Wed 19 August: Montmartre & Sacré Coeur

Today, we revisited the Montmartre area.  It has a character of its own and you almost feel that you must be somewhere in a different place outside Paris.  There are all the tourist trappings, including horrible trinkets of all kinds (and common in any tourist area of any city).  However, it has a charm as well.  It's great to sit in Place du Tertre and watch so many artists and work.  We managed not to be trapped by any of the people who are happy to sketch your portrait and then charge a huge fee.

As you walk up the very steep hill (or take the funicular) the sight of Sacré-Coeur takes your breath away.

The Place du Tertre, where artists set up their easels for the tourists, is just a few streets away from Sacré-Coeur.

It was time for lunch!

We took the funicular down the hill, but the queue waiting for it to go up was far too long.  We took a few deep breaths and began the climb on foot.  No wonder we ate a lot for lunch!

By the end of the day, our flat street (usually an easy walk) felt as steep as the Montmartre hill!