On our last day in Paris, we tried to relax and slow down to
appreciate the beautiful moment in Paris. Today, somehow we woke up to a day
with sunshine and just the perfect day for our outing to Louvre Museum –
“Memories of the Da Vincci Code”. In Paris, some of the best discoveries are
made simply by getting lost in its streets. Subject-in-point : Food!! You
simply can’t resist the saliva-dropping baked cheese French toast J This was definitely
the best French toast I’ve tasted in my entire life!~ The toast was superb with
filling cheese, sandwiched with ham for a just the right amount of ‘kick’!
After our leisurely breakfast, we started our journey at the magical Louvre.
An elegant yet full of history setting ^^
Before walking to the pyramid, we’ve discovered a quaint
little shop selling miniature cartoon and movie cartoon figurines. We were
excited looking at the extensive collection and naturally, bring out the inner
child in all of us upon looking at the figurines spanning themes from Greek
mythology, movie-characters, Marvel characters and other quintessential characters.
Enter with an open mind and see what you find! ;)
At Louvre, we truly appreciate the grace of both the
building and the crystal pyramids in front of it. What a phenomenal structure!
Known as one of the iconic buildings in Paris, the Louvre embraces the mantra
that "a place for bringing together monuments of all the sciences and
arts". We took opportunity to click non-stop of every nook and corner of
the pyramid.
The glass pyramid makes a very good geometric compositions for photography enthusiasts, like us XD
However, we did not go in to the museum upon looking at the
queue and we were kinda in a rush. Note: If you are planning to go in the
museum, do get a Paris Museum Pass. What we missed was the ever popular Mona
Lisa painting and other myriad of artistic creations. Well, at least, I’ve
“been there, seen that" (In a way) like most visitors to the Louvre.
We then booked a cab from hotel to airport which took us almost an hour for the taxi to arrive. Apparently, the fees is cheaper and it costs around Eur55 from our hotel to the airport. Upon reaching the airport, I quickly grabbed the infamous Ladurée macarons upon seeing the retail outlet. I was thrilled as i couldn't find the shop earlier on and it was the so-called gold standard of macarons. Probably because there weren't many places offering it, so I had managed to grab afew in the airport for souveniers and to snack on. However, in my opinion, the taste-wise is just so-so compared to Pierre Hermé. Anyhow, just can't resist the eye-candy sweet desserts <3 p="">
Off the radar, in case you are wondering what’s the process for VAT or tax
refund (Since Paris is a shopping paradise - home to Louis Vuitton, Gucci and
Longchamps), it’s advisable to collect your tax refund before leaving. There is a large sign that says "Tax Refund" the moment you
enter the departure hall, pointing to a long line. There are two queues; the
first one you need to get your refund documents stamped by custom officer and
filled up along with your boarding pass and passport for processing. Just a
note, you may need to prepare to show your goods and the original receipt for
checking. Anyway, if you are lucky enough, they may not inspect the goods ;) After
getting the documents stamped, you will drop the documents into a box provided
if you opt for refund into your credit card or you need to join another queue
at a different counter to get you cash refund. The queue for cash is shorter
but move slower and took us almost an hour plus for the refund. The VAT in
France is almost 20% but the refund is only 12% and there is a Eur3 charge for
commission (for every claim) by the cash refund counter at the airport.
Wookies, that’s all from Paris! I really do love Paris. Hope that I can
come to this place again especially the places I missed out, and off the chance
to live here in the future! *dream mode* Till then, au revoir!
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