Montemarte

Montmartre is a cool place to check out the local art scene and see the local artists at work. You can pick up a sweet, original painting for $150-$300. On both my trips to Montmartre, I walked out with a couple of pieces of artwork. Although pretty touristy, and some cliche paintings, I still dig it and will visit this spot again. Moulin Rouge, on the other hand, can be skipped. There's isn't really anything to see. The movie's good and that's about it.

We walked by the giant Le Printemps shopping center and visited the Paris Opera. There were hordes of tourists and tourist buses in this area. We decided not to fight the crowds to see the inside of the Paris Opera, and instead hopped back onto the Metro to make our way to Montmartre.

The Montmartre exit was Pigalle, where there were sex shops and peep shows. We headed uphill, which then lead us to stairs taking us even higher. But Montmartre is worth the pain you'll feel in your legs. It's a popular tourist attraction and for good reason, in my opinion. The place du Tertre is the heart of Montmartre, where all the local artists gather in a big square working on their latest masterpieces. The artists display their work, and everything is for sale. You can negotiate somewhat on the prices. There are restaurants and bars all around the square to fuel you while you shop the original artwork. I can't help but purchase some art from Montmartre every time I visit (which has been twice up to this point).

Montmartre was a famous hub for art and artists. Some of the famous artists that lived here were Degas, Picasso, and Van Gogh. Renoir also painted the Moulin de la Galette – which is the last of 40 windmills that once existed in Montemartre. Also up in Montmartre is the Sacre Coeur, which is an inspiring church facing an incredible view of the city below.

Heading back down the hill towards the city, we made our way towards the famous Moulin Rouge, of which the movie of the same name portrays. But these days, the Moulin Rouge is kind of a joke, not a real windmill but a toy on top of a roof of a cabaret theatre. And the cabaret show, I've heard, is way over priced and sucks.