{"id":6199,"date":"2017-03-14T09:00:04","date_gmt":"2017-03-14T13:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/snappingtheglobe.com\/?p=6199"},"modified":"2017-03-28T21:23:02","modified_gmt":"2017-03-29T01:23:02","slug":"high-on-a-hill","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/snappingtheglobe.com\/?p=6199","title":{"rendered":"High On A Hill"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a9 2017 Snapping the Globe, L.L.C. All rights reserved<\/i><\/i>.<\/p>\n

Sitting high on a hill in Paris is a beautiful, white church.\u00a0 The Sacre Coeur.<\/p>\n

The Roman Catholic church and minor basilica, designed by Paul Abadie, took thirty-nine years to complete and is one of the most visited landmarks in the city behind the Eiffel Tower.\u00a0 Not only dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the basilica represents a penance for the defeat of France in the 1871 Franco-Prussian War and the socialist Paris Commune of 1871.\u00a0 From its vantage point on the Butte Montmartre, it is the recognized center of one of Paris’s most famous neighborhoods.<\/p>\n

Montmartre is one of my favorite places in Paris.\u00a0 I love\u00a0watching the artists paint\u00a0in the Place du Tertre, the\u00a0hoards of\u00a0tourists\u00a0and\u00a0sampling the fabulous array of food choices.\u00a0 I love strolling the park-like setting of the Montmartre cemetery, strolling by Van Gogh’s former apartment, the Moulin de laGalette and then posing with the Passer Through Walls statue. My favorite thing, however, is paying a visit to the remarkable\u00a0Sacre Coeur.<\/p>\n

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A most beautiful basilica, I am always quieted by its interior with dazzling mosaics, colorful stained glass windows and handsome organ, built by Aristide Cavaill\u00e9-Coll.<\/p>\n

Though we did pass through the interior, our main reason for coming to the Sacre Coeur was to visit the Dome.<\/p>\n

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\"IMG_8254\"Paying our entrance fees, we began the arduous climb (over 300 steps) to the top of the Dome.\u00a0 Though I had to stop a few times and my legs were quite shaky, we reached the top and Oh! What a view!<\/p>\n

The entire city of Paris was spread before us from the forecourt of the Basilica.\u00a0 Earlier, we had seen the city from the level of the River Seine, now we were seeing it over 200 meters higher and from a different vantage point than the Eiffel Tower, the highest point in Paris.\u00a0 The entire city and countryside can be observed from the narrow balcony that circles the dome for a 360 degree view.<\/p>\n

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The upper architecture of the basilica can also be inspected from this perspective…the compelling rooflines, the rain diverting gargoyles and the adjacent lofty towers.\u00a0 And the best part…I could look down on the entirety of my favorite area, Montmartre.<\/p>\n

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Finally, we made our way down the three hundred (or so) stairs, a much easier journey down than up.<\/p>\n

In Paris, there are many ways to spy upon the city…the Dome of the Pantheon, Montparnasse Tower, the Eiffel Tower, but go to the Sacre Couer for visions of one of the most interesting parts of the city!\u00a0 It’s a double deal…see the interior and the surrounding area.<\/p>\n

Check out Facebook, Snapping the Globe\u00a0and Instagram, @snappingtheglobe for more pictures.<\/p>\n

Sacre Coeur Basilica<\/strong><\/p>\n