Today we took a walking tour of Montmartre to get the flavor of the small mountain on the outskirts of Paris. It originally began as a place to mill the stone into powder and wheat into flour. The area was also a magnet to artists. It was a place for fun and art. The Wall of Love has “I love you” written in over 500 languages. Fitting for Paris – no? There is a wonderful story about the Man in the Wall that is part of the culture here. The buildings are fit into small spaces and adapted to the hilly terrain but still beautiful. The crowning glory at the top of the hill is the Sacre-Coeur Basilica. A beautiful church with amazing views of Paris.

In the evening we had a tour of the highlights of the Louvre. We viewed the ancient city walls excavated underneath the original palace and then viewed some of the most famous paintings and statues in history. The Mona Lisa is still smiling and we are all the richer for having seen these masterpieces. I could have stayed in the museum for days – weeks, but alas our tour continues with more wonderful experiences to come.