PARIS - The City Of Love & Lights - Top 5 Attractions in Paris

PARIS - Eiffel Tower

PARIS - The City Of Love & Lights is famously known to be the most romantic place on earth. The capital of France is situated on River Seine in Northern France and French is also known as the language of love. Recently, Paris made headlines when part of the Pont des Arts bridge collapsed due to the massive weight of "Lovelocks" where millions of couples visit Paris, attached padlocks to the bridge and throw the key into the waters as a symbol of everlasting love. Now, the French people are promoting a new campaign to save their lovely city from vandalism and destruction with the message "No Love Locks - Free your Love, Save our Bridges!". More info at http://nolovelocks.com/en/

Cost of Airfare tickets - A flight from Singapore to France costs approximately SGD1500 for a return ticket on Economy Class on Air France. On Singapore airlines, an Economy class ticket would cost approximately SGD2700. The journey takes around 13.5 hours so do bring along some entertainment on board the flight. I usually choose to sleep on my plane ride to rest and arrive at my destination full of energy!

Summer in Paris - The best time to visit Paris is during Summer in the months of July and August where average temperatures are around 25 degrees celsius. Beautiful sunshine for good photo-taking :)

Champs-Élysées - I've fallen in love with Paris the moment I first visited the place as I enjoyed relaxing strolls along the Champs-Élysées. The Avenue des Champs-Élysées in the 8th Arrondissement of Paris is arguably the most famous and beautiful avenue in the world which I totally agree! With its artistic cinemas, luxury boutiques, beautifully arranged gardens and water fountains as well as the famous Arc De Triomphe. The Arc De Triomphe was built to honor the sacrifices made by those who died in the French Revolutionary.

Arc De Triomphe

Top 5 Attractions in Paris

1. Eiffel Tower - The Paris Eiffel Tower is located on the Champ de Mars. The tower is named after its engineer Gustave Eiffel who designed and built it for the 1889 Exposition Universelle, which was to celebrate the 100th year anniversary of the French Revolution. The Eiffel tower is 324 metres tall including its antennas and weigh 10,100 tonnes. The Tower also represents the magic of light. Its sparkling lights, and its beacon shine help to inspire dreams and wonder to all visitors every evening. As France’s symbol in the world, the Eiffel Tower welcomes more than 7 million visitors every year. Buy your tickets online to avoid queues at very reasonable price of EUR15 only. The great thing is that this iconic attraction is open daily from 9am to 12 midnight. I recommend that you go in the day to take spectacular photos like I did below. It was very windy at the top, my sunglasses got blown away to my dismay. Do grab hold of your belongings tightly and be extra careful up the steps. More info at http://www.toureiffel.paris/en.html

2. The Louvre Museum - View the famous Mona Lisa http://www.sgsisters.com/search/label/Louvre

Louvre Museum or Musee du Louvre

3. Notre-Dame de Paris - Also known as "Our lady of Paris" in French, the Notre-Dame is a historic Catholic Cathedral which is highly regarded as a French Gothic architectural masterpiece. It was the first cathedral built on a monumental scale and became the prototype for future cathedrals in France. It is the parish which contains the official chair of the archbishop of  Paris. It also houses first class relics which include the purported Crown of Thorns, a fragment of the True Cross and one of the Holy Nails. It is open daily from 8am-7pm. Free admission. More info at http://www.notredamedeparis.fr/-English-

Notre-Dame de Paris 

4. Sacre-Coeur Basilica - The basilica is designed by Paul Abadie and 6 other architects succeeded him to complete the building. In contrast to the Gothic architecture of the Notre Dame, the basilica's Romano-Byzantine style is inspired by churches such as the Saint Sofia in Constantinople and San Marco in Venice. The Sacre-Coeur Basilica is located right on top of Montmartre Hill and the climb up was a good exercise. On the way up, there are also little cafes and pop up stalls to explore. Do try the famous French Crepes! Open daily from 6am-1030pm. Free Admission. More info at http://www.sacre-coeur-montmartre.com/english/

Sacre-Coeur Basilica 

5. LIDO - With 23 sets, 600 glamorous costumes, a real ice rink and beautiful performers, Lido is a spectacular French Cabaret show with 70 artists on stage since 1946. Lido is supposedly better than Moulin Rouge as it is of better class and less touristy! More info at http://www.lido.fr/us/

Lido Cabaret Show

Lasserre Restaurant - 2 Michelin Stars - I was recommended to watch Lido instead of Moulin Rouge after dining at the famous Lasserre restaurant at Champs-Elysees. Many VIPs such as Audrey Hepburn, Salvador Dali and Marc Chagall have dined at this restaurant. It is a memorable dining experience with a private lift to the terrace and a personal butler. Excellent fine-dining ambience and the cuisine was absolutely delicious. Chef Christophe Moret and Claire Hetzler utilizes the freshest and finest quality produce to create sensational dishes to impress diners for the burst of flavours to satisfy the palate. Dining in a luxurious and in a private intimate setting was relaxing and memorable. A highly recommended restaurant! More info at http://www.restaurant-lasserre.com/uk/le-restaurant-lasserre.php#index.php

