France Trip 2004

Paris - Montmartre

After a long flight we arrived in Paris. It was early in the morning and we were very jet lagged. Though we wanted to sleep, we needed to stay awake in order to get in sync with the time zone. I decided a hike up and down Montmartre would our best chance for staying awake. Montmartre is known best for the church of Sacre Coeur, but the hill has a Bohemian history which is often overlooked.

We first hiked up to Sacre Coeur. We had visited the church on our last trip, but this time it was less crowded. To keep ourselves awake, we climbed a few hundred steps to the top of the church's dome. At the top we were awarded with the city's best view of Paris.

Once we climbed back down we followed our Rick Steves' guidebook which snaked us through the streets of Montmartre. We started at St. Pierre de Montmartre church and then into Place du Tertre which is a touristy area filled with artists selling their wares. We then left the crowds behind and walked the streets where various modernist painters once lived, including Picasso, Renoir and van Gogh. We ended our tour at Moulin de la Galette, one of two remaining windmills on the hill. We returned to hotel, had a snack and got some much desired sleep.