I will climb any flight of stairs if there's a view from the top

Today we decided to have a laid-back day in Paris since the past day and a half have been pretty non-stop and we've seen all the major tourist attractions. This morning we saw Moulin Rouge and Sacre Couer, which is of course at the top of some giant hill. You'd think we're gluttons for pain and punishment they way we keep trekking up and down hills and mountains. Anyway, the catherdal commemorates the Bleeding Heart, and it's actually really new compared to all of the other churches we've seen - it was built in the late 1800s. There were steps up the dome, so obviously we climbed those as well, because we LOVE stairs. (My leg is still twitching, and it's been about 3 hours, no worries.)

We spent some time up here in Montmartre, which is the area our hostel is in, and the bohemian area of Paris, apparently where Picasso and Monet hung out. There are tons of cute shops and cafes, the streets are so picturesque, and it's just a fun area to people-watch in. This afternoon we're going to go check out the Pantheon and have our afternoon pastry (I'll think of you as I eat mine, Kim).

My biggest complaint about Europe so far is the lack of water fountains, bathrooms, and trash cans. Our restaurant for lunch today made us pay to use the bathroom - I just waited until we got back here. Paris is much better about trash cans than London was, but I'm still a little surprised by the lack of litter in the streets. Where are all these people putting their trash? And water fountains? I've seen one since we left Chicago. They're a rare commodity over here. Who knew?