Lasserre Restaurant - 2 Michelin Stars

Lasserre Restaurant - 2 Michelin Stars

Lasserre Restaurant - 2 Michelin Stars

Lasserre Restaurant - 2 Michelin Stars

Disneyland Paris - Last but not least, if you have extra time, do visit Disneyland Paris! However, in my honest opinion, Disneyland Tokyo is much better than Disneyland Paris as they have better quality performances, newer buildings and more spectacular fireworks. More info on Disneyland Paris can be found here at http://www.disneylandparis.co.uk/index.html

Disneyland PARIS

OPEN SECRET: Shopping at Luxury brands such as Chanel, Salvatore Ferragamo, Loewe, Gucci, Louis Vuitton etc. are tourists favourite as handbags are definitely much cheaper in Europe ! Kindly note that some brands such as Chanel and Louis Vuitton has enforced the one-bag-per-passport rule so each person can only buy 1 handbag to take home. This is to prevent cash-strapped tourists from purchasing everything in sight as to prevent the ugly sight of bare, empty shelves and to protect the brand's image. As Coco Chanel once said "I love luxury. And luxury lies not in richness and ornateness but in the absence of vulgarity. Vulgarity is the ugliest word in our language. I stay in the game to fight it."

Read about Sara Shantelle Lim's France Paris Trip - CLICK HERE.

♥ Lora Christelle Lim ♥

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PARIS - The Louvre Museum & the Mona Lisa

PARIS - The Louvre Museum & the Mona Lisa - The Louvre or the Louvre Museum, also known in French as the "Musée du Louvre" is one of the World's most famous museum and houses Leonardo da Vinci's most enigmatic potrait - the Mona Lisa. I have visited Paris and the Louvre twice and it is almost impossible to see everything despite spending the entire 2 days walking around as the Louvre hosts over 35,000 pieces of art work and more than 380,000 objects, spanning over 60,000 square metres of exhibition space. With approximately 10 million visitors each year, the Louvre is one of the most visited museum in the World. A trip to Paris is never complete unless you have visited the Louvre Museum! Be a smart traveller and skip the queues like I always do by buying advance tickets online at http://www.louvre.fr/en/advance-tickets

Louvre Museum "Musee du Louvre"

Address: Musée du Louvre, 75058 Paris - France

Métro: Palais-Royal Musée du Louvre (lines 1 and 7)

Tel.: +33 (0)1 40 20 53 17  Website: http://www.louvre.fr/en

Ticket Prices: EUR 13.60 - book online to avoid queues

Opening hours: Daily (except Tuesday) from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

*Night opening until 9:45 p.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays

 The Louvre Museum - A central landmark of Paris located on the Right Bank of the Seine in the 1st arrondissement, the glass pyramids are such beautiful architecture where all visitors marvel at. Originally built as a fortress in the late 12th Century under Phillip II, remnants of the fortress are still visible in the basement of the museum. It is only during the French Revolution, the Louvre was transformed into a public museum and the grand opening took place on 10 August 1793. Architect I.M. Pei was awarded the project of building the Grand Louvre and proposed that a glass pyramid be built in the main court called the "Cour Napoléon" which was completed in 1989.  Second phase of the Grand Louvre plan, La Pyramide Inversée (The Inverted Pyramid), was completed in 1993.

Interesting note: The Da Vinci Code book by Dan Brown and 2006 movie made the Louvre Museum extremely popular among tourists and the Louvre Museum made $2.6 million by allowing filming in its premises. Read more about The Da Vinci Code at http://www.danbrown.com/the-davinci-code/

La Pyramide Inversée (The Inverted Pyramid)

Leonardo da Vinci's MONA LISA - A half-length potrait of a woman by Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci which has been acclaimed as the "best known, the most visited, the most sung about, the most written about, the most parodied art in the World" and considered the greatest portrait of all time. It is a small painting 30 by 21 inches but has amazingly inspired numerous poetry, sculptures and even theft. Mona Lisa Song by Nat King Coles and the Masterpiece song by Madonna are also inspired by the famous Mona Lisa potrait. If you scrutinize Mona Lisa long enough, you may discover the Sacred Geometry behind the painting *winks-

The Mona Lisa is a painting which is a breakthrough of its time with its accurate presentation, beauty, flattery and realism. It is one of the first painting that uses an imaginary landscape and presented new painting technique that was unparalleled during its time. Scientists cannot agree how Mona Lisa's smile is interpreted so differently by different people which makes it so engaging. The mystery of Mona Lisa's half smile has puzzled countless people including Sigmund Freud, Harvard professors, experts and observers. This masterpiece features a woman of mystery or a little known woman. Theories have argued that the woman could be Leonardo's mother, lover or even a disguised self portrait or a woman who was part of the prominent Gherardini family in Florence. During my visit, a huge crowd was crowding around the Mona Lisa so I took a long time trying to capture a good photo of her. The Louvre Museum can get pretty crowded so do be patient.   

