Sacred Heart & Montmartre

The best thing about hanging out in Paris with a true Parisian means you get to escape the touristy crowds and explore the places that they themselves would unashamedly spend their time. Montmartre, the large hill and district in the 18th arrondissement was definitely the most memorable area of my trip to Paris this time round. Montmarte is the trendy village town in the city, we all have them, Greenwich, East Village, I'm going to argue and say Richmond? Haha no, I take it back!

We headed for a typical french breakfast in Montmartre of coffee, bread and croissants, (they added some eggs for a bit more of a British twist.) the cafe was small and tucked away from the main streets which were slowly being filled up with tourists as the minutes crept by.

After we were satisfied we headed through the streets and alleyways keeping our eyes out for all of the incredible and at times, rather political street art. The streets were coated in Banksy style graffiti, social commentaries and murals. It was like being at an outdoors art exhibition. While we walked through the cobbled streets my friend, and personal guide explained to me the history of Montmarte, whilst dutifully pointing out all of the former homes of notable figures in history.  

At the top of the hill was the Sacré Coeur, or Sacred heart in English, which is a famous Roman Catholic church sat at the highest point of the city. It's surprisingly new, construction started in 1871 and it opened in 1914, so quite modern as churches go. 

The area is filled with chic traditional bistros, shops and cafes. There is also a little vineyard where wine is still produced and is the only vineyard within Paris. If you visit also keep your eye out for the cafe from Amélie. Anyway, I can't recommend this place enough, immerse yourself in Parisian culture and explore this wonderful area. There is so much to see and do!