Franco Fridays: Sacre Coeur + Montmartre

After our morning of Metro-Hopping, we had some free time in the afternoon before meeting with the Punjabi Church that night.  Parker planned our trip well, and we were able to visit a lot of the well-known sites tourists like to see in the middle of the ministry we were doing.  Monday afternoon we walked through Sacre Coeur Basilica and Montmartre.  

I always get nervous trying to explain the history of something because since I by no means have an exhaustive knowledge, I'm afraid I'll get something wrong.  So I don't think I'll try to explain the history, but my own previous connection with Montmartre is through the movie Funnyface with Fred Astaire and Audrey Hepburn.  I knew it as the place all the intellectuals, philosophers, and thinkers gravitated toward.  I didn't have any previous connection with Sacre Coeur and didn't really know what to expect there.  I heard it said that it is the newest cathedral in Paris, built after WWI.  I was a little distracted by the cobblestoned street in between the little tourist shops, and got taken by surprise with my first look.

It was quite a little climb up the steps, and you had to walk purposefully or be hustled by men who would grab your arm and quickly braid a bracelet around your wrist while talking to you, and then expect to you to pay them for it.  It happened to one of the guys in our group, and since we were warned, another guy was able to yell them off when they made an attempt at him.  It was kind of funny after it was over.

 The view was magnificent.

Photography wasn't allowed inside the cathedral, so I just snapped a few pictures as we were walking in.

I don't really remember much about what it looked like inside; I mainly remember how the selling of candles and such made some in our group feel like Jesus would be pulling over tables in there.  Though it was very quiet inside, the buying and selling did make it seem a little more like a tourist trap than a house of prayer.

I love those old streets...though without the right shoes they're hard on your feet.

We took this picture for Ella, who is a big fan of Funnyface.  Audrey Hepburn mentions Montmartre in a song in the movie while sitting at a cafe table similar to the ones behind us.  As an aside, the climb on the steps to Sacre Coeur really did a number on my hair.

 I told you I'd be back with more pigeon photo-bombing.

 The Artists (and the crowds of tourists)

 Old Shutters, and wait for it...

Pigeons!

I loved the outside of this little restaurant.

Of course I had to check it out when told there was a spot from Montmartre where you could see La tour Eiffel.  I really liked the hazy look of the pictures I got there.

To complete our time in Montmartre and our Funnyface theme, KJ found steps that Fred Astaire goes down in the movie, and we took a couple dozen pictures of us going up and down the stairs with very theatrical, musical faces.  I'll spare you from posting all of those.

It was a pretty fun afternoon. :)  I'll leave you with a bit of clever advertizing against the dangers in various chemical substances.