Scotland

To really get a taste of a place, you need to go local. Checking out the tourist traps does not give you much of an authentic experience. In Paris, this means checking out the various little enclaves throughout the city.

Montmartre is an easy enclave to locate. Just look for the white Sacre Coeur Basilica on the top of the hill overseeing the area. Montmartre is considered one of the best areas to spend time in because is has a little of everything Parisian.

I fully realize that if it is your first time in Paris you are going to spend a bunch of time seeing the big attractions. Still, the daily life of Paris is much more interesting. In Montmartre, you will feel like you are stepping back in time.

Montmartre watches over the (once scandalous) Moulin Rouge; the dark streets of Pigalle (Pig Alley to many war veterans); and the Paris scene that was once the subject of many great works of art. While it’s true that this area is a weird mix of souvenir stands and suspicious street clowns, it is worth a saunter.

As often happens with places where famous people once where, Montmartre has a lively collection of businesses trying to sell the past. Junk memorializing van Gogh, Monet and Picasso are to be found everywhere you turn. Ignore it.

Some say that the section called Montmartre is perfect until you exit the famous hill. Others say that the true part of Paris cannot be seen unless you descend from the mountain. No matter what is said individually, there is a collective scream around the globe that adores this Parisian culture clash.

Monet. Picasso. van Gogh. When you walk the streets of Montmartre, you are walking through hallowed ground. Do not let the riff raff distract you from that fact. Get off the main paths and consider what is really around you.

This is an area that is so powerful, you cannot help but feel the neighborhood soak into your clothes. The smell definitely might! Do not mistakenly attend the Moulin Rouge and think that is all there is. The entire area is the attraction.

Life is unfortunately often about routines and the same old thing day in and day out. Montmartre is anything but this. The place is dirty, over the top and so full of culture and characters, you will just be smiling and shaking your head. Welcome to Paris!