6 days 5 night rendezvous the french way

From a slow evening stroll along river Seine to scaling the heights of the Eiffel, Paris is the essence of all things french. Both the capital of the nation and of the historic Île de France region, Paris is located in northern central France.

3.30 Parisan time, the eurostar pulled into Gare Du Nord bringing us right to the city centre. Directions to the hotel weren that difficult to figure out, turning round the corner it stood at the junction. Its majestic outlook didnt help its skanky interior and for 50 euros a night, we were better off looking for another hotel. Walking a few streets down we found one that was 50 euros per night inclusive of breakfast. why not?

The metro system is pretty much similar in europe, at least it has been for the countries i've been to like italy and spain. Seeing that it was already evening time we got Carnet tickets ( meaning you buy a set of ten single tickets instead of a day pass) and off to the flea markets. ( flea markets are opened only on weekends, we arrived on sunday)

Very much alike your Pasar Malams in Singapore, we left shortly after... and found ourselves in the midst of a quartier where the French mixes with Arabic and the Mediterranean. There were kebabs, roast and fondues.. and patisseries.

Walking through the labyrinth of quaint shops and restaurants we found ourselves back at the river. The world famous Notre Dame, the Gothic church that took 200 years to build and has been carefully restored through the years. Apparently all road distances in France are calculated to and from the great doors of this cathedral.

The Musee du Louvre, while renowned as a museum, it is in fact an illustrious palace, exemplifying traditional French architecture since the Renaissance. Its iconic pyramidal shaped entrance is just the tip of the Louvre's treasure. Below lies a magnificent collection of ancient and western art. From Delacroix to David... it is here that the Mona Lisa lies safely behind a bullet proof glass, smaller and disconcertingly like the lid of a jigsaw box. She has definitely been over rated.

Just East of the Louvre lies another much famed building, Centre Georges Pompidou. It is all about modern and contemporary 20th-century art. The design of the Pompidou has drawn critical comment since construction began in 1972. To keep the exhibition halls uncluttered, the architects put the building's 'insides' on the outside, with each duct, pipe and vent painted its own telltale colour: elevators and escalators are red, electrical circuitry yellow, plumbing green and air-conditioning blue.Come to think of it I think Cineleisure has a somewhat similar feel to it, with the colour codes and its glassy planes.


Built for the 1889 Exposition Universelle (World Fair), held to commemorate the centennial of the Revolution, the Tour Eiffel was the world's tallest structure at 320m (1050ft) until Manhattan's Chrysler Building was completed. It is breathtaking, literally as we scaled the first two viewing decks by stairs. We were rewarded with panaronmic views of the city amidst the setting sun. The wind running fingers through your hair and the feint sound of the river waves lapping... Theres something about being on sky high monuments with someone special, huddling in the cold and watching the evening sun set the skies ablaze in surreal shades of pink and purple. You wish time would come to a stand still and molten glass could encapsulate you freezing that moment in time forever. We took the elavator to the top, it was a 360 glass observation room that pointed the distances of various countries from the Eiffel. I was more than 10 000km away from home....

We went to the National History Museum to see our dear extinct mammoth size creature....pardon the pun... we went to see the Woolly Mammoth! Did you know their task weighs like 60 kg? thats alot of weight to be carryin on your face! and they would chew on their teeth til it wears down thus dying of hunger cos they would have no more teeth to masticate their food. No wonder they are extinct!

Strolling along Champs Elysee you can see The Arc de Triomphe. It is the world's largest traffic roundabout and the meeting point of 12 avenues. There we had mussels with curry sauce serve with a free flow of bread and fries! Moules and Frites as the french would call it. mmm... Mussels.. with Vin Blanc... wat better way to end the evening then with aphrodisiacs?

La Defense is at the ends of paris, surrounded by glass like building with stylized appearence you'd almost think you're in some sci fi movie. The Grande Arche was meant to be a reinterpretation of the Arc de Triomphe. The sleek monotone walls and chamfered edges makes you feel like you're entering a box turned inside out. And in a small corner... a sculpture sticks out like a sore thumb, literally.

There are loads of things to see in Paris, we visited the Musee de Picasso and wanted to see the Catacombs ( skulls of the exhumed are kept here)which unfortunately is closed til march. We went to the top to see Sacred Coeur and enquired prices for portrait paintings from the artists who sat themselves behind the church. Then there was of course the Moulin Rouge which we decided to pass. We even ended up in a neighbouring county of France when we took the metro to look for some antique market which was closed. Shopping centres are in abundance and you'll be spoilt for choice if you've got the dough to spend. I, however am pretty satisfied just browsing.

What is a holiday without fine food.. Escargots made dining truly french.

Paris wasnt just a trip with splendid sights and grand monuments that impressed, it was a trip of self discovery, a chance for past experiences to entwine itself in the present and to create new experiences for keeps. Paris is a city for romance... bring dan with you if you ever plan to experience it. ;)

The eurostar rolled out into the afternoon rays... and i chewed on my last french baguette purchased using wat coins we had left. Albeit tired from 6 days of walking, laughing, crying and shopping... i was glad to say it was six days well spent.

"Merci, my way of saying thanks." you remember the chocolate advert in singapore? yeah.. we said merci so much in france that when we were back in england conscious effort had to be made to say thanks.

Alright.. this has been a long blog… I’ve got school tmr… so I shall leave you here… will post the pictures soon… so at least you know what I’m talking about in my blog.