Ok so there are a few things you should know about me...
1. I slightly hate those people who count down their impending holiday on Facebook or Twitter to the months, weeks, days, hours, minutes, seconds. Which I think is mainly because I'm secretly jealous of their travel adventures...
2. I never ever plan a vacation more than a month to six weeks before hand.
3. I am not one to really research a destination before hand or create a must see/do list. (With the exception of a past trip to the USA where I had a must eat list- Roscoes Chicken and Waffles, Five Guys, Crab Shack, Pumpkin Pie, Chipotles, Coldstone Ice Cream...Yikes, amazing but never again!)
and
4. For some reason or another I never really seem to do the tourist things or see the major attractions in the many cities I've been fortunate enough to visit. I can tell you about an amazing sushi restaurant near the Empire State Building, but I've never been to the top to see the view! Note to self: must go to the top of the Empire State Building once in my life!
Well I'm about to change the record on all this...
With 33 days left before I depart on my first trip to Europe, solo I might add! Which I have had booked for over 6 months! I thought it was about time I started to research some of the places I will be visiting and try to put together a must see/do list for my time abroad. So for the next few weeks I will be counting down my trip, giving you an insight into my disastrous/stressful packing situation (that's for another blog), and giving a snapshot into the 'sees' and 'dos' of interest to me in a few of the places I am intending to visit!
PARIS
Climb the steps in Montmartre.
Sit at the outdoor seats at Cafe de Flore with a magazine (or simply people watch) and sip on their house hot chocolate which is apparently worth every bit of the 7 Euros as its like drinking a melted souffle.
Enjoy a meal at Chez Julien, a chic bistro known for their frog legs, foie gras, escargot and Chateaubriand steak with fries.
Experience Fauchen which is a complex of various cafés and food counters that becomes a haven for food lovers.
A quick shop at Galeries Lafayette.
Mariage Freres Tea Room located in Marais is a great place for tea lovers. Past visitors have described this shop as magnificent, extraordinary, exciting, delicious, and delightful. The food is apparently also wonderful and something to try with my tea.
Shop at the Marché aux Puces St.-Ouen de Clignancourt (the flea market), which is open Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Visit the Louvre. Along the banks of the Seine River, the Louvre is one of the world’s most visited art museums. Best idea is to grab a map (available at the museum entrance) and simply explore the halls then wander outside to the inner courtyard for a classic Paris photo op in front of the glass and metal Pyramid structure. The Louvre opens at 9 a.m., except for Tuesdays. Entry to the permanent collection costs €10 (about $13) and to avoid the lines its best to pre-buy tickets online at www.louvre.fr.
Take a stroll to Notre Dame Cathedral. After I've finished exploring the Louvre, its just a short walk to Notre Dame Cathedral. The walk to this famous cathedral apparently follows the river and will take me past Pont Neuf bridge, one of the oldest bridges spanning the Seine. I can the wander inside the cathedral to check out the famous stained glass windows. And, if I have time, I'm told its a must to climb to the top for an amazing panoramic view of the city and an up-close look at the cathedral’s famous gargoyles.
Notre Dame Cathedral is open every day at 8 a.m, entrance is free and I if i need further information I can visit www.notredamedeparis.
Take a walk up or down the tree-lined Champs-Élysées, one of the most beautiful avenues in the world. This street has everything from luxury shops to cinemas to charming cafes.
While the craze is still all about cupcakes in Australia, the spotlight belongs to macarons in Paris. I intend to stop in at the famous pastel green awning of Ladurée on the Champs Elysées and pick up a designer box of delicious treats to munch on as I wander the streets, and maybe even another box for midnight snacks in my apartment.
If I'm feeling fit, I can take the 300 steps to the top of the Arc de Triomphe for an amazing overhead view of the Champs-Élysées and surrounding areas. The Arc de Triomphe is open at 10 a.m. everyday. Climbing to the top costs €9.50 (about $12) and I can get more information from visiting http://arc-de-triomphe.monuments-nationaux.fr/en/.
Visit the icon of France, the Eiffel Tower, I'm thinking at least once at night (maybe as part of a tour which experiences the Seine River cruise, dinner at the Eiffel Tower and then onto a show at the Moulin Rouge). The Eiffel Tower is open at 9 a.m. everyday of the year. The elevator to the top of the tower costs €13 ($17). To purchase tickets, see opening times or check out current weather conditions at the top of the tower, I can visit www.eiffel-tower.com.
I also want to grab some cheese, breadstick, and wine a sit in the park in front of the Eiffel Tower, with my iPad or a magazine.
Visit and experience the Le Mur Des Je T'aime (The Wall of I love You's) in Buttes Montmartre, Place des Abbesses, in the Square Jehan Rictus. With over 311 written declarations in 250 different languages, The Wall of I love You's has become a meeting place for lovers. Admission is free.
Place a love padlock on one of the bridges in Paris for my love (or lover)... For those of you who haven’t heard about this, here's what happens. A couple (or individual) writes the names of the two people in love or lust on a padlock and locks it onto one of the bridges. They then throw the key into the Seine River as a symbol of their love (presumably undying). There are two bridges in Paris with the locks, and I must pick which bridge you put my lock on because Pont des Arts is for a committed love, while Pont de l'Archevêché is for simply a lover.
Hopefully (depending on my emotional state) experience the Catacombs of Paris, the bodies of over six million Parisians piled up in ordered patterns along the walls of the old limestone quarries. Over two kilometres of tunnels and pathways lead through this macabre and sobering journey
Go on a few 'Meeting the French' tours like visiting the great herbalist's shop of Clichy square or the Gérard Mulot macaron and chocolate workshop. Both for around 20 euros! See website here.
And if I get time, a trip to Disneyland Paris or a day trip to London...did I mention I'm only in Paris for 11 days!
