Montmartre

Fans of the movie "Amelie" will recognize some of the photos we took today around Montmartre.  It's a bohemian, artsy kind of place, but it has its share of quiet photogenic residential streets as well.  

We started our stroll at the Blanche metro stop and were greeted with a view of the iconic Moulin Rouge, a cabaret where dinner and a show will set you back 150 euros or more per person.

We continued up on the haphazardly twisty Rue Lepic, past shops and cafes.

We did walk past the Tabac des Deux Moulins (where Amelie worked in the film) but it appeared to be permanently closed.  Also it was so unphotogenic that it did not occur to me to take a picture...sorry about that!

We noticed this odd sculpture in a small park on Rue Girardon.  It's from a short story by Marcel Ayme about a man who can walk through walls, "Le Passe Muraille".

Some wiseguy gave the statue a manicure.

We have seen these strange stickers throughout the city.

To Kevin's credit, he took this picture under protest.

The Rue de l'Abreuvoir is straight out of a fairy tale.

Around the corner is the only vineyard left within Paris's city limits.  The Clos Montmartre vines are harvested each October and they celebrate the vendange with a big party.

The vineyard with a small flower garden in the foreground.

Just across the street is a nightclub called Au Lapin Agile - it was a popular hangout for intellectuals and artists in the early 20th century.

More street views of the Rue des Seules.

Surreal doorknocker, Rue des Seules

Turning down the Rue Lamarck, we caught a first view of the white domes of Sacré Coeur.

Up until this point we felt like we had all of Montmartre to ourselves since we had seen very few tourist crowds, but once we got to the Place Tertre we found our fellow tourists out in full force.  For a breather, we stepped into the 12th century church of St. Pierre de Montmartre.

We then made our way to the Espace Dalí, which is a museum dedicated to the works of the surrealist artist.  My only knowledge of his work consists of the few melting watch slides I'd seen in a college art history class.  That seems to definitely be a theme in his work.

Judging from the works on display and a short art video of the wild-eyed, mustachioed artist himself, the mind of Dalí was a very bizarre one.

And finally we reach the church of Sacré Coeur at the top of the Butte Montmartre.

Photo taking was prohibited inside; we're not sure why.  It doesn't matter; I found the outside of the church much more noteworthy than the interior.  At least it would have been, had there not been some kind of ski jump/bike ramp scaffolding all down the hill in front.

We then made our way to the Abbesses Metro stop, passing the carousel below Sacré Coeur (also seen in "Amelie").  A long, but satisfying, walk! 

A Delightful Culinary Surprise

For breakfast this morning I thought I had bought some local brand peanut butter (it was on the shelf next to the Skippy at the Marche U but was 2 Euro cheaper) that I spread on some toast. It tasted WONDERFUL – sweet, with a hint of spice. 

It sure looked like peanut butter on the shelf

It was so delicious we had to look it up on the trusty internet. Turns out, Speculoos paste is actually a paste made of cookies and there are no peanuts involved whatsoever.  No wonder it tasted so sweet and delicious! Will have to buy some PB at the Marche U next time – can't have cookies for breakfast.

In the original form - square gingery biscuits

Notre Dame and Sainte-Chapelle

For such a small island (only about 1km long and less than 1/2 km wide) the Île de la Cité packs a lot of celestial punch.  There are two historic gothic churches on the island: the larger Notre Dame de Paris and the smaller but delightful La Sainte-Chapelle.  We first visited Notre Dame and then waited until late afternoon to view the stained glass at Sainte-Chapelle.

Notre Dame is the focal point of the island.  The 295-foot spire and twin bell towers are impossible to miss from the surrounding streets.  Building began in 1163 and was not completed until the mid-1200's.  Religious aspects of the cathedral were destroyed during the French Revolution, then restored during Napoleon's reign.  The structure is architecturally important for the flying buttresses that allow it to soar to remarkable heights.  Inside is an enormous vaulted transept that seemingly goes on forever, and the cathedral's treasury supposedly houses the original crown of thorns.

Entrance to the cathedral is free and because the space inside is enormous, the line to get in moves quickly.  It almost goes too fast to get close up shots of the exterior, but I managed to snag a few anyway without holding up the line too much.  Of course we forgot to bring the SLR camera, so we may go back and add a post to the blog with better photos sometime in the next few weeks.

This photo might give you some idea of the crowds at the entrance.

Religious sculpture adorns the facade

Can't tell you how long I waited to get this shot -- I almost photoshopped the one guy out.

Judgement Day -- note the extreme devilish-ness of the Devil

As you approach the entrance the two towers loom large above you

Saints sit in judgement beside the entryway

Ironwork detail on the heavy wooden door

Inside a muted recording of chorale music plays while you move slowly around the interior spaces.

Pointed arches are a hallmark of Gothic architecture

View of the ceiling and pipe organ -- it has 7800 pipes altogether.

A hooded "Death" hovers in one of the side chapels

Stained glass is a bright spot in the dim interior

A shadow cast onto a column by the ironwork behind me

Stained glass detail

North Rose Window

Just down the street from Notre Dame is the Sainte-Chapelle.  King Louis the IX (Saint Louis) had paid an enormous fortune to acquire the supposed crown of thorns and a piece of the true cross.  He built this chapel to house the relics (although the crown of thorns has been moved to Notre Dame's treasury).  According to our DK guide book, he paid 3 times more for the relics than to build the chapel!

We waited an eternity to enter the chapel.  This is because the church is in the same complex as the Palais de Justice (which can be likened to the US Supreme Court building), so everyone goes through a pretty thorough security search which holds up the line.

Thorn imagery on the spire to mimic the crown of thorns

Exterior sculpted panel

Sainte-Chapelle has two floors consisting of the lower chapel and the upper chapel.  You enter through the lower chapel which also serves as a gift shop.

Altar in the lower chapel -- only the king and royal family got to worship in the upper chapel.

While pretty, the lower chapel is somewhat dark and at first we were thinking "we waited all that time in line for this?".  But then we walked up the spiral staircase and turned the corner.

The walls of the upper chapel are almost entirely stained glass.  Unlike the heavy solemnity of Notre Dame, the interior of Sainte-Chapelle feels ethereal and joyful.  Clockwise from the entrance, the windows become a pictoral bible, showing scenes from Genesis through the New Testament and finishing with the Rose Window which depicts the Apocolypse.

In addition to the stained glass windows, every surface inside the chapel seems to be awash in color.

Multicolored floor tiles

Gilded columns and walls

Even the statues get a coat of bright paint

It's impossible to get a true idea of what the chapel is like from photographs.  So we tried to capture it on video for you.