Touring Montmartre is a feast for the eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. The hustle and bustle in the street is invigorating. The adventure starts on boulevard de Rochechouart. (Did you know that "boulevard" literally means "road that replaced a wall"?)  |
| rue de Steinkerque - a low rent bazaar filled with fabric, scarves, bags |
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| View of Sacre Coeur from the bottom of the steps. Here is where you decide if you want to walk the steps or take a ride to the top. "The terraced hillside was once dotted with openings to gypsum mines, the source of the white "plaster of Paris" that plastered Paris' buildings for years." ..Steves |
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| View from the highest point in Paris (420 feet). Note that there are plenty of things for sale. Musicians were scattered throughout the area and provided a wonderful sound background. |
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| Sacre-Couer stands brilliantly white against the clear blue sky today. The crowds were enjoying the music, the view of the city, and the great spring weather. |
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| Arlette Denis entertains the crowd. |
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| Place du Tertre - Bohemian Montmartre This has been the town square since medieval times Tertre means "stepped lanes" in French. |
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| Artists fill the area and surround the cafes |
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| Rue Norvins Montmartre's oldest main street |
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| Moulin de la Galette on rue Lepic Only two windmills (moulins) remain. There were once 30 in this area, used to press the grapes from the vineyards, farmers grain, and gypsum. This one is featured in Renoir's "Bal du Mouline de la Galette" in the Orsay. |
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| Moulin Rouge Be careful about taking children in to this neighborhood with its shops and displays. We were okay and didn't gawk. |
LOGISTICS and COSTS:
When you buy your metro ticket, make sure to purchase an extra one for the ride to Sacre Coeur unless you are planning to take the gazillion steps to get there. Take the Metro to the Metro 2 Line. Get off at Anvers. Directly across from the station is a street which will most likely be busy. You will also see signs for Sacre Coeur. Walk the street (uphill) and view the shops. When you get to the plaza with the merry-go-round, go to the left and look for the furnicular to get a ride to the top. Skip the ticket purchase line and line up in the middle space.
Sacre Coeur is free. No cameras.
Food: (need to update)
Rick Steves has a good walking tour from the top, through the busy streets going downhill and ending at a Metro station. Houses, meeting places, and other sites are all listed.
Rick Steves' Paris 2011
(Affiliate link)Sacre Coeur website in English
Musician Arlette Denis website
SCAMS
Beware of pickpockets, the "found ring" scam, and the "Friendship bracelet" scam.
Also, a lot of people asking you to sign a petition.
Click on map to enlarge.
3 comments:
Montmartre with out a snow storm this time! What an interesting area. And again, the food is so appealing!
Yes, it was a very different experience. Here is the link to the blog post with the snow everywhere.
http://ladeetravels.blogspot.com/2010/12/ladee-basilica-teeny-prayer-chaotic.html
I LOVED THIS AREA!! I could have stayed here for days. The artists, the view, the food, the church, the music... And then Moulin Rouge. Had to get a picture of that since it is one of my all-time favorite movies. No time for the actual show, but at least I was there.
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