18.7.08

More from Montmartre


When you make a first visit to Montmartre, you normally concentrate on Sacré Coeur and the Place du Tertre. There is more to see. I have already covered a few items which you can find under the Montmartre label.

Comparatively few visitors visit the northern side of Montmartre. You can also reach Sacré Coeur from this "opposite side" and get a different first view, like here on the top picture.

In any case, unless you use the small bus service or the funicular, you must be prepared to climb some stairs. These photos were taken a July Saturday afternoon and you can see how much calmer it is on the northern slope of the hill, compared to the crowd in Rue Norvins leading to Place du Tertre (top left) . There are a number of things to be seen, including the oldest Montmartre remaining building, today the Montmartre Museum. Renoir and Utrillo lived and worked here during periods. There is also the vineyard, “Clos de Montmartre” (on which I already posted), and the famous small cabaret “Lapin Agile” (on which I also already posted). You can also find e.g. the well-known “Maison Rose”, painted by Utrillo (which obviously has got a second floor added.) Generally, you can also just walk around and enjoy the calm environment, look at the nice housing, more easily find a free table at a bar or restaurant...... or sit down rather alone in one of several parks. In one of them, you can find a statue of Saint Denis – “patron” of Paris and France, who according to the legend was martyred and beheaded at Montmartre and then walked, carrying his head in his arms, to Saint Denis, north of Paris, where he finally died and where the Saint Denis Basilica was then erected (see post). There are some other specific spots to be seen, but I believe this post is again getting too long. I will revert. In the meantime, I wish you a very nice weekend!

34 comments:

Virginia said...

Peter,
Your photos from Montmartre, especially the Sacre Coeur, bring back memories of the day we spent there on our last trip. I still marvel at the fact that I climbed to the dome of the Sacre Coeur and managed to take photos of it all! Actually one photo from the dome is my most favorite of all my Paris pictures. It shows la tour in the distance framed by the amazing architectural detailing. A breathtaking feat. Your photographs are lovely. I will enjoy looking at them.

Neva said...

I loved Montmartre.....and your pictures are lovely! Brings back many memories.

Olivier said...

la montée est longue, longue ;o) Montmartre, est un vrai village dans Paris.
Tes photos nous montrent bien la diversité (et son coté village) de Montmartre. Le funiculaire est il re-ouvert ?

"Mont' là-d'sus
Mont' là-d'sus
Mont' là-d'sus
Et tu verras Montmartre
Et sois-bien convaincu
Qu'tu verras sur'ment quèque chos' de plus
Mont' là-d'sus !
De là haut
S'il fait beau
Tu verras
Paris jusqu'à Chartres
Si tu n'las pas vu
T'a qu'à monter là-dessus
Tu verras Montma-a-artre !"
Lucien Boyer

Alain said...

C'est difficile de faire des photos originale de lieux si célèbres et si représentés. Tu réussis bien à montrer la diversité des paysages.

alice said...

Je suis comme les enfants, j'adore le funiculaire (quand il est en service!). Et les petits jardins publics de ce quartier souvent surpeuplé, sont une bonne surprise.

hpy said...

It's really much nicer to go to Montmartre the backstage way.

claude said...

Je repasse demain Peter !

Azer Mantessa said...

basically, photographers capture the main item of an area BUT what is so unique about you is ...

you always manage to capture what i consider the 'sidekicks' of the item which are serenity in scenery too. this thus establishes the symbiotic relationship between the main item and the surroundings.

this reminds me of last year's miss world where miss china was crowned ... while the whole world was focusing on her ... i don't mind starring at the rest ... hahaha ... me so smart ... hahaha

looking forward for 4th october final.

have a great weekend.

Anonymous said...

youhouuuuuuu denis! :-) sacré denis, un sacré coeur, un type super sympa. :-)))
Montmartre. Cela me fait penser à la petite Amélie et son poulain. Je ne sais pas pourquoi elle a voulu organiser un concours hippique dans le coin, cela ne s'y prête guère. :-)))
Bises!

Cergie said...

Te voilà de retour dans tes quartiers.
J'ai une photo de la Maison Rose qu'il faudra que je poste, j'y ai déjeuné avec mon frère et ma belle soeur.
Tu sais je poste pas assez de photos, peut-être que j'y accorde trop de prix ? Je ne poste pas assez ?
Tant pis.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for the walk around Montmartre, Peter. That's a good way to start my weekend.

Have you been to the Dali gallery/musuem?

Maxime said...

Découvrir des rues calmes en juillet autour du sacré coeur, ça tient du tour de force. Et pourtant, on dirait bien que cela existe. Un bel itinéraire pour flâner en toute saison... Même surélevée, la maison rose a gardé tout son charme...

Anonymous said...

Your life and mine are a contrast in time. You have a history that goes back hundreds of years, in Paris, and I suppose in Sweden.

