Must see: Paris

Assalamualaikum...

You’ll get magnificent view around Paris. Don't worry. The architecture, the museum, the canal, and even small café is eye catching. Be sure to have a good camera and extra batteries if you’re into photography. You will also see a lot of beautiful historical buildings. It is a waste to just see them and not knowing the stories it hold. So the solution is, join a walking tour. Don’t worry about budget. There are a few free walking tours for you to join. Of course, at the end, it’s up to your conscience to reward them for their service. They will take you around main attraction and feed you with interesting facts about it.

the guy was our tour guide. His English is gooood!

We joined one of the free walking tour by Sandermans Tour. Their gathering point is at St. Michel. The tours are available in French and English; up for you to choose. It last for 3 hours. The tour guide did a really good job; he was jovial and tells history in a ‘comical’ way. So it was not boring at all. Here are some places that you might consider to visit while in Paris.

*Things that I'm about to share is based on the information I got from the tourist guide, by what I experienced, and what I read. :)

1. Eiffel tower (pronounced as e-fell)

there's a telescope called bird eye that enable you to view places in Paris from Eiffel Tower. Here's a website that can help you see the view from eiffel tower 

2. Place de Varsovie

as viewed from Eiffel tower.

 3. Musee du Lourve
an art museum. Home of Mona Lisa. The film Da Vinci Code was film here. The museum itself is humongous, that'll it take almost 3 days if you wished to explore every section. There's a unique architecture here, glass pyramid which is one of the entrance  to the museum. You'll find your way to souvenirs shops and cafe' upon entering it.

4. Notre Dame

It's actually a church. made famous by a Disney film call Hunchback of Notre Dame. If not because of the film, the Notre Dame might be history as the government planned to demolish it...at least that's what the tourist guide said.

5. Pont du Alexandre III

One of the most beautiful bridge in Paris. This is where Adele's hit, Someone Like You shoot it's video clip. Was built in 1900. It connected 2 palace; Petit palais and Grande palais.

Grand  Palais

6. Champs-Elysees : The Arc de Triomphe

Built to celebrates Napolean Bonaparte victories. It's situated in a roundabout of a very wide roads that you are not allowed to cross to get there. Instead there's an underground passage that will bring you to the arc. We did not find that secret passage and give up. *sigh..nevermind. 

7. Jardin des Tuileries (the Tuileries Garden)

One of the famous garden made for Queen Catherine de Medicis. Actually she request it. It's interesting to learn about the history behind this beautiful place. History. hmm..I liked world history. Turns out that after her husband, King Henry II died, she requested to live in a new palace with it's own garden. It was not really a popular decision but the Tuileries Garden gain it's own reputation and was preserved until now. It is nearby Place de la Concorde. You'll be greeted with view of fountains, The Obelisk and the Paris Eye. It was believed that the Obelisk was transported from Egypt.

Another garden you might consider to go is the Jardin du Luxembourg. 

Paris Eye and The Obelisk.

8. Pont de Arts

Another bridge that connect Musee du Louvre with College des Quatre-Nations (College of Four Nations)/ the Institutes. It is a pedestrian bridge and places for artist to showcase their art. There's a number of small stalls selling paintings along this bridge. It is also famous as a 'love bridge'. Couples come here with a so called love-padlock (cadenas de amour) , write their names on it, hooked it on the fence and throw the key into the Seine river. It's a symbol for eternal love so they say it. Most people feel it as a romantic things to do, others, just sees it as an 'eyesore'.

kunci basikal pun ade..haish~~

I wished I had my sketch pad with me...

9. Napolean Tomb

A monument built for Military General, Napolean Bonarparte to rest in peace.

There's a lot of other places to go about in Paris. the botanical garden, river cruise, flea market, museum, and great shopping places like Louis Vuitton (Argh..I only afford to pass by their shop). Almost all the clothes, shoes, coats or any other garments looks sophisticated and fashionable. On street, you'll see people in nice, stylish outfit, and they freely expressed their sense of fashion. I saw this guy with a metrosexual sense of fashion, carrying a handbag and walk confidently..and no one bothers. Compared to UK, things here are quiet pricey.  

Would like to sit, relax and sip a cup of coffee in one of this cute cafe' but there's no guarantee if it's halal credential. Oh well, let's just enjoy the view.

This is the last part of my blog post on Paris. Lovely city. May we meet again. To anyone who planned to go to Paris, saved up and Bon Voyage!!