Saturday 6 February - Passages

I went first thing to the Batignolles Organic Market to get a rotisserie chicken, some gougeres, (a baked savory choux pastry made of choux dough mixed with cheese,) and some excellent pate.

We had quite a long walk today from the apartment via Saint-Lazare and Galerie Lafayette and on to the Republique.

There was nothing out of the ordinary at Saint-Lazare other than a diesel shunting some passenger stock to release the locomotive.

It was good walking along Boulevard Haussmann without the crowds that are there over the holidays.  There was not one hot chestnut seller to be seen.

We walked down Haussmann to Boulevard Montmartre to look at the passages - Jouffroy and Panorama.  Each one, indeed each section, has its own character and it is fun to window shop.  There's a really good patisserie in Joufroy but there are also antique shops, art galleries, philatelists, old postcard sellers and a large number of small restaurant - bistros which were aimed at tourists but were not particularly expensive.  The Passage Jouffroy has the entrance to a Hotel Mozart as well as the Musee Grevin, a wax museum.

Passage Jouffroy

Passage Jouffroy

Passage Jouffroy

Passage Panorama

Passage Panorama

From here we continued along what is in effect the same street but which changes its name to Boulevard Montmartre then Boulevard Poissoniere, then Boulevard de Bonne Nouvelle then Boulevard Saint-Denis and finally to Boulevard Saint-Martin.  On the way we passed two large city gates.

Porte Saint-Denis

Porte Saint-Martin

From the Place de la Republique we took a crowded metro line 3 back to Villiers.