Abbesses Metro station in Montmartre, Paris
I had some time to kill so I walked around the general area. There is a large church right across from the metro station, Eglise Saint-Jean de Montmartre that was attracting parishioners as well as tourists this Sunday morning. The most interesting thing to me was the 10:00 AM bells. It started with one bell ringing once for each hour. Then, there must have been 5 or 6 hymns played by the bells, lasting 10 minutes or so. I remember thinking that the neighbors all must never sleep-in on Sundays, or even try to have a conversation until after 10:15 AM. There is no way you could talk with a group of people, hence, the tour began at 10:30.
NOTE TO SELF: Use the word 'Hence' more often
Leading the tour was Oriel Caine, of Paris Walks. I would recommend them again. She seemed very knowledgable and had stories about the area and buildings we saw along the way. Below are just some, not all, of the sights we saw. I don't want to bore you with details, but rather, let you know a bit about what to expect when you take a walking tour of Montmartre.
Our first stop was "The wall of I Love Yous". A wall of tiles containing the words 'I love you' in 300 languages. The intent of the artist was to build a wall, not to separate people from each other, but to bring them together.
The Wall of I Love Yous
Before I built a wall I'd ask to know
What I was walling in or walling out,
And to whom I was likely to give offence.
Something there is that doesn't love a wall ...
- Robert Frost, Mending Wall
54 Rue Lepic, Vincent and Theo Van Gogh home and studio
Van Gogh and many other artists took inspiration from their time in Montmartre. Paintings of street scenes and views above Paris hang in the museums I visit. We walked down Rue Lepic past Van Gogh's residence wherehe lived while in Montmartre.
Wallace fountains in Montmartre
Wallace fountains can be found in Montmartre. They are working fountains with very good drinking water that runs all the time. Fill your water bottle up here anytime. Dedicated to Richard Wallace who financed their contruction. These fountains fit right in in Montmartre.
I just happened to turn to walk up the street and liked this photo opportunity
Every cobblestone street has a story, it seems. On one corner is the oldest cabaret in Paris, dating from the 16th century, and just down the road, right in the middle of everything, a vineyard.
A small, but producing vineyard in Montmartre is an unexpected pleasure. There is a big celebration every year where officials pontificate on the wonderfulness of the wine. Our guide, Oriel, noted that the French are very much into pontificating on their wine and food. This vineyard only produces 900 bottles a year, and not so good wine. But, it is celebrated vigorously with pageantry and much ado. Bottles are rare and sell for 40 - 50 euro, according to Oriel.
A dad teaching the kids to play boule in the park
We walked through a park\playground to get to the next sight. I want to learn to play boule ... or is it bocce ball? Oh well, just teach me to play them both!
Dutilleul - The Man Who Walked through Walls scupture
"The Man Who Walked through Walls" is a short story by Marcel Ayme, and this sculpture is in Place Marcel Ayme. It is an artistic representation of the short story.
La Basilique du Sacre Coeur
A high point of the Montmartre tour is ending at Sacre Coeur. Yes, that was an attempt at double entendre, because it is also the highest point in Paris, and can be seen from almost anywhere in Paris. Built by the romans, many residents of Montmartre refuse to attend services in Sacre Coeur, going instead to a smaller church nearby that we passed just down the street from here.
Below is a link to all the photos I took today. Thanks for reading.
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