Eurotrip 2015 - Eiffel in Love with France

In life, it is necessary to have a little immediacy because without it, we just might be missing out on the best memories we will ever make. My trip to France is a testament to this.

Love. I became hopelessly enamored with France, even before the word love was conceived. Just like what Lang Leav wrote, "It feels like the place existed in a period before love, as if it was sitting tight for the word to make up for the lost time."

It was unlike any of our usual visits. Paris is a city so full of untold legends, puzzles and murders against the picturesque backdrop of its renowned spots like the Conciergerie, Place Dauphine, Pont Neuf, the Louvre, Notre Dame, and more. For now, I trust my photographs are sufficient to do the tour justice. All things considered, Paris is the City of Lights, and it only gets prettier and prettier as the sun goes down.



I have a lot of friends who've been to Beaune and have been talking about its French food for quite some time, so my family and I immediately checked it out! We went and experimented with the lunch menu of Combertault (It was going to be our first ever lunch in France! 😋) and the ambiance of the restaurant was essentially faultless. From the beginning to the very end of service- impeccable. However, it was a pain in my head to think of how many obstacles had to happen just for us to get to the restaurant. We even had to argue with our Swiss/German coach driver since he doesn't want to drive us there in the first place (He said it was too far and it was already three in the afternoon. He even demanded us to cancel our reservations 👎🏻)

I didn't take much pictures of our lunch because I was too hungry the time we got there, so I am just going to fill your imaginations with vivid images of the food we ate! We had escargot for our appetizer, a soup with tender beef (Not really sure what it's called but it was delicious!) for our main course, and French pie for dessert. It was really luscious I had to order another one of the same kind!



We proceeded our drive to Paris for our overnight stay and dinner in Novotel EST. As much as I want to show you guys how beautiful my Paris trip was...sadly, I would do anything to get out of this hotel because of their poor accommodation ☹️

Despite the series of unfortunate events I've encountered during my first day, I was still in pursuit of happiness, knowing that no matter how poor the hotel's accommodations were, France still serves the best dishes one can possibly devour! The hotel served raw salmon, fish fillet, and fruits for dinner. Yay for me because lamon lang nang lamon 🐷

The next morning, we made our way to the world's largest museum and a historic monument in Paris, France. It is a central landmark of the city, more broadly known as the Louvre Museum. When in Paris, you just can't miss the iconic Musee Du Louvre. It does not just hold a portion of the world's noteworthy paintings, but it was in actuality, the royal palace before Versailles. The architecture and the history makes me want to simply inhale everything in. In case you're around the local area and can just visit one Museum, this is certainly it. Besides the typical fascinating structures and representations found inside the museum, what caught our attention the most was the actual photo of the Mona Lisa. Not only did I get the opportunity to take a photo with Leonardo da Vinci's artful piece, I likewise got the chance to taste the well-known Ladurée Paris macarons straight from the country of its origin. To top off an unconstrained morning, we treated ourselves with Chinese-Thai dishes at Fontaine de Jade. This Parisian tour is one that I hold dearest to my heart and I hope that at this point, you understand why. From its beautiful sceneries to its solid sense of culture and traditions, Paris is not at all like some other.





That same night, a friend of ours asked us to watch the can can dance in Moulin Rouge, Montmarte because if you missed out on this opportunity, you'd have a hard time convincing people that you actually went to France! The event served cocktails and the female performers weren't wearing anything except underwear. Even if photography wasn't allowed inside, I was still able to sneak two to three photos before the show started. And during the rest of the show, you could see me half asleep, half awake! Lol I was so drained I had no strength to keep my eyes open :(



The next day, dawn has broken at Paris, and the locals start going about their business while we tourists document their daily life. After having our breakfast at the hotel, we proceeded to Versailles Palace and Garden. Just when I thought I’ve seen the best view of the city, you'd realize that France really has no shortage of dramatic overlooks. As usual, the place was delightfully built in traditional French architecture. I don't know why but up until this day, I never become weary of the place. Perhaps in light of the fact that it holds an exceptionally rich history from Louis XIV moving the palace to this grand estate instead of staying in the city center and Marie Antoinette's luxurious way of life and immaculate gardens. The golden interior of the royal residence blended with the white washed walls....such a classic masterpiece.

This photo was taken when I was crossing the street :p

From the 2nd arrondissement of Paris, we walked to its 9th arr. where Chez Edouard restaurant was located. Lunch began with an extremely quintessential French appetizer: Escargot in Herb Butter. The snails were plump and succulent while the herb spread was a perfect partner to the slimy salty snails. The main course was either poached salmon with Beurre Blanc, beef, or lamb (I ordered beef since it was topped with sauce and French fries 😋), and an apple tart for dessert.



Now let's talk about fairytale dreams in books being brought into life! The moment I finished reading Anna and the French Kiss, I promised myself that one day, somehow, I would be standing on Point Zero/Kilometre Zero. Imagine standing on a point where all things started. Point Zero is a marker from which all distances are traditionally measured, it is a point that tells you "this is where we started from". Now there I was, in front of Cathedral Notre Dame, on Point Zero, making a wish. According to the book, you have step on the brass compass star, turn around, and make a wish. According to our French tour guide, you only have to step on the brass compass star and turn around. No need to make a wish because turning around simply means you will be coming back to France. Our French tour guide even gave us tips in becoming a certified Frenchwoman; she said we have to order coffee or any drink from the cafes along the sidewalk, and just sit, gossip, and criticize the passersby.



After our brief city tour at the Place De La Concorde, the Opera House, Champs-Élysées, Place Charles de Gaulle and Arc de Triumph, we went back to Galeries Lafayette to continue our shopping galore. We had our last dinner in a Japanese restaurant at Puteaux, a commune in the western suburbs of Paris.




When the sun rose the next morning, it was time to bid goodbye. It was great spending a few days to get to know France.




To France, I'm certain this won't be the last. For everything that you are, nobody does as seamlessly as you do. Because of your country's delightful imperial architecture blended with contemporary design, your Instagram-worthy cafes, tremendous museums, and buzzing night life, it will be difficult for me to stay away. Here's to the city of love where everybody seems to be with the love of their lives, I shall see you once more! And the next time I return, I might bring my Etienne St. Clair with me!