A visit to the Montmartre District
I found Paris was an easy city to find scenes to photograph but a frustrating city to shoot in. I thought that many of the traditional sites like the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre were stunning and the city's gardens were interesting and colourful. The Latin Quarter and many other districts we walked in were also very photogenic. However, I also found that some of the places did not allow photography inside such as Sacre Coeur. Many storefront businesses do not allow photography and most people on the street waved me off when they saw me trying to take pictures. I really didn't see very many people smiling in Paris especially if they saw a camera. Paris certainly has a lot going for it- including fabulous food and architecture. The streets are picturesque and there are so many interesting places to see; however, from a photography point of view it is tough. The people are not friendly to photographers; the traffic, people and poles make it very challenging to find clean backgrounds and foregrounds; the pollution is terrible and there is a lot of noise including sirens going off constantly. However, in spite of everything, Paris is worth the challenge and I loved the city. In a recent survey by Conde Nest Traveler, Paris was voted the fourth unfriendliest city in the world.
As Seymour pointed out to me, the lesson to be learnt when doing street photography in Paris is to take one picture and move on quickly to avoid confrontation. You might miss the shot but you are gone before anyone gets a chance to say anything. I probably did not learn this lesson soon enough. Another method is to spend time in one area so that people tend to get used to you and stop paying any attention to what you are doing. I think for some photographers like myself, there is also an advantage to using a small camera and lens. Not only is the camera lighter when carrying it around all day, it is also less noticeable. I did travel with a smaller camera and found that I used it most of the time unless I was doing night photography or using a tripod which was rare.
Now for today's blog which is all about a wonderful visit to the Montmartre District. Montmartre is a hill in the north of Paris. It is 130 metres high and is primarily known for the white-domed Basilica of the Sacre Coeur on its summit and as a nightclub district. Since Montmartre was outside the city limits, free of Paris taxes and the fact that the local nuns made wine, the hill quickly became a popular drinking area. The area developed into a centre of free-wheeling and decadent entertainment at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries.
 
The Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Paris is commonly known as Sacre-Coeur Basilica. This popular landmark is located on the highest point of the city. Construction began in 1875 and was finished in 1914. Sacre-Coeur is beautiful inside, unfortunately no photography was allowed although I saw many people taking pictures with their phones. |
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Here is the view from the hill overlooking the city.
Some very lucky people living in this complex have fantastic views of the city.
A woman sleeping outside of the church.
Montmartre is an officially designated historic district with limited development allowed in order to maintain its historic character. |
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In the mid 19th century, artists including Johan Jongkind and Camille Pissaro came to live in Montmartre. But it wasn't until the end of that century that the district became the principal artistic centre of Paris. |
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This district was very colourful.
There were cafes everywhere on the streets. |
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A typical street in Montmartre. Many famous movies including Moulin Rouge and Amelie took place in this quaint district.
There were lots of beautiful gardens in the area.
People hanging out at the park situation below the Sacre Coeur. Sometimes it seemed as though everyone was on their phone but I'm thinking that is pretty well everywhere now (except Cuba).
The earliest recorded macaroon recipes were made from egg whites and almond paste. Culinary historians claim that macaroons can be traced to an Italian monastery of the 9th century. The monks came to France in 1533, joined by the pastry chefs of Catherine de Medici who was the wife of King Henry II. Later two Benedictine nuns came to Nancy in France, seeking asylum during the French Revolution. The two women paid for their housing by baking and selling macaroon cookies and they became known as the "Macaroon Sisters". My sister Wendy makes fabulous macaroons ( Wendy actually took a class in Paris on the art of making macaroons) so perhaps I should learn how and we could also be known as the "Macaroon Sisters"!
After walking all day through the market and Montmartre we decided that we hadn't had enough exercise so Chris, Gretchen, Sam and myself set out to find a dinner spot. We ended up walking back to the area near Notre Dame and the River Seine which was a fair distance from our hotel. On the way we saw the "Pigeon Man".
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Once again my theory proved accurate. The friendliest people in France were those who had dogs. This little puppy was so cute- we ended up having so much fun spending a few minutes with the boss. Gretchen and I didn't want to leave! |
Well Sam and Chris were also lots of fun to hang out with.
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It was a great night for dog shots. I was reminded of the time when Maggie and Katie loved to play with a coke bottles and cans. |
Comments
Thanks for all your blogs,
Beth