We've been looking forward to visiting Montmartre, and yesterday we made the trek. To get to the very north side of Paris, we took two Metro lines to Place Pigalle, and then the "Monmarbus" the rest of the way up the steep hill to Sacre Coeur. The Basilica of the Sacre Coeur (sacred heart) is at the highest point in Paris, and the huge white domed structure can be seen from anywhere in the city on a clear day.

Montmartre, the 18th Arrondissement of Paris, is famous for the artists' studios that used to be there, including those of Dali, Modigliani, Picasso, Mondrian, Toulouse-Lautrec, Van Gogh and even Monet for a while. It's also famous for its night clubs with "can-can" dancers like the Moulin Rouge, its sex shops, and it's red light district called "Le Pigalle".

Yesterday, we took a few photos near the Metro stop at Pigalle, and then proceded up to Sacre Coeur where we spent a couple of hours seeing the church, the portrait artists, and the shops. We tried a chocolate and pistachio biscuit, which is actually a tiny cookie that tastes very much like those Danish butter cookies that come in a blue tin. The big difference: they are much prettier and much more expensive. We also tried a slice of quiche lorraine from a little patisserie. The quiche was just excellent!

We liked Montmartre, but it was a long way to go for a view of the city, Sacre Coeur, and mostly touristy little shops. We know that in the past, they had lots of as-yet unknown street artists who would sell you a painting for a few francs, and then one could hope that they would someday become famous. Most of those "starving" artists are no longer here, and we missed seeing them and buying a painting that we really love as a reminder of our stay in Paris. We should mention that there are a few painters out on the streets near Sacre Coeur, but they are very ordinary and commercial, and way over-priced. We're glad, though, that we finally got to experience Montmartre, because we had heard so much about it.

You can see pics from our day in Montmartre by clicking on "Photos".