Pierre's Montmarte

Shortly after we arrived in Paris, I learned of an organization called Paris Greeters which matches tourists with Parisian volunteers for an afternoon tour. They ask for a minimum 2 weeks notice, but we submitted a request anyway figuring we wouldn't get to do a tour. We were pleasantly surprised when Pierre emailed us to say he'd like to show us around his neighborhood--Montmarte. For anyone familiar with Paris, you'll know Montmarte as the famous district in which the Moulin Rouge, the Sacre Coeur, and many artists are found (you may also know if from the movie Amelie). Pierre promised us a tour of not only the famous tourist sights, but of the lesser known alleys and landmarks that truly make Montmarte Pierre's favorite area (it's also where he has his home).



We met Pierre, an older retired gentleman, at the top of the deepest metro station in Paris (the Abessess); he was accompanied by another gentleman, Olivier who was "in training" to be a volunteer. A Belarussian-American mother-daughter duo rounded out our group. Even without seeing any sights, it was a fun afternoon of getting to know some really interesting people--Pierre and Olivier, true Parisian gentleman who have travelled the world over; the mother who lived in Belarus when it was part of the USSR and moved with her family (including her daughter) in the mid-80's, before the fall of communism; and the daughter who, though born in Belarus, had just taken her first trip back since she was 6 or 7. Very interesting and charming people.


Pierre's love of Montmarte was evident in every minute of this 4 hour walking tour. And, we found Montmarte to be a favorite for us as well, no doubt a result of Pierre's infectious joy for his home.


Montmarte's name means Hill or Mount of the Martyr's. Pierre seemed to enjoy telling us the story of Saint Denis (several times in fact), the Bishop of Paris who was beheaded in 250 A.D. As Pierre likes to tell it, Saint Denis was beheaded, stooped over to pick up his head, walked 6 miles while holding his head in his hands preaching a sermon before returning to his house to die. After the third telling, and while in front of a statue of Saint Denis, Pierre told us he thinks this is actually just a legend.

I didn't get any pictures of Pierre, or Saint Denis, but here's a run down of some other fun sights:

• Le Bateau Lavoir: Named by a French painter (because it was reminiscent of the washing boats on the Siene), this little square was a commune for artists and writers from about 1890 to 1914. Among the residents were Pablo Picasso.

• The Lapin Agile: A famous Paris cabaret. Picasso was apparently a regular here and composed a painting "At the Lapin Agile."
  

• Clos Montmare: Easy to miss, this is Paris' only working vineyard (they produce about 1500 bottles per year)--right on a hill in the middle of Montmarte. Not regularly open for visits, they have an annual festival in October, which is apparently quite the event.

• Basilica Sacre Couer: This Roman Catholic basilica is the highest point in Paris. It is beautiful, if not a bit odd, and has a great view of the city. I say odd because, though it looks ancient, it was completed in 1914 (after about 4o years of construction) and the design of this church incorporates many different architectural styles including random gargoyles. This was on our tour only because it is such a well known site--Pierre was only to happy to tell us he does not like the Sacre Couer!
  

• Place du Terte: In this square, right in the middle of Montmarte, near the Basilica, dozens of artists set up their easel's, painting and selling their art to tourtists (Pierre and Olivier, however, believe much of the art comes from China and that some of the artists merely put on the "finishing touches"!!)

• Moulin Rouge: Probably the most famous cabaret in the world. It was built in 1889 and still runs shows every day.
  

• I Love You Wall: The idea of a French man who asked various people to write "I love you" in their own language and their own handwriting. Those phrases, now totaling 1000 in over 300 languages, are on display on this wall.

With the exception of this one afternoon, we didn't get to spend much time taking in the sights and sounds of this delightful district. But, in many ways, Montmarte is the epitome of the Paris of our imaginations and is certainly a part we'd be happy to visit again.