Friday 13/5/11 - lost count of days, Montmartre, hold onto your bags

Off to Montmartre crack of dawn, had to change to different metro line & dawned on us that if you can change in the same station, as we did, same ticket used! Arrived at Metro station Abbesses which is the other remaining station with the original glass canopy bu Guimard, had to hang around for a bit to get photo as hordes spewing out of entrance.

Abbesses Metro Station entrance with original glass canopy

Also that line must be almost down to hell as more stairs to street level than up to the garret, I did notice a lift at the base, but no warning stretcher may be required by the time you got to the top, so ignored along with a lot of other fools. Streets to Sacre Couer  filthy with tourists & on the way up the stairs, M had a near miss with a pickpocket, young couple (gypsy) as usual - working in pairs, wth one attempting to distract - had the hide to get upset when we yelled at them.
Sacre Couer very impressive inside & out but as we discussed, unlikely to get the faithful to chip in the tithe if all you offered them was tin shed. View from  front out to Paris great, but not quite the same when shared with 5000. Came to the conclusion that Sacre Couer may be better observed from a distance, just huge white presence high on the hill. I had completely different idea last time as F & got there real crack of dawn & only shared the steps & view up & down with a few other of the more hardy tourists & also April quieter, god knows what it is like in the peak season, July I think.

Sacre Couer, with hordes of the faithful!!! a pilgrimage of sorts.

Down the streets to Place du Tertre, past lots of tourist shops, M finally got her 50 Eiffel Tower key rings as ordered by G, to distribute to all & sundry, good deal. E20.  Place du Tertre full of artists, although almost squeezed out, but tables & chairs as whole inner part of square covered in al fresco dining,  enjoyable  stroll around watching artists doing their stuff. Then a bite to eat in one of the rip off   places, E14 for half carafe of vin ordinaire, food ordinaire too, but good to sit.

Down the steps behind Monmartre

Headed down the hill to a street which specialises in materials etc whole street devoted to same, as we walked on came across the same pattern, whole street of shops of hair goods, then another one full of hairdressers whose speciality was african hair, quite a dodgy area street or so back from Montmartre, did some shopping & headed back to metro Chateau Rouge & safety of  Ille de la Cite, dreams of living in Paris dashed, could not afford to live in centre & wouldn't want to live anywhere else