This striking Romanesque church dominates the top of Butte Montmartrew. Built as atonement for the disasterous Franco-Prussian war, and in Paris carrying overtones of the Commune w as well, Sacré-Coeur Basilica w had been recently cleaned before my arrival, and seemed particularly bone-white. It's design gets mixed reviews (one of my guidebooks refers to it as a "monstrosity"), and while France is known for perfecting the high-gothic style, I suppose anything called "Gothic" probably wouldn't have been received favorably at that particular moment in time. Also, a sizable number of Paris' aesthetically-oriented citizens had just been put up against a wall and shot.
There are stunning views to be had from the front steps, and the designer had found a place for gargoyles, so it was okay by me. My apartment was about a block from the Basilica, winding one's way past the Irish bar on Rue du Chevalier de La Barre.
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