From the Eiffel Tower to Notre Dame, we had already notched up a good few sights and it had only been one day of visiting! In the Latin Quarter we encountered some sartorially experimental statues, before taking a stroll round the Luxembourg Gardens.
Theatre de la Huchette, where Ionesco's famous "Bald Prima Donna" or "La Cantatrice Chauve" was played for the first time, and hasn't stopped playing since 1957.
The Shakespeare & Company
A statue of Charlemagne by Notre Dame
Notre-Dame
de Paris; (French for
"Our Lady of Paris"), also known as Notre-Dame
Cathedral or simply Notre-Dame, is a
historic Catholic cathedral on the eastern half of
the Île de la Cite in the fourth
arrondissement of Paris, France. The cathedral
is widely considered to be one of the finest examples
of French Gothic architecture and among the largest and most
well-known church buildings in the world. The naturalism of
its sculptures and stained glass are in contrast with
earlier Romanesque architecture. [Source].
After a tour of Notre-Dame, we hightailed it to Pigalle to take a peek at the Moulin Rouge and start the climb to Montmartre's summit. On our way past Amelie's cafe, "Les Deux Moulins" [see here], we encountered the second windmill for which the cafe is named, which used to be an old dance hall but is now privately owned. The romance of old swinging Paris in the 10s and 20s still hangs around Montmartre, as does the smell of waffles and chocolate syrup from the cafes perched on its hill.
I didn't end up getting as many photos as I would have liked - but be sure to make the climb for yourself as the view is well worth the effort. Artists draw likenesses and accordionists busk in the artists' quarter, and inside Sacre-Coeur's sanctuary the peace and hushed reverence seem to reach out and embrace you, as do the mosaic arms of Christ, whose likeness watches down from the domed ceiling. I'll return soon with photos soon, after all, a picture is worth a thousand words!
À Bientôt !
x
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