Montmarte

Tuesday, July 29

A little seedy around the edges, packed with tourists in the main square, Montmartre is actually a pleasant place once you get off the beaten track and stroll its pretty cobbled streets in search of the homes, studios and hangouts of the artistic and literary lights of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. They're all there, from Renoir & Van Gogh to Hemingway, Picasso and Gertrude Stein. Parts of Monmartre are reminiscent of Berkeley, North Beach in San Francisco, and Venice Beach in LA.











We took the Metro out to Montmartre, it's too far to walk. Through the early twentieth century, it was an outlying village and not part of Paris (it still has its own small vineyard, with an annual production of around 300 litres). Our nice weather returned today so it was cooler with a lovely breeze, perfect for hiking the hilly streets.


We started at Sacre Coeur (Sacred Heart) high up on the butte, overlooking the city. The domed Roman-Byzantine basilica looks old but was actually built over a period of 44 years between 1875 and 1919. The interior is lovely, the most impressive feature being the beautiful blue, white and gold mosaic above the altar of Christ with outstretched arms and exposed heart. Mass was in progress when we were there and a nun in a white habit and black veil was softly playing the lute. The tourists present actually remined silent through the service and it was the nicest church experience we've had in Paris.


The main square is as you'd expect, jammed with tourists and artists, lined with cafes, shops and galleries. We had a delicious lunch at a small quiet cafe off the main square (a street cellist provided a nice accompaniment to the experience).





















Highlights of the rest of the afternoon included a stop in the Musee de Montmartre, in a 17th century manor house, featuring paintings, original posters, photos, music and memorabilia recalling the traditional Montmartre scene. The museum was featuring an exhibit on Absinthe, the inspiration and downfall of many creative Montmartre residents.














We also saw (in addition to artists studios & homes) the original La Maison Rose Restaurant, Au Lapin Agile Cabaret, Moulin Rouge, and the Moulin de la Galette, the last being the location where Renoir's painted his masterpiece, en pleine aire--what some call the quintessential Impressionist work. A glance up some of the streets (with the basilica dome in the background) recalled paintings by Utrillo, who lived most of his life in Montmartre (when he wasn't in rehab!).






















Dinner was at Pitchi Poi, a restaurant specializing in Eastern European Jewish food on Rue Caron.