At the base of the funicular in Montmartre, if a man carrying some bits of coloured string approaches you and asks you to hold out your hand, he is about to (albeit pretty skilfully) weave you a “good luck” bracelet, indulge in some tired patter - “You got boyfriend?” “You and your boyfriend make jiggy jiggy, yeah?” - and charge you ten, yes ten, flipping Euros for about two minutes' work.

“But just ‘cause you’re English, and I like English. Americans and Italians, I charge them 20."

I encountered them near the Sacre Coeur in Montmartre, but wouldn't be surprised if they were elsewhere.

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A horrible part of the city. I don't object in principle to the sex industry, but walking through Pigalle, you get pestered as you pass every establishment by pimps who'll try to drag you physically into the place they're working for.

You can tell it's a rough part of town when you go into the Metro station and there's a continuous message in several languages telling you to watch out for pick-pockets. A shame, because the best views of the Monmartre cathedral are to be had from this part of town.

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