We awoke well rested, and in fact slept later than we normally do. We must be on vacation. Fortified with a French breakfast of chocolate croissants and coffee we decided to walk to Sacré-Coeur, which was less than 3 kilometers away. As soon as we reached the Opera House the sidewalks gradually started to increase the angle… upwards. The streets were quiet, and shops were just opening their doors.
Our goal began to come into view in the distance… when we looked up.
Oh yeah, if you decide to get a rent-a-car in Paris you better be a damn good at parallel parking.
As we got closer to our destination the sidewalks became steps.
Ever upwards we climbed and there were more steps. The painted figure on the wall seems to be telling us – not a chance… Tom won’t make it!
But he did… And yet, another flight of steps appeared in front of us. We quietly celebrated knowing it was the last set of this uphill journey. We even stopped to document our achievement.
Upon reaching the top, to our surprise we found people exiting the Montmartre funicular. It may have been nice to know about funicular 3 flights of steps ago. But we made it!
There before us was the beautiful 19th century neo-byzantine style cathedral of Sacré-Coeur. The sky and clouds only added to the beauty of the edifice. Then… we realized there was one more flight of steps to conquer. To complete our cardio stress test, we conquered the last set of steps.
Reaching the pinnacle of our journey, we turned around to see the city. Even though the morning fog had not burned off, the view was neverending. Standing there taking in the beauty, an epiphany struck us like a lightning bolt. The rest of our day would be downhill!
There were many tourists inside Sacré-Coeur, but they were quiet and reverent. We walked around the perimeter of the church and then paused in the back when the daily Mass began. The nuns’ voices echoed throughout the building with a heavenly sound. We decided to split when the homily began because we knew we would not understand a word of his message.
In our morning’s journey, we had walked from the 2nd to 18th arrondissement to an area known as Montmartre. This district is the center of the bohemian lifestyle of Paris. Many famous artists lived in the Montmartre district and it is one place not to miss when you visit Paris. The Place du Tertre is lined with brasseries as artists busy at work make this a very colorful place as it has been for centuries.
Everywhere one looks, there is someone or something being captured on a canvas or a sketch pad.
Most onlookers just enjoy a coffee as they watch the rainbow of colors come alive around them. The Place du Tertre is a very cool place.
Stopping to take a break in a secluded little square, we discovered a multi-lingual wall with the words, “I Love You” written in a multitude of languages. It is a good place to stop with your sweetheart and share a kiss.
We continued downhill to our next destination, the Moulin Rouge. Along our walk, everywhere we turned there was something that caught our eye. For example, an ice cream shop that offers seating to enjoy your treat.
Not being confident that we were proceeding correctly, we stopped and asked for directions to the Moulin Rouge. A kind lady told us, “Go past the restaurant with flowers and turn left when you see fish.”
Restaurant with flowers – Check
Ahh a fish store… so we turned left!
We continued to walk down the block (emphasis on the word down) when voilà there was the Moulin Rouge!
It was important for us to find this legendary cabaret because as high school sweethearts in 1972, we attended a show here. Tom’s mother was insistent that we see the paintings and posters in the entrance of the nightclub. They were done by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec in the late 1800s. A local artist of the Montmartre, Henri became a fixture of the cabaret. His artwork is still admired and in high demand today. We can tell you from our 1972 visit – There is A LOT more than art behind those doors. We took a few pictures and headed to get some lunch.
Lunch was just down the street from the Moulin Rouge and started with one of our favorite aperitifs.
The day was getting away from us, so we made a strategic decision – Taxi to Notre Dame! Construction is still ongoing and a plywood wall with drawings and comics detail the plan and progress of the repair.
The square in front of the cathedral was a happening place. A puppeteer entertained a school group.
There were street musicians which drew crowds to stop and enjoy their music in the shadows of the church.
Hovering above all the action was the stained-glass window of Notre Dame looking down upon us.
Once again, the city of Paris provided to be some great people watching… Not sure about this outfit... is this a fashion statement?
We started back to our hotel with a slight detour to the Marché aux Fleurs, a 200-year-old flower market. Absolutely beautiful, and we saw flowers we had never seen before.
Crossing back across the Seine, with the ever-present security forces, to the left bank, we could hear music in the distance. A rule we learned long ago – Follow the Music!
Walking along the river towards the music, the city skyline offered a glimpse of tomorrow’s adventure for us.
In Amsterdam one must be conscious of bicycles… In Paris electric scooters are everywhere!
Finding the music, we pulled up and enjoyed a wide array of tunes. This talented group of street musicians captivated the crowd.
Continuing our journey to the hotel, both of us smiled when we passed a lady enjoying steak tartare. Not sure this is a dish too many Americans would order for afternoon snack.
The advice from the hotel staff yesterday to follow the monuments was really paying off today. Even Louis the XIV was pointing the way to our hotel.
Seeking to avoid the sun, we cut into Galerie Vivienne. Just a few steps into this beautiful galerie, the state of nirvana came upon Tom. We had fallen upon one of the coolest wine stores ever, and they also had a wine bar! He was sure they would have the wine he sought - Bandol’s Domaine Tempier Rosé. This is a household favorite which is hard to find in the U.S. and was proving difficult to find in France.
No joy on the Domaine Tempier Rosè, but we were able to enjoy a glass of Tempier Blanc before we hit the streets again. Janet’s watch had registered 8 miles covered on foot today when we saw our hotel landmark!
Our day had not come to an end! We had a special dinner planned at Printemps, which is a luxury department store. It is connected to Galeries Lafayette and between these two iconic stores almost any item of opulence or glamour can be found on one of the 7 floors of shopping. The top floor has a glass roof which is beautiful. We had purposely arrived early so we could peruse these two Paris landmarks, ensuring that our credit cards were tucked away.
What made our dinner so special was we were able to dine with Sabrina’s children, Remey and Sarah. Sarah made reservations at Perruche, a new and trendy restaurant on the roof top for our rendezvous.
We both enjoyed a Cod fish dish with seasonal vegetables and shared a dessert.
The meal was excellent but visiting with Remy and Sarah who we had watched grow up was the real treat. They would visit Bennie, their aunt in Virginia, and over the years, those summer memories have never been forgotten by them or by us.
As the sun began to set, the view only improved!
As the night sky replaced the sunset, the lights on the Eiffel tower were illuminated.
We enjoyed a digestif and waited until the magic hour of 10:00 when the Eiffel tower’s lights began to blink making it look like a sparkler. It was beautiful and a perfect way to end a wonderful day in the city of lights.
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