Spent the day in Paris. Extremely footsore, but quite happy. Luq and I must have traipsed through the entire Latin Quarter - we spent nine long hours simply walking around, taking photos and wandering wherever our fancy takes us. Luq was pretty embarassed by my 'touristy' attitude. *Sigh* What's the point of going to a new place if you don't give in to your inner shutterbug?
Wanted to go to the Musee de Lourve, but it was really crowded. We DID traverse the length of the Lourve three times in our quest for new sights, though! It was huge - but my feet really did not appreciate it.
Wanted to go to the Musee de Lourve, but it was really crowded. We DID traverse the length of the Lourve three times in our quest for new sights, though! It was huge - but my feet really did not appreciate it.
Walking along the River Seine and cruising along it in a boat are very different experiences. On the boat, everything passes by really quickly - good for a snapshot of the places lining the river, but it's only if you actually tread the streets on your own two feet that you see the finer details in the carvings, and the painstaking effort their creators had put in. Wow.
Went to Notre Dame and took some photos outside. Grand, gothic... The gargoyles were pretty cool, and the carvings decorating the exterior spectacular. Hard to believe all that was done through sheer artistry and what must have taken a whole ton of chisels. Couldn't get in, though - the queue snaking outside ensured that. Guess we'll have to visit Paris' sights some other day, when admittance is not free like today.
Still, the very age of the city takes one's breath away. There's more history and culture here in one street than in most other countries, and what's truly amazing is that they have weathered it all relatively intact! Especially given the fervour of the French Revolution, and the fire-happy instincts of the mob mentality.
Interestingly, there are a lot of sorbet shops in Paris. There must have been one or two at every street corner. Hm... isn't it cold enough without cooling your insides? But I bet they'd be really welcome in summer. Yum Yum.
Japanese restaurants have also become ubiquitous in Paris. Must have walked past at least six or seven different outlets. It's really strange, though, to see Caucasians sitting happily in an Oriental setting, chatting over a cup of green tea and wielding chopsticks with relative ease. You don't even see that very often in Singapore, but here, it seems to be the norm and not an oddity.
Spotted two really lovely bags, but the first, at 70+ euro, was way too expensive. Cute, though, and pretty unique. It had a Japanese silk painting on one side, and I really like the shape, which is kind of like an upturned chef's hat.
We may joke about people living under the bridge, but it's really sad when you actually encounter someone doing it. Took a photo of what looked like a bunch of rags, but turned out to be a man sleeping in a 'nest' of cast-offs. Can't imagine how he survives the cold, but he seemed pretty blase about it. Still, I would think it's not exactly a great way to spend one's night.
Japanese restaurants have also become ubiquitous in Paris. Must have walked past at least six or seven different outlets. It's really strange, though, to see Caucasians sitting happily in an Oriental setting, chatting over a cup of green tea and wielding chopsticks with relative ease. You don't even see that very often in Singapore, but here, it seems to be the norm and not an oddity.
Spotted two really lovely bags, but the first, at 70+ euro, was way too expensive. Cute, though, and pretty unique. It had a Japanese silk painting on one side, and I really like the shape, which is kind of like an upturned chef's hat.
We may joke about people living under the bridge, but it's really sad when you actually encounter someone doing it. Took a photo of what looked like a bunch of rags, but turned out to be a man sleeping in a 'nest' of cast-offs. Can't imagine how he survives the cold, but he seemed pretty blase about it. Still, I would think it's not exactly a great way to spend one's night.
The weather was so cold that even the policemen guarding some of the public buildings in France were snugly enclosed in man-sized little glass cases. And there I was thinking that was a very beautifully coloured, life-like statue!
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