paris – part iv

Monday marked our last day in Paris. While we had enjoyed our time, all the walking and standing (waiting for the Tour de France) had also thoroughly tired us out. We’re reminded of why we avoided a European honeymoon and are quite pleased that we did. We had already covered a lot of ground (literally), and had at least stopped by almost everything on our ‘Paris for tourists’ list. In retrospect, it really isn’t that much – Paris is a wonderful city and there is so much more to it than just the Eiffel tower. It’s a city that would be really fun to live in. Don’t worry, though – we’ll be sticking with London. The French would never give us visas anyway.

But back to Monday. We decided to keep the schedule light and not get too ambitious. Our first stop was up in the Pigalle area. Pigalle is a fascinating area in that it is quite seedy. Sex shops and clubs brazenly flaunt their wares with their bright, flashy neon signs – even at 10:30 in the morning. But just to the north lies the charming neighbourhood of Montmartre, with its somewhat windy, cobbled streets. You may be wondering why we ventured to Pigalle, then, if it is so unsavoury. We went because our inner romantics wanted to visit the fabled Moulin Rouge.

As is our custom when ‘visiting’ landmarks, we didn’t exactly go in to watch a show. With the entry fare at a cool €100 per person for dinner and a show, we decided we weren’t that interested in what was beyond the doors. A cabaret is not something we’re quite sure we’d enjoy either. The entrance had displays that told of the origin and history of the club. We found out that the likes of Sinatra and Piaf had graced its stage, and royalty from several countries its audience. Yes, there is actually a windmill over the entrance.

From there we (slowly) strolled through the streets of Montmartre to reach the funiculaire that would take us to the top of the hill. We considered, albeit briefly, taking the stairs, but decided to experience riding up in (lazy) style. Our t+ tickets for the metro worked for the funiculaire too, making it quite convenient. At the top of the hill of Montmartre, the highest point in the city of Paris, sits the Basilique du Sacré-Coeur. Sacré-Coeur is a cathedral built in the late 19th century. Its construction was funded by donations from French Catholics in penitence for the Franco-Prussian war. We thought that was quite interesting. In the Bible, people built altars out of praise and temples out of a desire to worship God. Here was a church that was built out of contrition. Would we do that today? Would we feel so moved by our past actions to build a church? Would we even acknowledge wrongdoing in today’s laissez-faire, post-modern society where anything goes?

The view from Montmartre was spectacular. You can see the endless sprawl of Paris and be reminded of the incredible density of the city. We took our time walking down from the hill, savouring the view (and the sunny weather). The rest of our day was spent wandering about different patisseries in search of more goodies before we left. If you go to Paris for nothing more than eating pastries, it’s still well more than worth it in our estimation.

The beauty of Paris is how convenient it was to get there from London. We’ll hopefully be able to return one day. But until then, there are many more places to visit.

À bientôt!