Arrival in Belleville
A train ride later and we are in the final stretch of our dialogue in Paris! We are staying in Belleville which is an artsy and cultural district spanning across the 19th and 20th arrondissements. I had been to Paris before and mainly hit all the tourist sights so I was excited to be staying in a completely different area.
The group wastes no time and we meet outside our hotel/apartments for a neighborhood walk. We head toward Rue de Belleville which I might say is the heart of the neighborhood. We pass talented street art, cool independent studios, and dozens of local cafes (all which seemed to have their own history). We passed a small market in the streets and heard about the larger Belleville market which is on Tuesdays and Fridays in the morning.
Right around the corner from where we are staying is the Buttes-Chaumont. This park was usually filled with dog walkers, picnics, and families and was a beautiful stroll during day or night (it was well lit). Another short walk away was Parc de Belleville. This was a personal favourite for the lovely views of the Eiffel tower from the terrace at the top. Since these parks were a far stretch from the main tourist sights I felt I could fully enjoy them without the crowds.
A walk south from the hotel and I would arrive at the largest cemetery in Paris, the Cimetiere du Pere Lachaise. I had only spent a half hour here before I was escorted out because they were closing, but I was still able to see some beautiful graves. Also south was the start of one of the many nightlife areas in Paris, Las Marais. We were minutes from Rue Oberkampf and a plethora of cafes, bars, and live music.
This was the start of the nine days we had in Paris and we had a long list of site visits and lectures before we had our free day before flying. It was an adjustment to balance enjoying Paris while also getting more than 4 hours of sleep, so I called it an early night. Of course the day was finished with a bottle of wine, baguettes, array of cheeses, gherkins, and feet up from a long day.
