We arrived in Paris on Thanksgiving evening and ended up having a lovely time grocery shopping and eating in our Airbnb and then going out to explore Montmartre at night. With only one full day in Paris, we’re both glad we took advantage of the first night there rather than just go to bed after the day of transit. 

Our First Evening in Paris: Thanksgiving & Montmartre at Night

The Arrival

As is typical for us, the arrival could have been smoother. The flight was okay and we quickly found a taxi to the apartment, but once we arrived, our Airbnb host was not there. Someone let us in the first door into the courtyard but then we didn’t know which building to go to from there. I attempted to get this information in advance (we’ve had this issue many times) but think she probably didn’t understand due to her English not being great. We waited in the courtyard for a while hoping she would see us but it was raining so when someone went into a building, (it required a code) we followed.

Throughout this time I tried messaging her via WhatsApp with no response. My phone was having trouble accessing Airbnb. Eventually, it did and I was able to message her there. All in all, we waited for about an hour (and it was raining) but eventually, we got into the right place and all was fine. Most likely if we had Kyle’s phone (and therefore would have had an easier time accessing the Airbnb app) we wouldn’t have had to wait very long since she came out once I was able to get on. 

By the time we got in, I wasn’t feeling very well. I was sick for a little while (I suspect the airplane food) but eventually, it subsided.

Thanksgiving in Paris

It was Thanksgiving and we heard that food in Paris is expensive so we decided to head off to a nearby grocery store and get ourselves a feast. We enjoy going to grocery stores in foreign countries so it was a fun activity for us itself.

We were fairly hungry at this point and picked up: potatoes, lettuce, vinegar, tzatziki, pita, hummus, pepper, cheese, kiwi, and a loaf of bread. It cost ~$15 but provided us with plenty of food. We were a little disappointed with the pitas but everything else was great. We had a kitchen at our place with everything we needed to make a meal. 

Montmartre at Night

It was getting later and Kyle said he was feeling tired and so was I but I insisted that we go out. We had such a short time in Paris and I wanted to take advantage of the time we did have.

It was too late for the Christmas market which was open so I decided on Montmartre being our only stop. The metro in Paris is supposed to be easy and straightforward to use but somehow we struggled with it. Something to do with the gates not being well-marked and the platform we were looking for being beyond another gate which was misleading because it looked like we needed to swipe our tickets again so we kept looking for another entrance (it probably added something like 30 unnecessary minutes).

We were also a little paranoid on the metro since that’s where Kyle had his phone stolen in Barcelona and while Barcelona is #1 for that, Paris isn’t all that far behind but it was fine. We sat there and listened to a man playing the accordion on the ride. Such Paris vibes. We were about it. 

Then, we arrived! I made a short route for us to follow but other than that it was free wandering.  

Moulin Rouge

We stepped out of the metro right across the street from this iconic building. It was dark and raining, seemed like the right aesthetic for the area. We chose to simply observe the outside of the building. You are probably familiar with the Moulin Rouge but in case you aren’t: it’s a cabaret which is over 100 years old and is especially known for can-can dancers. Not too long ago dancers there set the Guinness World Record for the most (circular French) kicks in 30 seconds (29). I took dance as a child and once performed the can-can. It was quite fun. 

Once we arrived in Montmartre I immediately thought of the art of Toulouse-Lautrec (and some other French artists but particularly him). It turns out he spent his life in Montmartre so it makes sense! I have been pretty familiar with his work since middle school when I attempted to replicate one of his lithographs so I enjoyed this.

Fun fact: The Moulin Rouge was Paris’s first electric-powered building.

Blute-Fin Windmill

Did you know that Moulin Rouge actually means ‘the red windmill’? Montmartre actually used to be an agricultural village with artisans and millers. There used to be fifteen windmills but two remain today and this is one of them. Blute-Fin Windmill was built in the early 17th century and is the only remaining functioning windmill in Paris. We were not able to actually go up close to it but I think that is typical, not just at night. 

Fun fact: This windmill was painted by many of the greats: Renoir, Van Gough, Picasso, Toulouse-Lautrec, etc.

Le Passe-Muraille

If Paris is concerned about people urinating wherever, they should consider more public restrooms and actually have those restrooms open. This was one of our biggest qualms with the city but have had the same issue in other large cities like NYC and San Francisco. I mention this because by the time we got to this statue I really had to pee, especially with all the time we spent figuring out the metro.

Anyway, this statue is called Le Passe-Muraille, or the Passer-Through-Walls. Seems fitting. You can learn more about the background behind it here. TLDR: The statue is based on a story by Marcel Aymé about a man (Dutilleul) who could walk through walls and then suddenly one day he couldn’t anymore and got stuck. 

Holiday Lights

We were a little early for most of the Christmas markets and didn’t really have the time for the one which was open so I was super pleased to find some holiday lights elsewhere in the city. What a pleasant time: wandering these pretty lit streets with a nice sprinkle. If you are in the area around this time, I would recommend checking out Montmartre at night to see them.

Sacre Coeur

This was a nice site to come upon. We came up from behind and spent some time admiring the building before making our way around it. The stones used here contain calcite which helps the building maintain its white color in wet weather (and despite pollution). If you’d like to see more of the Sacre Couer, I found this pretty nice video of it.

Visiting info: On the actual website for the Basilica it says it’s open from 6 am to 10:30 pm every day and entrance is free. We are pretty sure we arrived before this time and saw a few people leaving but they didn’t let anyone else enter. Other places online it says it closes earlier and it varies by season (and that it costs to access the dome) so regardless I’d try to get there earlier than this if you want to go inside.

Paris City Views

The dome in the Sacre Couer is the second highest point in Paris meaning you can get great views from inside. Even though we weren’t able to go inside, we enjoyed the views from in front of the basilica.

Carousel

This carousel seemed like a very “Paris-y” site. It appears in the film Amelie which neither of us has seen but might appeal to those who have. There is also a nice park in this area.

More Pics from Wandering Montmartre at Night

Montmartre at night is so pretty! I think it might have been my favorite area we visited (in our super short time) in Paris so I’m really glad I chose for us to go. Maybe next time we’ll check it out during the day, though. If you also appreciate the aesthetic, here are some more photos from our evening wandering. 

Back to the Apartment

It was pretty late by the time we got back but it was a nice night in Montmartre. Time for a little more food and to get some sleep for the next day!