cemetery gets a little celebrity and papapazzi? If you do, great job! The interesting aspect about this one is that there's a road that's built over part of the cemetery because progress stops for nobody, not even dead people!
There were tons of alive people in Parc Monceau, one park that unites them all. I say that because parks and / or gardens in this city tend to be either lots of benches and no grass with statues or lots of grass with no statues. This one had everything and you can sit anywhere you damn well please except on top of the statues (probably).
In the evening, I walked over to Forum Les Halles, a huge underground shopping mall. It used to be a gigantic food and meat market, but now it's pretty drab and boring. Next to Les Halles is one of the best looking churches I've seen on this trip (but I've only seen 400 or so). It's St. Eustache and it's one massive hulk of a building, inside and out.