The Streets of Montmartre

Sacre Coeur sits atop the hill of Montmartre.  After visiting the basilica, we had a leisurely stroll through the streets.  No sign of Nicole Kidman or Ewan McGregor, and we never did find that elephant, though we did locate a windmill.

Montmartre is a section of the city rife with contradictions--from the Basilica that sits at the top of the hill and churches that grace the narrow streets to the drunken hordes of teenagers roaming the cafes and nightclubs at its base.

Viva la Vie Boheme

Jordan snapped this Space Invaders mosaic located on one of the building in Montmartre.  Her boyfriend, Jordan Simpson, reports that Space Invaders was created by a French citizen and was excited to hear that she had found this mini-mosaic.  This one's for you Jordan.

A busy street in Montmartre.  

As is typical in Paris, the narrow streets are lined with specialty shops 

selling everything from macaroons to scarves

The descent to the bottom of Montmartre

Loved this vine covered house and its garden

Looking up the street to Renoir's house in Montmartre

We were amazed by the sudden shifts in architectural style from one adjoining house to the next.

Modern apartments in Montmartre

This windmill sat atop a restaurant in Montmartre where we chose to have dinner, Moulin de la Galette.  The meal was an incredible experience, lasting over 2 1/2 hours.  The pace of meals in Paris is stately and leisurely.  All in all, it was a gourmet experience, complete with escargot to start (for Carl) and pear soup for dessert (for Robert).  Of course, those were just the two of many highlights of the meal.

Le Moulin de la Galette is famous for other reasons as well.  See the painting by Pierre-Auguste Renoir painted in 1876 here.  It hangs in the Musee d'Orsay, where we are headed later this morning.