Expat Life 5 – June in Paris

Written By: Paul

Our sixth month in France was all about one place – PARIS!! We spent most of the month living in Montmartre, a block from Sacré Coeur. Taking Paris for a “test run” as a possible future home was a brilliant experience, one that informed us about some of the highs and lows of living in the City of Light. We were totally spoiled by having this opportunity, and Paris did not disappoint, as we’ll cover later in this post.

Overall, June was a completely different month, but it was exciting and more importantly it gave us a reason to spend a heap of time in our favourite city.

Montpellier

Each month I do a quick write-up on our experiences and views on our new hometown of Montpellier. This month we didn’t do a heck of a lot at home – we had just returned from Slovakia and Austria at the end of May and by the second week of June we would be heading to Paris, so we really only had a week and a half in Montpellier in June.

Having said that, we did get to enjoy some perfect weather. Not a drop of rain, temperatures in the high 20s, and more sunshine than you can shake a baguette at. It was still comfortable enough that you could enjoy being outside without having to worry about your face melting off, a legitimate concern for those visiting Montpellier in July and August. So June was in that sweet spot of hot – but not too hot – and sunny weather.

One thing that shifted is where the sun sets and the moon rises. This time of year makes for some spectacular early evening scenes…

So we basically hung out, went to our local markets on Sundays and Wednesdays, packed for Paris, and made the trek 680kms north.

Accomplishments

June was a month when not much happened on the administrative front. I was still waiting on my Carte Vitale and acceptance into the French healthcare system (waiting and sending in info is part of the French lifestyle for expats!), as was Angela. No changes to our living situation, and not much else going on, so a pretty quiet month on the “accomplishments” front.

We did get one huge win, though – in the midst of one of France’s worst-ever mustard shortages I managed to score a brand new bottle of Maille with a 2023 expiration date! It was like winning the EuroMillions lotto without the distractions of first-class travel and Ferraris.

Travel – Three Weeks in Paris

June was all about Paris for us. In the second week of June we jumped on a train at Montpellier’s Saint-Roch station and made our way to Gare de Lyon in the heart of Paris. The ride is just over three and a half hours on a high speed train, and it’s usually a pretty comfortable experience (except there’s always a screaming baby in the row ahead of us – why must you stalk us screaming baby?!).

We carted our bags on the metro to Abbesses station in Montmartre, and then up the huge hill to the apartment where we would be staying for the next three weeks. Friends of ours, Krystal and Giuseppe, had asked us to dog-sit for them as they were heading out on a long European adventure that would eventually end in a storybook wedding in a castle. Krystal, by the way, has a brilliant podcast called La Vie Creative, which you should check out if you’re into Paris-based art and artists / creatives. She’s also an amazing photographer.

Their little monkey, a sweet dog named Coco, had decided to stick it out in Paris, and to his chagrin Krystal and Giuseppe didn’t leave him alone to run the joint. So we were invited to look after him and house-sit in a place that you could throw a tennis ball from and hit Sacré Coeur. There were also Eiffel Tower views from the kitchen – not too shabby…

…and because Coco was obviously the boss while we were there, I’ll refer to the apartment as Chez Coco from this point forward.

When we first moved to France we had considered Paris as a very real option for our new home. We both absolutley love Paris, but when it came time to choose we opted for Montpellier mainly because of the weather and cost of living. Even so, we couldn’t help but look at this three week opportunity as a chance to take Paris for a test drive and see if it could sweep us off our feet.

The first week was a blast. Once Coco warmed up to us (he spent the first day hiding under the bed, but once our 24-hour vetting period had passed, he judged us harmless and became our new best friend) we got into a good routine. In the mornings we would wander around Montmartre with the dog and explore our new neighbourhood. It was surreal taking him for walks around the Basilica of Sacré Coeur, the Maison Rose, and past the previous haunts of Picasso, Van Gogh, and so many others.

Coco is a famous dog – everyone in the neighbourhood knows and loves him – so it didn’t take long for people to chat us up. We had more friends in Montmartre in a week than we have in Montpellier after six months, so the lesson here is that if you want to make friends in France find a famous dog.

On the first night I had an opportunity to knock an item off my overly lengthy bucket list. As a guitar player I’ve always admired Steve Vai and his playing. Steve Vai is considered by many to be one of the world’s pre-eminent electric guitar virtuosos, and through the years we’ve tried to get out to his shows but for some reason it never worked out. Anyway, as luck would have it he was playing at the Trianon, a huge rock club just a fifteen minute walk from Chez Coco. We enjoyed the show, and watching someone perform at that level was inspiring.

