The last time I visited Paris in 2000, I did not have time to visit the sights of Montmartre.  Thankfully, this visit gave us the time to see the beautiful Basilica of the Sacré Cœur.  All four of us ventured out to the sight we then descended to the streets below via a skylift to the streets below.

First, a bit of info on Montmartre.  The following text was copied from wikipedia.

Montmartre is a hill (the butte Montmartre) which is 130 metres high, giving its name to the surrounding district, in the north of Paris in the 18th arrondissement, a part of the Right Bank. Montmartre is primarily known for the white-domed Basilica of the Sacré Cœur on its summit and as a nightclub district. The other, older, church on the hill is Saint Pierre de Montmartre, which claims to be the location at which the Jesuit order of priests was founded. Many artists had studios or worked around the community of Montmartre such as Salvador Dalí, Amedeo Modigliani, Claude Monet, Piet Mondrian, Pablo Picasso and Vincent van Gogh. Montmartre is also the setting for several hit films.

After visiting the Basilica, we had a very tasty lunch at one of the local bistros.  Let’s just say, it takes some effort to find bad food in Paris.  The French do not tolerate mediocrity in food or beverage and nor do I.

After lunch, we all took a walk through the local streets and my brother suggested that we have our profiles sketched as a gift to my father. Begrudgingly, I capitulated to his wish and we selected an artist to render our likeness.  He did a good job and turned out to be quite the pleasant chap as well.  Personally, I don’t trust any artist without a unique hat.

I must admit, I was pleased with the resulting sketch.  It was a one of a kind occasion that may never happen again.  After our artistic adventure, we hit the streets and I finally managed to find some decent cigars.  Hey, a man’s gotta have what he likes.  Didn’t I say the French love pleasure?

As always, you can check out some photos from the day’s events in the following gallery.  Some of Elaine’s great photos are also featured therein.

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