Venturing outside the Orne

                                                          

One Sunday, my niece and I walked up through Montmartre to Sacré Coeur. It was a grey day, threatening rain, but a marvellous reward. It always enchants. The two figures, so proudly astride their chargers, seem to suggest another more adventurous age. It’s a wonderful place to reflect on the glory of something outside of our everyday selves. 

Paris is only a couple of hours by train from the Orne (Flers, Briouze, Argentan stations) and well worth a day trip on a Sunday. The Marais, at the base of Montmartre, has a Sunday market (one of several) and is a lively place. There are plenty of cafés where you can sit, rest your feet and people watch.

There are so many fabulous areas (arrondissements) of Paris and Sunday is a great day to choose an area and just walk, absorbing the sights and sounds of one of the world’s most beautiful ciites.

Paris is full of tourists all year round, so most places, such as museums and wonderful old churches, are open. The main shopping centres aren’t open but you can while away many a happy hour window shopping, if you wish. And think how much money you’ll save!

Take comfortable shoes (I did, but even so came home with very sore feet) and a lightweight jacket. And, if you avoid the expensive places, like the Champs Elysées (where two cokes cost about 18 Euros!) you can have a great day out for relatively little.