In the best of times, the streets of Montmartre are thronged with tourists trying to absorb some of the village’s former country charm. Walking the narrow streets one inevitably ponders how pleasant it must have been when this place, much removed from bustling Paris, would have been the kind of quiet, inexpensive place where artists flourish. While the streets and buildings are much the same as they were, the streets now regularly fill to capacity, making it difficult to imagine how the formerly quiet village must have been.
But today we are not walking. Rather, we are bundled into a tiny classic red Citroën 2CV. As we slowly inch our way down the street, a river of tourists happily parts before us. From our comfortable seats, and without the need to concentrate on negotiating our way through the crowd, we have the opportunity to fully engage our imaginations in the experience at hand.