From mimes in Montmartre to picnics on ponts...

It was my last Sunday in Paris, and before I left, I HAD to see a mass in Sacré Coeur. It's one of the most beautiful cathedrals in Paris, one of the most well-known, and it's on top of an enormous hill in the Montmartre quarter, making it, in my opinion, the best view of the city.

This was my way to say my farewells to everything at once, so to speak.

I took the Metro to Montmartre and walked up the thigh-muscle-burning hills to get to the church and meet Monica and Catalina before the mass started.





We weren't the only ones dressed in our Sunday best. Check out this very posh lady (the one in black and white)- even in Paris she stood out.




So I went to mass! I was actually surprised by how small the service was. There were maybe 100 people in the pews, and for such a large church, this number only made the ceremony seem empty. Plus, we were outnumbered by tourists. They had to keep to the sides of the cathedral and they weren't allowed to speak or take pictures during the mass. Honestly, it was a little eerie trying to focus on the service while there is a constant flow of people circling you, staring attentively, curious to see how Parisian Catholics behave. But before we knew it the mass was over and we were on to visiting the rest of Montmartre around the church.






As I've said before, Montmartre is basically the artist's part of Paris. Almost anywhere you go, there will be someone there who is capable of sketching a decent portrait of you or your friend, usually depending on who is the girl in your group or who looks the most likely to buy a portrait. Yes, these talented artists are mainly there for the tourists, but to me it's still very charming.





The nice thing about the tourism is that the area really comes alive to accommodate them all. They set up more outdoor seating for the cafes, there were more artists walking around, more music... it was worth the crowds just to see Paris so lively.

And look how adorable the waiters are! I don't care if it's cliché, it's cute. :)

And oh my god, I found a mime.

It's actually a cute little story: on this particular day, Paris was sweltering, so when I saw this mime performing his act with his white makeup forming sweaty droplets on is forehead, my heart went out to the guy and I decided to use my fan (that I bought in Barcelona a while back and that I still use to cool myself on hot days and look fabulous doing it) to bring a bit of cooling relief to him too. The mime, in his 'mime language', expressed his gratitude by engaging me in a silent flirtation. I was twirled...

I had sweet nothings silently whispered in my ear...

I was silently kissed... (ok not quite- he couldn't ruin his already melting makeup!)...

And I was flattered to no end. It was absolutely amazing! What better experience than to engage in a silent fliration with a mime in Paris?

Then we all bought some gelato to cool off a bit more. There is probably nothing more refreshing than gelato on a hot day, and yes it was all gone before you can say "I'm sweating." By the way, that skirt Monica was wearing is cute, isn't it? :)

How about some pictures on the famous Montmartre steps?

Some artsiness in a artsy quarter.

Monica's sister is so precious!

We ended up walking around Montmartre for most of the morning and afternoon, so by the time we had seen everything one final time, we were all pretty hungry. We went to this Chinese restaurant by my apartment and ate outside watching the busy Parisians racing by.

Then, we bought nutella crepes and brought them back to my apartment to enjoy some dessert with tea (it was imperative to eat at least something totally French).

Preparing the tea on my stove.

Dividing up the crepes. And yes, it was so very good.

Later that night, our friend Alejandra was hosting a small get-together at her apartment by the Jardin de Luxembourg for all of us who were leaving Paris soon, including herself.

The next part involves Pont des Arts! I've already mentioned this bridge before, but it's been a while so here's a recap: there is a bridge in the center of the city called Pont des Arts. It's a pedestrian bridge, and it's where all the young Parisians go to have picnics. Most of the time, these picnics are purely for drinking (Parisians and wine go together like cheese and crackers), but don't let this fool you into thinking that this bridge is like a bar late at night... people bring guitars to serenade other pedestrians, there are couples sharing romantic moments, and sometimes even artists humbly sell their work to passers-by. My friends have been there several times for picnics. I have not (I know, what's wrong with me???). So on this night, when Alejandra and everyone decided to go for one last picnic, you can imagine how elated I was.



It was just as I imagined- we all huddled around on the ground with our 'picnic' and reminisced about the past year.

Hanging with the girls!

Me and Monica wanted to lay down on the bridge to get the full effect.

Then we left Pont des Arts to go to another bridge. And we stayed on that new bridge until sunrise. Until sunrise! I know it seems like a ridiculous thing to do for those of us who cherish our full nights of sleep, but honestly, it was one of the most memorable nights of my life. Even the small parts about it, such as listening to Catalina's ipod with impromptu dancing as a good reggaeton song came on (we were attached by the ears with one headphone for her and one for me), running off the bridge to find a bush when we realized the effects of too much crème de cassis on our bladders, and jumping up and down to stay warm over the Seine. It was fabulous! It was like a dream! Really, it was like a romance with the city. I don't know any other way to explain it. If you've seen Paris, Je t'aime, it's kind of like that. Like realizing that you can love a city the same way you love a person. I just feel lucky to know how it feels to love both.

And like a true lover, Paris gave me the courtesy of a bike ride home. I hopped on a Velib', got back to my apartment, and fell fast asleep until the next afternoon.

Bisous XOXO