The Sights of Paris

Today Mamie and I woke up early to go to Sacré Coeur in Montmartre. It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining and the sky was blue, it was impossibe not to take pictures of everything. We found our way to the metro near our house and we took it to Montmartre with only a few connections. The first metro we were on there was a guy preaching in French about extra terrestrials trying to contact us and how we are ruining our planet and should take their advice and get out. Wow.

When we got off at our stop and took a random road upward... Because we knew if we were headed up it would most likely be the right way to Sacré Coeur. It was a beautiful sight after we climbed the 100 some stairs to the top. The view was beautiful of the city and there was a man playing the harp over a loud speaker. We went in the church where I saw some of the most beautiful angels carved into the arched ceiling of the cathedral. It was beautiful inside and some nuns started singing a French song while we were inside. It sounded like angels singing. Afterwards we walked around the back where we saw a man making a string puppet sing and play guitar to a Green Day-Boulevard of Broken Dreams. It was awesome.

(Sacre Coeur)

We then walked down to the Montmartre square where there are tons of artists selling their work or scetching portraits. It was a gorgeous square. I found a painting I liked for 30 euro and another for 100 euro. I kept trying to decide, so Mamie and I hot chocolate and shared 2 crepes at a little café in the square. Our waiter was so my typical French man... I couldn't believe it. He spoke mostly French to us which is always impressive in Paris. Normally they just switch to English if they know you speak it. While we ate our chocolate and banana crepe, and fruit and ice cream crepe, I decided to get the larger 100 euro painting. We asked our waiter where a bank was and he told us how to get there. We got lost on the way so I went into another café and he told me where to find it... Again in French which made me smile. We went to the bank where I got enough money to buy my painting and we trekked back to the square. The man wrapped it up for me and I walked away happily with an original painting from Paris that I will keep forever!

(Montmatre) (The cafe we got hot chocolate at and our waiter)

We started down the road to find Moulin Rouge but our waiter told us the wrong directions or else we didn't understand :/ because again we found ourselves wandering. I asked at a little kiosk and he told us to go back to Sacré Coeur and go from there. When we got back to the top of the hill I pulled out my map and we found our was just fine after stopping in some quaint little shops on the way! (that's where I found my mug you got me, Landon!). We found the Moulin Rouge after walking past I don't know how many sex shops, and we took some pictures and read all about it's history. Then we grabbed a panini to share and hopped in the metro to Notre Dame! In the metro was a man playing the accordian (I immediately thought of you Chantel hahaha). I love paris!

When got there, instead of wandering, I immediatly asked someone where Nortre Dame was. He pointed and said, "Là bas!" so I turn around and there it is peaking out from behind the building. We walked down the rue towards it and there it was, right across the river. It was gorgeous! And so big!! The lighting was just right for pictures so I took plenty! It was really incredible. I had seen it only in pictures before, and from the Eiffel tower yesterday but i didn't know it could be that majestic. I also remembered it is the destination on one of my favorite childhood movies: the Hunchback of Notre Dame. So cool that I've actually seen it now.

Inside blew me away. It's not only one huge stained glass window, but 3! And a whole bunch of smaller ones as well. It was breath taking. We sat down for a while in the pews and decided what to do next. We were both tired and ready to go home but it was only 5:00pm. We decided to see if we could go up into the towers but they were closed because it was slippery. So we instead took the metro home and were greeted the the great smell of dinner.

We walked in and told Kim about our day and she asked us to eat with her and her family. It was the tastiest dinner I've had since I've been in France. And her family is just beautiful. They have 4 kids. 16, 14, 12, and their 7 year old is so mature and polite. I would have thought he was 16 in a 7 year old's body. He's nothing like Matthias, loud and crazy, and who never eats all his food so Xavier always yells every night at dinner MANGE Matthias, MANGE!!! (mange= eat). Instead Matthew joined politely in the conversation and sat with us while we talked. Sweet kid. It's only 9:30 but we're headed to bed so we can get up early tomorrow. We have a full day planned!!