Showing posts with label Architecture. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Architecture. Show all posts

An evening with the Eiffel Tower

Thursday, December 12, 2019
After a full day at the Louvre we took an UBER back to our apartment and took a quick reset - we took a nap (and by we I mean J did). I wanted to show J what the Eiffel Tower looked like at night. I personally think it's the prettiest at night time with all the twinkling lights. We stopped by for a quick bite at another local café and then we walked over to the Eiffel Tower.

*It's important to note that I am afraid of heights, however J is braver than I am.* Oh the things we do for those we love.

I've been up to the top of the Eiffel Tower the last time I went to Paris. J was looking forward to going up to the top to see the 360 city views. J loves taking city pictures so this was exciting for him. The city views up at the top of the Eiffel Tower is amazing (definitely top 3 of the best views in Paris in my opinion)!

The admission to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower is not included in the Paris Pass. Depending on the time of day you go will determine how long of a line you have to wait to a) get tickets and b) wait to get to the top. You have two options for purchasing your tickets: lining up or online. You can purchase skip-the-line tickets online at www.eiffeltickets.com. We did not purchase ours online, we lined up. We waited maybe less than 20 minutes in line so it wasn't bad. I forgot how much exactly our tickets were but I believe they can range from 20-50 euros or maybe even more depending on what kind of experience you want.

By the time we got to the Eiffel Tower it was evening already which means it was colder especially at the top. Just my luck, it was also a windy evening. I completely underestimated the temperature as I was wearing a dress with a trench coat (definitely not weather appropriate). Long story short I was miserable and cold. I hung in there as long as I could for J but eventually I had to go inside and he stayed outside until it got dark out and the light show started.

Even though I couldn't hang, I was happy J got to experience this and he really enjoyed it - and he ended up with a bunch of amazing shots of the city!

Heres to many more city views. What a good end to our first full day in Paris. Cheers!
Chanel inspired tweed dress: Shein | Lawson Trenchcoat: Aritzia | White sneakers: Adidas Stan Smith | Goyard St. Louis PM tote







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What a Louvre day!

Wednesday, November 13, 2019
Location: Musée du Louvre
DAY 2!
What can I say, I had a Louvre day! J and I absolutely LOVE museums, and that's one of the many things I love that we share. The Louvre would have to be my favourite museum, it just so happens it's located in my favourite place in the world, Paris. I can spend a day in the Louvre, and you know what, we did. We took our time going around and looking at each exhibit because we actually enjoy/love all things art. This was my second time going to the Louvre, and I'm glad I got to go to the other parts that I missed last time! When J and I go to museums, we do not use any tour guides, we walk around by ourselves and actually read the descriptions/and sayings. 

Before heading over to the Louvre, J and I enjoyed some petit déjeuner (croissants and lattes of course). After eating, we walked over to get our Paris Pass! For a more in-depth talk about the Paris Pass, head over to my blog post here. I personally feel that a Paris Pass is WORTH IT and it is NEEDED especially if you want to make use of your time in Paris. The Paris Pass includes: free entry to over 60 top Paris attractions, skip the line at selected sites, and unlimited use of Paris transit inside central Paris. What more can you ask for, its easy! On this trip, we chose the three day pass. The cost of a 3-day Adult Paris Pass depends, especially if you catch a sale! At this time, they are having a sale when you purchase from their website, for a 3-day Adult Paris Pass it's only 155 EUROS. Head on over to www.ParisPass.com to get yours now! When you activate the Paris pass, the days start on that day and you cannot skip a day; you have to use the pass on consecutive days. Since I am an OCD traveller, I planned/created a detailed itinerary for the 3 days using the Paris Pass. I mapped out the places we wanted to go to with the Paris Pass and I planned it accordingly to make use of our time wisely (Different sites take certain amount of time of course). We only went to one attraction/site for the first day of our Paris Pass however it was a time well spent! 

Favourite part of the museum: The Denon Wing - the area that houses the collections from the Greek and Roman era which would be my two favourite eras. 

In this Wing you can find these famous pieces of art: Mona Lisa, Les Noces de Cana (the wedding feast at Cana - where Christ performed the miracle of turning water into wine) by PaoloVeronese, the sculpture of Victoire de Samothrace (winged victory - the goddess of victory, Nike), and Le Sacre de l'Empereur Napoléon (the coronation of Napoléon) by Jacques-Louis David

Mona Lisa - the first time I saw the Mona Lisa, I was underwhelmed; I had bigger expectations. I mean I actually thought the painting was bigger, it was tiny. However, it's still a must-see since it's one of the most famous paintings in the world. 
Con: it is a hassle to go see it.There is always a huge crowd, and everyone is all rushing in, literally pushing through, to get to the front to take a picture. Since I'm small and dedicated I always managed to get to the front to take a picture, J decided to pass and he waited for me at the back away from the pushing crowd. 

