Definitely a long over due blog post. But here I am finally writing about that dream Europe trip that we embarked on 3 months ago! It was the most memorable and adventurous trip yet of my life. I'm so thankful and happy that it happened!
So let's start with Paris, France!
We are going to Paris! I'm definitely all excited but I guess it just really sinked in when we were on our transfer flight from Oman to Paris. Our plane's arrival to Oman got a bit delayed so we needed to rush, literally run. since the flight from Oman to Paris was already on its last call. The ground crew were randomly asking passengers of their connecting flight to help direct correct gate numbers. When a crew approached me and asked where to next, I said Paris. I suddenly felt that happy feeling inside, that this is it, we're really going to the city of love, Paris!
After that almost 16 hour flight, we finally landed in Charles De Gaulle international airport! Still can believe that we're already in Paris. It was chilly outside and it took some time before we got a cab since we're four in the group. We went straight to our hotel and checked-in, called it a night even though we weren't sleepy yet because of the time difference. I was definitely looking forward to the next day, very excited to explore the city!
For our first day in Paris, we woke up really early like 3 to 4AM! We went out to buy breakfast and it was still a bit dark. Thanks to jetlag we were able to start the day early. After this day our normal wake up time is around 8AM. Excited to explore, of course. first on our list is to see the Iron Lady, the Eiffel Tower! We hopped on the train and got off at Trocadero station. It was still a chilly morning but thinking I can withstand the cold I just went out with a light jacket. Just a few steps out of the station, we were welcomed by a grand plaza with classic architecture of two buildings facing each other. In the middle of it was the beautiful Eiffel Tower! Another check in the bucket list! and one of the happiest moments of my life - The Eiffel Tower in front of me and in such a beautiful setting! We took tons of photos and just enjoyed the view and the moment for quite a time. After which I started to feel the cold, realizing that my jacket wasn't enough to keep me warm.
So our Paris adventure continues, we were blessed to see the Notredame Cathedral and got to attend a mass one Sunday... The wall carvings are very intricate and exceptional. We availed the service of a hop on and off tour bus and were able get a good tour of the city! It was definitely breathtaking seeing places for the first time. Another beautiful church we were blessed to visit was Sacre de Coeur, it was situated on a high area and gives a good view of the city. The church was grand and we got to explore its surrounding area as well.
And when in Paris, you'll never get enough of museums to visit! To be honest, I'm not really a fan of museums but I did enjoy visiting the Lourve,, Museum de Orsay and Palais de Garnier.
The most visited artwork in the Lourve is the Mona Lisa painting by Leonardo da Vinci but I enjoyed seeing other precious collections of the museum like Napoleon's and the Egyptian art pieces. It was also good that we visited early to get good pictures of the well known facade. Palais de Garnier was fairy tale like it was like being on the castle of Beauty and the Beast. Interiors were extravagant and the place was full of gold interiors. Since we went on a weekend, we met a lot of students with exceptional artistic skills!
Let's not forget about Paris' shopping area along Champ Elysee where high brands reside! After a lot walking, we had afternoon tea at two macaron places since I love macarons! In Pierre Herme and Laduree! At the end of the long shopping street is the iconic Arc de Triomphe landmark. We wanted a good photo and took one in the middle of the wide busy road!
For the love of the Eiffel Tower, we went back this time to get a closer look and got a good spot in Rue de Universite to take photos! Some say the Eiffel Tower is over rated and I almost thought so too! But once you're in there you would really love to see it again and again! We waited til evening to even see it sparkle! It was really a sight to behold!
After days in the city, we opted to go somewhere a bit far to visit yet another jaw dropping place - The Palace of Versailles. A massive estate where kings used to reside. Good thing we got a fast pass to skip the really long crazy line. We went in to see the Hall of Mirrors and the Versailles Garden. The place was so grand that we didn't get to finish walking around it!
So our Paris adventure is about to end, seems like a week just flew by! We met with my uncle's family who were also in Paris for a vacation and got treated to a very sumptuous French dinner for our last night in Paris! They knew how to order and it was a good break from the Chinese food we usually have just outside our hotel.
Paris was the beginning of our Europe adventure and we had an amazing time exploring this city so rich in arts and culture at the same time buzzling with modernity and life! Before going to Paris, we got tons of warnings to be wary of our belongings especially in tourist spots. We are thankful that througout our Paris trip we just met warm and kind people who helped us in one way or the other. But of course we still took care of our belongings, ensured that the important ones are kept in very safe places. Very grateful to God for being with us the whole journey and for making this dream come true.
