Paris, je t'aime!

Bonjour Paris!

Our mini European tour started in Paris.We took a Thalys train from Cologne, Germany and arrived at Paris Gare du Nord about 3 1/2 hours later. I got everything planned out, where to go, what to do and how the next few days in Paris would be like.

Tips : Get a Paris Visite Pass for transportation in the city. Price for 2 days (zone 1-3) = 17.15€. Zone 1-3 covers the major attractions so you don't need to buy tickets for other zones.

First Day 

The first activity on our Paris Itinerary was to visit Galeries Lafayette.It's an upmarket French department store. We were there not because we wanted to shop but to get a nice panoramic view of the city from its rooftop.It is said that you'll get a beautiful view of Eiffel Tower, Sacre Coeur and Notre Dame from here. Sadly the rooftop was under construction when we were there. Hurm..

The view from inside Galeries Lafayette store

Then, we headed off to Trocadero to get a view of Eiffel Tower from afar...

We took a walk down the stairs and towards the Eiffel Tower...

Levitating in front of the Eiffel Tower.. :) 

From Eiffel Tower we walked towards Ecole Militaire and through a park in between.

After that, we made our way to Les Invalides

Second Day

On the second day, we decided to go to Louvre Museum early in the morning.It was Easter Monday so we thought that going early would be a good idea. Oh well...awal ke lambat ke ramai jugak orang..

Tips : There are a number of entrances to the Louvre Museum. Whatever happens, please avoid the Pyramid entrance.You'll have to queue for hours. Instead enter the museum from Palais Royal/Musee du Louvre underground metro station or from above the ground at Portes des Lions by stairs near Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel. 

We headed to the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel first as we were planning to take the entrance using the stairs there. 

Entering Musée du Louvre...

After spending about 3 hours plus in the museum, we bought sandwiches and macaroons to have a bite to eat at a garden next to the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel.

Right after the picnic, we made our way to Notre Dame...

Before going to the next destination, we stopped by at Jardin du Luxembourg (Luxembourg Garden) to enjoy the sun and the lovely environment there.

This is a nice place to hang out and enjoy the weather. 

They have chairs and benches for visitors to relax and enjoy the surroundings.

After enjoying the sun, we headed to Avenue des Champs-Élysées to get a close look at the famous Arc de Triomphe Etoile.

To sum up the day, we headed to La Basilique du Sacré Coeur de Montmartre

The basilica is located at the summit of the butte Montmartre, the highest point in the city. 

So from here you get a beautiful panoramic view of Paris

Tips : 

To get to the Sacré-Cœur, you'll have to walk from the Anvers or Abbesses Station. Walking up the hill you'll get to choose to take the staircase or the cable car which is located on the left side of the staircase. Cable car fee is included in the regular Paris Metro ticket. So feel free to take the cable car!

There's a "string man" scam at Sacré-Cœur. To avoid it, just keep your hands close to your body as you pass the string men and politely say "Non, merci" if they approach you.

Going down the hill from Sacré-Cœur, you'll find a pâtisserie selling irresistible desserts for a sweet-tooth like me. Macaroons, chocolates, meringues you name it, they have it all.

 So that should sum up our tour in Paris. We were there for 2 nights and managed to cover the places that we wanted to go. There are a lot of other great places in Paris that we didn't get the chance to explore. So maybe there'll be a next time.. :p

I hope you guys enjoy the pictures and the tips that I've shared on this post. My best advice would be to plan everything in advance so that you'll get to enjoy the trip and go with the flow without having to rush when you're there.

I would like to share this one saying in French...

Il y a deux manières d'être malheureux: ou désirer ce que l'on n'a pas, ou posséder ce que l'on désirait. ~ Louys 

There are two ways to become unhappy: to desire what you don't have or to have finally gotten what you have desired. 

Take the opportunity to enjoy your life to the fullest while you still can...

Take care and tschüss!!!!