What an enchanting and perfect spot for my last days in France:
Montmartre, that north Parisian enclave of individualism high on a hill overlooking the whole city.
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| On the steps of Sacre-Coeur, looking out over Paris to say goodbye |
With Tim’s walk-up apartment as a base (thank you, Colleen & Gunilla) right at the foot of the impressive, glowing white limestone
Basilique du Sacre-Coeur, I had an evening and a morning to explore this exciting, fabled
Paris neighborhood before heading to the airport hotel for my last night in France. Diana’s staying for several more days.
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| Five floors down - and up! |
We climbed up, up, up steep winding streets and set after set of stairs (engage.core.use.leg.muscles) and down, down winding cobblestone lanes (watch.your.step) to find the still rockin’
Moulin Rouge (home of the can-can) in
Place Pigalle and
Moulin de la Galette and
Au Lapin Agile.
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| Can't remember seeing neon lights anywhere else in Paris! |
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| Beautiful and historic Cimetiere de Montmartre - RIP, Tim |
A visit to the
Musee de Montmartre helped us begin to grasp the “Spirit of Montmartre” during it’s days of revolutionary fervor and its late 19th century days of artistic and avant-garde hedonism and free thinking. So special to see original Toulouse-Latrec poster advertisements and iconic posters for
Le Chat Noir.
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| Famous image by Toulouse-Latrec at Musee de Montmartre |
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| Le Chat Noir - the real one? - in Jardin de Renoir |
So,
au revoir to France! From
Provence and the sparkling
Mediterranean Sea, to thought-provoking
Normandy on the
English Channel, to tantalizing
Paris -
merci beaucoup for a memorable, satisfying, and altogether wonderful trip!
