Video diaries are always fun to watch, especially for a travel addict like me.
Here is a map of my Paris trip this time.
This is the map I had while planning the trip. There were many places that I didn't have time to go to, but I hope to be able to go my future trips there. I did lots of research to find these places, including notes to myself.
The last day of Paris, I wondered around Sacred Cœur until I had to go back to Gare du Nord to catch my train back to London.
I took the métro to Anvers and walked up a narrow street with tons of souvenir shops. They have crêpe stands, a chocolate museum and typical souvenir shops. Beware of pickpockets!
Hike up to Sacre Cœur is not too bad. You can see an overview of the city of Paris and it's breath-taking. Tip: there are many con artists with strings in their hands asking if they can show you how to braid a bracelet on you. WALK AWAY. They make you pay to have the bracelet removed.
Rue de Martyrs has various cafes, restaurants, boulangeries and shops that are unique. I love anything that's not a chain because they're just more local and in my view worth a visit. I bought some foie gras for my dad there.
While you are around that area, avoid Pigalle station. It is infamous for prostitution so it's not ideal if you're a female walking around that area alone.
I still cannot believe I was ever at Paris. It was all like a dream to me. I think I miss the food most. I was having croissant withdrawal and kept buying croissants in London, oops. I highly recommend Paris. It does live up to it's hype and is a great place to go with friends or your other half (no matter how cheesy that sounds). A bientôt, Paris!
"I haven't been everywhere, but it's on my list" - Susan Sontag
Day 2 was spent on the left bank, or south bank, and also Île de la Cité. We visited various landmarks, including Musée D'orsay, La Tour Eiffel, Jardin du Luxembourg, Notre Dame, and Pont des Arts. I got a travel day pass that works for the métro, the bus, and gives you discounts on river cruises.
Wall for Peace: I find it so perfect that this monument is situated in front of the École Militaire and lines up with the Eiffel Tower. Unfortunately, it was under restoration when I was there, or else there is a feature for people to write messages of peace.
Eiffel Tower: How can you not go when you're in Paris? Enjoying a picnic in front of the Eiffel Tower should be quite an experience. The tower lights up at night and starts sparkling at 7pm.
Tip: skip the queue & order tickets online
Enjoy a Nutella Banana Crêpe (it was so good, I still remember it) at...
Luxembourg Gardens: This garden is just gorgeous. Take a stroll or just sit and enjoy the sun.
Notre Dame: this magnificent cathedral has an impressive history. Just think of the Hunchback of Notre Dame, such childhood memories.
Pont des Arts: so many bridges in Paris have locks on them. It's cliché, but a significant promise to have a lock with your other half. Please don't use coded locks (trust me, people do put those on). It completely defeats the purpose.
Shakespeare & Company: If you're a writer in need of a place to stay, I think they have a room for that. Find great English books in this historical book store.
Oh la la! Bonjour, Paris! I'm sure lots of you do not know that I've been learning French since I was about 13 years old. My speaking is not that fluent, but I understand fine. So early this month, I had a week off school at the same time that my friend will be in Paris for a few days. I decided to go see her and visit Paris, something that I've wanted to do for years.
Getting off the Eurostar at Gare du Nord, I had a few hours to walk around and get to Gare de Lyon to meet my friend. I essentially walked south on Blvd de Magenta towards Canal St. Martin. I like going to cute unique places to explore the city. All places I mention are places I would highly recommend going to.
Canal St. Martin: Sit along the canal for a mini picnic!
Antoine & Lili: consists of 3 super cute shops selling clothing, children's toys and home goods. Great for families to go to.
Artazart Design Bookstore: Such a dainty bookstore! It's been there for years, and sells unique books.
Du Pain et des Idées: Traditional boulangerie with a variety of baked goods to choose from. How could a carb-addict like me resist this?
Merci: An adorable shop that sells everything from kitchenware to clothes with a cafe attached.
Ladurée - Madeleine (Original) : Their merchandise is just exquisite, and of course you have to try some of their famous macarons, I recommend the rose flavour, I'm still reminiscing its scent.
Our adorable Airbnb (3rd Arr.): This was probably a maid's room transformed into a studio-esque living space. It's just like something I'd like to live in if I was living by myself!
Jiufen 九份 became really famous because of the movie “The City of Sadness” 悲情城市. I would say it's one of the must-go places if you have time in Taipei. It's outside the city center, but I'm always attracted to cute little streets with history and good food.
We took the train to RuiFang 瑞芳 station, then the bus to JiuFen 九份.
JiuFen Old Street
I simply cannot resist food...
Since this area used to be coal and gold mining areas, they have limited edition merchandise like these coal/gold shaped chocolate bits. Great for souvenirs.
Ah Gan Yi Yu Yuan 阿柑姨芋圓 is an old store that sells Taro Balls, little taro-flavored doughs with red bean and sweet soup. This was a must-go and must-eat for my local friends there. The taro balls are chewy and taro taste is strong, just how I like it. When you walk through the store to find seating at the sea-facing balcony, you can see workers making the taro balls (no photos allowed sadly).
Here comes the famous set of stairs where Amei Tea House 阿妹茶樓 is located. There is an art to tea steeping, and it's a great place to rest and have some nice refreshments after being out in the sun. We ordered cold tea because the weather was too hot, but we did see the many steps to hot tea drinking at the table near us. What was most exciting to me was the fact that the architecture of the building is similar to the Bath House in Spirited Away. Miyazaki fans anyone?
Amei Tea House
JinGuaShi 金瓜石 used to be a gold mining area. You can experience gold-extracting and you get to keep the gold sand! We honestly just went there for the gold extracting experience, but there are also museums to visit and a trail to walk through for some knowledge and exercise.
After days of eating, Yangmingshan National Park is a good place to go to shed some of those calories. This is a great place at the outskirts of the city, away from all the noise and pollution to enjoy the nature. If you're up for the challenge, you may hike the whole hill. If you're like me and want to go to all the scenic places but not have to exercise so much, there is a minibus that goes around the hill, stopping at different view points.
Yangmingshan is a hot springs area/district, so it has a lot of natural gas and springs. At certain stops in the park, you can see, and hear, the hot gas and steam coming out of the hills, and even places where you can see how hot the water coming out is. The gas is saturated with sulphur, so it smells strongly of that.
This is called the milk pond. When people were mining around here, they created white sediments that gathered at the bottom of the pond, making the water look milky white.
I like hiking, but definitely an amateur in hiking. It was very nice psychologically to tell myself that I'm burning off all the calories I ate and that I can keep eating now :D Hiking is also the best time to bond with a friend. Cell reception is probably not excellent, so your partner is the only entertainment (and obviously the nature). Remember to never hike by yourself and bring lots of water!