Merci beacuop Paris, hoping to be in your beautiful city once again soon! <3
So let's start with Paris, France!
We are going to Paris! I'm definitely all excited but I guess it just really sinked in when we were on our transfer flight from Oman to Paris. Our plane's arrival to Oman got a bit delayed so we needed to rush, literally run. since the flight from Oman to Paris was already on its last call. The ground crew were randomly asking passengers of their connecting flight to help direct correct gate numbers. When a crew approached me and asked where to next, I said Paris. I suddenly felt that happy feeling inside, that this is it, we're really going to the city of love, Paris!
After that almost 16 hour flight, we finally landed in Charles De Gaulle international airport! Still can believe that we're already in Paris. It was chilly outside and it took some time before we got a cab since we're four in the group. We went straight to our hotel and checked-in, called it a night even though we weren't sleepy yet because of the time difference. I was definitely looking forward to the next day, very excited to explore the city!
For our first day in Paris, we woke up really early like 3 to 4AM! We went out to buy breakfast and it was still a bit dark. Thanks to jetlag we were able to start the day early. After this day our normal wake up time is around 8AM. Excited to explore, of course. first on our list is to see the Iron Lady, the Eiffel Tower! We hopped on the train and got off at Trocadero station. It was still a chilly morning but thinking I can withstand the cold I just went out with a light jacket. Just a few steps out of the station, we were welcomed by a grand plaza with classic architecture of two buildings facing each other. In the middle of it was the beautiful Eiffel Tower! Another check in the bucket list! and one of the happiest moments of my life - The Eiffel Tower in front of me and in such a beautiful setting! We took tons of photos and just enjoyed the view and the moment for quite a time. After which I started to feel the cold, realizing that my jacket wasn't enough to keep me warm.
So our Paris adventure continues, we were blessed to see the Notredame Cathedral and got to attend a mass one Sunday... The wall carvings are very intricate and exceptional. We availed the service of a hop on and off tour bus and were able get a good tour of the city! It was definitely breathtaking seeing places for the first time. Another beautiful church we were blessed to visit was Sacre de Coeur, it was situated on a high area and gives a good view of the city. The church was grand and we got to explore its surrounding area as well.
And when in Paris, you'll never get enough of museums to visit! To be honest, I'm not really a fan of museums but I did enjoy visiting the Lourve,, Museum de Orsay and Palais de Garnier.
The most visited artwork in the Lourve is the Mona Lisa painting by Leonardo da Vinci but I enjoyed seeing other precious collections of the museum like Napoleon's and the Egyptian art pieces. It was also good that we visited early to get good pictures of the well known facade. Palais de Garnier was fairy tale like it was like being on the castle of Beauty and the Beast. Interiors were extravagant and the place was full of gold interiors. Since we went on a weekend, we met a lot of students with exceptional artistic skills!
Let's not forget about Paris' shopping area along Champ Elysee where high brands reside! After a lot walking, we had afternoon tea at two macaron places since I love macarons! In Pierre Herme and Laduree! At the end of the long shopping street is the iconic Arc de Triomphe landmark. We wanted a good photo and took one in the middle of the wide busy road!
For the love of the Eiffel Tower, we went back this time to get a closer look and got a good spot in Rue de Universite to take photos! Some say the Eiffel Tower is over rated and I almost thought so too! But once you're in there you would really love to see it again and again! We waited til evening to even see it sparkle! It was really a sight to behold!
After days in the city, we opted to go somewhere a bit far to visit yet another jaw dropping place - The Palace of Versailles. A massive estate where kings used to reside. Good thing we got a fast pass to skip the really long crazy line. We went in to see the Hall of Mirrors and the Versailles Garden. The place was so grand that we didn't get to finish walking around it!
So our Paris adventure is about to end, seems like a week just flew by! We met with my uncle's family who were also in Paris for a vacation and got treated to a very sumptuous French dinner for our last night in Paris! They knew how to order and it was a good break from the Chinese food we usually have just outside our hotel.
Paris was the beginning of our Europe adventure and we had an amazing time exploring this city so rich in arts and culture at the same time buzzling with modernity and life! Before going to Paris, we got tons of warnings to be wary of our belongings especially in tourist spots. We are thankful that througout our Paris trip we just met warm and kind people who helped us in one way or the other. But of course we still took care of our belongings, ensured that the important ones are kept in very safe places. Very grateful to God for being with us the whole journey and for making this dream come true.
Merci beacuop Paris, hoping to be in your beautiful city once again soon! <3
No comments:
Post a Comment