Random Parisian photo Wednesday

Sacre Coeur in a breezy rain

After kicking around monumental Paris Saturday afternoon, we decided to hoof it up to Montmartre, the fin-de-siecle artist neighborhood and home to Sacre Coeur basilica, on the highest point in Paris. We walked around the neighborhood, which has its share of cheesy souvenir stands (although the cheesiness didn't stop me from buying a beret--yes, another beret, but I got this one in Paris!) and cafes dealing in the anglophone trade. I practiced my childlike French a bit with the waiter at a place that fancied itself a jazz cafe, which did have a bossa nova guitar duo playing--but at a thankfully low jazz cafe volume. We walked back to the Sacre Couer grounds, hoping to walk down through the gardens below, but found the gates closed. When I turned around, I got this view.

Thankfully, the French Metro runs a funicular from the top to the bottom.