Friday 6 December - Montmartre

I was out early this morning to buy croissants from the bakery on rue des Dames and the one at the top of rue de Levis (formerly Moulin de la Vierge).  Des Dames won because the interior was not so chewy.

Having found it easy to extract a ticket from the SNCF yesterday I tried to buy my tickets for a trip to Romorantin and Valençay for tomorrow.  I went laboriously through the process, with the screen being reluctant to accept my finger, and was ready to finish off the first half when the machine said I couldn't make the booking this way and I would have to go to a ticket office.  I then had to wait in line and gave my itinerary for tomorrow to the ticket agent.  She started into her computer and kept saying "C'est bizarre." I don't think she was aware of the Blanc à Argent but managed to convince her that the schedule I had given her was what I wanted and suggested how she should do it.  A little while later I came away with the prized tickets that will get me on the Blanc à Argent tomorrow.

There are still a number of the old electric locomotives on commuter trains at Saint-Lazare although several have been replaced by newer models.  I wonder how much longer they will be around.

We decided to walk up to Montmartre before the Christmas crowds become too heavy in a week or so.  We walked all the way up rue Lepic only to find the crowds pretty dense in the Place du Tertre area and in front of the Sacré Coeur.  There was a large Christmas market, presumably to bring revenue to the church, but nothing to keep us.  We walked down and found a table in the Villa des Abbesses for lunch.

Continuing with the tarte au citron degustation, this one is from rue Legendre. The flavor was excellent and the pastry, although not crisp had a good taste. The best so far.