How to Decide Where to Spend Your Summer

If you visit the Basilique de Sacre Coeur on Montmartre, you are in for a real treat. When you see the steps leading up to Montmartre, don't panic! Take a fun ride on the funiculaire, a kind of two cabin rail car that travels to the top and down. The view from the basilica at the top's definitely worth it!

Most of the nicer hotels are located near the Seine and the Louvre, so you may want to consider cab service to get to the Sacre Coeur. The Eiffel Tower is on the other side of the city from the Basilique also, but there is metro service available. There are people that feel the Eiffel Tower's not worth the effort and people that couldn't imagine a trip to Paris without seeing it, but if you venture forth the view from the top is really nice!

The Basilique itself is a beautiful piece of architecture and the mosaic ceiling brings people from all over the country.
Just around the corner is the Place du Tertre, where artists gather. You can have your portrait painted or just walk around and view the artists at work. There's a touch of tourism overload, as the hawkers around Place du Tertre can be a bit aggressive, but the experience is worth it!

When visiting the Sacre Coeur you'll also want to visit the underground crypt. There's a walkway on the left side (if you're facing the basilica) and as you go down the walkway, you'll want to notice the crypt entrance and the door to the tower are the same. While the crypt is free to visit, the tower is 5 Euros, confusing some people because it looks like it costs just to walk through the door. Don't let that put you off. If the weather outside is hot, you'll find the crypt very inviting, with its cold stone benches!

And what would a trip to Paris be without food? My husband and I had a wonderful meal at a small, local restaurant that offered indoor and outdoor seating and reasonably priced terrific tasting food! It was at L'Ete en Pente Douce, 23 rue Muller. The salad with goat cheese and roasted figs was one of the best I've ever tasted!

As a note of interest to you theater buffs, the French film Amelie was filmed here and if you venture a little off the main drag you can still see the two windmills that were in the film.