Today was our final morning in Blois, which we spent strolling through the village picking up supplies for lunch from the supermarche (thank god for google maps or we may never have found it…my comprehension of French directions is still not quite up to scratch!) & perusing shops in small, winding, cobblestoned streets. Our lovely host bit us farewell & asked us earnestly in broken English if we had enjoyed Blois and enjoyed our stay and enjoyed the hostel - which we most certainly did! If anyone is ever visiting Blois I would recommend the Hotel de Renaissance without hesitation :)

We then made the journey back into Paris & across to Montmatre, which is in the 18th arrondisement. We are staying here at the Plug Inn Hostel, which is situated down yet another, lovely, cobble stoned, tres French street! It's a lovely boutique hostel with teeny (and I mean really, really teeny!) tiny bathrooms! When you sit down on the toilet your knees squish against the wall, and the shower is a bit like a cupboard…and not the walk in kind! That said, it is clean, well situated, & recently renovated, with lots of groovy wallpaper & a narrow spiral staircase that really gives your legs a work out on a regular stair climb let alone when you're carrying half your body weight in backpacks!

Esther & I spent the afternoon strolling the streets of Montmatre (in summer dresses WITHOUT cardigans, let it be known!) & getting to know our local neighborhood. It's a very cool, arty part of town with lots of musicians & artists, oh and when we first got off the tube station near our hostel the very first thing we saw was the Moulin rouge! Right there! Just blocks away from our hostel! Very exciting indeed :)

We sat on the sidewalk outside a café watching the world go by, writing postcards, & reading our books. I ordered what I thought was a mocha & turned out to be some kind of very VERY strong coffee with a hint of chocolate, which I passed along to Esther knowing I'd be unlikely to sleep for a week if I drank it. Instead I opted for pistachio gelato - it was a good choice :D We then strolled some more, poking our heads into shops along the way & just generally basking in the amazingness that we are in Paris, & it's warm & beautiful & exciting & amazing!! Then we somehow stumbled upon and Irish pub where we sat in the afternoon sun and has a cider. The joie de vivre strikes again! :D