Sightseeing in Paris through my lens Part 3

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.



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

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.

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.

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.

Fruit and veggie shop at Le Marais.

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.

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.

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.

Sightseeing in Paris through my lens Part 2

I hope you've enjoyed the sightseeing tour so far. I'm going to take you to the other side of the Seine, the Left Bank which in fact, is one of my favorite places in Paris. As you cross over the Pont Alexandre III bridge and take a short stroll, you'll see a sign for Musee d'Orsay on your left.

Musee d'Orsay

Assemble Nationale, the lower house of the French Parliament.

However, I've been to Musee d'Orsay a couple of times so we'll skip it this time. If you keep walking straight down the street, you'll reach Les Invalides or officially known as Hotel des Invalides. It is in fact is a host of different buildings for the military which includes a museum, a burial ground, hospital and retirement home for war veterans.

 Hotel des Invalides

And this is what you'll see when you walk into the courtyard.

As we left Les Invalides, I caught sight of these hilarious "graffiti". I'm afraid we'll have to hurry along because Mr CCC has been dying to go to Musee Rodin for the longest time.

Needless to say, everyone clamors to see The Thinker. I guess some people "think" better in the nude. I know I'm suppose to say something rather clever but all I could think (excuse the pun) was Rodin managed to strategically cover the private parts.




The Kiss. Little L studied the sculpture a little too intently if you get my drift. "Mommy, why don't they wear any clothes?". Right. Move along. Next question.




You get the odd Van Gogh paintings too.

As we walk towards St Germain des Pres, we gawked at the beautiful buildings that line the streets. Coming from a new country, it is still a novelty to see these magnificent structures with fascinating history.

This is what Parisians do when they move.

Hubby has been harping on and on about "the intellectual cafe" at St Germain des Pres. It finally occured to me that he wanted to visit the cafe where the so called intellectuals used to meet. Well, you know the myth about men are from Mars and women are from Venus. Well, it's true. Despite the fact we converse in English, we actually speak different languages.



Hubby could not contain his excitement and raced inside Le Deux Magots the minute we arrived. Thankfully, the regal waiters were very accommodating and allowed him to take as many photos as he wanted without having to buy a cup of coffee.

This was Pablo Picasso's table.

Simone de Beauvoir's table. To my dad's consternation, I decided to take a couple of papers in Feminism when I was in university. My first year's tutorial was rather interesting because being a heterosexual, I was clearly in the minority. One of the many feminists we had to study was Simone de Beauvoir.

Apparently, a few intellectuals also gathered by Cafe de Flore which is adjacent to Le Deux Magots. I love that the waiting staff are so smartly dressed and seem to take pride in their work.

We set off to explore all the little lanes off St Germain Boulevard and came across St Sulpice, an imposing and breathtaking Catholic church. It is the second largest church in Paris after Notre Dame.

Do pop in for Part 3!

Sightseeing in Paris through my lens Part 1

Thank you for the heartwarming comments about my photos. It's always wonderful to have such an appreciative audience. Merci beaucoup! Let me take you on a sightseeing tour of Paris through my camera lens.

As you get out of the Champs-Élysées - Clemenceau metro station, you're immediately surrounded by several grandiose palaces namely Grand Palais, Petit Palais and Palais de la Decouverte. It's truly a sight to behold if this is the first time you've clapped your eyes on these ornate buildings.

Palais de la Decouverte, Palais de la Decouverte or otherwise known as Palace of Discovery is actually a museum which features mathematics, physics, chemistry, geology and biology. It is located in one of the wings of the Grand Palais.

 

Petit Palais is a museum of arts and houses some of incredible works by Cezanne, Rodin, Rembrandt, Modigliani amongst many other famous artists.

The architecture of Grand Palais

As you walk past the palaces on either side down Av Winston Churchill, you'll come to Pont Alexandre III, the most beautiful bridge in Paris. It's also a short walking distance from the Eiffel Tower. The bridge connects the Champs Elysee quarter with the Invalides on the Left Bank.

The foundation of Pont Alexandre III was laid by its namesake's son. It's a fine example Art Noveau with elaborate sculptures of nymphs, Pegasus and cherubs.

Streetlights on Pont Alexandre III

It's also a wonderful place to catch the sunset.

 Now just before we cross the bridge over to Les Invalides, let's veer off to the left into Jardin des Tuileries. The park was initially commissioned by Catherine de Medici for her palace in 1564 and was only accessible to the public after the French Revolution.

Despite the frantic pace of Paris, one can always find a chair at Jardin des Tuileries where you can just settle back and people watch.

Little L did just that, much to the amusement of many passerby.

As you reach the end of the park, you'll see I.M Pei's wonderful glass pyramid at the Louvre. Musee du Louvre was once a fortress back in the 12th century. These days, it's one of the largest and most visited museums in the world.

Palais Royal du Louvre

Palais Royal du Louvre at night

The Monalisa by Leonardo da Vinci is on the lips of many who visit the Louvre. However, I was enthralled by the splendid paintings on the ceiling.

