8th November Paris

After another late start this morning (talking to Brenton today)...I headed out to the Le Marais area to see if I could find some boots. I have now realised that it is an almost impossible task as the largest shoe size here in Paris seems to be a 41...and in boots, I seem to be a 42! So I give up...I'm beaten! So I decided to get on the metro and head to Sacre Coeur. I worked out which metro station to get off at, but which direction I was to go in was anyones guess! It didn't help that I forgot my map of Paris and so ended up in the wrong place, wrong direction and probably the wrong neighbourhood!!! I did however eventually manage to find a metro station and kind of worked out which direction to go in. Was a bit annoyed with myself because it meant I had wasted time wandering aimlessly!!! Eventually I stumbled upon...or should I say staggered up to...Sacre Coeur. The Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Paris is a Roman Catholic Church located at the summit of the butte Montmartre, the highest point in the city. It was designed by Paul Abadie with construction commencing in 1875 and it was completed in 1914. It is built of travertine stone which constantly exudes calcite which ensures that the basilica remains white even with weathering and pollution. Video and photography inside the basilica is forbidden but I can tell you that there is a large mosaic in the apse of the church called Christ in Majesty and it is among the largest mosaics in the world. The Blessed Sacrament is also on display and perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament has continued uninterrupted in the Basilica since 1885. Many people come from around the world to pray in this place of pilgrimage. I didn't climb to the top of the dome...too much walking and steps just to get to the Basilica...but the views over Paris from the church were still quite spectacular. It is a very busy place with sellers trying to sell their trinkets to tourists and there was even a group of young men singing (rapping) on the steps gathering a crowd. 

Because I was in the neighbourhood I decided to take advantage of my Paris pass and went to the Espace Dali. In the heart of Montmatre is the only permanent exhibition in France entirely devoted to the great master of Surrealism, Salvadore Dali. There are over 300 original masterpieces including the famous melted clocks, Alice in Wonderland, Romeo and Juliet and the well known Mae-West Lips Sofa.

Then I headed off to get up close and personal with the Arc de Triomphe. This time, unlike in 2001, I knew to use the underpass, rather than run across the crazy roundabout which surrounds the arch...where the only rule as you drive on the roundabout is 'every man for himself!!  The Arch of Triumph stands in the centre of the Place Charles de Gaulle at the western end of the Champs-Elysees and honours those who fought and died for France in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. Beneath its vault lies the Tomb of the Unkonwn Soldier from World War I and they were also setting up for commemoration ceremonies to be held on the 11th November. The monument stands 50 metres in height, 45 metres wide and 22 metres deep. It was the largest triumphal arch in existence until the construction of the Arch of Triumph in Pyongyang in 1982. Its design was inspired by the Roman Arch of Titus. I stupidly decided to cimb to the top! Apparently there is a lift...missed this...and took the 200+ stairs to the attic, where there is a  small museum which contains large models of the Arc and tells its story from the time of its construction. I then climbed the next 46 stairs to the top to enjoy the panoramic view of Paris and take a few pics. I stopped at the shop on the way down and bought a Napolean Bonaparte christmas decoration...I left Josephine on the shelf! I then went to the bottom and took some more pics. I then decided to walk down the Champs Elysees...why? I have no idea but I can tell you that my feet are no longer speaking to me!!! I walked past where they are setting up for the Christmas markets...really have to come here to these one year...and to the Place de la Concorde, the site where over 1300 people were guillotined including Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. Exhausted I got the metro from here and went to a Brasserie near my apartment for dinner. Had steak (first in weeks) and chips for dinner and then Creme Brulee for dessert. I am writing this blog post while I am eating my dinner! Heading home to bed soon!!!