Basilique du Sacre-Coeur

Montmarte is an amazing place. Set at the top of a high hill there are many stairs to climb. Some parts of the staircase are broad, and many people sit on these stairs or on the lawns around them, eating, looking out over the city, conversing, or listening. There is much to listen to here. The street vendors (we were warned of those who would come and ask you to hold a finger out, and use it as a base to weave a bracelet. Of course they would hold you by these threads as they negotiated the price.), the performers, the people you came with, or the people nearby. Lots of noise. Some of the staircases up are narrow, stone steps or paths (to see this, go to Google maps, and put in "parvis du sacre coeur paris". Make sure you have it on satellite. Start at the lowest part of the green oasis south of the Basilique. The way up to that first balcony is around those two curved paths on either side. This leads you to the straight sided figure 8. Go up the middle or take the sides. When you get to the next plaza you must take the stairs to the side to go further: what is center is filled with water. More stairs and more stairs and then you are there.

Construction began in 1875 and was completed in 1914. It is not old by European measure: later we see churches 1000 years old. But old enough, and massive, and bearing the weight of the years of worship. We enter into silence. Tourist or not, this is a house of worship. You can feel it in the air. We whisper our way around the nave, looking at the artwork, intricate pieces all telling the story of God's work among the people. A bible written in pictures, stained glass, mosaic. We leave in silence.

As I came down the stairs, I saw that there were snails in the hills surrounding the stairs. I found an empty shell, and pocketed it. It will continue the journey with me, a reminder...

We gather at 4 pm to move on to our next stop: Notre Dame.