Case Closed

It was a case of National Holiday. For Americans it is the first Monday in September. For the French, it is May Day.

On Labor Day everything is closed. It is no different in France than in the U.S. Everyone enjoys their holiday.

Unless you’re a tourist.

I had hoped to see the Louvre. I have seen the outside but have never been through its doors. I wanted to see its collection of French art; Renoir, Monet, Manet, Cezanne.

It was not to be.

On a National Holiday the stores and museums close. Everyone leaves the city. The streets are empty.

Not such a bad thing really. If we had spent our only full day at the Louvre, we would not have seen Montemarte, a little village on the outskirts of Paris, where Renoir and many other artists studied and lived.

The city is old. In it stands the Basilica and many small artisan shops. On the streets vendors sell their wares. Not a lot has changed in Montemarte since the times of Renoir. Except the tourism.

Today, Montemarte sees more than its share of curious people. Many tourists and locals come here to enjoy the food, wines and artistry. Local artists display and sell their wares on the streets. It is open on National Holidays.

There is no entrance fee to the city, unless you count the expense of the food you purchase. This is where we had crepes.

Walking the old streets, seeing the picturesque view, looking down over the city of Paris – for Montemarte stands high on a hill outside the city – you get a sense of the simplicity of life that the Masters experienced. They worked hard to become what they did, to paint, to study their craft. They lived simply. Here they had their needs met. There they had a church, a flat, and a place to buy food. What more does a person really need?

The holiday ended up being a lovely thing. I saw a small hidden corner of Paris I would not have seen.

Plus, I had crepes. :-D