Review on the Run: Sacre Coeur (4 of 5), Notre Dame Cathedral (5 of 5)

Now that we are in Paris - a lot more reviews should be on the way.  Day 23 was a beautiful day and we wanted to make the most of it by spending it outside.  For those that don't know, we are staying on Ile Saint Louis which is a man made island located right on the Siene.  Next to it is the "other" more busy island of Ile de la Cite, home to the Notre Dame Cathedral.  Since we had to take the Metro at Cite to get to Montmartre anyways, we took the opportunity to go to Notre Dame before heading out to see Sacre Coeur.  Here is a link to our itinerary.

Sacre Coeur (4 of 5)

How to repent for all the liberal sins of the French after getting a beatdown by the Germans and Prussians?  Build a massive cathedral on the highest hilltop!  It took 44 years (1875 - 1919) to build this behemoth and is situated on top of Paris' highest hill (Montmartre).  Upon arrival, Sacre Coeur makes a great first impression.  You can climb up the steps and series of switchbacks of Monmartre towards Sacre Coeur, but we took the funiculaire (gondola) instead since we had kids.  If you don't have kids, I'd highly recommend making the walk up.  Now it is impossible not to draw comparisons to St. Paul's in London since it is the same style.  In this respect, Sacre Coeur failed to impress me on many fronts.  The condition of the place is not nearly as mint condition (even though it is newer) than St.Paul's.  The Crypt, for which they charge, is a waste of time and money. Save your 4 Euros and skip it.  It feels more like a Costco warehouse as opposed to the Da Vinci codish atmosphere at St.Paul's.  There are two things however that Sacre Coeur does excel in though.  First off, Montmartre is truly a great park.  Beware though that this it is a seedy area around here with aggressive sales people.  Second is the view from the top of the dome.  Pay your 4 Euros to climb the 300 steps to the top for the best view of Paris bar none.  Some may argue the Eiffel Tower is king but for the lines and price, I would disagree.  Overall - a good cathedral, but I've been so spoiled by Westminster, St.Paul's and Notre Dame that Sacre Coeur seems a notch well below those three.

Notre Dame Cathedral (5 of 5)

Ok.  Bottom line is that this is the best cathedral that I've been to in my entire life.  I'd be surprised to find a better one in the world.  Again - if anyone has found one and disagrees, please let me know!  The Cathedral of Notre Dame, home to Quasimodo, literally translates to "Our Lady" or what I like to call the "There's Something About Mary" Cathedral where Mary reigns supreme in this 700 year old building.  Just to show how important this cathedral is, Notre Dame is considered the center of the city and all Arrondissements (city areas) are based on a starting point of Notre Dame.  So is it over-hyped?  I can safely say no.  Notre Dame has it all.  From a quiet playground and park in the back, a huge square in the front, beautiful views from the Siene, impeccable upkeep inside and out, amazing gothic arches, detailed stained glass, the list goes on.  This is a slam dunk must see if you are in Paris.