michele and i stayed in the montmatre section of paris. our first impression of paris, getting off the train into montmatre we thought wow! this place is dirty. it was much more gritty and rough than dublin or london where the streets are impeccably clean. we were a little sketched out by the area, but we did not spend much time in montmatre as there was so much to see elsewhere. by our last day in montmatre it did not seem so bad. it was actually quite cute as we walked around one morning and found little shops. it felt very old parisien, like how we all imagine paris was in its hay day. 

i love the old buildings, apartments and shops, some with little balconies and with their corners facing the streets. the streets are so small and they curve along following the road. the buildings are a white wash with chimneys and just all in all, exactly how i imagined the city.