As far as parisien places go, Sacre Cœur and Montmartre are my absolute favorites. Sacre Cœur is this incredibly beautiful Catholic church that sits on top of the highest hill in Paris. The entire mound is covered in hand carved steps - none of which are quite like the others - and there are patches of grass and old twisted trees scattered about the lawn that create a charming oasis perched above the city.
A few weeks ago, I went off by myself with a book and soaked up the sun as couples and tourists sprawled out on the spacious lawns. This is one of the best places to see street performers, and that week I wasn't dissapointed. There is usually a guitarist or two playing an eclectic set of Beatles and Bob Marley tunes on the steps before the church, and then are are jugglers, balloon animal guys - you name it somebody is running around trying to get you to give 'em a euro for a song.
Which brings me to my favorite performer of the day - flowers in her hair, Edith Piaf warbling, spandex wearing gypsy. I have no idea what was going through this woman's head, but she was spending her afternoon leaping from step to step, flouncing around and singing at the top of her lungs to couples and tourists alike....wearing what appeared to be a former ice skating leotard. A hot mess, but incredibly fun to watch. At least she had more talent than the couple that was practically making babies directly to my right. I had to watch crazy crooner in order to avoid seeing the art of reproduction in broad day light. I know Paris is the city of love, but seriously? Ugg.
There are also your fair share of con men - my favorite being the guys that wander around with colored pieces of embroidery floss. They walk around with these strings and ask unsuspecting tourists to hold out their fingers. Once you've stood still for more than three seconds, they wrap the string around your finger, braid a quick little bracelet the likes of which I used to make at summer camp, tie it around your wrist and then clamp their hand so hard on your arm you'd think they were going to rip it off!! "5 EURO! 5 EURO," they scream and don't let up until you pay the man. Can't pay? They'll always take your watch or that really nice necklace you've got on instead. Fair trade and a pretty good souvenir - "I got conned at Sacre Coeur."
Aside from THAT, the hill is lovely and the church is really spectacular - blazing white and when the sun hits it, it's nearly blinding. Inside is beautiful and ornate with amazing tile details, but they don't allow any pictures to be taken, which I find I rather like. Being inside Notre Dame with all the ridiculous flashes going off around you tends to take away from the reverence and meaning of the place.
As for shopping, Montmartre is a beautiful area filled with little winding streets and over-priced boutiques that sell all kinds of things from scarfs to tea pots. You can really find some gems out there, and I plan on returning once the weather picks up so that I can meander through all antique shops. The food is good too, and you can find just about anything your tummy asks for: classic french cuisine, chinois, italienne, etc. My friends and I ate at this desolate little Thai place, and the owner brought us extra fried rice and showed us pictures of her childrens' weddings. We spent a good three hours drinking blush wine and pouring over her baby albums.
The area is also right next to Pigalle - the infamous sex district - and le Moulin Rouge. There are all kinds of sex shops, hideous in neon and flashing red lights that read, "live nude girls," and XXX!! It's good for a laugh, but also a really seedy area at night and you can take it for granted that almost any woman (or man) that approaches you for a light is a prostitute trying to feel you out. Don't you just love Paris? As for le Moulin Rouge, it's beautiful from the outside, and I'd love to actually go inside the building, but I'm sure entry costs a small fortune as even the cheapest of dinner shows runs about 90 euro...ugg. I settled for a picture of the facade.
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Day off classes today (and tomorrow for me), so I'll get some actual homework done and then I'll have tomorrow free to wander through a few vintage shops I saw in the Jewish district last night. I heard they sell actual bagels there and I've found a cheese spread that's as close to Philadephia as I think I'm going to get. Yum.
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