Montmartre & The Eiffel Tower

The magnificent Basilica of the Sacred Heart
(Sacre-Coeur) 

There are so many monuments, museums, restaurants, parks, etc. to visit in Paris that I had a difficult time determining what I wanted to see and what I could stand to pass up. I spent a noticeable amount of time in museums both in Paris and in the other cities I visited on my trip to Europe as many other places only needed a 1-2 hours to enjoy. Two of those places were Montmartre and the Eiffel Tower. Both offer stunning views and several areas to take great pictures, especially on a clear day. Luckily, I was blessed with several sunny, clear days throughout my trip, except on the day before I left!

The famous Eiffel Tower

Monmartre & Basilica of the Sacred Heart

The perfect day to relax by the basilica!

Me in front of the church.

The ferris wheel at the base of the basilica.

Montmartre is a large hill located at the highest point in Paris. Ironically, around the time the Sacred Heart (French: Sacre Coeur) Basilica was built there, many cabaret members and artists like van Gogh, Matisse, Degas, and Toulouse-Lautrec would gather in the area. Even today, there are several art studios on Montmartre.

A view of the city from the front of the basilica.

Apartments on Montmartre.
The scenery is beautiful and inspiring.

Isn't that vine gorgeous?

A cute, pink cafe on a corner.

More nice (aka expensive) apartments by a park.

Street art is everywhere in Paris, yet there is an explosion of it in the Montmartre area:

A circle of lucha libre masks.

A giant green ear with a partial breast inside of it...
I don't know either, but I thought it was funny!

Tributes to a famous soul singer.

Pretty symbolic.

"To Loose Lautrec" is a play on words for Toulouse-Lautrec.

Some anime-ish artwork.

A dude with chairs.

I think we woke this kitty up, thus its death stare.

The Eiffel Tower

The tower towering over the part across the street.

Naturally, I couldn't revisit Paris without going to the Eiffel Tower again. To be honest, it's one of my least favorite places in the city as it's always jam-packed with tourists. Nonetheless, there are a couple of parks and open spaces around the tower to sit, relax, and enjoy the structor from afar. I certainly didn't find it necessary to climb it again.

Fun fact: the names of the engineers who helped build the Eiffel Tower
are inscribed on the side of it. 

The Eiffel seen from a close by park.

A shot of the Seine River near
the Eiffel Tower.

Montmartre is a place I feel I can spend hours exploring. If I didn't have other activities planned, I would have liked to sit at one of the cafes and enjoy the ambiance. The Eiffel Tower area is a great place to relax, too. I'd suggest paying to go to the top if it's your first time in Paris, but walking around it can potentially be good enough if you dislike crowds. Plus, you can see a large amount of the city from Montmartre for free. :)