Angela was working in the afternoons, so we had the mornings to roam. We went to the Museé d’Orsay (which we never miss), the Louvre, walked along the Seine, and explored little pockets of the city we’d never been to before. More than anything, though, this gave us an opportunity to really sink our teeth into Montmartre, a neighbourhood that has always held a bit of magic for both of us.

It’s also a neighbourhood full of hills and stairs. My god, the stairs. If you ever need to tighten up your butt, thighs, and calves, this is the place for you. Don’t bother with a gym, just move to Montmartre and legs of steel will be yours!

While we were there we were able to share in France’s annual Fête de la Musique, a celebration when the country takes a day to celebrate music and those who make it. Free concerts in cities and villages all across France took place, from massive concert halls and stadiums to street corners and pubs.

Ironically, the biggest show in France – the 40th anniversary show, no less – was taking place on our lawn in Montpellier while we were in Paris! France 2 was broadcasting a national show that featured some of France’s biggest artists from right outside our building – but we weren’t there as we were living life at Chez Coco instead. Not to worry, Montmartre knew how to do up Fête de la Musique as well, with streets closed and artists performing on (seemingly) every corner. It was loud. It was mayhem. And it was phenomenal.

No matter where you went in Montmartre you couldn’t escape the music – even in the apartment it was so loud it just made sense to go outside and join in because it’s not like you would have been able to do much else anyway. The energy was infectious – Gloria Estefan was right – the rhythm at Fête de la Musique is going to get you.

In the second half of our time at Chez Coco we managed to visit the Carnavalet, a museum covering the history of Paris. It’s a museum we had heard much about but had never had time to visit, and it had only reopened in March of 2021 after a five year restoration.

That’s the beauty of having a long stay somewhere – you get to do all of those little things you wouldn’t otherwise have time for. The Carnavalet has some interesting exhibits and offers free admission – a beautiful thing in a very expensive city.

Staying in Montmartre also made it easy for us to visit the Museé Gustave Moreau. Gustave Moreau is a bit out there as an artist, but I kind of dig his vibe and his museum (which also used to be his home) in the 9th arrondissement has one of the best staircases in Paris:

We also managed to catch Paul Taylor, an English comedian with impeccable French. He performs in both English and French during his shows, a big selling point for me. I was promised a 50/50 show by Angela, but it was easily 70% French to 30% English, which meant I understood roughly more than 30% of it. Angela, of course, got it all, and was rolling in the aisles while I smiled a lot and pretended I understood. Actually, he’s very funny and if you like dissecting some of the cultural differences between English and French culture, he’s your guy.

While staying at Chez Coco a Canadian model friend I had worked with back in Toronto happened to be in town. We got together and shot a bit, using Montmartre as our backdrop.

We enjoyed shooting, and it helped me to really look at the city to find some unique details.

Montmartre, when you look at it through the camera lens, is a kaleidoscope of colours, cool little corners, and classic vignettes. If you’re looking for a place to capture some great images, you won’t go wrong here.

There are so many stunning backdrops and settings in this part of town. The colours, funky shops, and greenery makes for an extremely photogenic part of the city.

This is a neighbourhood with great graffiti, diverse looks, and a laid-back vibe that doesn’t exist in other parts of the city. When people think of Montmartre they maybe think of the Moulin Rouge or Sacré Coeur, both of which are great, but there’s so much more to it than that.

As a photography nerd, wandering around Montmartre was a true highlight, and being able to take the time to do so without rushing was a treat.

Returning to Montpellier

For three weeks, Angela and I had enthusiasticaly jumped out of bed for our morning walks, pounding the cobblestones before the hordes of tourists would arrive, enjoying the tranquility. It was a nice routine, in a nice neighbourhood, and we could easily live a happy life there. Coco was great company, even if he did have a penchant for stepping on my face at 6:30 in the morning.

At the end of June our time at Chez Coco came to an end. We loved Montmartre, but would we exchange our lives in Montpellier for an opportunity to live there?

It depends. While Paris is absolute magic, Montpellier is more afforable and has better weather. We’ve built a life here and love it. But Paris is…Paris. As awesome as Montpellier is, it can’t deliver this:

So you never know, but for now we’ll visit when possible and soak up all the magic we can. 😉