Euro Travel & More

This wasn’t exactly the room i stayed it.. but it was similar size .. and almost similar decorations and wallpapers. Mayfair Hotel is at the heart of Paris between Place de la Concorde and Place Vendome, A 4 star hotel and going rate per nite is about $150 €, which not many people like us can afford unless you are on a business trip like me.

My bosses stayed here.. and didn’t think it was convenient for me to stay in another .. with another co-worker. A luxurious hotel .. Mayfair is.. and expect professionalism.. and extended hospitality .. once you become a house guest. The front desk takes time to remember your name. In my whole time there.. they called me by my family name. Each room has it own unique decoration and reflects the unique Parisian style.

The hotel has room service .. but not 24hrs.. a business center, concierge to make those special dinner arrangements for you. Cable TV, Hair Dryer ( you need not bring yours) . .safe in the room and of course air conditioning. For those traveling with children, you will be glad to know that they have a day nursery as well. Call either the Concierge or Housekeeping for arrangements.

The breakfast room serves continental and buffet breakfast from 7am to 10.30am daily. We didn’t eat here.. because we usually have breakfast meetings in another hotel.. or the office in Paris.

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To cruise the Mediterranean was my dream and at first I was quite worried that my sea-sickness would ruin my holiday. However I’m glad to let you all know that I didn’t feel queasy at all, in fact the only time I did was when I was getting down from the cruise ship back on to land.  Like most cruises that I had been on, the Mediterranean cruises boast of having the finest food and entertainment on board.  With a 7 story high ship one cannot help but feel that you are in a fully equipped hotel.

The people I worked for in the UK had won a huge contract and gotten some big awards, therefore we were all given a 6 day cruise on the Mediterranean Sea.  We were just finishing our project in Spain and flew to London to catch a connecting flight to Nice, France.  Since we didn’t want to waste any time we decided to take a short tour around Nice for a couple of hours before embarking on our cruise ship in the late afternoon. Of course first came the mandatory safety drill for any cruise, then we took a short nap.  The Mediterranean cruise was truly, truly amazing and we not only were in Nice, we visited Florence the next day and then headed to Rome.  We covered a lot of places in such a short time.  We also managed to visit Monte Caro and then headed back to Nice, France to end our week.

The evenings on the cruise ship were eventful and we ate and drink the night away.  There were just so many things we wanted to do that we never thought we could.  And truly amazing were the people on board the cruise.  They were excellent, everyone was friendly and we had a ball.  If you asked me if I would go for another cruise I’d have to tell you that I most definitely would.  It is entertainment for the whole family and our Mediterranean cruise covered so many places that it was worth every penny the company spent.

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This large glass and metal pyramid is the Louvre Pyramid .. the entrance to the museum.  There are a few more small ones in the courtyard as well and there is an urban legend to the Pyramid too.. i heard.  The 666 panes was the talking point of many .. when we visited it, associated with “Satan” because of it’s 666 number.. it was definitely a thrill to be here.  Most tourist would choose only to visit the Eiffel Tower.. but we are definitely blessed to have co-workers.. who were so willing to show us the real stuff in Paris.

This picture of sunset at the Pyramid is a magnificient isn’t it..?  I loved it.. and wished i had another camera for it .. to take a better picture.  But of course, the museum is the biggest part of our trip, it was such a huge museum.. we didn’t managed to finish touring it at all. It was a crowded little place.

This is the inside of the Louvre and this visit to the Louvre Museum which was the first time actually makes me feel how charming Paris can be especially for someone who loves photography.. and who can appreciate paintings that are masterpieces of the world.  Paris definitely has a lot to offer and having lived in Florence for 3 months.. i wished i had gotten a chance to do so in Paris too.  But I know I would have gotten lost here.. with all the tourists that I saw during 7 days in Paris.  And I kid you not.. there were TOURISTS everywhere.

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Paris, La Ville-Lumiere (the City of Lights) brings back a lot of good memories.  Many of you may also know that Paris has a very special place in my heart because of my 6 month work stint there after I graduated from the University of Glasgow.  Paris reminds me of very passionate people, not only for cultural things but for food and life itself.  If you think that the Parisian only speaks French than you are wrong, they do speak fluent English too. Well, most of those that I’ve met and come to be friends with do. They choose to embrace the identity to the extent where some people mistaken that they are being arrogant when in fact they are the least eccentric people I’ve met around the world.

A short 6 month work stint in Paris also made me realize that a LOT of people come to Paris for various reasons but the most common is for how romantic Paris is for proposing a marriage or renewing a vow or even for those who just want to impress their other half.  What have I learned from Paris?  LOTS! The people are as beautiful as the scenery and everything you eat need not be expensive.  There are many good cafes and restaurants in Paris and you wouldn’t believe this but I had eaten in one of the best Japanese restaurants not in Japan, but in Paris.  There is more authentic Chinese food found in Paris than in Nova Scotia, Canada.

