Europe Part III

This will be a photo-filled post of Paris. I love the beautiful city and its ancient architecture. If given more time, I can sit in a cafe under the sun the whole day with un verre de vin blanc and people-watch :) I was warned endlessly that the French are really rude and I should keep a sharp eye on my personal belongings. Truth be told, I was really apprehensive before the trip wondering if I can even enjoy the sights with paranoia running through my mind! To sum it up, the French are much better I suppose; save for the receptionist at our hotel which I will perhaps share in another post, and the precaution needed while strolling along the busy city streets or tourist spots is just like how you would take in any other big city. Not a drama-case situation :p

The Pantheon - a temple where the great men in French history are buried

My 2 temp French guards outside the Pantheon :p

We took a cruise on the River Seine, the river running through the heart of Paris, from Pont Neuf, one of the many bridges across the Seine. This cruise is highly recommended as the first spot for first timers in Paris as it cruises along the main attractions of the city, giving you an opportunity to glimpse the favourite sights of Paris and plan your route for the remainder of your trip.

Pont Alexandre III taken on the cruise

The Seine behind us

Statue of King Henri IV, who reigned during the construction of Pont Neuf

We crossed the St Michel bridge to the Notre Dame cathedral. There was an evening service when we entered the church, it just felt so surreal.

Outside the Notre Dame

Its grand height

How much more beautiful those big black cameras can capture - that's me on the right snapping...

... the "Mays" of Notre Dame where green tea, poetry in chests of gold and famous paintings were offered to Mary as gifts from the goldsmiths of Paris on the 1st of May

A visit to the Lourve is of course, a must. Just to find out what's the great big deal of the largest museum in the world. However, even tho' one is not an art connaisseur, one can still enjoy a slow stroll through the maze of famous arts. It is indeed a pleasant experience and the hours just flew by! Photographs are not allowed to be taken in certain sections inside the Louvre, example with the Mona Lisa. So I bought a little bookmark of her. I think it is just a marketing ploy so everyone will buy souvenirs of her.

Outside the Louvre



The purpose of our trip

Candidly caught basking under the sun

Mars & Venus

Those beautiful ceilings!

Winged Victory of Samothrace

Venus de Milo - almost forgot that mum had a figurine of her displayed on a (now broken) glass mantle we used to have

An abstract curved mirror right in the middle of nowhere, making everyone pause with confusion when entering this area. Cute.

Pre-classical Greece, IMHO, the most beautiful & serene section in the whole museum

Right smack in the very busy 6-lane roads just for the Arc de Triomphe

A must on Champs Elysees! :)

I planned to catch the Eiffel in the early evening to see it in all its glory in daylight. And then maybe to hop into a bar for a beer while waiting for nightfall to catch its night lights. We got there about slightly past 7pm and the queue! The long snake of a queue!! Made us miss our beer just so we could catch its grandeur during the transition from day to night. 2 hours long and up 2 lifts later, the view is worth it.

Just as soon as it was lighted up

1000+ ft above, at the top of the tower

Also the purpose of our trip :)

The base of the tower

Not a bad postcard shot from my lousy Sony T5 eh :p

The many little bars along Rue Mouffetard

A typical French rue (us on the left plotting our Metro route over a cup of coffee)

Blood on my toes - my pair of flat-lined walking shoes failed me miserably :( & I bought the first pair of flip-flops I saw on Blvd St Michel

My busted feet

At Gare du Nord waiting for our Thalys back to AMS

Schiphol airport at 2am, dead - we had a 13-hours wait before our flight! O_o

Holiday over :(