BONJOUR PARIS

I have to admit ever since I started working, I find it so hard to churn out any proper content on this journal on a regular basis. And by now, it's close to 6 months since my trip to Paris.

Following my London trip came a mere 4 days in Paris. The capitol of France is a beautiful place filled with French aesthetics and luxury, more evidently in its architecture and interior; every corner of Paris is almost postcard perfect. I only wished I could capture better photographs. That aside, the small "boo boo" to us were the price and language barrier.

To be honest, we never got to try French food when we were there, because food was expensive and came in small portions which wouldn't really fill our rather large Asian appetite. We had so much fast food there that we got so sick of fries towards the end of the trip. Instead, we craved for chicken rice, hor fun and Chinese soup. While the language barrier and part of their unfriendliness were a bit of a problem for us, we still managed to ask for directions and got to where we intended. Many of you might have heard about pickpockets and conman in Paris – we did witness scams at tourist spots and there were strangers who approached us but we learnt to be ignorant and walked away swiftly. I can only say: be extra alert and conscious of your surroundings and belongings for one another.

4 days swept by in a blink, but memories were left behind – trying to pronounce french words, getting lost and being in awe of this scenic city. For now, I look back at photographs, digitally pen my experience down and look forward to travel again.

PLACES WORTH VISITING AGAIN

Chauteau de Versailles. above. This place spells grandeur, details and french luxury like no other. Built in 17th Century by Louis XIV, and also famously recognised as the abode of Marie Antoinette, the insightful french palace walk-around somehow brings you back in time. It is out of central Paris which requires a RER train ride there. Do arrive there early as the queue to enter the palace can get really long (we queued for slightly over an hour). I also learnt that Dior often uses the Versailles for ad campaign shoots or as runway venue. Seems like even when I'm on leave from Dior, I still catch a glimpse of my work life.

Arc of Triomphe. below. If you want a bird's eye view, I'd say go up to the Arc of Triumph instead of the Eiffel Tower. It is a spiral stairs walk up but it was all worth it when you're up there. From here you can have a view of the Basilique, Eiffel Tower and of course Champs des Elysees, which is pretty photo worthy. 

Basilique du Sacre Coeur, Montmarte. below. Slightly further away from the central Paris. It is a quaint spot up the hill with small streets leading up to the Basilique. I happened to be there on a Sunday morning so I got to witness a bit of their church service, I didn't stay for the service as I wouldn't have understood anything that's in French. There were several food stalls outside the church and also another bird's eye view of the city. I didn't pay to go up further in the church, but I heard the view and the climb up is worth it.

Pont Des Art. above. Also famously known as the Lovers' Lock bridge. It is a simple, yet beautiful bridge. Sunset would be a good time to visit as the locks shimmer under the golden hour sunray. Neither my parents nor myself really bothered to put a lock there because we don't believe in it to "lock" our relationships. But I told N that if we visit Paris in the future after we're married, maybe then we could put a lock there, just for memories and photo sake.

Jardin Des Tuileries. below. I would love to have more time to relax around this garden. I love how there are movable chairs in the garden so you can choose a spot of your choice. Paint a canvas, walk your dog, read a book, take a nap, munch on a crepe, run around with your children,  just sit and relax.

Musee du Louvre. above. If you've never been into the museum, I'd say go for it! There are just lots and lots and lots of traditional art pieces, including the famous Mona Lisa (which I find quite normal, I guess I'm just not arty enough). I would visit the outdoor area leading to Jardin des Tuileries, but probably not pay to enter the museum again.

Eiffel Tower. below. How can anyone go to Paris for the first time and not visit the Eiffel Tower right? We only walked around the tower but did not pay to go up the tower because we prefer having a bird's eye view to see the tower, to being in the tower and not able to take a photo of the tower, if you get what I mean. I had planned to be there in the late afternoon and laze around Parc du Champ des Mars  till the sun sets and get a night view of the tower. However, who knew it started raining and it got too cold for us to stay outdoors any longer.

SHOPPING

Most luxury houses are closed on Sundays, so go sightseeing on Sundays instead.

Most people go to Paris hoping to leave the city with at least a luxury item because the rate is cheaper than in Singapore with additional tax refund. I would advice to get a cash refund at the airport than credit card refund which can be quite risky. I was advised to bring along a brandless paperbag to keep your item while walking along the streets, to avoid being the next pickpocket target.

Avenue Montaigne. above. Enough said, it's a stretch of luxury fashion houses. Do google for the specific address of the boutique you'd want to visit.

Galeries Lafayette. As it is a huge departmental building that stores most of the common brands. It is easier to get to store to store here, but of course each stores are smaller; so are the selections as compared going to its flagship boutiques.

PLACES I WOULD NEXT VISIT & DO

Garden of Versailles. While I visited the Chauteau, I did not visit the Jardin because additional ticket is required and we didn't have that much time to spend there (given our 4 days stint). It would have been nice to spend some time there getting lost amongst nature.

Centre Pompidou. Because my parents were not interested in art, we gave that a miss, if not this would have been part of my itinerary.

Take a slow walk along River Seine. I've always wanted to take my travel easy to relax, and not rush. It would be nice to take a long stroll or sit down, drinking hot chocolate while munching on a french crepe or amorino gelato by the river seine watch the world go by with your loved ones.

Grand Palais. Maybe one day if I get to watch a Chanel show inside.

I'D GIVE IT A MISS NEXT TIME

Palais Royal. above. An on site art installation – "Colonnes de Buren" by Daniel Buren are actually these black and white columns appearing from the ground at different heights. It is rather photo fun, but other than that, there really isn't much to see here.

Pont Alexandre III. below. It is a beautiful bridge, but after visiting it, that's pretty much that's about it.

Au Revoir Paree, I hope to see you again!

#bonparisvoyage