Montmartre:

Day two saw us take the Metro from Rue Lauriston to Blanche Station where we met Chris for another walking tour, this time it was Montmartre. Today’s group was larger, and more diverse. The tour started at Le Moulin Rouge where tickets cost €150-200/person! We learned that today’s dancers are mostly from Australia, Canada or Russia with only a few locals. Despite the sticker shock, they have no difficulty selling tickets. The walk continued up Rue Lepic heading for Sacrê Coeur winding our way through the legendary streets of Montmartre. On Rue Lepic, we passed cafes and shops featured in the film Amêlie. The street had already become famous with Yves Montand memorializing the street in song

Montmartre was originally an independent village, but is now well inside the city limits of the metropolis. Being independent from the city, helps explain the unique character of Montmartre. Napoleon and the Revolutionary spirit left the village of Montmartre untouched. The old winding streets are laid out to accommodate the contours of the hill, rather than a grand boulevard. Further up Rue Lepic we stopped outside Vincent Van Gogh’s apartment. Actually it wasn’t his, but his brother Teo’s - Vincent didn’t have the money to afford an apartment.

Continuing on the winding Rue Lepic, we came to another windmill Le Moulin de la Galette, made famous in one of Renoir’s most celebrated works. The restaurant once a humble bakery offering simple fare is now an upscale destination. There used be some 30 windmills on Montmartre several made famous by impressionists such as Renoir, Toulouse-Lautrec and Van Gogh. These windmills were used to crush grain, grapes and other agricultural products. Montmartre has more than its fair share of les boulangeries. There is the Annual Baguette Prize in Paris. The winner earns considerable prestige, providing Palais Elysée with baguettes for the year. A disproportionate number of winners call Montmartre home.

Heading onwards and upwards on Rue Lepic we were soon at Place Suzanne Busisson where there is one of many statues of St Denis which is not surprising given that he is the patron saint of the City of Paris. Denis was the first bishop of Paris and converted prodigious numbers to his faith. This so worried the pagan Romans that they decided to execute him on the highest spot in the region- on Montmartre. Fable has it that after his execution, he lifted up his head and carried it for some 6 kilometres to the north before finally succumbing to his injuries. In addition to the statue, this little oasis is also home to a pétanque court.

We turned up Rue Girardon to see the bust erected in memory of Dalida. Who is Dalida, you ask? Dalida, born Iolanda Cristina Gigliotti to Italian parents living in Egypt. She went on to win the Miss Egypt contest in 1954 before morphing into a massive vocal star selling some 140 million albums and singles - in the pre-digital music era. There is more to the Dalida story - think back to the Louvre and the pyramid.

St Denis holding his own head

Dalida, the inspiration for Louvre Pyramid?

We left Place Dalida by the steps at the rear of the sculpture to Rue St Vincent heading towards Le Lapin Agile - a cabaret of repute. Originally, a cabaret was a meeting place, popular with struggling artists, writers and actors, where important issues of the day or questions of philosophy were discussed usually accompanied by wine.. Picasso and Modigliani are reputed to have been clients. It still functions as a restaurant today, with contemporary cabaret.

On the other side of the street is Le Vignoble du Cloys Montmartre which produces a very expensive wine - it is sold for its label rather than its contents. The winery is on the north slope of the hill, not conducive to producing the best wine. The artistic community persuaded the local government to keep the winery open - it is now managed by the local government, with profits going to the poor in the arrondissement.

Just a little ways up Rue des Saules is La Maison Rosé, a very storied edifice. At one time it was owned by Germaine Gargallo who had several affairs with different artists including Picasso.

Now at the summit we were at Basilique du Sacré Coeur de Montmartre, one of the Paris landmarks, visible from many parts of the city, including our apartment. We opted to climb to the top of the dome, over 300 steps in a circular stair case. It is quite the climb, but worth it. The history of the building is interesting - it was built as penance for the defeat of France at the hands of the Prussian army in 1870. Political and religious leaders at the time attributed the defeat of the French army to the sins of France, and the defeat was punishment from God. Construction started in 1875, but was not completed till 1914, with consecration services delayed till 1918. Not everyone who attempted the climb should have! There is one way up and a different way down, so once committed there is no turning back!

Within the shadows of Sacré Coeur is Place du Tertre - a picture postcard square filled with artists painting and selling their oeuvres. The whole area is buzzing with tourists, most of whom did not take our energetic route to the top. There are many taxis, tour buses, shuttle buses, “pretend trains” ferrying people everywhere.