No. 11 Montmartre

 Montmartre is one of the more challenging and  “ interesting” areas of Paris to visit. Challenging, because its main attraction, the Basilica of Sacre Coeur, sits high on a hill above the city and getting there requires walking  up a large number of stairs. That is why I waited for my last day in Paris to visit. “Interesting”, because what goes on at the top of the hill is very different from what goes on at the bottom of the hill.

The Basilica was built in the late 1800s on the site of where the patron saint of Paris, St, Denis, was supposedly beheaded by the Romans. The nave is 250 feet long and 50 feet wide, and its tower contains the largest bell in France. There are 237 steps  going from the bottom of the hill to the Basilica, but I only had to walk up 140 because I took the metro to a stop on the side of the hill. However,  I did walk the 237 steps down- ugh! The Basilica is the second most popular attraction in Paris, the Eiffel Tower being number 1. The area is also famous for being home to a number of well known painters - Monet, Renoir and Degas to name just a few and if you take a tour, the guide will point  out scenes  from the area that appear in their paintings. Lastly, there is a small vineyard behind the Basilica, the only one in Paris, and in the Fall, there is a big festival as the grapes are picked and crushed to make wine. The wine is sold to raise money for local charities and I am told it is better to put the bottle on a shelf as a conversation piece rather  than drink it. There are much better wines in France.

Getting to the bottom of the hill requires walking by  many of the chintziest tourist shops you will find.  It seems the owners like to stand outside, smoke a cigarette, gawk at the young girls walking by,  and try to get you to go into their store. It is a little creepy to say the least. Then at the bottom of the hill is the Pigalle red light district- famous   for the Moulin Rouge cabaret,  sex shops, and  “ street walkers”.  You really don’t want to be in the area late at night. As I said, what goes on at the top of the hill is very different from what goes on at the bottom of the hill. 

Interesting fact: To build the Basilica, the architect selected a special limestone which essentially cleans itself.  When it rains, a thin protective layer which naturally coats the stone secretes a white substance which hardens in the sun, assuring a continual white coat,