Clos Montmartre |
After the tour we made our way uphill to the main festival site in
front of the Sacré-Coeur. Here we found a bustling street food market selling a
wide range of French specialities. The wine yield from the vineyard is
auctioned off with proceeds going to charity. Local artists design the labels.
Historically an area that attracted artists – Monet, Renoir, and Degas to name
but a few, creativity is still evident as you walk the streets, and this custom
pays homage to this. Montmartre retains its village feel and remains one of the
most beautiful areas of Paris.
L'Atelier des Lumieres |
We couldn’t
linger too long however as we had tickets for the Atelier des Lumières. A nineteenth century
foundry in the 11th arondissement houses an immersive art
exhibition. Their first display predominantly features work by Gustave Klimt,
as well as some photography from the period and works by Hundertwasser, whose
work was new to me. A playlist accompanies the experience as images are
projected across the walls, floors and ceiling. Accused by some of pandering to
the Instagram generation, it is nonetheless a unique experience. By no means a
replacement for seeing the originals, instead it feels not like experiencing
them so much as witnessing new art in this carefully curated space, and is well
worth a visit.
Pere Lachaise Cemetery |
Conveniently nearby sits sprawling Pere Lachaise cemetery.
Established in 1804 by Napoleon I, it is the final resting place of many a
famous name and is the most visited cemetery in the world. Rows of ornate tombs
line paths that spread as far as the eye can see. It feels almost to be a city
in its own right. Home to tributes to wars and mass killings, it is hard to
imagine that this peaceful, emotive place was once the site of a massacre
itself.
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