We started our Sunday morning at the flea market before taking a taxi to the Basilique du Sacré-Cœur. Our plan was to visit the Basilica and then have lunch while exploring the streets of Montmartre.
We would go on to visit several other beautiful churches in Paris, including Notre Dame and Sainte-Chapelle, but for me, Sacré-Cœur was the most beautiful place of worship we visited in Paris.
The cab dropped us off at the base of the steps leading up to Sacré-Cœur. Around us were tourists, and where you have tourists, you have street vendors—loads of them—selling everything from multicolored mini Eiffel Towers to locks to affix to the nearby railings. The locks are everywhere in Paris, and there was little room to spare on the railings around Sacré-Cœur, but business was brisk among those wanting to leave a lasting record of their visit.
While we waited in line to enter Sacré-Cœur, I noticed the pathways leading away from the Basilica. One led to an “Irish Pub and Brasserie,” while another headed downhill toward the restaurants and shops of Montmartre. As we waited, I snapped a few photos, not noticing a small red heart on a nearby wall along Rue du Cardinal Guibert.
It wasn’t until I was reviewing my photographs at home that I zoomed in and noticed that the heart had a face. It turns out that it was one of many art installations by French artist Gregos, who is known for his distinctive face sculptures. He has installed more than 1,000 of them on streets around the world. Had I known about Gregos while we were there, I would have taken some better photographs, but there is something fun about discovering an unexpected Easter egg in your own pictures.
We eventually reached the head of the line and stepped inside Sacré-Cœur. Construction on the basilica began in 1875 and was completed in 1914. It was designed by French architect Paul Abadie in the Neo-Byzantine-Romanesque style. The basilica was formally consecrated in 1919, following World War I, but it was not designated a Monument Historique, a French historic site, until 2022.
When you first step inside, your attention is naturally drawn toward the altar. But as you make your way with the crowd around the perimeter of the basilica, you look up toward the main dome and suddenly see Jesus appearing before you through the arched openings.
At first, I thought the ceiling was a painting. But when I zoomed in with my camera, I realized that the entire ceiling was covered in mosaic tile. The gold details caught the light as we moved through the basilica, creating an effect that was even more impressive once I realized what I was seeing.
And the view of the city below is pretty spectacular, too.
By the time we left, it was raining, so we cautiously started down the steep steps toward the nearby restaurants for lunch. I took a photograph to show just how steep the steps are, but what I didn’t realize at the time was that I had also captured the Funiculaire de Montmartre.
The funicular is a tram that runs from the base of the Butte Montmartre to the summit. So, if you don’t want to take a cab, and you don’t care to give your calves the ultimate stair workout, you can ride the funicular up to the summit in just a few minutes. If you look at the left side of my photograph, you can see the top of the funicular, with its distinctive arched rooftop.
More of those famous steps are pictured below. I was glad we were headed down the steps, particularly when wet.
There is a high concentration of shops and restaurants along the walk.
We had lunch at Le Consulat. I had an incredible salad (yes, I said “salad”), the “Salade de Chèvre et Jambon Espagnol,” while my daughter had mussels and frites. Can you see the steam rising from the mussels?
I was never one to romanticize Paris in the rain the way characters in the movies do. Perhaps it is the practical side of me that thinks about my shoes or purse getting wet, or having to duck out of the way of umbrellas while walking through crowds of tourists. More likely, it is because my photographs seem to take on a gray cast in the rain, making it harder to appreciate the beauty of the city around you.
I still don’t appreciate rainy days in Paris quite like some people do, but I have to admit that if you are going to be stuck in the rain, it could certainly be worse than being in Paris.
