Paris is truly a beautiful city – full with passion, arts,
architecture, culture and romanticism. It was sad to learn about the Paris
massacre attack and initially, I planned to blog about my trip (last month) but
thought it would be more appropriate to postpone at a later stage. At this
point of time (While I’m still writing on this blog), I felt sorry for the
victims of the terrorist attack. May the departed souls rest in peace.
On our Day-1 in the City of Lights, the first thing we do is
check-in our Air BnB. As we booked rather last minute, we were lucky enough to
find a guesthouse which can fit us and for an affordable Eur134/night. In
Paris, you would need to walk up using the stairs (No elevators available) with
your heavy luggage. Ohwell, walking up to a Paris apartment (With spiral-like
design stairs) can be a beautiful experience. At least, it’s a warm-up exercise
to taking 600+ stairs to top of Eiffel (If you are planning to do so) ;)
Upon reaching to our modest set-up room, we truly live like
a Parisian (with a fat cat as companion). We sort of get different kinda vibe
as a change from our London hotel experience and given the quite-affordable-lodging,
we have no complaints but to adapt to our new living culture. We stayed at the
area where the metro station is just a hop and skip away and is approx. 10 -15
min by foot.
We were elated to start our Paris journey by visiting the
iconic, Eiffel tower. We bought a Metro pass which costs Euro14/pax and took the old Metro trains. One thing
about the old Paris Metro subway trains is that it’s still blessed with preservation
- feels like taking a time capsule machine. Just a note : Beware of the old
Metro trains as you need to open the door yourself by twisting the knob. Otherwise,
you’ll need to take the next stop once you’ve missed it !~
Nearing to the landmark, we stopped by for an overpriced cup
of coffee while enjoying people-watching and the scenic view. It’s a lovely thing
to relax and enjoy the view while salivating on some French delights - Patisseries,
croissant, quiche, baguettes… The escargot are worth every calories!（*^＠^*）
Upon reaching Le Tour Eiffel, we were elated to see the
breathtakingly magnificent statute tower comes alive. Naturally, we took Mandatory
Eiffel Tower picture- from different angles. Things to do
around Eiffel Tower:- You can climb to first floor to enjoy lunch@the sky,
second floor (704 steps) for a panoramic view of the City of Light or climb up
to 1,700 steps (Third floor) to enjoy the panoramic views of the City of Light.
Or simply come prepared with a beach mat and enjoy picnicking@Eiffel. For a
romantic nightout, wine-and-dine at the top floor right up until 11 at night
and admire Paris by night! Well, as for us, we took infinite pictures with the
iron lady of France ∩__∩y
Acting like local - sitting on the grass near the Eiffel
tower and reading a book #^_^# We strolled around
the area in the afternoon, gazing from far at the famous landmark. Too bad, we
did not wait till night to watch the sunset view or night view of the sparkling
tower. As we were all prepped up for the Moulin Rouge musical (❁´◡`❁)*✲ﾟ
After a heartening dinner, we moved forward to Montmarte (Not-so-safe) to
catch the much-anticipated show and wonderful view of French capital, of
course. There was a lot of quaint shops along the way and you could easily soak
up in the old school literacy culture or simply sit there and listen to
buskers play music. After all, it was a place filled with old artists :
painters, writers, musicians etc. A reminiscent of “Midnight in Paris.” #^_^# Imagine Picasso, F. Scott Fitzgerald from The
Great Gatsby, Hemingway and other renowned artists lurking around the corner
#justsaying
We were waiting in a long queue to the infamous Moulin Rouge show. For
ladies – it is wise to wear a comfortable pair of heels. It is a requirement
that you look presentable when attending the Moulin Rouge show: shorts, slippers,
flipflop, sportswear and sports shoes were not allowed. Ohwell, we are talking
about an internationally-acclaimed musical show with ticket that costs a
whopping Eur114/pax O.o
The Moulin Rouge lies so close to a hill and the famous windwill which
associated with it. The city’s red light district comes to live when the gorgeous
dancers with their flamboyant costumes perform at their best. The Moulin Rouge
proves to be an instant hit with the magical can-can dancing, dramatic and jaws-dropping
performances. Best ever musical show I’ve watched!
Points to note: For ladies when looking for a cab to return
to the hotel at night, be warned that there’s no queue system for the taxis. I
almost had a feisty fight with the passengers whom cut queue and shocked the
rest with swift act of opening the cab’s door. It is advisable to get in the
official taxi queue (If any). And most importantly, do not accept rides from
anyone asking you if you need a taxi. Have a fun and safe trip! That’s all for
a tiring Day-1 in Paris.
XOXO
sassycat
