YES! Lil Tiny Pea is back after disappearing for a few months! This time round, I'm going to blog about my trip to Paris (located in France and is part of Europe) which I went some time in February :D Prior to going Paris, I heard a lot of pickpocketing stories from friends and relatives, so if you planning on going to Paris, do take extra precaution.
When we arrived in Paris, the weather was really really cold. You may wonder why I brave the cold weather. Well, not only it was the low peak season with cheaper air tickets and accommodation, it was also the only time I was free for a long trip. Anyway, without further ado, here's my experience...
PS: Paris was 7 hours behind Singapore time when I was there.
At the Airport
PARIS (CDG)
Tourisme Information Counter
As the name suggests, this counter serves mainly tourists. You can enquire about the attractions of Paris and the staffs will gladly assist you.
At this counter, we purchased 2 important items to get us through these 5 days in Paris, and they are.....
1) Paris Museum Pass
Simply purchase Paris Museum Pass at the Airport's Tourisme Information Counter. This Pass enables you to visit 60 of their museums and monuments in and around Paris without queuing to buy the tickets at the museums. The best part of this Pass is that, there are unlimited number of times you can visit the museum (provided it's within the validity of the Pass).
Prices for the Museum Pass are as follows :-
2days (39€) / 4days (54€) / 6days (69€)
For more information, visit http://en.parismuseumpass.com/
2) Paris Visite Pass
This travel pass is very useful for unlimited travel on the Paris metro and bus network. It's an important Pass to have so that you can travel around Paris. We bought the 3 days Pass, Zone 1-3 which costs 20,70€ per adult.
For more information, visit http://www.pariswelcome.net/metro/paris_visite.htm
Metro
We travelled via Metro a lot of times. It was a vital mode of transport as it brought us to all the places of attractions. So purchasing the Paris Visite Pass was pretty handy :) I noticed a couple of times that some locals would come onto the Metro to bask and asked for donations. *Scary*
There's another type of train called the RER. Some RER are double deck. As long as it's within the Zone, the Paris Visite Pass can be used. If not additional single trip Pass is to be purchased.
Hotel Apollon Montparnasse
- located at Pernety Station
During our 5 days trip, we stayed at Hotel Apollon Montparnasse. From our conversation with the staffs, the hotel in Paris are quite small. The lift in this hotel is really tiny, a far cry from those lifts in Singapore. The staffs were very polite, friendly and helpful.
Rooms
When we entered the room, we were a little dismay as it's really small and we pondered many times on how are we going to place 3 luggages in the tiny room (but we managed). The bed was very soft, so if you are those who likes soft beds, this is the place for you! The bathroom is also tiny, but since we were out most of the time, this hotel works fine for us. Some pictures for you to see. However, as the room is quite small, certain angle are pretty hard to take pictures.
Breakfast was a simple affair, located at the basement. It's a cozy little place and they served simple food such as croissant, cereal, yogurt, cheese, ham, tea and some juices (buffet style!). Coffee and warm milk were served separately. I had especially enjoyed their freshly baked croissant as well as cereal with warm milk!
Breakfast was not included when we booked the hotel. It's chargeable at 11€ per pax per breakfast.
Places of Attractions
Château de Versailles- located at Versailles Rive Gauche Station
As we purchased the Zone 1-3 Paris Visite Pass and this Château de Versailles is located outside Zone 3, we had to purchase additional tickets. We bought 2 tickets per pax (2 ways) at 3,35€ per tickets. From Paris, we took the RER C5 line, fumbled with the tickets issuing machines because we could not find the name of the station until a kind local offered to help us. Do not alight at Viroflay Rive Gauche, similar name, different location entirely.
After our eyes had feasted on the awesome paintings in the magnificent palace, we could literally hear our tummy grumbling. The moment we smelled food, we walked toward the smell without hesitation. We thus had our lunch at ANGELINA =) which is open from 10am to 5pm. And look at all the delightful and beautifully made pastries. They are just too pretty to be eaten.
Cappuccino (6€)
Le Chocolat Chaud A L'ancienne Dit "L'africain" (7,9€)
Old-Fashioned Hot Chocolate "L'africain"
Blanquette De Veau, Riz Sauvage (26€)
Veal Blanquette, Stewed Veal Meat with White Sauce, Wild Rice
Thon Mi-Cuit En Croute De Sésame, Purée De Patates Douces (26€)
Semi-Cooked Tuna in Sesame Crust, Mashed Sweet Potatoes
There's also a garden. However, I was quite disappointed with the garden as I pictured the garden to be more grand than what it actually was.
After wondering around the garden and being trigger-happy, we decided to visit the Souvenir shop! There were many varieties of collectables for tourists to buy and keep. Many of the souvenirs are so damn cute and I couldn't resist buying some as keepsakes.
