Saturday, Feb. 28, 2009

Amélie

Montmartre, Paris

Let's face it, Paris is the most romantic city on the Earth and Amelie is possibly the most charming movie ever committed to film, so planning a weekend around the two is a guaranteed lovefest.

Cafe des deux Moulins in the Montmartre section of Paris, where Amélie was a waitress, is an essential destination. Stop in and sip a glass of Côtes du Rhône paired with some pigs' brains or calves livers — or, maybe just the wine. Since the movie's success, Montmartre has become wildly popular with Amélie fetishists, and walking around here, it's easy to see why. Enchanting old architecture, cozy "zinc cafes" filled with locals, and pleasantly wending alleyways abound. On one corner you might see a windmill you recognize from a Renoir painting, on another, statues of obscure saints. Whatever your religious persuasion, be sure not to miss the astonishingly beautiful Sacre-Coeur Basilica.

Before you head back to your sumptuous room at the Hotel Particulier Montmartre, make a field trip to the Chantal Thomass boutique for some exquisite lingerie. Then pop over to the world-famous fashionista headquarters, Colette, for a "sex candle" to help set the mood.

Café des deux Moulins: 15 Rue Lepic, 18e; +33-(0)1-42-54-90-50
Sacré-Coeur Basilica: Place du Parvis-du-Sacré-Coeur, 18e; +33-(0)1-53-41-89-00
Hôtel Particulier Montmartre: 23 Avenue Junot, 18e; +33-(0)1-53-41-81-40
Chantal Thomass: 211 Rue Saint-Honoré, 1e; +33-(0)1-53-70-27-27
Colette: 213 Rue Saint-Honoré, 1e; +33-(0)1-55-35-33-90