End of Holiday Blues

A Street in Montmartre

The weather seems to have turned a bit cooler and after a slowish start, we went and had coffee and did a fair bit of people watching until Virginia had her appointment with the podiatrist - well known to her from previous visits.

Artist at work in Place du Tertre

Tourists in the Place du Tertre

After her treatment we went to a nearby cafe for a very nice lunch and then wasted most of the afternoon.  Well, that seemed reasonable after a bottle of wine with lunch.  I think the "end of holiday" blues has begun to set in. Getting our boarding passes for the Paris to Singapore flight just brought home how little time we have left here.

In the later afternoon we went for a drink on the Butte and met our friend, the silhouette cutter.  A long chat on life, the universe and just about everything else followed when he introduced us to his female friend.  We asked him whether a licence was necessary in his work and he said, "no," but the police did tend to harass those who work the Butte.  "Anyway, I tell them to take me and put me in jail where it will be warm in the winter and I will be well fed."

Walking back we passed the last remaining vineyard in Montmartre.   In 1929, the painter Francisque Poulbot and some friends saved a municipal ground from property developers planting some vines there. In 1933, three thousand seedling of Thomery and three seedling of Morgon were planted. The Grape-Harvest’s Party  was celebrated for the first time the following year. It is still celebrated today. Many important people are invited including stars, delegations and Les Chevaliers du Taste-Vin   (the knights of Wine Tasting) from different provinces. All profits from the sale of this wine goes to help local charities. Sadly, the celebration which lasts for four days, begins on the day we leave Paris.

The Vineyard

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