Montmartre

First stop: Sacre Coeur! This Roman-Catholic Basilica sits on top of the hill, Montmartre, the highest point in Paris. Sacre Coeur in English means Sacred Heart. I Love this Basilica. It is one of my favorite places in Paris.This little square behind Sacre Coeur is a place worth wandering through. Dozens of painters have their displays set up, and many of them are painting on sight. It's fun to see the artists in action. Some of them are absolutely incredible.Number 12 Rue Cortot, the oldest house in Montmartre. It was built in the early twelfth century.This delightful little statue is of Saint Denis. In the third century, Saint Denis was beheaded by the Romans. According to legend, he picked up his head and carried it down the north side of Montmartre. Hence the strange statue of him carrying his head. Where he finally collapsed and died is where the Basilica of Saint Denis was built two hundred years later.
This is the Basilica of Saint Denis. It was not on this walk, but I thought I would show you a picture of it anyway. Just down the street from the park with the statue of Saint Denis is this, the Moulin de la Galette. This windmill is the windmill that Renoir depicts in his famous painting, Bal du Moulin de la Galette. La Maison Rose (The Pink Restaurant) at the end of this street on the left, was once a favorite of Pablo Picasso and Gertrude Stein.
54 Rue Lepic. Home of Van Gogh. Of course he had a blue door. It's a feeling I can't describe to walk through these towns where such great people once walked. I feel so grateful to have this experience of living in history. It's not roped off somewhere for you to visit for a fee. It's all around you.Now what kind of tour guide would I be if I dragged you all over Montmartre with out showing you the famous Moulin Rouge? I just don't know... Please walk quickly.