Sacre-Coeur, Montmarte, Lock Bridge, Pompidou

Day Six began earlier than the previous days. We were headed to the small, tourist district of Montmarte, and it tends to get pretty crowded. So we headed out early, much earlier than most shops decide to open, and climbed the many stairs to Sacre-Coeur, which is a beautiful chapel that stands atop a magnificent hilltop and can be seen from many places in Paris. The view was especially breathtaking in the clear morning as we looked out upon the city.

                Stepping inside, we were awed by the beauty, and I think that I like Sacre-Coeur even better than Notre Dame and Sainte Chapelle. The ceilings were marvelously painted and there was a small choir singing very beautifully. We sat and enjoyed the moment for a while before heading back out to explore Montmarte. This area is very artsy and there were a lot of little painting booths and artists. We saw Picasso’s studio and Van Gogh’s as well. Montmarte was mentioned many times in the novels that we read as the area where struggling artists would live because it offered cheaper rent. So, once again, we were exploring the same streets that were once walked by Hemingway, Picasso, Henry Miller, Van Gogh, and many others. 

                As the group slit up for the afternoon, Mason and I went to the Lock Bridge, which is where couples put a lock with their names on it onto the side of the bridge and then throw the key into the river. We didn’t put a lock on the bridge, but the idea is really beautiful and I enjoyed all of the gold locks glittering along the bridge. 

                Just as we valued a hot cup of coffee on the rainy days, as it got hotter we valued ice cream stands. Seeking one out, we walked along the river and enjoyed the street artists. That night a group of us went to the Pompidou museum, which is where the modern art is. The building is very large and impressive, but the exhibit is only a portion of the building and is only mildly entertaining. I guess that I just don’t really understand modern art. The view from the top floor, however, through the glass walls, was definitely worth the line that we waited in to enter. It was just growing dark, so we saw the many lights of the city, and it was yet another breath-taking sight.