PARIS IN MONTMARTRE

Up at the crack of dawn we headed for the Santiago Airport, first by taxi from the hotel to the bus station and then by bus to the airport.  Once there we checked in and settled in to wait for boarding.  We saw two french women who were waiting to check in and had their walking poles strapped to their backpacks.  We used sign language as neither spoke the others language to tell them they needed to put them inside to check in.  Jim ended up taking their poles apart for them so they would fit inside.  Not sure who was happier, the French women or the spanish clerk who spoke English but no French.  Jim was the hero of the day.

Then as we were about to board we met another pilgrim who had the exact same backpack as I did.  She was surprised because she said you seldom see it outside of Maine.  She is from Portland Maine.  I explained that a neighbor purchased one while on the Aplachian Trail last year and that's how I discovered it.  It's waterproof and extremely light.  Like a large sack!  We got together in Paris and rode the train from the airport into Paris together.  We're getting together one day this week before we both leave Paris hopefully. 

Our apartment is very tiny...I call it a postage stamp....but through Airbnb it is $48 per night.  On the fifth floor with an elevator.   Tiny balcony with a table and chairs to enjoy the view over the rooftops.  We are in the 18th arrondisement.  The owners live in the building, and although the area is definitely edgy, we feel very safe in the building.  A large grocery store is around the corner and we stocked up for a few days, ate some dinner and then walked up to Sacre cour basicilia for a  view over the city before calling it a day.  We're enjoying our view this evening.  And so ends another day in Paris as we enjoy a bottle of inexpensive French wine and chocolate that we brought from Spain.