Montremare District

Our first stop on the tour was at Café des 2 Moulins.  This is the café where the script from Amélie was written and shot.  When writer Guillaume Laurant decided that he wanted it shot in this café he approached the owner.  The owner couldn’t imagine why he would close his perfectly profitable for someone to shot a movie it.  Well put the movie on hold and went to the café everyday to ask again.  After a while the café owner got so sick of seeing him everyday so he agreed and that decision turned out to be a really good decision on his part. 

 Then we went to see where Vincent van Gogh lived while he was in Montremare District and when he cut off his ear.  He lived in the apartment on the third floor with the shutters closed. 

Then we walked up a cobblestone street to the only windmill that is still standing. 

 

Our next stop was an Au Lapin Agile a restaurant that Pablo Picasso liked to frequent during his time in Montremare.  He would order his meal and eat then tell the waitress that the only thing he had was a sketch of her to pay for his meal but that she was the prettiest women he had ever seen.  He did this a few times and then the owner came out and told him that it could not continue.  He needed to start paying for his meals.  He told the owner that he was going to be one of the most influential artiest of his time and he would give him art in return for food.  For some reason the owner agreed and this was another circumstance of a great gamble in Montremare. 

Then we went to the Bassilica was finished in 1914 and is made of Travertine stone.  This is a self-cleaning stone so it remains white from the rain.  

Last we stopped at the old town square where artist in the past and still today spend their time painting and socializing.