Three weeks in Paris and we haven't yet explored many of our favorite sites and neighborhoods beyond the ones in our immediate vicinity, the Bastille and the Marais. On Sunday, we took Emmett for his first visit to Montmartre.

Montmartre is a neighborhood that holds special significance for us as we rented our first apartment there for about 10 days in February 2003 with our good friends Helen and Jen. It felt like a village to us and within days, the local shopkeepers, butchers, bakers were familiar faces. We spent a good deal of time in the labyrinth of our neighborhood's streets, soaking up the atmosphere.

Coming to Paris with Emmett has made for a very different, but still very satisfying adventure. It keeps us from being out and about as much as we'd like, and we certainly haven't sampled as many bistros, brasseries, and restaurants as we would have liked at this point either. Our trips out are limited by Emmett's naps and eating schedules, so the longest we've been out is a stretch of 5 hours (he doesn't sleep well in the stroller and fusses to get out after a while). We've had to cut short a couple outings here and there because he was tired, and we spent a few days puttering around the apartment for the most part because he had the sniffles and it was chilly outside. And being the night people that we are, we miss seeing the sites of Paris at night and rarely have a chance to get out much after 8:00pm beyond the occasional walk for ice cream or our dinner out with our friends Emmet and Chris when we had our babysitter come to take care of little Emmett (more on Anabel, preserver of my sanity, later).

That said... traveling to this city with Emmett has allowed us to see a side of Paris we'd never been privy to in the past. Everyone has been nothing but adoring and fawning of Emmett (and of babies in general). So far, we haven't gotten any annoying stares or irritated remarks whenever we take Emmett to a restaurant. In fact, restauranteurs have all gone out of their way to be accommodating. Metro rides, as cumbersome as it can be at times getting a stroller up and down the stairs and through turnstiles, are a pleasure to take with Emmett. The passengers standing or sitting near us invariably smile, play peekaboo, pat his head, and/or speak French with him. And, not once have I *not* been offered a hand in carrying his stroller up or down the stairs (several flights in some cases), a seat in a crowded metro when I'm backpacking Emmett, or a door held open for us by a stranger during rush hour. I love seeing this warm, loving side of strangers and it makes me feel an instant bond with Parisians.

Other little treats that traveling with Emmett has provided us:
1. The discovery of the little pocket-sized parks throughout the city. Each park has its own unique character. Some seem designed for children to run around and frolick in, while others seem more sophisticated (for lack of a better word) with bronze statues, water fountains, and elegant benches surrounding a footpath. These appear more like sanctuaries for couples to escape to after work to catch up about the day as they stroll.
2. Familiarity with our neighborhood merchants and vendors. Or rather, they recognize me because they remember Emmett.
3. The reassuring connection with MESSAGE (the English-speaking mothers group) and other moms in passing. MESSAGE has been a ready resource for my every question and I owe a debt of gratitude to this organization.
4. Allowing us to slow down and live more like locals than tourists. We shop at the local farmers' markets, fromageries, boucheries, patisseries, and boulangeries at least every other day because we prepare most of our meals at home. We take a lot of walks around our surrounding neighborhoods, so we've gotten to know it quite well.


ANYWAY, back in Montmartre, Emmett rode his first carousel at the Place St. Pierre at the base of Sacré Couer. He didn't seem to quite know what to make of it, but fortunately, he doesn't seem to have a phobia of antique carousels.


Next, we took the funiculaire to Sacré Couer. The day was clear, so we got a few shots of the Paris landscape before heading home for dinner.