Saturday, June 30, 2012

Saturday morning in Paris

This morning I have taken a wander up to Sacre Coeur, where you get a fantastic view back down across the city. I took the stairs up instead of the funicular, silly me!

They manage to keep it pretty calm inside the church, thanks to the vigilance of a doorman who takes no nonsense. There was a couple kissing kissing and canoodling in the pews that are intended pretty much for people praying. The doorman went up and just held out his hand to show the exit door. Then a woman got her friend to take a 'model' pose photo of her with the mosaic dome as backdrop: she was made to delete the photo, and he wasn't putting up with her pretending she didn't know what he meant!

Next I wandered the touristy 'village' of Montmatre. It was all pretty calm and non-touristy at that hour. I went into the parish church here too- and it was an interesting building with Romanesque origins and changes down the centuries. Quieter than Sacre Coeur with few visitors, but well worth viewing.

I did a 'Margaret wander' back down the hill and managed to avoid getting lost. Saw some young Australians filming outside a fruit shop. "locals come here for the fruit, but tourists come here for the famous person who lived here." Have to admit my ignorance of who the famous person was!

Back down the hill at the more modern parish church of St Jean, I read something that told me the unassuming street I had just walked up was where Ignatius and his companions had resolved to form the Jesuits...

Now, time for a little more exploration then lunch, then meeting my old Camino friends Liliane et Robert to go out to their place....

Sent from my iPod

3 comments:

  1. Did you see the vineyard on rue Saint Vincent?

    Michèle

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  2. Must have missed that Michele. But was pleased with the cheese shop I found!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I guess the cheese was good! Enjoy your last couple of days in Paris!

      Michèle

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