Located in one of the most art-driven districts in Paris- the Montmartre district- was once a place for students to practice their Latin for those who intended to be intellectual show-offs. But now it is home to one of the most beautiful cathedrals in Paris, large cemeteries that are resting places for some of the most famous artists to derive from this area, and of course hoards of tourists. The Sacre Cœur has, as well as a brilliant history and architecture, one of the best views of Paris. Standing high on the hilly district of Montmartre, one can see for miles and nothing but the city of Paris looking back at you. After this, we found a charming little Pizzeria at the bottom of the hill. We dined on chicken pizza, a traditional French pizza called "Four Seasons", and of course French Onion Soup. We were filling our gas tanks so we could churn our motors just a bit more.
The cemetery we visited next was well known, and very beautiful. It was the size of small neighborhood, and was aisle after aisle of ancient tombs built like small houses. Graveyards in Europe are much different to what we have in the States. These are restful places for people to visit- not the scary no-go territories that we've created out of ours. It was basically a historical garden. As we were wandering back to the metro we discovered a small band playing this upbeat, jazzy rhythm and had to watch them for awhile- they were pretty sensational, and for me reminded me of what childhood dreams were like of Paris. Nearby there was an old, abandoned-looking church that we explored around for awhile, while listening to the spirited music of the Parisian band. After this we hopped on the metro again to go see the catacombs... as we arrived the line was larger than life and was about to close in an hour- tough chance. So, we improvised and looked at our large map of all the places possible for us to visit in Paris and we decided to go see the Île de le Cité (Island of the City)... where the Notre Dame resides. The famous Cathedral came to life as we discovered its every inch. Even though we were swimming through tourists, beggars, and entertainers whilst doing so- I found it to be oddly enjoyable regardless. This was one of the biggest and most aesthetically sensational Cathedrals yet. With huge pillars aligning with the lit medieval chandeliers giving the tall ceilings a soft glow. Considering our excellent luck for events, of course we happened to be touring the Notre Dame during a mass. A man speaking in very soft French was giving a sermon and would every so often chant a melody- creating a whispering echo. The stain glass windows were a deep blue mixed with greens and purples- all of them telling stories that I didn't understand... making them even more mysterious for me.
After this Karla and mom's feet were getting worn out, so we jumped onto the Batabus (the boat bus/taxi) and rode around, taking in the famous sites from the water. After about an hour we got off at The Louvre's exit to find some dinner- but ended up finding much more than just that. L'école des Beaux-Arts- the 'Juilliard' of extremely talented artists in France has been home to students such as Degas, Delacroix, and Monet. Sam was excited to have run into one of the most prestigious art schools around- so of course, considering the gate was open, we were going to invite ourselves in. There was a group of students having a picnic in the courtyard and we walked past them to explore their school- the inner courtyard was lined with beautiful old statues and a fountain. It seemed a little deserted but none-the-less interesting. It was an exciting discovery.
Continuing on, we magically gravitated towards the most wonderful restaurant again and when it became dark out... we followed the lights. Of course these very well known lights were illuminating from the Great Pyramids of the Louvre. As we cast away the chaos of the day- hopping on and off the metro, paddling through the crowds, and walking our feet up and down endless hills and alleys- we sat their amazed at these mystical-looking pyramids in the heart of the city. The perfectly symmetrical pyramids won me heart over- I've seen them before in broad daylight- but something about the soft blues shinning out from them at night, with the bold black as a background, created a work of art for our eyes to devour. We spent a long time there and enjoyed being some of the only people there. There was a man in the entrance alley that was playing soft jazz that seemed to echo across the entire area... it added to the astounding ambiance of the grounds. Afterward we traveled back like zombies to our soft, pillowy, Parisian beds and recharged out batteries for the next day.
No comments:
Post a Comment