A to Cray-Z 2017 –
All about the week that I nearly drove my husband crazy. In Paris.
Last October, my husband and I spent a month in France. Nine of those days we spent in Paris. We sought out a street in Paris for every letter of the alphabet, and we set foot in every arrondissement de Paris. This is not for the faint of heart. Or anyone who fears lots of walking. Or stairs. Or trop de baguettes. Or le Métro.
Ça veut dire — Do not try this at home, folks.
French verb for this street: Aboyer (to bark at)
Au quartier Auteuil, un chien seul aboie frénétiquement contre les passants, en cherchant son garçon qu’il a perdu.
A is for la Porte d’Auteuil
Arrondissement : 16e
C’est où ? (where is this?)
What was it like for us?
On the edge of Paris, the Porte d’Auteuil welcomes you to the 16th arrondissement, where the buildings are big and the blocks are long, and the city feels more like New York than Paris. Bordering the Bois de Boulogne, we found huge sport complexes and very exclusive looking dwellings with a lot of really nice cars. Walking here was quite frankly exhausting and not as interesting or charming as a lot of the other places in Paris.
What’s in a name?
Auteuil is the name of a village which was annexed by Paris in 1860. The name itself is a combination of the Latin “altus” (high) and the gallic “ialo” (field).
Bonus:
Métro Abbesses – 18e Arrondissement
Seen in several films and music videos, this Métro station sports one of two original glass-covered entrances (édicules in French) designed by the architect Hector Guimard. It is in the Montmartre district, (18e arrondissement) very near the famous Basilique du Sacré-Cœur de Montmartre. The name refers to the abbesses of the Abbey of the Dames-de-Montmartre, which was destroyed during the French Revolution. There is still a vineyard where the Abbey once stood and it produces a small amount of wine each year. The day we were there happened to be the “Fête des Vendanges de Montmartre” which is a festival celebrating the grape harvest.
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I was there last time in Paris. We weren’t there for tourism, but attending a wedding; so we visited not-so-touristy places. You’re right that it doesn’t feel like Paris…
By the way… This is a crazy way of travelling, looking for letters! 😀
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Name: Eva
Blog: Mail Adventures
#AtoZ Challenge Theme: Postcards
Letter A: Adventurers. Because any postcard is a little adventure, isn’t it?
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It was kind of a crazy way to travel, but we ended up finding some cool stuff 🙂
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I was stationed just outside Paris when in the Army. I look forward to seeing where else in the city you take us.
Bob’s houses at http://bit.ly/2olC3Hx
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Thanks for the visit, Bob! Hopefully you see something new and some things you remember!
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Wonderful start. What a fascinating city. I’ve been there, once, but was so broke I spent almost the entire time at the airport, waiting for a plane home.
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Oh, c’est dommage ! I’m not a huge fan of airports, myself. One thing I do love about Paris is that there are a lot of things to see for free, like the parks and all the street musicians…
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Interesting start. Looking at the map, I realise that I haven’t experienced much of Paris outside the central arrondisements.
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It really is a huge city. We ended up finding a lot of things to put on the “when we go back” list.
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I already feel lost in a big city. It’s good to have a guide to show the way.
Arlee Bird
Tossing It Out
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ah…well, I don’t know about guide, but I had a blast getting lost in Paris myself 😉
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Ton pauvre mari, but he’s a good sport to walk all over with you!
Maui Jungalow
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I’m pretty sure he had fun 😉
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