It was rise and shine for me at around 8.30-9 p.m. I headed down for some nice breakfast before I headed out to my first stop of the day. Notre Dame! It is one of the most unique cathedral that I have seen in Europe. The outlook of is not anywhere near those that I have seen elsewhere. It has two tower-like structures from the front and another building with the usual pointed edges. This is what they call the gothic-style design.
One of the 3 train stations in Paris- Gare de L'est.
Yes, that's Notre Dame.
Wouldn't it be lovely to hold your wedding in this church?
I can't imagine how people manage to carve these statues and had them placed on the building?
The queue outside this holy place was extremely long and the security check was pretty stringent. I guess no one is willing to risk losing this lovely and holy place. The exterior was decorated in two different styles. The entrance and front was merely two tall towers that looked ordinary but wait till you get to the backyard and your opinion takes a different twist. I supposed the backyard was more of the gothic style with the usual sharp and pointed tops. There is a lovely garden and I honestly think it is a common sight to see gardens in Paris. It's everywhere.!
The other side of Notre Dame.
The small garden where you see innocent little Parisan kids like this one.
The backview and backyard of Notre Dame. Gothic-style. :))
The stay there was a short one since I had other stuff to deal with. I headed down to Champs Elysees to get the LV stuff AG instructed me to. As usual, the traffic in and out of the shop is equivalent to a weekend trip down to Orchard Road. You see 80% of the people that left the shop with the unique LV carrier. :) What's new? Honestly, I think the attendants in the shop were much more friendlier than what most people put them out to be. Perhaps I was alone that explains why they were more amiable towards me. I couldn't decide whether to get the papillion or the more casual sling bag but in the end, I headed for the latter which apparently suits my age more compared to the former. :) I left the store feeling not only SATISFIED but ACCOMPLISHED. Mission Accomplished. Wish fulfilled! :)
And I'd to pay Arc de Triomphe yet another visit with my prized possessions. :)
It was definitely unwise to carry the bag with me all around thus I headed back to the hostel to deposit those stuff before I headed out to a place I vote as the 2nd loveliest in Paris - Montmartre. If I were to just mention its name, most people would be scratching their heads but if I were to add on a bit of description, images would start to surface - "AHA! I know this place!" It is an elevated region with a church sitted right at the peak. Around the church, you see street performers all over, from the band to the common ball juggler, to cultural performances, to alfresco cafes and bars and lastly, artists that ply the streets. Right outside the church, you get to see the lovely city of Paris, all in a patch of greyish white and relatively flat. However, you never miss out the world's most recognised monument- the Eiffel Tower and of course, the lovely Avenue de Champs Elysees.
I love Montmartre honestly. It tells stories of a different sight of Paris. Down in the city-centre where you see the Louvre, the Eiffel, Champs Elysees, Seine River, Arc de Triomphe, you see the affluence of the people. However, in Montmartre, all of the Parisan culture vanishes. Tons of "Black-French" people, slave descendants from centuries ago dominate the area and more often than not, you fear for your safety and belongings. Yes- daylight robbery is a common sight here according to my friends who live in the city.
The poverty side of Paris.
Don't you think this kind of behaviour and scenario is worst than those you see in Singapore. It's so UN-PARIS. :)) Lol. But yes, this is Montmartre and the uglier side of Paris.
And I always love this. But I can't find the term for it. :) Anyone can enlighten me?
And if you still don't recall the name, it's Sacré Coeur-Paris. It's exterior is one of the most mesmerizing and astonishing one that I've seen all over Europe. The white exterior coupled with the elevated stance.
The black men stops you as you walk along, tries to befriend you by first complimenting you then tries to do some handicraft on you by requesting that you lend him your fingers or wrist. The next moment after he is done, he shows his true colours and ask for some tips. Well, what's new?! It is always at junctures like these that I feel Singapore is a lovely city. You dine in peace, shop without disturbances other than the flag-sellers every weekend that roam the mrt-stations. You never really have to worry for your safety or belongings in broad day-light. But in Europe, a brief moment of dis-attention and your belongings fly.
And perhaps, no one here reeks of snobbishness nor proudness. It's humility. humblesness and less of the stressfulness of the white-class Parisans.
And why does everyone gathers ?
For the lovely music that embraces them. :) I stayed too.
The retail outlets in the city are a total contrast of those in Champs Elysees. LV? GUCCI? Designer brands? Nothing but tons of shops that resembles CK Dept Store in S'pore or the typical toa payoh neighbourhood outlets. The locals fumbles the stack of clothes like the typical Singaporean Auntie and no one ever bothers to queue. So much talk about the French culture?
This is a painting only. I witness the person doing it.
That's why Paris's a city of Arts.Culture.Music. If you live and belong to a city like Paris, I see no reason why you shouldn't be full of pride for your city.
