Winding up the streets of Montmartre on the back of our red vespa, I picture Amelie doing the same, with her arms wrapped around Nino and a grin on her face.
Amelie and Nino on their scooter
The cobblestones purr beneath us; a deep, slow rumble, a sound I will never forget.
We hired our little scooter from Left Bank Scooters, a hire company set up by ex-pat Aussie, Adam. He tells us a story of his travels; the typical European backpacking adventure, when he stumbled upon the woman that persuaded him to stay in Paris. Years later, Left Bank Scooters are the best value scooter hire in Europe – at around AU$100 a day. The cost includes insurance, GPS unit, two helmets, wet weather gear in rain, riding gloves in winter, and drop-up and pick-up anywhere in the city.
We park on a humble street-corner at the top of Montmartre, underneath the fluttering of pigeons.
The brilliant, white domes of the Sacre Coeur (Basilica of the Sacred Heart) peek at us around the corner. She sits perched on top of Paris (with no exaggeration in fact, this is the highest most point of Paris!), with perfect views to the city below.
A violinist plays on the steps, Edith‘s moi ménage a mois. A single file of nuns silently trail from the basilica. A beggar woman asks for alms. The sky clears up and an expanse of blue lights up the heavens, just in time for some spectacular photography.
The iconic building, house to one of the most conservative religions (Catholicism), heralds from the top of the most “rebellious” arrondisement, and is supposedly a “national penance” for the excesses of both the Second Empire and Fourth Revolution (1850 – 1871) of France.
Inside, Mediterranean blues and gold leaf coat the inner domes of the church. It is glorious, as light streams down through the stained glass, creating an other-worldly glow.
However, we are forbidden to take photos. The church is raising funds for maintenance by selling postcards to eager tourists… but here is a sneaky one I borrowed from google:
Credit: Voices in Russia
We retreat to our scooter and fly down the hill, in search of Les Deux Moulins.
Named for the area, Cafe Les Deux Moulins (literally, The Two Windmills) refers to the two remaining windmills out of fourteen that once stood in this arrondisement of Paris. The Moulin Rouge (Red Windmill) is the most famous of them, a mill-turned-cabaret that tourists flock to; Moulin de la Galette the other, having featured in the art of many great painters; Renoir, Van Gogh, and Picasso to name a few.
Le Moulin de la Galette, by Vincent van Gogh 1887
After a few wrong turns (and an hour of zig-zagging across the left and right banks of the city as we get used to our European GPS!), we arrive at the corner of Rue Lepic and Rue Cauchois, absolutely famished, at the cafe that starred in the cult film Amelie.
And boy, are they milking it.
Apart from the shrine to the film in the unisex toilets (see above photo), there are posters of Audrey Tatou on every surface, the menu is themed, and there is a spiel about her drawn up on a chalkboard if you didn’t already know where you were.
We order a burger, pommes frites (“French” fries), a couple of drinks and of course, Amelie’s favourite; creme brulee.
We crack the burnt-crisp, sugary seal with a teaspoon… just like she loves to do.
Our morning in Amelie’s Montmartre was a tradition for us – it is customary for my husband and I to relive our favourite movies should we visit their filming locations. (In Japan, we re-lived “Lost in Translation”, staying in the hotel the movie was set in, drinking in the bar, and visiting the temple featured. We also plan to visit “The Shire” in New Zealand and “The Beach” in Thailand.)
Have you visited – or are planning to visit – somewhere featured in your favourite movie?
Enjoyed this post? Read the next post from this series: “A Honeymooner’s Guide to six weeks in Europe” now!
