Paris, France: One of the Must Go Back Places

Our final destination in our Cosmos tour was Paris. Since the tour proper of Wonders of Europe for Paris is only for 2 days, we decided to extend our stay here instead of going back to London. First thing I noticed about this city is that the streets were full of cars! This was perhaps one of the most congested cities in Europe compared to the other cities we've been to (other than Rome). Most streets have vehicles parked in them and almost 80% of them were small cars and this was because in Paris, there are a lot of small alleys and its difficult to roam around when you have a bigger car. 

Tourist Attractions that We Went to in Paris:

The Louvre - This is considered to be the largest museum that I have been to. According to our local tour guide, if you will be checking the artworks in Louvre one by one, spending 20-30 second each, you at least need to stay for a couple of months to be able to complete them! I remember when we went there, the place was really packed with people and we could barely take a close look at Mona Lisa without squeezing ourselves in with the rest of the tourists!

Louvre underground

Versailles - one of the grandest palace that I have ever seen in my entire life! Growing up in Asia, the only grand palace that I have been to was Forbidden City in Beijing, China. Versailles is very much different in terms of design, materials and the era it was built in. The gates and the gardens itself defines what grandeur is. No wonder French people led a revolution against King Louis XVI and Mary Antoinette! 

Gates of Grandeur

Garden full of flowers at the back of Versailles

Another garden below the Palace

Avenue de Champs-Elysees - is considered to be the most famous Avenue in Paris and also in the world. This is probably because this Avenue houses not only the prime retails brands in Paris but also the famous French Monuments like Arc de Triomphe and Place de la Concorde. For Louis Vuitton lovers, this is the avenue that you should be heading to as Champs Elysees houses the largest and most successful LV Store in the world (according to Wikipedia.)

The busy Avenue de Champs Elysees with Arc de Triomphe at the far end

Place de la Concorde

Notre Dame Cathedral - This became famous to most of us because of Disney's Hunchback of Notre Dame. More than the movie itself, physically seeing the Gothic Architecture and the complex design of this cathedral allows you to appreciate it even more. After you tour inside, do take note of the gargoyles and the flying buttresses at the exterior portion of the cathedral. Considering that it was built during the 1300's, it's really one beautiful architecture that people admire and appreciate even to date.

Notre-Dame Cathedral

Eiffel Tower - A symbol of Paris and one of the first observation decks around the world. What makes this different is that compared to the other observation decks, this is made of iron inside-out. This is one of the key structures that every tourist goes and takes a photo with when they visit Paris. We didn't get the chance to go up Eiffel Tower because one of their elevators was broken during the time of our visit and the queue (even for taking the stairs) was really long - which is why Paris is in my "Must go back" list of cities!

World-Famous Eiffel Tower

Arc de Triomphe - It was made to honor those people who fought and died during the French Revolution. Underneath the Arc was the Tomb of an 'Unknown Soldier' that was added on 1921. This famous arc is older than Eiffel Tower and it also serves as an observation deck on top. I remember my mom telling me that it's complicated to go to the arc but don't worry because there is a underground crossing for people who wants to cross to the arc. DO NOT attempt to cross on the traffic circle as it is extremely dangerous!

Arc de Triomphe

Memories, memories! I'd love to go back to this city in the future if God permits! :) Share with us your favorite Paris attraction too in the comment section! We'd love to hear from you.

Below are other articles that we have on Europe:

Throwback Thursday: Europe Photos

Walking Around London

All About Belgium

Lucerne, Switzerland

Switzerland on the Second Day

Rome & Vatican: Where History Becomes Alive

Venice Sights and Scenes

Paris Shopping & Tax Refund System

Bologna Sandwich & Haribo Gummies

Paris: A Must Go Back City In Europe

LaNnA
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Reminiscing Europe: Helpful Tips and Eats

It's been a year since we went to Europe and I must say memories still remained fresh like yesterday. I remember husband and I had our adventures and misadventures since it was both our first time to be on that part of the world. Nonetheless, there are new things that we've learned from this trip and I'd like to share them with you, especially for those couples who will be going there for their honeymoon.

If you will be staying in London for a couple of days... Consider having the London Pass.