Walking Tours - National Museum guides do provide guided tours which lasts around 1.5 hours and tickets can be purchased on the day itself at the Grand reception area under the pyramid. If not, there are many other options provided by Viator, City-Discovery and MyParisianTour etc. If you prefer to walk alone, do arm yourself with a map as the place is huge and it is easy to get lost. Below are more photos which I took at the Louvre Museum and I was absolutely in awe of all  the beautiful artwork and masterpieces. My feet was aching by the end of the day so do wear comfortable walking shoes.

PARIS - One of the best times to visit Paris is during Summer time in the months of July and August where the sun is shining brightly and everyone is feeling cheerful and happy. It is also the best time to see what Paris can offer and take good photographs under sunlight. As the weather is mild and not too cold with average temperatures around 25 degrees celsius, there is no need to put on thick heavy coats during Summer and you can dress light :)

Read about Sara Shantelle Lim's France Paris Trip - CLICK HERE.

♥ Lora Christelle Lim ♥

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Sara Shantelle Lim goes to France - Paris the City of Love & Romance

From Paris.. With Love.. by Sara Shantelle Lim

Paris is the capital of France and it is one of my favorite cities! It is a city of love and romance. Everybody needs to visit the Paris Eiffel Tower at least once in their life time. I have heard many stories of people proposing at the Eiffel Tower. I know that it may sound Cliché  but I honestly think it is an extremely romantic idea. This is unlike the typical Singaporean man that would "PROPOSE" to his lady by asking "Shall we apply for a HDB flat together"? 

We had a picnic with fruits, snacks, wine and champagne below the Eiffel Tower on the fresh green grass! We bought all our food and snacks from the super market near our hotel and took a the METRO Train there. The nearest Train Station would be Champ de Mars / Tour Eiffel on the RER C line.

The picture you see above is the La Basilique du Sacré Coeur de Montmartre located on top of the Montmartre hill which provides a breath-taking view of the city. It is also the Highest Viewing Point in Paris. Climbing to the top of the hill was tough! It was a long walk, but there were a lot to do on the way up! You would see painters sitting by the side of the roads, painting flowers and building and there are numerous bakeries and ice cream shops to help you snack to you walk all the way up! The amazing view from the top was worth the climb. After all, it was a great workout. Please wear comfortable shoes especially for ladies, no heels allowed!

The Closest METRO Station to Sacre Coeur includes:
- Abbesses - Line 12 (Green).
- Anvers - Line 2 (Blue).
- Lamarck Caulaincourt - Line 12 (Green).

I also went to the RED LIGHT District of Paris, that is where MOULIN ROUGE is located. It reminded me of the movie where Nicole Kidman and Ewan Macgregor acted in. Having dinner while the actors performed was highly entertaining. The meal served there was classy and enjoyable. Buy your tickets that cost EUR105 (include drinks) for The Moulin Rouge Feerie Show at their official website: http://www.moulinrouge.fr/index_gb.php

A visit to Paris is incomplete unless you have tried their most famous Ladurée – France's infamous luxury cake and pastry emporium which began in 1862! More info at http://www.laduree.fr/ They invented the double-decker macaron and are the best makers of macarons in the world. The good news is that Laduree will be opened in Singapore in 2013! 

You can find their first and most famous Ladurée Tea Room at Champs-Élysées.

LOUVRE MUSEUM is the home of MONA LISA. Visit http://www.louvre.fr/en for more info and buy your tickets online to avoid long queues. This museum is a walking maze. It is huge, I took more than 5 hours touring this place, and yet I still have not completed seeing every single piece of ART there. This is where many movies were filmed, where paintings and statues come alive. The MONA LISA is housed in a grand bullet proof glass. Many tourists flocked from all around the world just to catch a glimpse of the Mona Lisa by Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci. You practically have to wrestle with large crowds just to steal a peak at this fine art piece.

The BANANA CHOCOLATE Crepe in Paris is a must try as it is extremely delicious. They have quite a few crepe stalls along the streets. Having their crepe is a must in the cold weather. Walking around Paris is amazing and relaxing especially in the Champs-Élysées area. You can see couples walking around hand in hand and take in the magnificent beauty of the Paris city.

The famous Arc de Triomphe is pretty much walking distance away in the nice cold breeze. It is built in remembrance of those who fought for France especially in the Napoleanic wars. It is a revered patriotic site. It is situated in the middle of Place Charles de Gaulle, also known as the "Place de l'Étoile". You can find it at the western end of the Champs-Élysées.  Visit http://www.arcdetriompheparis.com/ for more info. 

XOXO
Little Sister - Sara Shantelle Lim
www.SaraShantelle.com
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