I also loved the Richelieu Wing - the wing of sculpture terraces and the apartments of Napoléon III. This wing was definitely my vibe with all the beige/white tones. I took most of my photos here to obviously fit my Instagram theme. Speaking of pictures, the Louvre is such a good place for content (I mean Paris in general is)! I think I took about 1000 pictures inside AND outside! Just remember, it will be crowded so don't expect to take a picture and have no one else be in your picture. With that being said, I of course managed to take a couple of good solo shots with no interruptions! Thank you to my very patient boyfriend, and the use of a tripod & remote! 

Like & leave a comment below!

I will never get tired of the Louvre. Thank you to Musée du Louvre, we had a wonderful day!

*disclaimer: I am not sponsored by Paris Pass (although I should be), I just ACTUALLY, and really love it and believe in it. 










Trench & trousers: Aritzia | White tee: Uniqlo | Tote: Goyard St. Louis PM









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10 Paris Tips

Monday, November 26, 2018
Location: Paris, France
I know I've only been to Paris once but here are my top 10 tips for when you decide to go:

1. Brush up on some basic French.

Remember, you're the foreigner. At least make an effort to speak their language. I know you'll sound funny, but trust me, they know you're not French and they will appreciate the gesture. Make sure you know the french translation to these basic questions/words/phrases:

Hello!
How are you?
Where is the ___ ? *especially asking for the bathroom*
Where do I go?
How much?
Please & thank you.
I don't speak French.
I can only speak a little bit.
I am Canadian. *a foreign country always assumes you're American if you speak English*

2. Keep an eye out for pick pocket-ers/gypsies.

There are a lot of gypsies/pick pocket-ers in Paris. They are mostly found in tourist congested places, so that means all the Parisian monuments and tourist attractions. I've been warned. Make sure to stay away from people "doing surveys." The trick is one will distract you and ask you questions or ask you to fill some type of form while another will go through your bag/purse. DO NOT FALL FOR IT. Keep your bags/purses in front of you at all times where you can always see it.

3. Everybody and I mean EVERYBODY in Paris smokes.

If you want to stay away and enjoy your fresh air, stay inside restaurants or cafes. Mind you, a part of being in Paris is enjoying your Parisian pastry with some coffee while sitting outside a cute little cafe.

4. Plan out your trip wisely.

I am an OCD traveller. I planned my Paris trip down to the hour. Paris is a HUGE city. Make sure you tackle one section or an arrondissement or two at a time so you're not going north to south or east to west.

5. Some things in Paris take a longer duration of a visit than others.

You have to take into consideration how much time you want to be at one place. Something like going to the Louvre can take, and I suggest that it should, a whole day to enjoy. But that's just me, I love my museums. If you're the type to just take a couple of photos of a monument and you can move on to the next, you can actually get a lot of things done in Paris in a day. I on the other hand take my time enjoying the place, and also the taking pictures part takes time as well.

6. The Paris Pass is a good investment.

When I went to Paris I purchased the 3 day Paris Pass. I planned our trip wisely to map out the monuments we plan to visit for the next three consecutive days. Gentle reminder, once you activate your Paris pass you have to go use it consecutively as you cannot pick and choose which day you want to use it. The 3 day pass cost about 200+ euros. The Paris pass gets you to the front of the line to avoid LONG line ups. You have to remember theses museums and monuments are WORLD RENOWNED therefore no matter what day or time you go there will be A LOT OF PEOPLE. We used 2 days to go to the monuments like the Tour Eiffel, and the Arc De Triomphe, and museums like the Louvre, Musee D'Orsay, and we even went  on a double decker tour bus as a day ride is included in the Paris Pass. We used the last day to go to the Palace of Versailles. This needed to be a day trip as it is outside of Paris and we took the first train out of Paris to go to this place before it opened. There was a line to enter but our line was significantly shorter than people who were buying tickets to the palace that morning. In the package they give you when you purchase the Paris Pass, it comes with the map of Paris and all of the Museums & monuments included in the Paris Pass. I purchased my Paris Pass online and picked it up at the Big Bus Tour office.

7. When ordering water, order bottled water ALWAYS.

They don't do tap water like we do here in Canada over in Paris (it is not clean). Also, when ordering water make sure you mention whether you like flat or fizz because 9 times out of 10 they will give you the fizzy water (I guess Parisians like their fizzy water).

8. Make sure to enjoy some French cuisine/delicacies.

As much as I was disgusted by the thought of eating a snail, I had to eat an escargot. How can I not? Surprisingly it tastes really good, very buttery and garlic-y. I ended up eating it a few times during my stay in Paris. You need to enjoy some bread, cheese, and some wine. Friendly reminder, wine is cheaper  than water in Paris. Once you've had French pastry/bread nothing back home will taste the same.

9. Make sure to wear comfy shoes (or at least pack some backup).

There's a lot of walking to be done in Paris. I don't think I've done that much walking in my life. Also, they rarely have elevators. Depending on where you stay airbnb or a hotel most DO NOT have elevators. If you want to take some awesome outfit pictures, just pack an extra shoe and change to the comfy ones afterwards. Also, I love how everyone in Paris can be wearing a dress but would have white sneakers on. #ParisianFashion

10. USE UBER.

I cannot stress it enough on how much I love UBER. Thank goodness they have UBER in Paris. It's easier and not to mention safer. Also, with the traffic in Paris your meter can run pretty high. With the UBER app you can see how much your trip will cost already and that is the price you pay even if you get stuck in traffic.

