Montmartre, et plus

Part three in a series of posts on our trip to Paris. Took even more pics than usual as we were visiting friends. And, we were in Paris. Previous posts: part one, part two.

After our late night at the Eiffel Tower, we had a leisurely start to our Saturday morning before heading downtown again to explore the Montmartre neighborhood.

Weekend breakfast ~ croissants and pain au chocolat

On the subway we were serenaded by some strolling accordionists. 

I thought it was charming. But not everyone was a fan.

The merry-go-round just outside the Abbesses metro station caught the attention of the 11-and-under set.

Once the spinning ceased, we began our condensed Lonely Planet walking tour of the neighborhood with a look at Église Saint-Jean de Montmartre (Church of St. Jean de Montmartre), an Art Nouveau church built at the turn of the 20th century.

Église Saint-Jean de Montmartre (Church of St. Jean de Montmartre)

Mosiac work inside the church.

I'm including these mostly for my friend Kelley who does breathtaking mosaic work herself through her company Rivenworks. (She also makes gorgeous wedding vests. And, if memory serves, fabulous pies. But I digress.) Kelley -- and anyone, really -- if an image isn't super sharp and you want a clearer view, click on it. With luck you'll see a better result.

Mural touch-up. On a Saturday. We'll give this woman the benefit of the doubt and assume she's supposed to be doing this.

The stairs of Rue du Calvaire ~ up, up, up!

Wall art entertains us along the way.

Phew! We made it.

Montmartre, the hilly Right Bank neighborhood outside the center of Paris, is known for cultivating artists through the years, including Dalí, Modigliani, Monet, Picasso, van Gogh, Renoir, Toulousse-Lautrec, and Matisse. I'd like to think that contemporary artists are still able to find inspiration in the 18th arrondissement, but I wonder if they've been choked out by the tourists.

Place du Tertre ~ a square riddled with sightseers and sketch artists.

We escaped the crowds by popping in Église Saint-Pierre de Montmartre (Church of St. Pierre de Montmartre), the lesser known but historically significant church on Montmartre. In August 1534 in a crypt beneath the church, Ignatius of Loyola met with six other students from the University of Paris to found the Society of Jesus, more commonly called the Jesuits.

Vaulted ceiling of St. Pierre

A relatively quiet moment

Stained glass window with Cubist elements

Chantal, Karl, and Chad

We parted ways with Chantal and Ayanna so that Ayanna could make it to a friend's birthday party. 

Basilique du Sacré-Cœur (Basilica of the Sacred Heart)

I have the most vague and dream-like memories of visiting Paris when I was 13. I was in a group of ten girls in a three-week summer camp ... in France. I'm afraid we were rather irreverent and naive. But one event that imprinted on me was an evening on Montmartre with a visit to Sacré-Cœur. I remember being awestruck at the beauty and the details and the size of it. I also remember having very little sense of the historical context of anything we were doing -- which makes me wonder what the boys will take away from this year!

Inside Sacré-Cœur ~ Christ in Majesty mosaic

The mosaic in the apse is one of the largest in the world. Kelley, I assume you'll regard that as a personal challenge? (By the way, this is not my picture. Signs indicated that photography was prohibited. So I just copied this interior shot from someone else's travel blog.)

Chad said this corner is a location frequently used in movies. Anyone recognize it?

The Man Who Could Walk Though Walls

This whimsical sculpture depicts Monsieur Dutilleul, the main character from novelist Marcel Aymé's short story Le Passe-Muraille (The Walker-Through-Walls). Aymé was a resident of Montmartre.

"Montmartre" originally meant "Mount of Mars" but was Christian-ized to be known as "Mountain of the Martyr." And the martyr in question is Saint Denis.

St. Denis

St. Denis, who lived in the 3rd century, caused a stir among pagan priests because of the number of people he converted to Christianity. He was executed in 272. After he was beheaded, St. Denis is said to have picked up his head and walked ten kilometres (six miles), preaching a sermon the entire way.

St. Denis is the patron saint of France. And headaches.

Clos Montmartre, the vineyard on Rue Saint Vincent

Au Lapin Agile

Au Lapin Agile was a favorite haunt of struggling artists and writers such as Picasso, Modigliani, and Apollinaire. Some paid for their food and drink tab with original art.

We ended our hilly walking tour when the beseeching cries for ice cream and a playground became impossible to ignore. Chad and Solange took us to the pièce de résistance of playgrounds at the Luxembourg Gardens.

This circular zip line (for lack of a better description) was awesome. Most kids went on it individually, but our three liked piling up for a big swoop around the structure. I keep watching that video just to see the look of pure joy on Ben's face after riding it.

While the kids played, Chad and Karl parked themselves on the sidelines, discussing marginal costs and the like. I went for a walk to explore the park and its surrounds.

Palais du Luxembourg (Luxembourg Palace)

Located in Luxembourg Gardens, the Luxembourg Palace houses the French Senate. Its construction was initiated in the early 1600s by Marie de Médicis, the queen consort who became queen regent upon the assassination of her husband, Henry VI. Her son, the future Louis XIII, was only nine at the time. Marie wanted to use her new independence to escape life at the Louvre.

Pan amidst the tulips

Lovely street cafes.

So agreeable and inviting.

Why didn't we spend stop and spend an afternoon at one of those?

 
Oh, that's right.

Doorway on Rue de Médicis

I've developed a thing for European doorways. There's a whole post on Prague doorways I've been crafting since the fall.

When we'd finally had enough already with all the fun and elegance, we headed back for a little downtime at the flat. There was a choice of two decompression activities.

Mario Kart on the Wii

Drinks and appetizers on the deck

An excellent day. Parting shot: our hosts and sweet friends ~

Chad and Chantal