Mon banc dominical/My Sunday Bench in Paris...Paris paused.

 Image: Edward Crecy

At the bottom of the steps to the Sacré-Cœur, the benches are empty. No buskers, no selfie sticks, no murmurs of a dozen languages, just silence, broken only by the sound of a few footsteps. 

This hill, usually bursting with tourists and the pulse of Parisian energy, feels like a forgotten stage after the final act. The stillness is eerie. Beautiful, even. A rare moment when the city steps out of its own rhythm and takes a breath.