Montmartre
I have yet to visit all Parisian neighborhoods, but Montmartre is so far my favorite. Montmartre is the Paris imagined in cinema, especially when it’s very early in the morning when there are no tourists around. It is charming, colorful, artsy, and has a quaint village vibe. Walk its streets, and you’ll soon find yourself climbing ridiculously high staircases. A ride on the bus feels like a ride on a rollercoaster, with its sharp turns and steep inclines. Montmartre is, after all, on top of a hill (or hills?). Walking along Rue Lepic with its numerous tables outside French bistros and cafés, listening to French chatter and the clinking of wine glasses, and witnessing a spectacular full moon, I couldn’t help but wonder: am I a real person, or am I actually just a non-speaking character in a French film, passing by in the background?