paris was a must-see, and it mostly lived up to the hype. the city is beautiful but felt a bit dirty in spots. contrary to what everyone says, i didn't find parisians rude at all. visited montmartre and sacre-coeur, which had an amazing atmosphere, and stopped by notre-dame. still under reconstruction but impressive even wrapped in scaffolding. the croissants were as good as advertised. the highlight was a random picnic under the eiffel tower with about 15 strangers i'd just met, which turned into a full night out. that's the kind of thing that makes solo travel special. also visited the louvre, packed with tourists fighting to see the mona lisa, but i managed to push my way to the front and get a good photo. i was supposed to go to versailles, but the night before i'd gone out with people from the hostel and overslept. missed the tour. classic move. no regrets though, the night was worth it.