Eiffel Tower
- located at Bir Hakeim Station
Yes! The legendary and world's most recognizable monuments... Eiffel Tower :D We have seen soooo many pictures on the internet pertaining to this Tower, be it a friend uploading pictures on facebook, or a couple going there to take their pre-wedding photoshoot... etc, nonetheless, we were very thrilled when we saw the EIFFEL TOWER in real life!
Tickets can be purchased at the Caisses Ticket Office. Do note that you can't use the Museum Pass for the Eiffel Tower. This ticket enables you to go to the peak of the Tower, so be sure to take the lift for a view of the city. The view is breathtaking, but in February, the weather ain't so friendly. It's very cold especially when the wind blows. Warm attire is definitely a must for cold season!
After experiencing the peak in the cold weather, we are desperately in need of something warm. Thank God, at the bottom of the Eiffel Tower, there is this place that serves food! It's time for some warm Cuppucino, Bretzel Sucre and Hot Dog!
Cuppucino (3€) and Bretzel Sucre (3€)
Hot Dog (5€)
- located at Palais-Royal Musee Du Louvre Station
If you have watched "da vinci code" before, then you should know this famous Glass Pyramid from the movie. For those who have not, fear not... I have appended some pictures below. Lourve is arguably the world's most famous art museum. Remember to get your Paris Museum Pass ready, and be prepared for security checks of your bags. In here you will be able to find well-known paintings such as Mona Lisa, Wedding at Cana, Virgin on the rock...etc. If you love paintings, this is the place for you as the Louvre is immense and could spend a week exploring its exhibits.
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| Mona Lisa |
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| Wedding at Cana |
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| Virgin on the Rock |
It's here that you will be able to find people painting pictures, and it's really amazing how their pictures look so similar to the original paintings. If I have the time, I would watch this painters all day.
Hungry from all the sightseeing? There are some cafeteria located around the Louvre. We had our lunch at PAUL. We ordered the "Menu CLASSIQUE" and "Menu PAUL".
Menu CLASSIQUE
Sanwich classique ou Tourte ou Pizza
Classic sandwich or Savory tart or Pizza
+ Boisson
Drink
+ Dessert du jour
Dessert of the day
9,10€
Menu PAUL
Sandwich plaisir
Plaisir sandwich
+ Boisson
Drink
+ Dessert du jour
Dessert of the day
9,70€
- located at Charles de Gaulle-Étoile Station
Call me a mountain tortoise. If I have never been to Paris, I would have not know that Arc de Triomphe exist and this is literally one of Paris' famous monuments. It look very ordinary from afar, but apparently this was built to honor those who fought and died during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. You may use the Paris Museum Pass here. To get to the top, be prepared to climb approximately 284 stairs (I didn't see any elevators). It doesn't go as high as Eiffel Tower. Do prepare some water. Don't worry, you will be rewarded when you reach the top, as there is a small museum and gift shop. The best reason to climb the stairs is that there is an amazing panoramic view of Paris and you can see the Eiffel Tower! There's also a live camera showing people at the ground floor, so no monkey business at the ground floor :p
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| So many steps -.- |
Notre Dame Cathedral
- located at Saint-Michel - Notre Dame Station
On the day we decided to visit this attraction, other than the cold weather, it was also drizzling... This Gothic Cathedral was beautifully decorated and was relatively crowded with locals and tourists either to take pictures as memento or to attend their service. Big bells lined up in the center of the Cathedral's walkway with each bell honoring the name of a Saint. Before the start of the Service, a member of the Cathedral will hit the bell 3 times to symbolize that the Service is starting very soon. Shortly after which, the Priest will arrive to preside over the Service. Do grab some souvenirs from the Cathedral! Be sure to visit as this is widely considered as one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture.
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| Holy Water |
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| Can you see the big bells? |
After the Service and depending on the time, do proceed to the right side of the Cathedral (outside) for more attractions. The Paris Museum Pass can be used here. Beware, this is not for pregnant women or the faint hearted as it involves climbing of stairs (again) -.-"' We were delighted when we saw the opening after climbing lotsa stairs, but it was only midway with statues of gargoyles. Taking a deep breath, we continued to climb the stairs to the top. It was freezing cold by the time we reach the peak and thus, quite hard to take pictures :( We were all shivering from the cold weather. (Sorry for the lack of pictures here)
- located at Palais-Royal Musee Du Louvre Station
After visiting the Musee De Lourve, this is a much smaller scale museum. The size of this museum may not be that of the Lourve but I was told that the Impressionist collection is among the best in world. No photography is allowed in most parts of the Museum.
- located at Cardinal Lemoine Station
From my understanding, the Panthéon is built in honor of St Genevieve, however now this place is a famous for their burial. When we entered the Panthéon, there is a long pendulum swing to and fro (a picture of the pendulum is appended below).
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| Long pendulum |
Tiny Pea
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