La Basilique du Sacré-Cœur de Montmartre
Hello Everybody!
Today in Paris, I am going to visit La Basilique du Sacré-Cœur de Montmartre or just Sacré-Cœur. It is a roman catholic church located in Paris, France. Sacré-Cœur is one of the most impressive sights to visit in Paris. It is located on the highest peak in Paris. It is like a museum, but it still has services. So travel with me to visit Sacré-Cœur.
We are just getting off the number 12 train in Abbesses, and Citymapper says it is a 15-minute walk to the church. There is an outside market next to the metro station, and we decide to check it out. It looks like a market one would see in the Caribbean. The vendors sell vegetables, fruits, meat, fresh fish, and other household items. We do not buy anything; we just look. We walk toward the church, and it is not a very fun walk. The streets are steep, and the sun is blazing. There are many steps leading to the top of the hill, where the church is. I do not think I will survive the trip to the top. My brothers are already racing each other to the top, and my mom is rethinking if this is the right idea. I will catch up with my brothers because you never know what they will do when they are alone. My mom counted at least 200 steps.
My mom and I stop a few times, and others at the top laugh at her because she keeps stopping and saying, “Geez.” We get to the top, and one of the ladies asks my mom to sign a petition, but she refuses. A man is arguing with one of the ladies, she is also trying to get him to sign the petition, but he is not interested. She thinks he is recording her, but he says he is just looking for directions on the map. He appears to be an English-speaking tourist. As she laughs, he threatens to throw her down the hill. She continues to laugh, but he seems angry. We feel a bit uncomfortable around them, but then he leaves.
Highest Peak in Paris
I just got to the top, and the view is breathtaking. There is a paroramic view of Paris. It’s the highest point in Paris. You can see the entire city. I cannot believe my eyes. Even my mom is amazed. When I turn around, there is a huge building that I assume is the church. It is HUGE! In front of the church is a person singing “Perfect” by Ed Sheeran. People are dancing to his music. There is no charge, but donations are welcome. Before we go inside, we get some Granite, or slushy in America. It is good, especially since it is a hot day.
Inside the Church
Now we are in line to enter the church. A sign says people have been praying at that church for 135 years. They are making us finish our Granite before we go inside. So we stand outside and finish them. Inside the church is bigger than I thought. The ceiling is several feet high. Some signs say for you to be quiet. We are going on the left. There are a bunch of lit candles, like a LOT. Visitors can light a tall candle for 10 euros; a small candle costs 2 euros. The prices vary, but there is no cashier. The church has several ATM-like machines where visitors can withdraw funds. People are trusted to do the right thing, and who would light a candle without paying when so many saints are watching over them. The church features statues of several saints and their backgrounds. There are signs with the hours for services and confessions. A book for prayer requests is located on the left of the entrance. Several people kneel to pray for the saints.
Suddenly, a woman blocks off our path, and out comes a nun. I am baffled because I did not know this church still had services. We are leaving because we want to see other stuff around the area. As we are walking out, a priest on stage starts to sing, and then the same nun we saw earlier joins him. We only watch for a few minutes because we want to look around.
We exit the church, and another man is singing. The first man stops so the second man can sing. The second man is singing a beautiful Christian song about Jesus. We stop to watch. When he is done singing, he starts preaching. It is a short sermon, less than 10 minutes, but it is powerful. He says, “Jesus does not live in buildings but in our hearts. You will not find him in a church because He is too big for that. He is everywhere. He lives in us.” He finishes his sermon and leaves. I like how someone can simply show up to perform without aggression from anyone else. Some people listen while others walk away, but everyone respects that person’s right to be in that spot.
Now, we continue to walk outside the church because we want to see the Eiffel Tower from the top, and after looking for a few minutes, we finally see it. The area features a dog park, a tuk-tuk, a small bus, and a tram. Wow! They have a tram. We no longer dread going down those 200-plus stairs because there is a free tram with our Navigo metro passes. We return to the bottom of the stairs, and the Line 2 metro at Anvers is not too far from it. I am so shocked. If we knew there was a tram, we would not have almost died going up the stairs. Now you guys know, so you do not have to suffer like we did.
That is the end of my trip to La Basilique du Sacré-Cœur de Montmartre. I hope you enjoyed visiting it with me.
See you on my next adventure.
