Parisian (street)Art #2

Found en route to Sacré Cœur. 

The Amazing Soccer Ball Man

The best part of my ascent to Sacré Cœur was watching this guy put on a ridiculous display of soccer ball juggling skills. His name is Iya Traore and he is a bit of a local celebrity in Paris (has been on some TV shows and was a contestant on the French version of "Got Talent"). Apparently, he puts on these shows all throughout Paris and never leaves home without a soccer ball... he's definitely got some skills. The city made for a nice back drop for the photo. 

Basilica of the Sacré Cœur

The basilica is located at the summit of the butte Montmartre (highest point in the city of Paris). Sacré-Cœur is a double monument, political and cultural, both a national penance for the excesses of the Second Empire and socialist Paris Commune of 1871 crowning its most rebellious neighborhood, and an embodiment of conservative moral order, publicly dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which was an increasingly popular vision of a loving and sympathetic Christ (wikipedia).

If you only have a limited amount of time in Paris, I would suggest skipping this attraction. Yes, the view of the city is nice (since you're basically on top of it). However, the most iconic feature of the Paris skyline is not visible... and not being able to see the Eiffel Tower kind of ruins the moment. For a better view, I would suggest going to the Arc de Triomphe. Also, the panhandlers hanging out at Sacré Cœur are some of the most annoying/aggressive in all of Paris (be on the lookout for pick pockets). You will be constantly hassled to buy cheap tourist stuff, beer, candy, etc. I came here to have a relaxing picnic on the lawn as the sun went down... and ended up leaving early. Some locals warned me that the area is not the safest after the sun goes down.

These are a few photos I took before I left.