Fafi book signing and photo exhibition

This evening in Paris we went to two art exhibitions. The first was an amazing collection of collodion wet plate photographs at the Rose Bakery, which is an actual bakery/ cafe during the day. The second was a book signing for Fafi's (pictured above, second from the right) book The Carmine Vault, which doubled as an exhibition for a selection of her original artwork on display inside Ofr. A brilliant bookshop/ gallery space.

Here's how the night unfolded...

Parc des Buttes Chaumont

Let me just start by saying what a magical place this park is, it has so many weird and wonderful nooks to explore and a brilliant history to go with it. The land this park is built upon has a sordid past going from battle field, to gallows, back to battle field, to gypsum quarry, to family picnic area. A dark park indeed.

The Parc des Buttes Chaumont can be found in the north east of Paris in the 19th/e, so not in one of the overly touristy areas, however you will find enough here to satiate all your viewing needs to justify a trip out to the 19th. Surprisingly it is only the third largest public park in Paris. I say surprisingly as it was massive, roughly 61 acres with over 5 kms of walkways and paths and I think we only walked half of those paths. So needless to say we will have to go back another day to see what other gifts it can throw up. The park's most iconic feature is the famous Belvedere of Sybil (pictured above). Built in 1869 and modelled after the ancient Roman Temple of Vesta, boasting Corinthian style columns and a stunning view of Paris. Click the "read more" link to see the photos from the day...

Vintage Desir: A Treasure Trove of Goodies

If you're like us and love to spend hour upon hour sorting trash from treasure in search of that golden buy, then you will love this place. We have visited quite a few vintage stores since arriving in Paris, but we rarely find anything that takes our fancy or simply can't fathom the price tag attached (a lot of places match that 50€ tag you will find back in Perth). Unlike these places, this shop is riddled with vintage gems and all at low prices. Another great thing about Vintage Desir is, if you don't find it at their treasure trove in the 18th (pictured above), you are sure to find it at their second store in the 4th. Click for more photos...

A visit to Sacre Coeur

Today we finally went to La Basilique du Sacre Coeur (Basilica of The Sacred Heart). Set amidst the beauty of Montmartre or "hill of martyrs" on what is (geographically speaking) the highest point in Paris. The Basilica was built between 1891 and 1914 in the place where the first bishop of Paris, Saint Denis, was decapitated for his faith. Ouch! A truly magical and beautiful building inside and out. Whilst the actual main interior of the church was definitely worth viewing (and it's free!) the best part about this visit was climbing the ridiculously narrow stairs to the dome, giving you a 360 degree view of the city. It is spectacular and we happened to get great weather. Check out the photos from the day...