And hotels? Well, that’s my area of expertise. I worked in some of the best during the last 15 years. For many of us budget is important and of course you want to make sure that you are centrally located, within walking distance from the things you want to do, whether you are on vacation or on business.  I like Triptake.com  firstly because of the real reviews from real people and the ability to compare prices and make your reservations online.  Punch in the date of your pending trip and wait for the search engine to work for you.  It does not take long, I assure you.  Whether you want to stay in Hotel Britannique Paris or the Hotel De Crillon Paris, you can take a peek at what to expect from the hotel, its facilities, pictures of the rooms they offer and the overview of the hotel. Most importantly the location of the hotel and a map, I liked that.  Alas some of the room rates are pretty expensive, but never mind, I just go back to Triptake.com and look again.  Perhaps, the Hotel Plaza Athenee Paris or Hotel Hospes Lancaster Paris, they are all very good hotels as well but the one I would love to get a chance to stay in is Hotel Lutetia Paris for it is so near the Notre Dame Cathedral and within walking distance to so many interesting places that one can visit. I can go on and on about Paris, but no one should say “no” if they get a chance to visit this beautiful place.

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Andre Citroen Park is just a little park just a few minutes walk from Eiffel Tower .. located across the Seine River.  It wasn’t crowded at all.. when we were there.. for a look at the balloons that my co-worker had wanted to show me.  But i already saw it from afar.. when walking towards the 15th arrondissement.  I think the people who were in the park that day .. must be Parisian with their families.  I saw several children with their mothers.. playing there.

Told yer.. !! i can see the balloon from afar.  This gas balloons were for tourist who wanted an overall view of Paris.  I didn’t go up.. so i didn’t know how much it cost. I hear that this was where the former Citroen auto mobile plant was and as you can see there were lots of children playing here because of the waterfalls that keeps them entertained.  There are also 2 huge greenhouses that had some exotic Mediterranean Vegetation.

A closer look.. and on the other side is the garden .. where the moat was dry and there were kids playing there.. by running up and down it.  A third access point to the lawn was for the hot air balloon. Andre Citroen was a very large park. .and i didn’t really get to see everything of the park..  but the garden was also known as the garden of movement.. and it was a nice different from the usual.. touristy places. A contemporary park between nature and artifice.

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This is the famous T3 line of the tramway in Paris, it serves the south of Paris nearby the Ivy gate.  It is said that this tramway ferries as much as 100,000 people everyday. This tram line runs within the city areas and is definitely a plus for everyone living in the city… or even working around that area.  It is said that it was the aim of the City of Paris to bring health and well being to its people by introducing the Tram.. and diminishing both pollution and noise and reduce the space given to parking of your auto cars.  “Auto-bus” in french is the way to go.

PS :  Yes.. i did ride on the tram near Seine .. just because.. and it cost me like about a few euros.. i can’t remember right now.. i only know it was very cheap.. because a co-worker had mentiioned that it was run by diesel.  It was very clean and almost new.. and i was greeted by a very happy conductor .. who greeted me .. with “boujour” and since i know very limited French.. i didn’t wanna be too, too friendly.. if you know what i mean. I only wrote for a few stops.. and decided to Parc Montsouris with my co-workers.

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Besides the Eiffel Tower, I think no one gives the Arch of La Defense a missed .. when it comes to photo taking. This is a kinda monument to represent the business district of Paris.  So what is the Arche about..?? well … i hear it was build to represent not the military victories.. but for humanitarian reasons. You find the metro station and another kinda train station serving the suburbs there too. And two side of the Arches has got government offices as well.  An interesting structure.. i heard was more beautiful during the nights.

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Do not mistaken this cafe with the one in Quebec. Yes. there is a Cafe de la Paix in Quebec too. I recommend a visit to this special cafe for those who are around this area. Located opposite of the Paris Opera, you cannot missed it. It is kinda expensive.. but definitely worth the visit as this is quite famous in Paris. I also noticed alot of tourists here.. and it does have a fairly expensive menu. For coffee alone, you can expect to pay between 4 - 10 euros.

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If you are wondering if there are people in Paris that goes to Starbucks.. since there are so many cafes and outdoor eating places in Paris and all the little streets that they have in Paris. I’ll have to let you know that Starbucks in Paris is no different than any Starbucks in the world, they are packed..! and service .. friendly in every Starbucks.. and some friendlier.

Unlike the smaller cafes in Paris, at Starbucks .. you just gotta love their huge armchairs .. and reading a book or whipping up your lappie and work on it.. makes one feels like they are doing something important.. even if you were a housewife catching up on news from home.

The menu up on top of the serving counter .. unlike the ones we have back home in Asia.. where they are written in chalk boards.. in different colors. Whatever you favored that day.. a mocha, a latte or an expresso .. or just a green tea… and a biscotti.. they are ready to serve you . with smiles.. and shouting out your name loud when your drinks are ready. Very americanish..!

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Many people choose to go by the EuroStar when they are traveling from London to Paris .. which takes only 2hrs and at the most 3.  But when you are young.. and with a group of university friends.. you tend to do things.. a wee bit differently.  We wanted to rough it out.. and to stop wherever we want. and whenever.  Little did we know that the heavy traffic in the tunnel caused by a truck accident would delay us so badly.  And looking at the accident area, I hope the truck driver had a truck accident lawyer because it involved many cars.  Almost reminded me of how Princess Diana would have been in that freak accident that caused her death.   So for everyone’s info, driving is fun.. but make sure.. you have loads of time.

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