Indulge Me A Little Longer

Most of my holiday pics have family posing all over them, but as requested, here are a couple more from Paris. 

First up, another view from inside the oldest café in Paris, Le Procope.  This a one of the dining rooms.  They are all like this.  There are paintings of their most famous patrons including Voltaire, Diderot, Benjamin Franklin, Danton and Marat amongst others.  It was in the Le Procope that the philosophes came up with the idea of the Encyclopédie.  With Voltaire reputedly drinking 40 cups of coffee a day it can be no surprise that they were buzzing with ideas... if not heart palpitations!

One of the dining rooms in Le Procope.

Not too far away from Le Procope is this concession my family granted me.  A quick visit to Au Plat d'Etain (literally a tin flat or flat miniature).  A tin soldier shop.  

It was absolutely bursting with painted miniatures of all scales including flats and paper miniatures.  Stunningly painted as you can hopefully see below and, alas, a little beyond the depths of my wallet.  An enjoyable interlude nonetheless.

Our first day was to Pigalle, Montmartre and the Canal St. Martin.  This photo below shows the basilica of Sacré Coeur on top of Montmartre.  However, instead of navigating around the tourists who pose on the steps etc. to the front, just pop round the side and head to the park to the rear for some of the best (and crowd-free) views.

While in Montmartre, we visited its cemetery.  Apart from the famous that have been buried there it is just a great sight to see.  It is like nothing any cemetery you'd see in England.  Every grave was like these below, or even more elaborate.  What we all thought amusing and curious was how the decision was made to build a road over part of the cemetery, and how they left the tombs under it.

My last picture comes from the rue de la Ferronnerie.  Outside number 11, to be precise.  This spot is marked as the spot where Henri IV (Henri of Navarre) was assassinated, on the 14 May 1610, by Francois Ravaillac while his carriage was stuck in a traffic jam.  Ravaillac was an extreme catholic who detested Henri, and when presented with the opportunity jumped onto the running board of the carriage and stabbed the king 3 times.  For his crime, Ravaillac was executed by having his wrists scalded with sulphur while his breasts were torn apart by pincers and the wounds filled with molten lead.  He was then pulled apart by horses.

I didn't take a wider picture of the street as it is full of restaurants and tourists close to the Pompidou Centre.  Plus, more recent research has shown that the assassination took place outside number 8.

Thank you for joining me in this show and tell.