You asked if Boyer's Store is still around. The building was built in 1849 from local lumber. Now, however, the building would be condemned in most places and torn down. It is on its way down now, but the owner, a younger couple are trying to maintain it. Our history doesn't go back much farther than this. And everything was built out of local wood and that doesn't last long in a land where termites exist.

The Boyer family who helped me when I was small. They took my dozen eggs and allowed me to trade them for a piece of choose or a small slab of bacon or maybe a pound of coffee or two stick of butter and a pound of lard. The two owners, Bill and Lillian Boyer, have been dead for many years--I would say 60 years.

Thanks for your visit to my brookville daily photo blog.

Have a nice weekend.

Kate said...

Who doesn't love Paris and Montmartre?! The photos bring back many memories for so many of your commentators. I enjoyed the walk you provided and must confess that I spent more time looking at the public art displays when I was there! Have a great week-end!

Shammickite said...

Your pictures bring back memories of my trip to Paris. We arrived early in the morning, after spending all night flying from Canada, then spent the whole day sightseeing! We walked up to Sacre Coeur using the route you have illustrated... I was SO TIRED!!!! Beautiful pictures, as always.

lyliane six said...

On se croirait ç mille lieues de Paris, dans ces petites rues, j'ai visité il y a quelques années le Mont martre méconnu des touristes, il y a une impasse on se croirait en Angleterre avec ces petits jardins devant. Bon weekend.

PeterParis said...

virginia:
Thanks for this (first) visit and please feel welcome back!

neva:
To have nice memories brought back is nice!

olivier:
Oui, il est ouvert, mais il ne faut pas "tricher"!

PeterParis said...

alain:
Oui, j'essaye de monter "l'autre coté"!

alice:
De prendre le funiculaire, ce n'est pas du sport! :-)

hpy:
Nice that you agree!

PeterParis said...

claude:
A demain (C'est promis?)

azer:
Always the same! :-))

delphinium:
Tu aurais du signer Delirium aujourd'hui! :-)) Bises!

PeterParis said...

cegie:
C'est vrai que tu pourrais poster plus! ... mais repose-toi pendant ce week-end! :-)

ruth:
Yes, but I should go back! Maybe a post one day?

maxime:
C'est étonnant le calme de "l'autre coté"!

PeterParis said...

abraham:
Sincere thanks for this long comment and answers to my questions! The American (immigrant) history is of course quite short, but yuo know how to make the last 70 years fascinating!

kate:
There is a lot to see if you know to open your eyes!

ex-shammickite:
You were tired, but I hope it was worth the effort!

PeterParis said...

lyliane:
C'es un peu ce que j'ai essayé de faire aussi! Bon week-end à toi également! :-)

HZDP said...

Pete,
I love Montmartre,probably because of a movie,haha, and the first picture impressed me most.

Deepak Gopi said...

Hello Sir
Your pictures of Montomatre is amazing.I esp liked the first one.I dream of visiting that place one day.
Today we have screening of Eric romer films.I for grot the names,i will tell you soon.

Julia Dutta said...

Peter,
Well, I have never seen Paris in this way. Its so beautiful. Its like being there, sitting at the many gardens or living in those beautiful homes...Wow! Thanks for this wonderful tour, which thankfully did not include the Eifel Tower!!!!'
Julia

claude said...

Me voilà !
Nous avons visité le Sacré Coeur et Montmartre avec nos amis des States en 2000. Quand je regardes toutes tes photos si merveilleuses de paris, elles me transportent là-bas, et cela me fait un bien immense !

Anonymous said...

I was very astonished when I first saw that quieter, hidden Montmartre, the great diversity in appearance.- Isn't it good that the tourists are concentrated in special places and not everywhere around? So you can have 'your' Paris for your own.

sonia a. mascaro said...

What a wonderful tour, Peter! Montmartre looks beautiful... the first photo is stunning! Love also seeing those nice housing with much green around them! Thanks Peter for sharing so beautiful places!

Have a nice weekend as well!

PeterParis said...

zoe:
If you click on "label" (line 3 in the text), I believe you can find some pictures and text which refers to what I presume is the film you refer to - Amélie Poulain!

depak:
Eric R's films are not always the easiest to digest, I believe. Nice screening anyhow!

PeterParis said...

julia d:
Sincere thanks for your kind words! I now discovered your blog! Very interesting!

claude:
Je sais que Paris te rends un peu nostalgique!

PeterParis said...

april:
You have a good point there..., but as my blog is not read by thousands of people, only a few friends...!

sonia:
So when will we see you in Paris?

Mona said...

WOW! just Wow!

The building in the first picture is amazing! I cannot believe that such beautiful structures exist, which I have not seen! Thanks for showing them in your lovely photographs!

France, the hub of wine, music, art and high fashion.... I have never seen so much Art in one place!

Mélisse said...

C'est que j'aime faire. Aller à contresens de la foule, passer derrière les monuments trop photographiés, voir les choses d'un autre angle. Parce que derrière la vitrine commerciale, c'est la vie qu'on trouve.

krystyna said...

I celebrate my time as I visit Paris here.
Thank you Peter!