Speaking of procrastination, I meant to post this about a month ago when it actually happened.
Oops.
I was attracted to the Montmartre neighborhood of Paris for the same reason that every cliché trying to be cultured teenager is --- lots of cool artists once lived there and it was the setting of La Vie En Rose, Amelié and Moulin Rouge.
The hostel I was staying at happened to be only a few blocks away from Montmartre. So, my traveling buddy and I strolled over there as soon as we checked in. On the way, we saw Moulin Rouge.
Moulin Rouge is at the base of a hill, which basically marks the beginning of Montmartre. I honestly didn't spend enough time in Paris to be able to remark on how different Montmartre is from the rest of Paris, but I do remember thoroughly enjoying my few hours spent there. Like most of Paris, the buildings are either painted in very light colors or made of light brick. This is a stark contrast to Amsterdam, where all of the buildings are dark. The Dutch like things to be dark and cozy. They call it gezellig.
After walking around the main streets three times to peruse the various cafés, I finally chose a café that I deemed Montmartre-ish enough to use for my 20 New Things list. What did I think was Montmartre-ish? I have no idea.
My traveling buddy and I drank our espressos alfresco, watching the locals pass by with tiny dogs, bouquets of flowers and sleeping toddlers. The weather was a perfect mix of warm and cold that my Texas upbringing has almost never known.
Ahh, just thinking about it makes me want to go back. I can even remember the smell (cleaner and more flower-y than the dank air here, especially in light of the waste collector's strike). A return to Paris (for a much longer stay) is requisite in my near future.
UPDATE: I have now finished my report.
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