We thought on Sunday (Sept 8) we could attend mass at Sacre-Coeur on Montmartre and get to both attend
church and see a basilica with a great view of the city. Well, in retrospect, it would have been far better to separate our worshiping and touring. We got out just in time to take the metro there (rather than a bus to the top), but the kids gamely walked up from the metro (it sits on quite a hill). What we didn't anticipate were the throngs of tourists also there as it was a weekend day. Additionally, we had to pass through a brief security check that had a line 10-15 minutes long. By the time we arrived late to mass, there was literally only space to sit in the very last pew at the back of the church. Something had spilled so the floor was incredibly sticky - any foot movement resonated with a loud sticking sound. We tried our hardest to stay put and crane our heads to follow along with the service at the front. There were about 11 priests and 10 sisters involved in the mass and the boys were quite patient sitting through the lengthy French sermon. In the end, it was a crowded, surreal experience to sit during Mass while tourists continue to file past your pews taking photos and gawking at the cathedral. The experience was a little resurrected by choosing after to buy tickets to climb the Dome and see the view over Paris. It was quite fun to clambor up a narrow, circular staircase that reminded the boys of the Lego staircase from their Harry Potter set.
After church, Christine really wanted to find a nice creperie to enjoy the local specialty away from the crowds at Sacre-Coeur. Alas, it was really not meant to be. When the first choice didn't have ample seating, we walked on to the second and third and fourth choices that were all closed (despite indicating they were open on Google maps). Hunger was increasing and tempers shortening as we breezed past a Sunday open-air market full of stalls along the sidewalk of all sorts (fruits, vegetables, fish, wallets, sewing thread, stockings, children's clothing, sponges, jewelry...you name it!). Finally, we saw a restaurant open on the corner with space for six...we were sold! It turned out to be middle-Eastern food and we had excellent hummus, baba ghanoush, falafels, tabouleh, mousaka and Lebanese coffee. The food was met with various levels of aversion and adoration by the children but we left refreshed again and ready to hit the streets.
It was time for something more kid friendly. So we took the metro across town to the Parc de Buttes-Chaumont. What a pleasant surprise! It was a former quarry that had been a public park for at least the last 150 years. It had a playground area for getting out some energy and then we explored further. There were steep paths and grassy slopes with people lounging together or enjoying a Sunday picnic. Then at the bottom you could see a tall waterfall that feeds a small lake with ducks. There was a serene walking path around the lake, more picnickers and little ponies giving kids rides. We circled around the lake and headed up to an old suspension bridge that crosses high above the lake to a columned temple with a view out to the city. It was quite a unique and remarkable place that gave the impression of an exploration of the woods while being in the city. In the end, we returned to the apartment having enjoyed exploring Paris even more and especially witnessing people's traditional Sunday in the park. Travelling by nature can be full of disappointments and misadventures and inconveniences as you attempt to navigate the unknown and predict as best you can (I think Adam announces he's hungry at inopportune moments at least 5 times a day). However, the flip side is exploring places you couldn't have anticipated enjoying and serendipitously encountering delightful scenes and flavors. The boys certainly had a chance experience both sides today.
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