LASTLY, enjoy. Paris is a beautiful place. Although I am an organized traveller, take some time to just walk around and get lost in the city - you find the cutest gems this way.You will not regret making a decision to come to this city. You will be in awe for sure.









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Château de Versailles

Location: Versailles, France























One of the MUST-GO-TO places in Paris is actually about an hour or so away from Paris and it's The Château de Versailles. I've looked forward to going to the Palace of Versailles since hearing about it in History class in high school. Paris has a lot of palaces and castles to go to and I'm sure one day I will visit them all! It should be noted that Versailles is a day trip so plan accordingly! We made sure we woke up super early and our first stop was a local café to grab our usual: coffee and a croissant(or two). We took the first train out of Paris to Versailles. The train system was not too complicated, just make sure you pay attention to the signs or else you'll end up in a whole another side of town! This was the only time we used the train system during our whole stay in Paris, otherwise we used Uber. The good thing is when you have a distinct perplexed look, you will get approached by a kind Parisian and be given directions. Thank goodness we encountered so many friendly and approachable Parisians! It is important to buy your ticket in advance or use your Paris Pass to avoid long line ups! You can chose your own experience throughout your visit. If you are a history buff and would like to be fully submerged into the history I recommend for you to join some kind of guided tour. There are different levels of guided tours. I also saw people carrying what appeared to be a cassette recorder which gave an audio recording explaining each painting/piece in each section. We wanted to go at our own pace and not be tied down to a group so we walked around and read each tidbit for each piece. Also, at some points we managed to eavesdrop the tour guide and listened in and we weren't even a part of the group (LIFE HACKS). We took our time going through each of the rooms. We especially spent a lot of time in the hall of mirrors, I mean how could you not mirrors everywhere calls for selfies and multiple photo ops! After spending some time inside, we moved on to the gardens. The reason why you need to spend a day at this place because the palace grounds is HUGE! We walked for the most part weaving through some secret gardens and some mazes. Eventually we got tired and we rented a golf cart to explore the rest of the palace grounds.

To say this place is beautiful is such an understatement. I recommend everyone to visit this place you will not regret it. History, architecture, beauty & elegance. What more can you ask for? 


As per their website the prices of the self-guided tours start from 15 euros to 20-27 euros. If you want to include the private rooms it goes up to 450 euros! As for the guided tours, its an additional 10 euros to the entrance fee of your choosing. They also offer "private" and "prestige" tours, go check out their website for full details.

Tips for the trip:
1. Leave early!
2. Either buy your ticket in advance or use your Paris Pass! We got to the palace about 30min to 1hour before it opened and the lineup to get tickets was double the size of those who had advanced tickets. Also you have to consider that tons of guided groups attend daily so THERE WILL BE LINEUPS.
3. Be sure to check the time the palace opens as it differs per day. Each section of the palace grounds also have different hours of operation.



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Patricia in Paris

Thursday, January 11, 2018
Location: Paris, France


This was my first time in Paris, and I fell in love with the city immediately. Paris has been on the top of my bucket list since I could remember so I could hardly contain my excitement the moment that everything was booked! I am an OCD planner so everything from outfits to places to go was planned down to the T! It didn't kick in to me that I was actually heading to my dream destination until I was landing in Paris. I had to snap out of it! This was my reality! Everything about Paris is so beautiful and picturesque. It didn't seem real at first, I had to pinch myself. I've heard from multiple people that they didn't have a good experience as they found the French people to be rude and/or snobs. However I had a completely different experience! Everyone we encountered from our Uber drivers, to our waiters and waitresses, and even those we came across in the streets were all so friendly. Granted I had to speak French, poorly of course, however it was good to brush up on my French again. You have to think about it in their point of view, would you like it if foreigners come to your country and you have to speak "their" language? My little tip for people who plan on going to Paris, learn some basic French. You will sound funny/horrible but at least they'll get a laugh at it and trust me you'll see a change in their demeanor. Coming here made me fall in love with the language all over again! We wandered through streets, admired every building and landmark, ate croissants and had rich French hot chocolates for breakfast every morning, enjoyed my fair share of French delicacies, and captured in pictures every little thing Paris had to offer. We walked EVERYWHERE and I was not complaining whatsoever. They say pictures are worth a thousand words, but being in Paris, despite all of the pictures I captured left me speechless. Every building and structure in Paris is beautiful. Also, French pastries are top notch. I don't think I can ever have a croissant anymore now that I've taste French croissants.

Beautiful architecture. World-known landmarks. Cute little cafes in every corner. Picturesque city. Beautiful language. Friendly people. How can you not fall in love with Paris? I can't wait to go back to this magnificent city. Next time I'll bring my significant other, after all it is the city of love.



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