Montmartre sits at the highest point of Paris. It is topped by the basilica of Sacre Coeur, as close to God as a Parisian might hope to get, at least in terms of altitude. We visit at night. It is wet, but not rainy.
People gather on the steps, drinking rosé, rolling their own. Vendors hawk glow toys and gold-painted Eiffel Towers. Buskers sing American folk songs with French accents. The basilica is dark, and as the sky darkens, it’s lights flicker on, it’s white illumination punctuating the Parisian skyline.
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It is three weeks later. We leave Paris on Wednesday. Ali-Sun and I return to Sacre Coeur in the afternoon, with the sun bright but not hot.
We enter the basilica and sit in the pews. The red stained glass on the west burns bright in the direct sun. The purple and blue stained glass on the east is soft and cool. Sunlight streams through the cupola above, illuminating stone angels high on the walls within.
We walk to the park nearby, a small patch of grass on an angle, sunlight now disappearing behind the trees. Parisians lay out, talk on cell phones and to each other, drinking rosé, rolling their own.
Comments 4
Thanks for this and your wonderful postcard. I just learned that Patty was over there for 6 weeks, first on a cruise to Russia and Scandinavia with family, then a trip with friends to Spain etc. Glad to see members of our family are upholding International relationships!
Love you tons!!
Mom
Glad you got the postcard! Check out a great movie called The Way with Martin Sheen, where he walks the Camino in Spain. Patty did a week or so on that path.
The Way was an excellent film!! Loving your trip, life experience…remind Ali we worked together for a tad at John’s Ojai Creates!
Hi Linda! Yes…of course I remember the fun times at Ojai Creates with you, John and the gang! Always great music playing and stimulating conversation with coworkers and customers….lots of talk of travel, too! I remember those days fondly…