Weekend Special: Paris Day 4 and 5

Saturday was Laundry and Lady Day!
We found a close-by laundromat and a little park to stroll in during the wash and dry cycles. I spent much of the afternoon in bed due to some rather inconvenient pains, while Jim strolled about looking at some nearby landmarks.

In the evening, we wandered about the sketchy outskirts of Montmartre. We remained safe, then made our way to Opera station where we felt more at home. We found delicious dinner at Capucine Cafe. I had some accidental bacon - in dim light it appeared to be a sundried tomato. I am sad to admit that I found it delicious; so much so I had a second taste before dessert.
En route to nowhere, we discovered, in the middle of a square, a huge, unabashedly phallic monument with a guy standing on the top. The message: not subtle at all.
Behold the power of Man with Giant Penis!
The imagery, however, did not end there.
We have since dubbed Paris the "City of lights... and wangs."
We visited Place de la Concorde, where we witnessed a lit Eiffel Tower and a movie crew setting up a shoot. I took some drunken video (not shown), shot some fun photos. We strolled until we could stroll no more, then headed back to the hotel for a good night's sleep.
Sunday morning was spent in the 14ieme arrondissement where we found by happy accident the resting places of Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre. We wandered through an outdoor artists' market, discovering many delights but none within price range. The bronze dancer figures were especially exquisite.
We made our way to the Ville around Montmartre. Discovered several street festivals; first with music and call dancing, then with jazz swing.
Strolled about window shopping and looking at food/restaurant prices and vowed to have dinner here this week.

Le French Kitty.
We made our way slowly through the crowds to Basilique Sacre Coeur, through the Grape Harvest Festival (Fete des Vindages).
It was terribly crowded, yet somehow the atmosphere remained jovial.I, on the other hand, was feeling hungry and murderous. Here I am, baring my teeth to Jim as if to say: Feed me, before I eat the innocent.
Is this a gargoyle... or an angry cow?
The gardens behind the basilique remained calm and peaceful, so the gnome got a good breath of fresh air.

Bought a few souveniers of old advert-postcards. Had a crepe au citron.
We were then approached by "African" men on the steps of the Basilique, who attached bracelets to us before we could stop them. They then demanded that we "give something." We tried to give them back, then finally dug out 1,50E and convinced them it was all we had. We hurried home, grocery shopped, and made a delicious dinner of salmon, rice, and salad for a lazy Sunday night.