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Published: June 22nd 2009
View from the bottom
The view from the base of the stairs leading up to Sacre Coeur.Alright, now that you've seen the ridiculously long blog about the bike touring, I'll try not to bore you too much longer with the second part of my Paris trip. Although, you will again see that I walked many times in the wrong direction.
The next two days in Paris, I decided to do some sightseeing by foot. I had booked my Moulin Rouge ticket the previous day, and noticed that the ticket had said "formal attire"... no wonder the booking agent gave me a weird look when I came by in with my backpack and tennis shoes. I used this as an excuse to get in some Paris shopping time, and went to the Gallaries Lafayette, one of the premier shopping areas in Paris, which houses some of the famous (and expensive!) designers like: Prada, Burberry, Louis Vuitton, etc.... you know... stuff I'd never be able to afford. But it was fun to look nonetheless. After getting realistic, I found some nice formal wear that wouldn't get me kicked out of the theater.
After shopping, I looked at my map. One of the items on my "to see" list was the Basilique de Sacre Coeur (Basilica of the
Steps of the Basilica
This guy was playing hits from artists such as Maroon 5 and Eagle Eye Cherry. Sacred Heart). It didn't seem like too far of a walk from where I was, and it passed the Moulin Rouge on the way, which would be nice, so that I knew where to go that night. Two hours later, after getting very lost and walking several different ways in several different directions, I finally decided to just start walking uphill. Sacre Coeur is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and is located at the summit of the butte Montmartre, the highest point in the city. I figured that if I just started walking uphill, I would eventually have to reach it. There are over 300 steps leading up to the basilica... I figured it would be hard to miss.
I finally happened upon a series of tourist shops and ice cream parlors bearing the words Sacred Heart and Montmartre, so I knew I had to be close! I still wondered though, how could I be missing this large basilica that is the highest point in Paris?! I turned a corner and saw it! It was a beautiful cathedral on a hilltop overlooking all of Paris! I went inside the basilica and was in awe of the beauty
What a view!
The view from the top of Montmarte, overlooking all of Paris. inside of it! There were huge arches featuring stone angels overlooking the pews and the visitors that were partaking in prayer. A large painting of Jesus overlooked the entire congregation. Around the walkway of the cathedral, there were lovely stained-glass windows and statues dedicated to several of the saints. Also, lining the walkway were hundreds of luminary candles, that visitors and locals lit as they walked by. It was definitely inspiring to be inside the cathedral, it was so beautiful!
Stepping outside of the cathedral was like marching into a different world. Musicians were playing on the steps of the cathedral (I finally found the steps leading up... a little too late), playing contemporary hits by Maroon 5 and Eagle Eye Cherry. A few flights below, there were some breakdancers performing for an audience of tourists. Men had dressed up as statues to earn money for the day. It was an interesting contrast with the serenity of the cathedral. I sat and talked to a few locals who had come out to relax for the day.
After visiting the cathedral, it was time to get ready for the Moulin Rouge! For those who don't know, here is a
Breaking...
These guys were dancing and performing for a large audience of tourists gathered on the steps. quick history from Wikipedia. Moulin Rouge (French for Red Windmill) is a cabaret built in 1889. Close to Montmartre in the Paris red-light district of Pigalle, it is marked by the facsimile of a red windmill on its roof. The Moulin Rouge is best known as the birthplace of the modern form of the can-can dance. Originally introduced as a seductive dance by the courtesans who operated from the site, the can-can dance revue evolved into a form of entertainment of its own and led to the introduction of cabarets across Europe. Today the Moulin Rouge is a tourist destination, offering musical dance entertainment for adult visitors from around the world. Much of the romance of turn-of-the-century France is still present in the club's decor.
As many of you probably also know, the Moulin Rouge was featured in a movie by the same name (one of my favorite movies!) so it was a real treat to be able to see a show ("Feerie") at the original Moulin Rouge! We were welcomed into the theater by several hosts, who treated the guests like royalty. I was escorted to my seat, which was stage-side (awesome!) and treated to my own personal
Pristine...
Sacre Coeur sitting atop the Montmartre mountain top.
bottle of champagne in a silver ice bucket. I talked to several of the surrounding people, all who were also tourists, and were excited to be there!
The show was fantastic! In addition to dancing, there were quite the variety of acts! An astonishing juggler, who, in addition to juggling 7 batons at once, was moving about the stage in his own dance. There was a woman who did her dance number in a large aquarium filled with pythons, and a dance number with the dancers suspended above the audience. Later in the show, miniature ponies were paraded out on stage by the dancers wearing bright circus costumes. There was a ventriloquist, who had trained a dog (named Scarlet) to be part of his act (which was hilarious!) and he invited guests up on stage to use in his act as well. One of my favorite acts was a cute number with a woman who was trying to take a man's coat, all the while showing off their intense balancing talent and strength. Toward the end, the show included the traditional French can can and incorporated some familiar music (if you've seen the movie, it was the music to
Moulin Rouge!
The Bal de Moulin Rouge, after the show! Spectacular, Spectacular). One thing I found interesting and a little disappointing, was that they put some American songs (Aretha Franklin, "I Will Survive" for example) into the show. It was interesting to see the far reach of American culture into something as historic as the Moulin Rouge. Anyway, the show did not disappoint! It was filled with the bright colorful costumes, fun music, variety and dancing that the Moulin Rouge always promises its spectators! Upon exiting the theater, it was funny to see the massive amount of tourists that had gathered on the streets to take their pictures in front of the red windmill (myself included of course).
