We had a bit of a late start today, but when we finally got going we walked to the funicular and rode it to the top of Montmartre where one finds the Place du Tertre. The "deaf" girls are still there trying to get you to sign a "petition" and give them some money (minimum 20 Euro). It's amazing how well they understand when you tell them, in French, to "buzz off." Nearby stands the man who is "supervising." While he may not be prostituting the girls, the resemblance between him and a pimp is far from coincidental.
We wound our way around the artists on the Place du Tertre to the Café Sabot Rouge where we like to sit and drink coffee as the world goes by. Virginia has her Grand Creme and I have my Espresso. Just across from us is probably the best silhouette cutter on the square. This, of course, is our opinion, honed over several years of observation. Once he has his first customer and other passers-by stop to watch him, he has a steady trade. Since it only takes him about five minutes to cut the silhouette, and the cost is twenty euros, one would have to think he does quite well. His skill is absolutely amazing. With nothing but a scissors and his eyes he can produce a portrait so accurate that onlookers will burst into spontaneous applause.
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| The Silhouette Cutter |
After lunch, we went our separate ways. Bruce went to an exhibition to celebrate the 60th anniversary of that wonderful creation Babar the elephant while Virginia browsed the shops (well what could you expect with a new baby in the family?)
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| The Delightful Babar |
After visiting the exhibition, Bruce wandered through the Tuillerie gardens near the Louvre and took pictures of that wonderful museum and monument.
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| The Louvre |
It looks as if spring may finally have arrived. We noticed our neighbours proudly replanting their garden which consists of two window boxes.
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| Spring is in the air |
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