However, Montmartre displays the artistic or rather the aesthetic aspect of the city. Lovely! :) It was also at the place that I bought the Eiffel Painting that hands in my room right now though it is a bit crumpled in the middle due to the traveling that accompanied after I bought the painting. I enjoyed the feel of sitting among the locals or maybe tourists since I can't really differentiate indulging myself in lovely music and picturesque sceneries. These are the things I miss dearly from Europe. The abundance of time to indulge myself in the sceneries of the city.
The other side of Sacré Coeur
I wanted to descend down the steps. Something lovely seems to lie ahead of me yet it seems too isolated that I daren't go down alone.
I left after 2-3 hours and strolled down the streets to Moulin Rouge! It definitely looks much more awesome at night! But the area is extremely unsafe at night! Drunkards roam the streets, gangs of teenagers who put on exotic make-up and clothings dancing and shouting across, Black-Frenchmen, big-sized staring at you, chattering among themselves. All in all- Just Caution for Own Safety especially GIRLS. :) I was there at around 1.30 am that's why I could make such comments I guess.
Moulin Rouge-A theatre of culture, of drama, musicals, plays etc.
And you have to love it even more when at night!
And the Seine River.
Eiffel from Champs de Mars.
I find it trying to describe the emotions that arose as I was right there on the Eiffel Tower, catching the sunset, watching the summer party unravel, seeing fireworks, trying to locate all the monuments that I know of Paris. All in all, it was just a Dream Come True. If you have ever successfully fulfilled a dream in life, try to recall that sensation that waved over you. YEAH! That was how I felt back then back there. That's also one of the many reasons why I love Europe. It was right there that I fulfilled the many dreams I held since young. :)
The view of the Sun from the base level of the Eiffel. While I was queuing for tickets.
After My first flight of steps on the Eiffel.
Almost to the first storey- the SUN.
At the first level of the Eiffel. I think that's La Defense. Can't really recall.
And the complexity of the structure is finally seen.
As the sun sets.
Seeing the sunset.In full preparation for the summer party that's going to be unveiled in an hour.
Different views from the tower. 360 degrees definitely.
Nonetheless, you have to pay a price to visit the Eiffel. Queues are inevitable and sometimes it gets really frustrating when you see a stagnant queue. I guess No Pain, No Gain applies. :) I spent 4 hours on top of the Eiffel Tower and I got down reluctantly. If it was not due to the tower closing at 12.30, I guess I wouldn't mind spending the night there. :) Lol! Silly dreams and aspirations but self-satisfying. By the time I descended from the tower, the party has more or less ended but people didn't leave. They were still lingering around and of course not to forget, throngs of police officers roam the street.
The different views once again at
At night. You'll see Champs Elysees.That's how far Sweden is and where it is from the Eiffel.
Close-up view of the sparkling "stars". :)
Seeing the light sparkle.?
Some &*&#_@@ in the background.The amount of people that's still out partying that night at 1 am.
My MOST LOVED Monument in Paris. NOW & ALWAYS. :)) La Tour Eiffel.
Standing, taking on the best posture ever, with the moon hanging right beside it.
Taking on a different image at 1am when the lights still glitter but the tower is golden no more.
And the Stubborn ME refuses to leave it.
And the even more-stubborn moon remains beside it.
I took the metro to Moulin Rouge as I wanted to experience the night-scene and that's why I was able to make those comments earlier on. :) When all had ended, I still wasn't going back to the hostel. I was deciding if I should head down to see the lovely pyramids at Louvre light up but eventually, I went for Arc de Triomphe. Champs Elysees puts on a different disguise at night. It seems like it's an implicit contract between the "blacks and whites" in Europe that whites have all access to the city-centre in the day while the night is purely reserved for the blacks. All the Parisan culture in Champs Elysees disappears at night.! The blacks dominate the streets and they simply sing and dance and chat among themselves down the streets. Of course, I am not ostracising anyone in this context. It's just that it feels uncomfortable and intimidating when you see the whole bunch of them loitering around. Nevertheless, the traffic remains as busy as ever. Ferraris whiz past me and lamboginis parked by the roadsides. The sound of their engines and the light reflected off the silver exterior of these luxurious cars just stuns me!
My 3rd most-loved architecture in Paris. At night it just looks so different!
Down Champs Elysees once again.
And my favourite FLAGSHIP store-Louis Vuitton.
Look at the traffic. It's 2 am btw.
The coolest thing was that public transport is free all night! Lovely isn't it? People swarm the metro stations and there are lots of friendly and in fact helpful transport operator employees assisting you with queries, issuing you with train network maps at every station. Who says Parisans are unfriendly and hate English? I don't think likewise. Yet when everything has ended and my body started to feel lethargic, I realise the train doesn't go back to the hostel. I wanted to catch the sunrise at the Eiffel but I was simply too tired. Instead, I took a cab back to the hostel and laid almost half-dead on my bed. What a long day!
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