I didn’t go to Montmartre 19 years ago so it was locked in for today come rain, hail or shine. Thankfully there was no hail and only a few spots of rain. Seriously, I can’t wipe the smile off my face, it was one of the best days ever. Last night I downloaded a self guided walking tour to my phone – it recommended going in reverse. Catch the metro to the “top” and walk down to avoid the crowds, stairs, pick pockets. Seemed good to me. Well total win. Total win. Pinching myself.
So after exiting the metro there was still a bit of a climb up a few stairs to Place Dalida – sorry I’d never heard of her, but apparently she was a famous singer.
Around the corner was my first glimpse of Sacré-Cœur and just a short walk to sustenance and a great coffee in the Pink House!
The guide I’d downloaded really underplayed the museum up the road -Musée de Montmartre – it did not encourage you to go at all. Well I think it is a total MUST. It is in Renoir’s house. The gardens are special, the architecture just perfect. Look at that pear tree! I was in heaven. Nearly went to heaven as I fell off the swing – not pictured!
And inside is the most amazing art. Floors and floors of it. Just breathtaking.
Some close ups from that one:
I could have stayed for hours. Sorry about the reflections on some of the photos, very hard to photograph paintings through glass without that happening.
But there were many steps to be taken so I dragged myself away to walk past the vineyard (apparently the wine is terrible but is sold for charity and raises a fortune because of the association). Just look at those grapes under the netting!
Below the vineyard was an early cabaret – Au Lapin Agile. Love the painting. I wonder how many hungry artists paid for their dinner in art?
Having wandered with the (sinning) artists it was time to head a little higher up the hill and visit the saints. Well that sounds like a good story, but the truth is that I didn’t go in and I had to go up there to get to the far side and start my descent!
Haha, the blog software determines the size of the pictures when I insert several at once – wonder why it made Sacré-Cœur so small? It really was very impressive, I’m just a bit over churches is all.
So having negotiated Sacré-Cœur and the main tourist drag, it was back to steep laneways and lovely Paris. Oh and look, the pictures are big again!
The man in the wall statue, and the first of the two remaining windmills in Montmartre, Moulin de la Galette.
And at the “bottom” the views continued, and the gothic Abbesses Metro station beckoned, but I walked on as there were more things to see!
FOOD! I am no longer convinced that I can’t gain weight just by looking at all this amazingness! I mean, those tarts! And the fromage!
I love the movie Amélie, so I had to go to Café des Deux Moulins. Sadly there are renovations and being famous it is busy as, so I took a few photos and kept heading downhill.
And eventually downhill got me to…
From Moulin Rouge it was about a 3km walk back to my apartment, on which I paused to look at a beautiful florist.
I now feel that I have earned dinner – one more post from Paris tomorrow and then I’m off again…
Wendy's Out of Station 
Ah! You have taken me on a trip down memory lane.., although I do think you missed out by not at least looking inside Sacre cour….the wine they say is the only wine to be grown and harvested by virgins ( nuns apparently are chaste… I’ve heard differing stories on that) loving your posts and even though I have been to Paris six times, she never fails to excite the juices!
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