We are loving our time in Paris
and eager to see as much as possible in our four days in Paris, France. We have enjoyed the mode of transport on the
double decker tour buses and how easy we can get from one area to another. Today we have chosen to visit Montmartre, a
designated historic district north of downtown Paris.
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| The Moulin Rouge in Paris, France |
The Moulin Rouge, opened in 1889 is the legendary cabaret
that still has shows with the beautiful dancers dressed in feathers and sequins
dancing the cancan. Many famous American
artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra and Elton John have performed
here following in the footsteps of many world renowned French artists of the
earlier days. To learn more about the theater and restaurant,
click here.
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| The streets of Montmartre in Paris, France |
The narrow shop-lined streets are very common in
Paris where there is only
foot traffic and with the crowds felt like a traffic jam. The popularity of the area is a great draw
for tourists and locals on any given day of the week.
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| Street entertainment |
This appears to be street gambling to see if you
can beat the fast hand of the dealer and we saw many of these in Paris. They work in teams and the one putting the
money down to try to win is actually a friend of the dealer but it fools many
tourists who might think they will win, too.
Consider it entertainment but not worth participating in unless you want to lose your money.
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| Place du Tertre in Montmartre, France |
The square at the top of
Montmartre
was once the gathering place of now famous painters, poets and composers of the
19
th century. The tree
covered area also has cafés and restaurants lining the street that make a great
place to spend a sunny afternoon in
Paris.
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| Artists at work in Place du Tertre |
This square is still where many artists set up to work and
sell their paintings these days. We also
listened to some very talented street musicians playing for tips while we spent
some time enjoying the artsy atmosphere. I’m sure it isn’t the same as it was during
days gone by but it is fun to imagine sitting with those artists and
philosophers trading their stories as they sat on these streets of
Montmartre all those years ago.
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| Galleries and souvenirs in Montmartre, Paris, France |
This street at the top of
Montmartre
is a very short distance from Basilica du Sacre-Coeur, whose dome is the
highest point in the city. The art
galleries selling French art and souvenirs line the streets leading to the
Place du Tertre, where the artists gathered.
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| Montmartre tourbus passes the cafe |
We just had to have lunch at a French café in Montmartre to really enjoy our visit to the
district. The tables and chairs sit out
on the narrow street which saw freight carrying trucks practically brush our
shoulders on their way by. The Montmartre tour bus, a small train like vehicle is used
to take tourists for a tour of the area and for those not wishing to climb all
the stairs to get to the top.
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| Montmartre Funicular |
The Montmartre Funicular, originally built in 1900 is there
for those who prefer not to walk up the many stairways of 300 steps or more to
the top. Some steps are required to use
to get to the funicular, which was rebuilt in 1996 is part of the bus system
and costs a minimal price for the ride. Over
2 million people use this funicular every year, more people riding up than down.
We also spent time visiting the Basilica Sacre-Coeur during
our visit to Montmartre, the interior was a
sight never to be forgotten.
