A multi-colored, many textured tapestry

The Dreyfus fabric store on Montmartre is a wonderland -- a six-floor old warehouse with big windows, full of almost every kind of fabric you can imagine.  My husband Tom was not merely indulging me; he likes textiles, too.  His father once owned a fabric outlet store in South Carolina.  Tom likes textiles almost as much as I do.

Parc Monceau after a rainy week.

Oh, how I would love to furnish a Paris apartment with drapes that I'd make from lace-edged or paisley fabrics, furniture that I'd re-cover with colorful Jacquards, fitted bedspreads that I'd tailor from pre-quilted and pre-embroidered satin.  I would have so much fun, going back to Dreyfus for project after project.

A taxi had delivered us to this wonderland.  We thoroughly enjoyed the ride through the 8th arrondissement, past so many designer stores, ritzy retail action, and grand Haussmann architecture.  The driver efficiently delivered us right to the door of Dreyfus, near Sacre Coeur, in the Marché Saint Pierre neighborhood.

After we'd had our fill of textile sights, we walked down to the Boulevard de Clichy and strolled westward, toward the 17th arrondissement.

The western half of the 18th arrondissement is crazy with tourists because of Montmartre and all its colorful attractions -- some wholesome, some historic, and some seedy.  We saw it all as we walked down the boulevard.

Gate at 60 Boulevard de Clichy, the Villa des Platanes.

Signs of crime were evident:  broken shop windows, a fight about to happen under the trees that lined the boulevard's median.  I would not want to be there at night.

Cafés, sex shops, theaters, souvenir stores -- one after the other, over and over.  When we approached Place Blanche, at 60 Boulevard de Clichy, I noticed an iron gate and an arched passage into what appeared to be a spacious courtyard in front of a large chateau.  This was a sight strikingly different form everything around it.

This morning I did the research and now know that this is not a single chateau, but a "folly" -- a unified façade for six buildings and multiple courtyards and gardens.  The name of the place is Villa des Platanes (The Villa of Plane Trees) -- a 19th Century residential fortress built to be a haven, walled off from the craziness of Montmartre.  The Villa has nearly 400 residents.

Looking through the passage into the Villa des Platanes.

Before being annexed to the city in 1860, Montmartre was a place in the countryside where people would go to drink and party cheaply, avoiding the city's tax on alcoholic beverages.  But there were still regular middle-class business owners and professionals who needed a quiet place to live on Montmartre.  The Villa des Platanes was developed with them in mind.

The original estate, Villa des Tilleuls (The Villa of Lime Trees) was built in 1830.  The "folly" of Villa des Platanes was constructed on the surrounding land from 1860 to 1890.  

Not far from the Villa des Platanes, we passed the famous Chat Noir, the café dating to 1881 that now offers live jazz and is open all night.

Le Chat Noir (the Black Cat) café on the Boulevard de Clichy.

At last we reached the Place de Clichy, where four arrondissements meet.  There the boulevard changes its name to Batignolles, and the ambiance is more serene.  We continued, and turned right onto the Rue de Levis at the Place Prosper Goubaux.  Here, Rue de Levis is for pedestrians only.  Some of the shops were closed because it was Monday, or because it was vacation time, but we found a café in a pleasant spot where we had refreshments at a table outside.  Our senses and our feet were in need of a rest.

Bank in a Gothic-style building.

When we continued our trek, we walked over to the Parc Monceau, passing a huge bank housed in a Gothic-style mansion along the way.  Parc Monceau was looking lovely and green after all the rain we had last week.  After pausing there briefly, we continued on, down the Rue Rembrandt, Rue Monceau, and Rue Washington, until we crossed the Champs Elysées.  

Hotel for bugs in Parc Monceau.

By then we'd surpassed our 5-mile goal, so we took a taxi home, where we relaxed and had a light dinner (baby spinach salad with Roquefort cheese, cashews, and ripe pears, with a honey vinaigrette) at home.

Régis le Caviste sign on a wine shop on the rue Washington.