Montmartre & Other High Places

Today we woke up, had breakfast in our hotel room and left for a day at Montmartre. First we bought a Carnet (10 tickets) for the metro, we had walked enough distances yesterday and we would be walking a lot more once in Montmartre.

First off we walked onto the hill of the Sacré-Coeur. We avoided beggars and street merchants on our way up. Some living statues and many tourists filled the steps to the basilica. We entered the basilica and I was stunned by the wonderful simplicity of the interior. Architecture and decoration had become one and the size was just enormous! It was forbidden to take photos inside, so I will not publish those here, of course I could not resist taking some.

We had our lunch in front of the basilica and then enjoyed a performance by a street musician. He was a great entertainer and gave away an awesome show.

Next we walked to the church that was here before the Sacré-Coeur: St-Pierre de Montmartre. It was a dark, simple church, robbed from visitors by the huge white basilica on its doorstep. Next we walked a route through Montmartre walking by: Parc de la Turlure, Lapin Agile, Maison Rose, Moulin Radet, Moulin de la Galette, Cimitière de Montmartre and of course the Moulin Rouge.

Near the Moulin Rouge we got thirsty and visited a supermarket for a big bottle of fresh soft drink. After a short break we came back on the Boulevard de Clichy where we decided to visit the Musée de l'érotisme Paris. It was a very funny museum showing pieces of art from all times and cultures relating to sex.

After our visit we went back to the Sacré-Coeur to visit its crypte and dome. The crypte was dark and not so big. The most interesting was the shrine where the heart of the builder of the Sacré-Coeur had been stored. Next we took the winding starecase to the dome of the basilica. It took us over the roof and gave us wonderful views over the city of Paris.

Once downstairs again we took the metro to the Arc de Triomphe. We got in line and visited this monument. After a long time of waiting, the sun had begun to set and from the top of the Arc de Triomphe we could see over the Champs Elysées, to the Louvre, the Eiffel tower but also to the hill of Montmartre where we had been not too long before.

After our visit to the Arc de Triomphe we walked down the Champs Elysées and had dinner there at Bistro Romain. It was late, but also great to enjoy a meal at this fancy street in Paris. After our dinner we walked further to the Place de la Concorde from where we saw the flickering lights of the Eiffel tower at midnight. We took one of the last metro's back to the hotel.