Stay tuned for Part 2!

Paris: Streetstyle fashion and bags

I set out with good intentions to take streetstyle snapshots of fashionable locals and tourists for my readers. After reviewing most of my photos, I realized I managed to take tons of butt shots. Bleh. Or even worse, most appeared without their heads. How appropriate given that I'm in the city that's famous for its guillotine. I was too shy to approach a few well dressed women that I was gawking at. It's not so much that they're stunning but I loved how they put together their outfits and accessories. Well, I guess I'll never be UK's version of Bill Cunningham.

As I was stalking a classy middle aged woman, the police on the other side of the road thought I was photographing him and the building he was guarding. The overzealous officer started blowing his whistle incessantly which caused EVERYONE on my side of the street to stare at me. I don't know who was more sheepish upon discovering that I was only interested in fashion shots. The Parisians have that certain je ne sais quoi that made them look chic and classy without being overly casual or tacky. Anyway, I got a little carried away and started snapping away anyone who was carrying a designer bag so do excuse a few unappealing shots.

I  don't know about you but I just can't relate to these skinny beauty editors, models, socialites and celebrities that are constantly featured in many streetstyle fashion blogs. They're oh so perfectly put together and seem so contrived or staged. I want to see normal well dressed women who are not reed thin with wrinkles that show their age. I'm not in my early 20s nor do I head out the door tittering on stilletos. I've given birth so my belly isn't as firm as before. When I break into a run (which only happens when I'm trying to catch the train), certain body parts jiggle like jelly. Okay, that's too much information so I'd better stop before I embarrass myself further.

The scarf is a vital accessory in a French woman's wardrobe. Loop it around your neck, hair or wear it as a belt. There are so many ways you fold it to suit your mood.

The other thing I notice is the ubiquitous breton tees here in Paris. However, the striped tops are often worn with colored jeans.

I decided to include Little L's photo after getting tons of inquiries from Parisians regarding her trench coat. Many were pleasantly surprised to find out that the coat's from Catimini, a popular French brand.

Paris: A Walking Tour

I LOVE the Eurostar as much as I detest airports. I can do away with the long and painful journey to the airport. Checking in takes minutes instead of hours. Hop on the train et voila, you're in the centre of Paris within 2.5 hours. I managed to find an apartment right by Canal St Martin, a rather hip area where the locals love to go for picnics. In fact, I see many local residents with a bag of food and a bottle of wine lazing the evening away with friends by the canal. The weather has been a balmy 22-26 degree Celsius. I can't believe I"m actually seeing the sun for a change!

In the morning, we strolled over to the nearest bakery, Du Pain et Des Idees which was voted the best bakery in Paris 3 years ago by the Gault et Millau. Just in case you didn't know (I didn't either), Gault et Millau is equivalent to the Michelin Guide. According to the Wikipedia, "Gault Millau is most famous for its rating system, on a scale of 1 to 20. Restaurants below 10 points are almost never listed. The points are awarded strictly based on the quality of the food with any comments about service, price or the atmosphere of the restaurant given separately". My Praline escargot was heavenly. The best I've EVER eaten. Judging from the lipsmacking noises Little L and hubby made, I guess their choices were pretty good too.














Du Pain et des Idees
34 rue Yves Toudic
10th Arrondissement
Opening hours: Mon to Fri


I read that there were pony rides, carousels and a mini amusement park at Jardin des Tuilleries but sadly, we missed it by a day. There was a single carousel left at the park. Poor Little L was pretty dejected after being told earlier in the day that it was going to be a fun day with plenty of pony rides.



All the different rides were packed up into huge trucks ready for their next location.



Jardin des Tuilleries


We decided to walk to the other side of Jardin des Tuilleries, cross the bridge into the Left Bank. I've underestimated how much they love dogs here. So much so that when their little yappety yap doggies did a massive poo right in front of you, they all go awwwwww...... There were excrement on the pavements, streetlights, in the metro station..... Well, you got the idea. Thankfully, a few kindly locals called out to me when I failed to spot *splutter* *gag* the feces on the ground.





One of the many hundreds of locks found on the bridge.






I love the little boutique-y type shops that lined the streets of St Germain des Pres. I think most of the residents have fled Paris seeing how quiet the city is at the moment. You could hear a pin drop in some of the suburbs. It was almost like being in a ghost town. A lot of the mom and pop stores have shut for the whole of August.



Bonpoint



Kids' shoes at Bonpoint



What about fashion origami to keep little girls amused?



Sushi eraser



One of hundreds of amazing patisseries in Paris. I just can't help myself. I have no idea how Parisians stay so slim. It's REALLY hard not to get a couple of these pastries each time I walked past a patisserie.



St Thomas d'Aquin Catholic Church




John Lobb is one of the remaining bespoke British shoemaker who still handmake their shoes, one at a time at their Northampton factory.








While we were standing on the bridge, a storm was brewing. We could see an incredible display of lightning with the blustery wind sweeping up all the leaves and dust in its path.