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Day One of Paris 2006 - Louvre Day Three (Part One) - Île de la Cité Day Three (Part Two) - Petit Palais and Napoleon's Tomb Day Three (Part Three) - Arc de Triomphe Day Six - Paris - Montmartre, Eiffle Tower and more
A Monday morning train, filled with commuters from Rouen, took us back to Paris. We dumped our bags at our hotel - grateful once again for those Hilton points, and took the Metro to Montmartre.
Sacré-Coeur was built to atone for the French defeat in the Franco-Prussian war, which resulted in the ouster of Napoleon III From the Metro station, you walk past lots of street traffic - vendors and artists, and go on up the hill or take a short funicular ride to the Sacré-Coeur Basilica. This beautiful church, built between 1875 and 1919, has a dome you can visit for a fee, but the view of the city is so spectacular from the front stairs, we didn't bother. Keep in mind that religious services may be going on during your visit to Sacré-Coeur or any other church such as the Church of St Pierre, dating from 1147, across the street.
Church of St Pierre
tomb of Queen Adélaide, wife Louis VI, the Fat (le Gros), in St Pierre
stained glass and its light in Church of Saint Pierre
We walked back down the hill to a corner restaurant with hideous fabric on the walls and wonderful interior moldings. There was no apparent signage and no name on the check, so who knows where we ate our just ok lunch. But hey, we were in Montmartre, and it was likely that more than one great artist or writter had eaten a meal at our very table. As you walk downhill toward La Place Pigalle, you can't help but notice why the neighborhood is notorious for sex shops and shows. It's not as bad as Amsterdam, but unless you're dying to see the real Moulin Rouge ("red mill" - the movie of the same name starring Nicole Kidman was shot in a soundstage in Australia), you will undoubtedly will choose to visit the nearby homes of Renoir and Van Gogh.
Moulin Rouge Saying goodbye to the last of our college students, we took the Metro to the Eiffle Tower, la Tour Eiffle, an amazingly large and beautiful structure. Wait in line as long as necessary to ride to the very top - there are stairs to the second level. If you've made reservations months in advance, dine expensively at the Jules Verne reataurant. And consider a night visit to the top of the tower for a different look at the city of lights.
under and inside the Eiffle Tower
We love modern art, but travel fatigue set in by the time we made it to the Pompidou Center, Centre Pompidou, so I deeply regret to report we settled for a rest by the colorful l'Homage à Stravinski fountain. Instead, we explored next door Saint-Merri Church, which contains the oldest church bell in the city.
Stravinski Fountain with the Church of Saint Merri in the background
Ultimately, we made our way to our hotel room to, well, collapse.
Next, a final half day in Paris
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