15 September - Belleville, Paris

We both slept reasonably well, being very tired from the overnight flight and 9-hour time zone change. Today was definitely going to be a quiet day but we opted to try the 2-hour route John had Googled to see the sights around the immediate neighbourhood of Belleville.

Happily today happened to be market day, and we sauntered among the stalls. It was so lovely to be back in a French market and see the extensive array of fresh fruit, veges, meat, fish and so on. There seemed to be enough food on sale to feed all Paris, twice over.

Lovely Art Nouveau entrance for the metro

Very quickly it was time to recharge the batteries with a coffee and pastry, which we found at one of the many cafes that line the streets here. Both coffee and pastry were far superior to yesterday's and did the trick. Off again to view some cool street art, which is a feature of the entire neighbourhood.

The window cleaner on the hoist on the tall brick wall on the left is not real but a sculpture

We also spied the odd pretty alleyway, interesting buildings including Edith Piaf's original home, and especially enjoyed the grand view of the city and Eiffel Tower offered from the top of the hill.

The temperature was a very warm 28 degrees and, along with the high humidity, was really draining us. Needing something light to eat for lunch we found a seat at an obviously very popular Vietnamese restaurant and had a tasty dish, accompanying by a glass of wine. It was very nice but made us feel even more tired. We are definitely feeling jetlagged. Our best course of action was therefore to walk the short distance back to our little Airbnb, where we immediately crashed onto the bed for a few hours sleep.

We both felt much better upon waking, and continued to enjoy a relaxed afternoon. It had cooled down by 6pm, when we strolled outside to buy a crunchy baguette to have later for dinner, but first settled down at a small sidewalk cafe and had a coffee/glass of wine and people-watched for an hour or more. 

It was a lot of fun. Our observations confirm, in our opinion, that the Parisiens (or perhaps the French in general) are well dressed even when wearing informal clothes. Brightly coloured dresses, smart trousers, delicate cardigans or wraps are typically chosen by the women. You won't see much leisurewear here! Older men all wear trousers in preference to shorts and shirts are one colour only rather than patterned. There is a sense of style that is most agreeable. 

We've both been surprised at the number of North African people living here, I guess because we see relatively few around Ceret in southern France. They add a riot of colour and laughter to the neighbourhood. It's easy to enjoy the wide range of nationalities here, and Belleville is a very attractive and vibrant neighbourhood. We would definitely be happy to stay in this locality again if we are ever back in Paris.