Sacre Coeur

When I asked Karen Kimball the one thing I should be certain to see in Paris, she said Sacre Coeur.  Having seen it, I certainly understand why.  The church sits high on Montmartre hill, the only hill in Paris,  overlooking the city.  Because of its location, Sacre Coeur is visible from most places in the city.  Unlike most other sites, however, we were not allowed to take pictures inside, which is really a shame because the interior is breathtaking.

In 1944, before Paris fell, the Nazis tried to bomb Sacre Coeur.  Thirteen bombs fell in a line near the church, all of them missing the basilica.  People were praying in the church as the incredible stained glass windows shattered and fell to the floor, but no one was harmed.

As you can see, the exterior is amazing, however, it pales in comparison with the interior.

Jordan, Carl, and Robert climbed to the top of the Basilica to take pictures of Paris.

Along the way, Jordan got some excellent pictures of gargoyles.

Views from the top of Sacre Coeur.

As you can see by one of the pictures above, I did not choose to climb to the top.  Jordan loved the panoramic view of the city, but Robert and Carl assured me that I had made a wise choice.  When they reached the top, while Jordan leaned out over the balustrade to take pictures of the city and of me, the boys were hugging the wall and waiting for her to finish so that they could climb back down to terra firma.