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Sightseeing in Paris through my lens Part 3

Wednesday 31 August 2011
We stayed in a lovely apartment at Canal St Martin, an area that sees few tourists. Accommodation is Paris IS expensive but compared to a hotel, 75€ per night seems fairly reasonable. The up and coming suburb is packed with cafes and shops. Need I mention that it's only a 15 minute walk to the flagship Isabel Marant store. Unfortunately, we only managed to explore Canal St Martin on our last day only to find what an eclectic and interesting the place is. On Sundays, we see families particularly ones with young kids come out for a jog, ride their bikes and hang out in the cafes.


canal1
The small speedboat releases the latch in order to reduce the water level in the dam so that the boat could pass through.


canal2
We were rushing to catch the metro so I didn't get the chance to see the entire process.


This is not a tour but snapshots of Paris as we charted our paths each morning. We try to cover one area at a time which in itself is a challenge with a 5 year old who stoically managed to walk for up to 12 hours each day.


cafe scene
People watching whilst sipping an espresso seems to be a favorite pastime for many in France and Italy. All the chairs can be found facing the street.



cafe





marais street
Le Marais which translates to The Marsh is one of the oldest quarters in Paris. It was once a swamp, hence the day and has a large Jewish community. These days, there are many trendy shops, hip galeries and restaurants.  We barely covered the tip of the iceberg but vow to do so on our next trip to Paris.



marais fruit veggies
Fruit and veggie shop at Le Marais.





champs elysee2
I generally avoid Champs Elysee area as it's overcrowded with tourists but I couldn't resist that a quick shot of Arc de Triomphe.




eiffel paris
Ariel view of the Grand Palais (massive building on your left across the River Seine).
Little L has been begging to see the Eiffel Tower up close for a week now. She would sit on the steps of Pont Alexandre III on her own and gaze longingly at the Tower from afar. She whooped with joy when I finally relented. The process of getting a ticket and finally a ride up to the highest point took a painful 3 hours of queueing and shuffling at snail speed. Little L was grinning from ear to ear when we finally left the Tower.



Eiffel seine
Another aerial shot from the Eiffel Tower during sunset.



This concludes the Paris tour. Next up, I'm going to cover the amazing shops in Paris.


7 comments:

  1. Sorry to repeat myself again, but you take BEAUTIFUL pictures! You are really talented!

    xo, sam

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  2. Ahhh... I miss Paris from seeing your pics already.

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  3. I really love reading your blog and the best posts I must say are the ones covering your Paris trip...it makes me want to go to Paris again real soon!

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  4. People watching while drinking coffee is my favorite as well. I'm checking regularly several times a day for your updates! You got me addicted to your beautiful pictures. Who knows you might even cure my fear for Paris!

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  5. Sam, Chicology, Stephanie and Lily, I am touched and flattered by your compliments. Thank you so much for taking the time to write. You've all made my day!

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  6. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  7. Chris, you're braver than me. I absolutely refuse to drive in cities. My one and only experience driving to London was such a nightmare that it has scarred me for life! I'd much rather rely on buses and the tube. The same goes for Paris or Florence or well....any cities really.

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