Since our tour's starting point was in London (and London was not included in our itinerary), we decided to arrive 2 days before our scheduled tour so we could explore the city on our own. With the London Pass, you wouldn't need to pay in most tourist attractions - just make sure you have your card with you as they will be scanned by a machine upon your entrance in every tourist attraction that accepts London Pass. Just a reminder that you may only be allowed to go to some attractions once so even though you have a pass that is valid for 3 days, once you have rode (in our case) the ferry boat that crosses the river from Big Ben to London Eye, you will have to pay when you decide to ride the ferry again the second time (Coming back or going to other locations via ferry). You also get to skip queues as there are special lanes assigned for London Pass holders. Each purchase of London Pass includes a guidebook that you can use when exploring the streets in London. In addition, you may purchase transport tickets (a separate card will be issued for this) in advance to be able to enjoy unlimited transport within zones 1-6 in London. For more information and complete details, visit http://www.londonpass.com/

 

If you are in London and you love to watch musicals, make sure to check Apollo Victoria Theater to know the current musical that is being performed (in our case, it was Wicked). Just make sure to watch it when you have already adjusted to their time zone (day 2-3 maybe) because you might fall asleep during performance due to jet lag. In case of flight delays, do not schedule anything on the first day of your arrival to give enough space for unexpected delays.

If you plan to purchase branded luxury goods, you can do all of them in Paris. Not only is it cheaper there, but all stores are right next to each other/walking distance so it is easier to compare styles among brands in case you haven't decided which bag to get. Prices across Paris are the same so you don't need to compare among the stores of the same brand. You would actually notice that a lot of people are queuing in the stores in Paris compared to the other European countries. You can check shops at Galleries Lafayette, Avenue the Champs Elysee and Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honore.

When you are joining a tour and you have the budget, make sure you join their optional tours. This is the only way you would maximize your stay to a certain town/country especially when you are only staying for the night. Not only do you gain knowledge on the history where you are but, you'll also exposed to their culture as you get to see what the locals do and get to experience for a moment how they spend their typical evening. 

If you love Swarovski Crystals and you are in Austria particularly in Innsbruck, there they have one of their biggest Swarovski store. This is your chance to purchase one at a cheaper price! We didn't plan to purchase a big piece of figurine until my husband saw the sale section - not because items were broken but usually there is 1 piece left. we were glad to have bought this figurine because this sells more than double or triple the price here in Manila! Of course you need to carefully inspect the item to ensure that it is in good condition.

Read a little bit of history on the places that you will visit and do a little research on cities that you will travel on your own. This would make it easier for you to understand what you tour guide says about the history of such place and when exploring on your own, you would know how to get around that specific place.

Things to eat 

When you are in Belgium - Belgian fries, Belgian waffles and lager (beer)! Us not being beer drinkers, we just tried what the fuzz about this beer is all about. I can say that it is much sweeter than the usual beer we have tried locally in Manila. Also, don't forget to bring home some of their famous chocolate goodies like Godiva or Leonidas, it's cheaper there and it's really good! It costs around 1 euro for a regular bar of chocolate.

  

When you are in Italy - look for authentic Italian dishes - pasta/pizza/risotto/gelato as there is no other place in the world as authentic as Italy can be. You'll be amazed at the hundreds of flavors available and unique flavors that may seem weird at first. Try one so you'll have a goo story to tell.

 

When you are in Switzerland - Roesti would be perfect for those who loves potatoes and don't forget to try their Veal to match your roesti. For cheese lovers, try their swiss cheese fondue. If you are into candies, try their famous gummy candy Haribo (made in Germany), it's really good! And if you're looking for bread spreads that's unique, you might want to try Ovamaltine too!

When you are in Paris, France - if you are into macarons, try Laduree or Pierre Herme. No matter how expensive they are, I'm pretty sure it's much cheaper compared to the ones in Singapore or Hong Kong. Try it else you'll regret it. Even just a piece. 

Hope we are able to help! Below are other articles that we have on Europe:

Throwback Thursday: Europe Photos

Walking Around London

All About Belgium

Lucerne, Switzerland

Switzerland on the Second Day

Rome & Vatican: Where History Becomes Alive

Venice Sights and Scenes

Paris Shopping & Tax Refund System

Bologna Sandwich & Haribo Gummies

Paris: A Must Go Back City

Happy Europe Planning!

LaNnA
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Europe Shopping Tips - Designer Goods and Tax Refunds

Took photo of this nice painting in Paris

Another blog my wife made. So proud of her! I hope these tips help you prepare for your upcoming shopping trip to Europe.

Let's admit it ladies -- one of the reasons why we look forward to going to Europe is because of shopping. They always say that once you see something you really want, you don't even think twice as you'll only end up regretting it once you're back home. An example was a men's LV belt we saw in Venice. Of course, people would expect everything to be more expensive in Venice. There was a belt that costs 215 EUR and it was the belt my husband was eyeing. We didn't buy it because we said that our last stop, Paris would surely be a lot cheaper. Lo and behold! That same belt in LV Champs Elysees was 285 EUR! Oh well, didn't purchase that belt and saved the money instead.

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