Montmartre

Today was our last full day in Paris, as tomorrow we leave for a weekend in northern France, followed by a week along the Italian coast, and finally, a weekend in the French Alps. The feeling is bittersweet, as we have quickly grown to love this city, but we know that we still have so much more to see and do before we head home. 

This afternoon, we took the metro to the largest and most famous hill in Paris, Montmartre, which translates to "mountain of the martyr", for Saint Denis, who was decapitated there in 250 AD. 

The first thing we saw when we climbed up the steps from the metro was the Moulin Rouge, found at the base of the hill. We would have liked to have done a dinner and a show if we had more time, but it was still such an iconic sight to see in person. I've never seen Baz Luhrmann's Moulin Rouge!, so Ashleigh insists that we watch it when we get back to Canada. 

We began the climb up the hill through the narrow cobblestone streets. We ducked in several of the small shops that crowded the sidewalks and had lunch at a bakery along the way (complete with a giant macaroon that we shared for dessert). 

Many famous artists lived and worked on or near Montmartre, such as Monet, Dalí, Picasso, and Van Gogh, to name a few.  

Towards the top of the hill, we found the Place du Tertre, a square where local artists set up their easels and paint or draw throughout the day for the tourists.    

Paris has a ton of graffiti, but on Montmartre, some of it seems to have more of an artistic flair to it, rather than simply tagging.  

At the top of the hill is the iconic Sacre Coeur Basilica. We didn't go inside, as there was a lineup as with all tourist attractions, but we were awestruck but the sheer size of the church. 

For us, the best part of Sacre Coeur was not what was going on inside the church, but what was happening on the steps below, a concert by the one-man band known as "Just Tom".  

He was able to create some impressive guitar layering effects with his looper pedal, and performed some great covers of well-known songs. We were so impressed that Ash bought one of his albums for €10. 

The same peddlers we saw at the Eiffel Tower were here as well, so a cold Heineken made the experience that much more enjoyable. 

On our way down the hill, we stopped into a few more stores, including a chocolatier with some unbelievable chocolate sculptures on display. 

On our way home, we got off the metro and walked under the Eiffel Tower one more time, as we knew it would be our last chance for the foreseeable future. 

We stopped by a nearby cafe and had a charcuterie and cheese plate and a glass of wine. We don't know how the French can last from from lunch until dinner, when they eat at 8 pm. 

Our final stop was at a bakery, Poilãne, that was recommended by Ashleigh's cousin, and we picked up a few things to take home with us. 

Tomorrow morning, we're getting up early to drive to Normandy with the Poulain family, to visit the WWII beachheads and museums. It's a bit of a drive, so were making a weekend out of it. I'm sure it will be quite the experience. 

Bonnie nuit!