Our Home Away From Home in Paris is a Charming Montmartre Apartment

The charismatic location of our latest home away from home in Paris is in Montmartre-Pigalle, in Paris’ 18th arrondissement. It’s a captivating area that, with its population of artists, bohemians and travellers, little old ladies and ladies of the night, simultaneously manages to be charming and cool, gritty and vulgar. And that’s why it’s such a compelling place to stay.

Our latest home away from home in Paris is a charming apartment in Montmartre-Pigalle, a chic bohemian location that fascinates and seduces, as much as it delights and dismays – in the same way that Soho does in London or Potts Point-Kings Cross in Sydney. And that’s exactly what makes Montmartre such a captivating place to stay.

We’re here for a two week stay in Montmartre for the Paris leg of the yearlong global grand tour that launched Grantourismo, dedicated to slow travel, local travel and experiential travel – ways of travelling that we believe are more immersive, engaging and enriching; more sustainable, responsible and ethical. Our mission is to make travel more meaningful and more memorable.

For 12 months, we’re travelling slowly, attempting to live like locals by settling into apartments and homes for two weeks at a time, focusing on exploring local neighbourhoods, connecting with local people, doing and learning things, such as learning to cook local food, and, whenever possible, giving back to places – all in an attempt to get beneath the skin of the places we’re spending time in.

You can read more here about Grantourismo, how the project began (inspired by the ‘grand tour’), our guiding principals, the places we’re settling into, the people we’re meeting, and the things we’re doing and learning in each place. But let’s tell you all about our latest home away from home in Paris.

Our Home Away From Home in Paris is a Charming Apartment in Montmartre

On the lower slopes of Montmartre that creep up the hillside from Boulevard de Clichy – home to the Moulin Rouge, one of Paris’ most popular attractions – and Boulevard de Rochechouart are buzzy bars, nightspots, and vintage furniture and bric-a-brac shops, while the tiny parallel doglegged streets of Rue des Abbesses, Rue des Toire Frères and Rue d’Orsel are lined with bistros, bakeries, and boutiques.

Higher still, on the top of the hill of Montmartre is the stupendous cathedral of Sacre Coeur, and the crowded tourist-heavy lanes centred on and around Rue Rustique. On the slopes on the other side of the hill are lovely, quiet, tree-lined streets of elegant old apartment buildings in a local neighbourhood that sees few tourists.

Our home away from home in Paris for two weeks is smack bang in the centre of the local action in Montmartre, on vibrant Rue des Abbesses.

The charming apartment is located on the top floor of a sixth floor building. Access is via a very elegant staircase and it’s a long way up but an excellent workout. Watch the video of our trek downstairs! With no elevator it won’t suit everyone, but most Montmartre apartments don’t have an elevator and that’s the price you have to pay to live in such a delightful location.

With a courtyard at the building’s centre, our petite attic apartment has Rear Window-like views into the neighbouring apartments and across the grey rooftops, while from the toilette we can just see the tops of the spires of Sacre Coeur!

A light-filled one-bedroom apartment, with a compact kitchen-cum-living-dining room, a decent-sized bedroom, a bathroom much too big for the size of the apartment (someone once loved a long soak!), and a separate toilette, our quarters are petite without being cramped, and far more spacious in size than a Paris hotel room of the same price.

Our little Montmartre apartments may not be as chic as the sumptuous Paris apartments that feature in the glossy book of the same name that sits on the shelves among a library that includes everything from the French New Wave and Paris Architecture to Toulouse-Lautrec and Picasso’s Paris, but it has an eclectic charm and an anything-goes style that is très Parisian.

Beside the books are bowls, vases and carvings from Africa and Asia, there are a few Morroccan lanterns, a blue-and-white Chinese bowl, and on the walls throughout the apartment hang alluring paintings, prints and black and white photos of Paris.

There’s an excellent French-themed DVD collection, featuring fabulous Parisian-set films from Godard’s Breathless to Truffaut’s The Last Metro, and a CD selection ranging from Josephine Baker to French Chanson.

The charmingly-mismatched blue-hued décor includes a Japanese futon in the living room and a white antique writing desk and rattan chair in the bedroom (and more books and guidebooks there too!), where I’ve set up office for the duration of our stay.

Terence has taken over the foldout dining table in the living-dining area, which means no dinner parties here I’m afraid, although the compact kitchen didn’t stop him cooking up an aromatic Côte de boeuf and Dauphinoise potatoes, Pierre Gagnaire’s suggestion for our series The Dish on the quintessential dishes of the places we’re settling into.

Terence is enjoying the range of amenities for such a tiny kitchen and although he loathes induction stovetops, he appreciates having a quality oven – something many apartments in Paris don’t have.

But while there is a fridge, freezer, and dishwasher – Terence would love to see some big white plates and more wine glasses in the cupboards. (Maybe I shouldn’t rule out that dinner party yet?)

My only complaint is the lack of elevator – I would have happily paid anyone to lug my bags up here the night we arrived, especially after 13 hours of travelling from Ceret.

However, that’s the price we knowingly paid for such a compelling location, and, after all, the more calories we burn, the more we can eat, right?