1. I slightly hate those people who count down their impending holiday on Facebook or Twitter to the months, weeks, days, hours, minutes, seconds. Which I think is mainly because I'm secretly jealous of their travel adventures...
2. I never ever plan a vacation more than a month to six weeks before hand.
3. I am not one to really research a destination before hand or create a must see/do list. (With the exception of a past trip to the USA where I had a must eat list- Roscoes Chicken and Waffles, Five Guys, Crab Shack, Pumpkin Pie, Chipotles, Coldstone Ice Cream...Yikes, amazing but never again!)
and
4. For some reason or another I never really seem to do the tourist things or see the major attractions in the many cities I've been fortunate enough to visit. I can tell you about an amazing sushi restaurant near the Empire State Building, but I've never been to the top to see the view! Note to self: must go to the top of the Empire State Building once in my life!
Well I'm about to change the record on all this...
With 33 days left before I depart on my first trip to Europe, solo I might add! Which I have had booked for over 6 months! I thought it was about time I started to research some of the places I will be visiting and try to put together a must see/do list for my time abroad. So for the next few weeks I will be counting down my trip, giving you an insight into my disastrous/stressful packing situation (that's for another blog), and giving a snapshot into the 'sees' and 'dos' of interest to me in a few of the places I am intending to visit!
PARIS
Climb the steps in Montmartre.
Sit at the outdoor seats at Cafe de Flore with a magazine (or simply people watch) and sip on their house hot chocolate which is apparently worth every bit of the 7 Euros as its like drinking a melted souffle.
Enjoy a meal at Chez Julien, a chic bistro known for their frog legs, foie gras, escargot and Chateaubriand steak with fries.
Experience Fauchen which is a complex of various cafés and food counters that becomes a haven for food lovers.
A quick shop at Galeries Lafayette.
Mariage Freres Tea Room located in Marais is a great place for tea lovers. Past visitors have described this shop as magnificent, extraordinary, exciting, delicious, and delightful. The food is apparently also wonderful and something to try with my tea.
Shop at the Marché aux Puces St.-Ouen de Clignancourt (the flea market), which is open Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Visit the Louvre. Along the banks of the Seine River, the Louvre is one of the world’s most visited art museums. Best idea is to grab a map (available at the museum entrance) and simply explore the halls then wander outside to the inner courtyard for a classic Paris photo op in front of the glass and metal Pyramid structure. The Louvre opens at 9 a.m., except for Tuesdays. Entry to the permanent collection costs €10 (about $13) and to avoid the lines its best to pre-buy tickets online at www.louvre.fr.
Take a stroll to Notre Dame Cathedral. After I've finished exploring the Louvre, its just a short walk to Notre Dame Cathedral. The walk to this famous cathedral apparently follows the river and will take me past Pont Neuf bridge, one of the oldest bridges spanning the Seine. I can the wander inside the cathedral to check out the famous stained glass windows. And, if I have time, I'm told its a must to climb to the top for an amazing panoramic view of the city and an up-close look at the cathedral’s famous gargoyles.
Notre Dame Cathedral is open every day at 8 a.m, entrance is free and I if i need further information I can visit www.notredamedeparis.
Take a walk up or down the tree-lined Champs-Élysées, one of the most beautiful avenues in the world. This street has everything from luxury shops to cinemas to charming cafes.
While the craze is still all about cupcakes in Australia, the spotlight belongs to macarons in Paris. I intend to stop in at the famous pastel green awning of Ladurée on the Champs Elysées and pick up a designer box of delicious treats to munch on as I wander the streets, and maybe even another box for midnight snacks in my apartment.
If I'm feeling fit, I can take the 300 steps to the top of the Arc de Triomphe for an amazing overhead view of the Champs-Élysées and surrounding areas. The Arc de Triomphe is open at 10 a.m. everyday. Climbing to the top costs €9.50 (about $12) and I can get more information from visiting http://arc-de-triomphe.monuments-nationaux.fr/en/.
Visit the icon of France, the Eiffel Tower, I'm thinking at least once at night (maybe as part of a tour which experiences the Seine River cruise, dinner at the Eiffel Tower and then onto a show at the Moulin Rouge). The Eiffel Tower is open at 9 a.m. everyday of the year. The elevator to the top of the tower costs €13 ($17). To purchase tickets, see opening times or check out current weather conditions at the top of the tower, I can visit www.eiffel-tower.com.
I also want to grab some cheese, breadstick, and wine a sit in the park in front of the Eiffel Tower, with my iPad or a magazine.
Visit and experience the Le Mur Des Je T'aime (The Wall of I love You's) in Buttes Montmartre, Place des Abbesses, in the Square Jehan Rictus. With over 311 written declarations in 250 different languages, The Wall of I love You's has become a meeting place for lovers. Admission is free.
Place a love padlock on one of the bridges in Paris for my love (or lover)... For those of you who haven’t heard about this, here's what happens. A couple (or individual) writes the names of the two people in love or lust on a padlock and locks it onto one of the bridges. They then throw the key into the Seine River as a symbol of their love (presumably undying). There are two bridges in Paris with the locks, and I must pick which bridge you put my lock on because Pont des Arts is for a committed love, while Pont de l'Archevêché is for simply a lover.
Hopefully (depending on my emotional state) experience the Catacombs of Paris, the bodies of over six million Parisians piled up in ordered patterns along the walls of the old limestone quarries. Over two kilometres of tunnels and pathways lead through this macabre and sobering journey
Go on a few 'Meeting the French' tours like visiting the great herbalist's shop of Clichy square or the Gérard Mulot macaron and chocolate workshop. Both for around 20 euros! See website here.
And if I get time, a trip to Disneyland Paris or a day trip to London...did I mention I'm only in Paris for 11 days!
