Pattersons in Paris: Montmartre on a Foggy Day

We had a stretch of too many rainy days while Kate was here. And then a couple of days with blue sky and bitter cold. Then the fog came. On one of Kate's last days in Paris, we decided we couldn't wait for the sun to return and set out for Montmartre. We took the métro around to the back side of Montmartre to the Lamarck Caulaincourt stop. We walked up the curving Avenue Junot approaching Montmartre and Sacré Cœur from behind. It is a more scenic walk than coming up from the front. And much less crowded and touristy. We came first to the Moulin de la Galette on Rue Lepic.

Moulin de la Galette

Montmartre was once dotted with 30 windmills. Moulin de la Galette is only one of two windmills that remain and is the only one that is fully functional. The windmall was used in the 1800s to grind flour that was made into a brown bread galette, hence its name. By 1870, the windmill and buildings around were transformed into an outdoor dance hall that were made famous by Renoir in his painting 'Le Bal du Moulin de la Galette.'

Walking up towards
Place du Tertre

Kate walking towards
La Maison Rose

We continued up the hill towards Place du Tertre, the square with all the artists.

La Bonne Franquette

Restuarant Chez Eugene

The Place du Tertre was almost empty. Although the weather was not great and it was February, I was surprised to see so few artists. They were mostly artists doing portraits and caricatures of the tourists.

Artists at Place du Tertre

La Mère Catherine Bistro
Founded 1793

Then the side of Sacré Cœur came into view through the fog. It was mystical!

Walking towards Sacré Cœur

Suddenly we were in the midst of a ton of tourists and street vendors. It was quite jarring.

Instead of walking down the stairs through the park below the front of Sacré Cœur, we walked down the other side to catch a métro towards the Latin Quarter and the crêpe stand at Odéon.