Sunday, 30 March 2014

Paris 2014 - Day 5 Sacre Coeur

We decided to take it a little easier today. Our legs hurt after yesterdays tourist site marathon. We are continuing with our bus education. We managed 2 buses in a row utilizing the same ticket. Came across the info on line last night that as long as it is within 90 minutes the same ticket can be used for another bus ride. Again we had some very helpful Parisians help us get on and off at the right stops and getting on the right bus too. Sacre Coeur was very busy and the narrow steep streets were full of tourists and Parisians, seems the steps up to the church are a nice place to hang out.
As you can see it was a grey day today but still nice and warm.
One of the reasons its a "hang out" is the music. Half way up the steps (by the way, over 300 steps to get up there) there was a man playing a harp. It sounded beautiful in the open air. At the top of the stairs there was an very animated violin player.



Sacre Coeur is a great place to see over the city. It would have been better with a sunny clear day, it was a little hazy today, but still lovely to see across the city to Notre Dame, the Pantheon, the Tour Montparnasse and, moving round the top of the hill, the Eiffel Tower......
We walked back down and actually found a very reasonable restaurant with a view of the church, for lunch.
Greg and I had quiche, though of course he had frites with his, and Aimee had
croque monsieur. Of course there was also wine and beer consumed.
Then it was back down the hill to the bus, where we met an Irish couple who were going the same way so we travelled and talked together. Unfortunately we were chatting so much we didn't notice that we were walking down a one way street and there was no way we could catch a bus going the right way. Had to do quite a bit of doubling back. We spent some time exploring the Latin Quarter, narrow, winding streets of tourist shops and restaurants.
I stopped to do a quick sketch of Notre Dame while Aimee and Greg went to check out a river boat tour. They realized my watch was an hour wrong and we had to rush to get to Ste Chapelle in time for the concert. It was lovely hearing Mozart played by a string quartet as the light coming through those magnificent stained glass windows gradually dimmed.
I recorded some of the concert and hope that below I will have been able to load up the video and that you can hear and see it.

1 comment:

  1. Wow glad to see you are taking it easy! Beautiful pictures!

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