Europe Post: My Paris

Hello! I'm back with Part 3 of 'Our Paris.' And here are my own favorite moments of our Paris trip! :)

1. Daily breakfast. 

Just... OH WOW! Our B&B host, Peet Verrest, prepares a mean breakfast! We picked from an assortment of fresh fruits, breads, cheeses, cold cuts, eggs, yogurt, juice, cereals, muesli, etc. etc. 

Plus, each guest was offered the most perfect croissant I've ever had in my entire life. One was not really enough, but getting a single piece per day is what makes the croissant even more special, I think. 

And it's Paris, so I would not have expected any less! :) 

Plus we got to eat, every morning, at this really wonderful dining area inside a sleek, sophisticated Parisian apartment, exchanging stories with other guests from all over the world. It was just plain awesome.

Out of all the B&Bs we stayed in, Peet's breakfast was, hands down, my favorite!

2. Montmartre. We didn't get to see all of Montmartre, but I really liked this area. So alive and arty (see Star's Paris)! This was where we bought most of our souvenir items, and it did remind me a lot of Divisoria... but since we're in Paris, it's a lot more romantic(?), I suppose. Hehe!

3. Bus rides and the Moulin Rouge.  We tried to ride the bus as much as possible, because it's also nice way to get to see the city. Here, I attempted to photograph the Moulin Rouge, and I almost missed it. It's along Boulevard de Clichy, very near Montmartre, and a 15-minute walk from our B&B.

4. The Louvre (Day 2). It was overwhelming. But I did love the grounds and the fountains and the pyramids. Just so majestic! 

But it was really memorable because this was where Ate Star and Bee started to get into the "biggest fight" of their friendship. Basically, Bee was as slow as a turtle, and Ate Star was impatient. A lot of time was spent waiting for Bee take a photo of himself with whatever art piece he fancied. So we ended up not getting to Laduree and Longchamp before six pm, as originally planned. Ate Star lost her marbles, and did not talk to Bee until the next morning. 

I, on the other hand, still tried to enjoy the sights, while being referee to these two!

Anyways....ooh, look at that long line! Tip: it's best to go to the Louvre early-- lines start to get really long after lunch.

 5. Arc de Triomphe. When I was in college, I did a project on world monuments, and I picked Arc de Triomphe. Getting there was supposed to be a special moment for me, but too bad there was a kerfuffle between Ate and Bee. I wasn't able to savor the moment. It's alright, though. I still got to take a few photos. :)

5. Like Ate Star, I vowed not to do tourist-y things in Paris. But I swear, Eiffel Tower is magic.

On our first afternoon in Paris, we lay down on the grass at the park by the Tower, ate sandwiches, shared one small cup of coffee (we were on a tight budget), waited for the sun to set and for the Tower to light up. It was the coldest (and hungriest!) I've ever been in my life, but it was worth it. I know I've said this a hundred times already, but there really is nothing quite the Eiffel Tower at night. 

That's me and Ate Star on the grass. Sisters bonding.

And this is my camera, which inadvertently took a bokeh shot of the twinkling Eiffel Tower. 

As I lay on that grass, I couldn't help but think how lucky I was to be seeing what I was seeing. Really, what a way to end that day! And an absolutely special way to begin our adventure.

Until next our next destination (hint hint: canals, lots of tulips, and red,red lights),

Binky

Europe Post: Star's Paris

At the Pompidou. Young Parisians.

Paris is nothing if not arty! What we loved about it was that it's so steeped in colorful, vibrant art. And it wasn't just inside the museums and galleries. Everywhere and anywhere, there is something worth taking a photo of.  

This is why Ate Star's fondest memories of Paris involved art.  And here are her most arty, colorful Parisian snaps. 

From the very beginning, Ate Star declared that we weren't supposed to take the tourist-y route in any of our destinations. So we, of course, found ourselves excitedly heading, first and foremost, to the tourist-laden site of the Eiffel Tower. Hehe! It is as beautiful as in pictures. Perhaps even more.

Ate Star loves her mythology! She found this piece called Cupid and Psyche among the overflowing amount of artworks in the Louvre.  

At the Sacre-Ceour in Montmartre, upside down hearts! 

One of the most exciting things about Paris is riding the Metro. It's absolutely complicated and confusing for tourists, but it is the most convenient way to get around the city.

Her most favorite spot in Paris.. the Pompidou Museum.

Andy Warhol's portrait of Elizabeth Taylor. Being a fan of contemporary art, this was Ate Star's Mona Lisa. She almost cried when she saw this. Wow kasi talaga. Hehe!

Ate and me in a psychedelic ball of color.

Coolness, right? 

Hey, wait, look! More photos from Star! :)

Entrance to the Metro: 

 Outside Pompidou, still colorful! 
 

 More street art, near Pompidou! 

Optical shop near Gare du Nord Station!

Parisian Pacman.

The grinning Mister Cat or Monsieur Chat in French! He's pretty popular and we're so glad we spotted him! Read more about Mister Cat here.

Even the 'no entry' street sign is cool.
 

Vote Darkside!

That's about it for Star's Paris. Next time, my own favorites! :)

---Binky

*photos by Star and Binky

Europe Post: Bee's Paris

Bee has been to Paris more times than anyone I know. But what makes this trip special, as he repeatedly told us, was that we were there to share the city with him. Aw!

I'm not sure why he picked these photos. I wish he would tell me. But here they are, Bee's favorite Parisian snaps (in no particular order).

1. The glorious Eiffel Tower. As one would expect, we were gushing like crazy when we saw it. From a distance, the Eiffel Tower is just as remarkable. 
 

It glitters at night.

2. Louvre from outside. Here's Bee's attempt at an artistic shot.

Leonardo Da Vinci's The Virgin and Child with St. Anne. 

 Let me just say.. 

I was really in awe of this particular exhibition, more so than the Mona Lisa and the other more popular attractions in the Louvre. What we saw wasn't just the actual painting, but a whole body of work that led to the final painting. Da Vinci created a number of sketches and drafts, each one showed how carefully and intricately he planned to put together this masterpiece. He was very technical and procedural about it. Very, very OC talaga!

Of course, the painting in itself was beautiful, and a wonderful tribute to St. Anne, Mary's Nanay, and Jesus' Lola. :)

Then there were also replicas of the 'St. Anne' displayed in the exhibition. A lot of them, actually. At first, I got really confused and thought that Da Vinci made every single painting, but as it turns out, they were works of his students and/or artists whom he inspired. 

Enough rambling.. hehe!

3. Champs Elysees. Popular tourist shopping strip and also... the spot of the biggest fight in the history of friendships (ehem, Star vs. Bee). But, let's just keep that a secret... for now.

4. Pompidou Museum. I looooved this place. Ate Star did, too. I don't know if Bernard loved it as much as we did. The building is the most extraordinary (not to mention modern!) structure I've ever seen. Inside...a vast collection of important modern art, including pieces by Warhol, Matisse, and Picasso.



 There you have it. Bee's Paris, explained by me! I hope I got this right, Bee! 

Next stop.. Star's picks.

Seeya, 
Binky 

~photos by bee

Europe Post: Our Paris

City of light. City of love. Most romantic city in the world! 

Is there anything more we can say about Paris that hasn't been said before? 

Ate Star, Bee and I will try! 

Paris was the first official stop of our European adventure. And while it's not all glitzy and glamorous as I imagined it would be (too much TV and movies!), Paris was definitely, definitely an exciting place to be! :)

In the coming days (once I finish editing the photos... soon I hope!), we will be sharing our favorite things about Paris.

Seeya! 
Binky 

*Photo by Star