While I get settled in our apartment in Paris I’ve asked a few friends to do guest posts on their favorite “secret spots” in Paris. Today we have Anne from Prêt à Voyager.

The first time I lived in Paris was 2001, around the time Le Fabuleux Destin d’Amélie Poulin came out. Since then my love affair with Paris has continued, and I work to channel my “inner Amélie” as I savor the simple delights in life and explore the city for its quirks and charms (with the help of my gnome). I see people on the street, at the market, in the swimming pool and I smile to myself as they look like characters straight out of the film. While my best secret of Paris is to explore, get lost and go off the beaten track, today I wanted to share a few addresses with you to have your own Amélie adventure in Paris.

– Sacre Coeur is the giant basilica church at the top of Montmartre. Get off at Metro Abbesses (also in the film – if you are looking for some exercise, take the stairs all the way up) and make your way up the path to the top. En route, look to see if there are blue arrows guiding your way. Sit on the steps, and enjoy the great views of Paris and people watching. But just as with all touristy areas in the city, be smart and watch out for pickpockets.
– Cafe des Deux Moulins (cafe of the 2 windmills) is the cafe where Amélie works. It’s an easy walk from metro Blanche, located at 15 Rue Lepic in Montmartre. The cafe has changed a bit since the film to accommodate its popularity, but it’s still fun to check out.
– Marché de la Butte is also known as Maison Colignon at 56 Rue des Trois Frères, is where Amélie buys her fruits and vegetables. Not exactly known for their produce anymore, you can at least pick up a postcard of the movie here.
– Amélie also skips stones along canal St. Martin and visits train stations that are beautifully French. You can discover more addresses from the film in a project I did exploring color in Amélie.

Wishing Jordan et famille the very best and I look forward to meeting them on this side of the pond! You can find more of my posts about life in France here, and visiting Paris here. -Anne, Prêt à Voyager