After heading home and getting a peaceful nights rest, it was time for my last day in Paris (day 4). I had decided on two sites that I really wanted to see: Notre Dame and the catacombs.
I wanted to return to Notre Dame to see the inside of the cathedral, and of course, climb the 400+ stairs to the top to see the gargoyles and the grand bell, as well as a panoramic overview of Paris. The inside of the cathedral was pretty, but definitely paled in comparison to
Again...
The famous Moulin Rouge lit up at night! Sacre Coeur. There was a choir singing in the middle of the chapel, while others around me sat in the pews and watched. After exploring the inside of the cathedral, it was time to head to the top! After waiting in a Disneyland-sized line, we finally started climbing the large spiral staircase to the top. Emerging on the lower roof level, I saw dozens of gargoyles and statues on the corners of the cathedral, as well as views of Paris and the Seine River. Also on this level was the grand bell, which Quiasimoto supposedly rang in the Victor Hugo novel, the Hunchback of Notre Dame.
At first, I thought that this was the highest level that tourists were allowed to go, but then a security guard ushered a group of us up another set of spiral stairs, leading to the very top of the high tower. Both levels are fenced in, preventing accidental (and intentional) "man-overboard" scenarios. It was neat to be on top of the tower, and see all of Paris, including the Basilique de Sacre Coeur that I had visited the day before. We were only allowed to spend 5 minutes at the top of the
Songs of Notre Dame
The choir performing within the Notre Dame cathedral. tower before heading back down. Going down the spiral staircase was not very Kristy-friendly, as the stairs were a bit slippery. I could see why going up and down the tower was not recommended for those with vertigo, as I had to stop several times on the way down because of getting dizzy from the constant spiraling. After safely making it down the stairs (trust me, I'm as surprised as you are, given my clumsiness), I decided to take a leisurely walk around the cathedral, grab a cheese crepe and sit in the courtyard. I again talked to some locals who insisted I didn't look American (about the 4th people to tell me so) and tried my best to converse with them in my broken French.
Aside: it is funny with languages. I know bits and pieces of about 6 or 7 different languages (with English, Spanish and French being relatively decent... in that order), so when I don't know the word for something in one language, it ends up being substituted by a different language. Because Spanish is one of my better languages, many Spanish words end up incorporated into my French. Also, because I am in the
Neener, neener, neener!
My favorite gargoyle atop Notre Dame. process of learning German and Swahili, these languages have also been making some appearances in conversation. My brain is pretty confused right now. Ha ha ha.
Anyway, I headed on to the much anticipated catacombs. As some of you know, before going to law school, I used to work in a forensics lab, working with human remains and more specifically, analyzing bones. So the catacombs were going to be my nerdy-pleasure for the trip! Descending in to the catacombs (unfortunately with more spiral stairs) was great. The catacombs run the same pattern as the streets of Paris and are far below the metro and sewage systems of the city. The group I was with walked along the catacomb paths for a while, and you could definitely see how someone would get disoriented underground.
We came upon an engraving within the walls, a miniature replica of buildings, carved by someone who had later died within the walls of the catacombs. After further walking, the hallways turned into a maze of bones! Tibia's and skulls of more than 6 million Parisians (some dating back 200-300 years) had been stacked along the walls of this underground maze. There were patterns within
The Grand Bell
We weren't allowed to ring it, but I really wanted to swing from the bell and pretend I was a hunchback! the bones that the Parisians had created, including arches of skulls, and crossbones. Along the way, we found plaques that were in memoriam of those who had found this to be their final resting place, as well as some altars, where celebrations would be held in memory of the dead. Some of the bones belonged to people that had been beheaded during the French Revolution and others were those that had died of natural causes. I found myself wandering along the corridors (alone, as I let the rest of the group pass me because there were little girls that were screaming at every corner). As nerdy as I am, I was looking and analyzing the skulls... this was a male, this was a female, most of them European descent (I really am that geeky, trust me). We weren't allowed to use the flash on our cameras,so I apologize that some of the pictures turned out really blurry.
The catacombs were so neat to see, and there definitely was a sense of solemnity and respect to be paid to all of the remains. It was amazing that the bones had been so well preserved after so many years. I asked
Sacre Coeur
Sacret Heart Basilica from the viewpoint of Notre Dame. where the rest of the bones were (as I only saw tibias, skulls, and the occasional scapula) and apparently, they were thrown behind the stacks, as far as 25 meters behind the corridors. Coming out of the catacombs was a bit funny, because the security guard had to check our bags, just in case some wise guy decided to steal 300 year-old bones.
This was a really interesting end to my Paris trip, I definitely felt like I had seen a wide variety of what Paris had to offer. I had an amazing time and was really sad to leave. I met some fantastic people and cannot wait for my next adventure!
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Kate
non-member comment
A cousin
I read the sentence, "Tibia's and skulls..." I questioned, who is Tibia? Is that someone I should have heard of? Maybe I just am forgetting her. It is a pretty name though. And then I read the rest of the sentence. Tibia is a bone. Silly me. I think I'm okay now. Maybe. Glad you are having fun!