A recent term used in traveling circles is "set jetting", a trip involving various locations used in films. I have done my fair share of this including the Volcanic National Park in Tenerife, its post apocalyptic landscape being the ideal location for various sci-fi movies including Planet of the Apes, Star Wars and the biblical Ten Commandments to name a few.
A couple of years back now I came across the film Amelie by Jean Pierre-Jeunet and instantly fell in love with the beautifully quirky tale of a young Parisian woman and her quest to bring happiness to her friends and neighbours. So as the credits rolled I booked my flight to Paris to visit the idyllic district of Montmartre.

It did not disappoint. Most of the local shops were used as locations in the film and the authenticity of it blew me away, I was in utter film-geek Heaven. I took the metro and alighted at Abbesses the iconic station where she first encounters her true love, and climbed the spiral staircase to the surface. The village of Montmarte itself is a real attraction with cobbled windy streets, shutter board windows and ivy covered balconies. The Sacre Coeur sits at the the highest point of the village and can be reached by a small elevator or by the steps. Below is the village and the living breathing depiction of Amelie's adventures.

On one corner I came across the green grocer shop used as just that, Maison Collignon read the sign above the canopy (referring to a particularly pessimistic character from the film), the shop window is dominated by autographed photographs of the actors and scenes including newspaper cut-outs of the film, it clearly generated a lot of income for the village as Amelie's face appears on pictures and posters on most windows.

From there I made my pilgrimage to the Cafe des Deux Moulins, Amelies place of work, which although differs interiorly in terms of its set-up is an affordable and great place for a bite to eat. It has a shabby chic quality with burst leather seats and chips in its tiled floor, its bohemian appeal furthering my wild enthusiasm for the film and Montmartre itself. I soaked up the bustling atmosphere of the street through the open veranda style doors. People at work, speeding mopeds and market stalls all contribute to the noise and movement.

At the foot of the village is the Red Light District including the impressive Moulin Rouge. Although considered as seedy this particular area has something a bit different- perhaps I was drunk on the excitement and maybe its a cliché but the rows of theatres, dance halls and peep shows standing alongside the old architecture and constant movement of the people had a stylish quality.
Montmartre offers more than the sights of my favourite film it has rows of craft shops, quaint cafe's in the distinctive 1930's Parisian style, art galleries, architecture, turning the unfriendly perception of Paris on its head.

www.hollie-miller.com