Paris: A French Boozy Birthday...

How I had I woken up hangover free on my birthday? Paris needed to pour me up a beverage because that stance of sobriety wasn't a mood on the morning of my 32nd birthday in Paris, France! Honestly, what had happened to me?! Montmartre was on my sights, set upon a higher point within Paris's 18th arrondissement, I looked forward to that first boozy beverage! Allezzz! 

Being my first international birthday since 2019, I wanted to soak in every single experience during that November 14th morning in 2022. Taking the metro from my hostel a few stops down Line 7 from 'Sully-Morland' to 'Cadet' saw me walking the short distance to a buzzing square that was set along 'Blvd Marguerite de Rochechouart' for my convenience. 'Le Diplômate' didn't need to tell me twice because their petit-déjeuner menu saw me taking my own alfresco dining seat. I loved my cheese omelette, coffee, orange juice and pastry to boot, everything tasted great and it was served up pretty quickly after I had made my order in French. Breakfast done, I followed the outline of Paris's 'Sacré-Cœur de Montmartre', the fog had not lifted but I knew where I was going because I trusted myself and Paris also. Haberdashery she better don't! Yes, at the bottom of that imposing hill stood a myriad of darling looking fabric shops! Had the Parisian entrants from 'Drag Race France' bought their main-stage fabric from such shops? P, I wanted to know!

Cutting the crap, I arrived at my intended Montmartre location at long last! The walk up had made me feel a mighty thirst! I already knew what I wanted to drink! Another orange juice? No, are you mad?! Clearly, so! 'Le Sabot Rouge' secured my square facing seat, giving me a birds-eye view of the Place du Tetrte. Ordering an 'Aperitif' felt almost compulsory, making mine a 'Ricard' without shame. Not caring that it was hardly 10 A.M, it was my special day! Sipping that water mixed aniseed drink had me feeling mellow, starting the day as I had planned to, well that felt downright correct! As the square came to life, I enjoyed my birthday pre-drink but knew that I wasn't going to get disorderly because I wanted to soak in a whole lot of culture. Loving that moment, it was an absolute blessing to drink every drop of my 'Ricard' without shame. Counting five minutes into four, I saw no problem with that boozy post-breakfast beverage, fight me if you disagree! Don't be envious, make your own travel plans a reality! Baby, I'm not pressed! No, no! 

Life hasn't yet dashed me into a casket, with said vitality I kept it moving after that boozy morning beverage! Before I went inside the 'Basilique', I walked from that artistic themed square to see if the thick layer of fog had so graciously lifted. Merci pour ça! Yes, I thanked Paris as that disappointing weather front had up and left, bad weather on my birthday wouldn't be right nor OK! Catching a cheeky peek of the 'Eiffel Tower' had me remembering my visit the previous day to that Paris landmark, having something to remember felt correct. Yes, it did! I couldn't put into words during that sunshine moment, the whole vista had me in my feelings in the best way! Refusing to turn back, I had no plans for a second drink of a certain kind, Paris had other plans for me! I was almost at the top of that height, I just had a little further to go! Gathering the strength to walk up two sets of stairs had me feeling almost weak. I hate heights and that moment had me feeling vertigo! Making it anyway, I wanted that alcoholic drink! Paris! Really? 

Making those steps felt like a triumphant thing, clocking a kiosk on the right side of the cathedral had me looking closer. I rightfully purchased a toasty warm cup of 'Vin Chaud', that warm drink definitely tasted right! Sure, there a pattern started to emerge at that point but I was absolutely cool with those drinkable developments. Embracing Paris during that moment with my hot boozy drink had me feeling like a European, well Brexit pertaining I was going to let that 2021 break up slide for that afternoon. That killer view had me living my birthday fantasy, that Parisian skyline had me feeling the moment, you know the drink helped! So, I had enjoyed a glass of 'Ricard' and a ladle full of 'Vin Chaud', you know what? I was feeling like having a glass of wine with my 'Le Consulat' French lunch! Of course, I ordered a glass of Bordeaux wine! Lunch at 'Le Consulat' didn't faze me, those snails really amazed me by tasting mighty fine! I know what you're thinking about my lunch choice and yet again, I'll keep it moving! Drink up! 

Content with my discoveries during that Montmartre birthday adventure, I made it down the hill the easy way! I was categorically not going to be walking down those steps, my legs weren't available to carry out such a task! 'Le Funiculaire' didn't have me feeling afraid, that moderately paced machine had me back on a flatter pathway in no time! Real talk, I needed to change up some of my GBP into Euros! Telling the truth, I couldn't find a 'Bureau De Change' in the country where the word comes from! What was that all about! Unwavering I remained, the Paris Metro saw me finding my senses in a quick second! Retracing those Notre Dame steps took me a hot minute but I knew another glass of red would be the pay off! Chilled out with my birthday GBP changed into Euros, I had 'Café Léone' pour me a medium glass of the same wine that I had before! That second glass of French red wine had me feeling boozy, mind you I had consumed a moderate amount of sauce throughout the day. No shame in my Parisian drinking game! Boop! 

I had a ticket booked to see the legendary Moulin Rouge that evening to toast my birthday, I felt like having another hot drink before getting ready for that show! Making it back to Sully-Morland felt correct, I took a seat outside 'Le Sully' because I wanted to capture that street-side view with a cheeky hot chocolate. Un chocolat chaud avec Jack Daniels, s'il vous plait? Mixing that healthy whisky shot into that creamy hot chocolate serving had me feeling a little sauced up, you already know that I was down with that feeling! Seeing the world go by as I sat practically on the pavement gave me life, there was something so open about that 'pedestrian' moment! We can be so repressed in the UK! After restrictions, there wasn't any excuse for 'outdoor dining' to be cancelled! La même chose et l'addition, s'il vous plaît? Sure, I ordered one more whisky laced hot chocolate for the road and the bill, all at the same time because I could! A life in a more cosmopolitan place like Paris? Try and stop me! Finishing my drink, I kept things moving along! 

La Même Chose? Oui!

Desperately Seeking Adventure