Posts Tagged ‘ Paris ’

Songs and Travels. My Travel Playlist!

Every now and then, some friends would be asking what kind of music I listen to when I’m on the road. I love almost all kind of music but mostly…

I love songs that just plain exude positive vibes
Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield is a definite favourite of mine!
or those that could wake you up when you’re feeling sleepy,
Jay Sean’s 2012 is sure to get me up and about!
or calm you down when you’re anxious.
The beach comes to mind whenever I hear All Saint’s Pure Shores

Songs sang in a different language especially if it’s the place I plan to go to
Garry Schyman’s Praan

or songs that remind me of places I’ve been to
Paris comes to mind whenever I hear La Vie En Rose by Louis Armstrong!
plus songs that reminds me of home! Manila! *sigh*
Manila by Amber

I also always listen to songs that somehow makes me feel part of a bigger world. ;)
U2’s Beautiful Day

And I enjoy watching videos that makes me want to go out there and experience what this world has to offer!

Happy new year and more travels everyone!!!♥

Related Posts:
Must See Travel Movies
Where Have You Been in 2013?
Travel Wishlist for 2013
2012: Exploring Europe

2013
01/07
CATEGORY
Trips
writings
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10 comments

Inside: Louvre Museum

One of the world’s biggest museum, Musée du Louvre (The Louvre Museum a.k.a. The Louvre) is also a historic monument. The museum is found inside the Louvre Palace which was built in the 12th century by Philip II as a fortress. It was then transformed into royal residence by the subsequent rulers of France until Henry XIV made a decision to have a palace built in Versailles. It was then converted into a museum on 1793. Currently, the Louvre contains 380,000 objects and is home to 35,000 works of art. With 15,000 visitors per day, it is considered as the most visited museum in the world.

The Louvre Palace grounds

Practical informations:

The Louvre is open every day (except Tuesday) from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Night opening until 9:45 p.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays.
Closed on the following holidays: January 1, May 1, December 25

Ticket Prices:

€10 – Tickets for Permanent Collection
€11 –  Tickets for Exhibitions in the Hall Napoléon
€14 – Access to the permanent collections and temporary exhibitions in both the Louvré and the Musée Eugène Delacroix
Free admission – first Sunday of each month; disabled visitors and their guest/ helper; visitors under the age of 18

Apart from the Notre Dame Cathedral, this was where I spent the most of my time while I was on a trip in Paris. Whether I was inside the galleries or just chilling by the gardens outside the museum, I enjoyed them all the same. Although I couldn’t take the time to look at every piece of art there (I might get a headache), I still loved it! :D

Here are pictures in and around the museum to satisfy those curious minds of what’s it like there! ;)

From sculptures…

“Winged Victory of Samothrace”
The Nike of Samothrace. c. 190 BC

“Psyche Revived by Cupid’s Kiss”
Antonio Canova c. 1787

“Horse Restrained by a Groom” aka “The Horses of Marly”
Guillaume ler Coustou 1739-1745

“Venus de Milo”
Alexandros of Antioch c. 130-100 BC

To paintings…

“La Belle Ferronnière” aka “Portrait of an Unknown Woman”
Leonardo da Vinci 1490-1496

“Portrait de jeune homme”
Alessandro di Mariano di Vanni Filipepi aka Sandro Botticelli 1475-1480

“Portrait présumé de Gabrielle d’Estrées et de sa soeur la duchesse de Villars”
École de Fontainebleau c. 16th century

“Le Sacre de Napoléon” aka “The Coronation of Napoleon”
Jacques-Louis David 1805-1807

And not to forget the most popular room in the whole palace…

“La Joconde” aka “Mona Lisa”
Leonardo da Vinci c. 1503–1519

There are some touristy stuff that one just had to do! :))

There’s just this wonderful atmosphere of creativeness and an appreciation of art that’s very palpable inside the museum. I enjoyed seeing small groups learning about art together from little kids to those who are of more advance in age. hehe

The Louvre is this beautiful place that I kept going back to in Paris. :)

Related Posts:

DIY: Schengen Visa Application
Getting around in Europe
Practical Tips for Paris
Paris: Must See(s)
Le French Riviera

2012
07/24
CATEGORY
Europe
France
Trips
TAGS









5 comments

Paris: Must See(s)

Paris has so many popular spots! Here are some places that you shouldn’t miss there, definitely must sees! :D Coz lately, I’ve been getting messages from friends who will be going to Paris and who wants to know what sights they should visit and what to do as well. They want me to share an itinerary for them but I haven’t really been able to do so since I’m away on trips. hehe

Notre Dame Cathedral

I always think of the Disney movie, The Hunchback of Notre Dame (which was based on a novel by Victor Hugo) when I think of this famous place. hehe They say it’s the most beautiful and popular Gothic church in the world. I found myself always walking towards the direction of the cathedral every afternoon coz I like the atmosphere here. I just love the Parisian sunset by the Seine River while eating crepes or eclairs at one of the benches lining this beautiful building.♥

The buttresses of the Cathedral

St. Joan of Arc

The beautiful ceiling of Notre Dame

Musee d’Orsay

A former train station, this museum is now home to many masterpiece of Impressionist and Post Impressionist painters the most popular of which includes Monet, Renoir and Van Gogh. Free entrance every first Sunday of the month! Otherwise, you’ll have to pay the 9euro entrance fee. I don’t think of myself as an “artsy” person but on trips, I tend to go to lots of them! :D

The museum that was formerly a train station :)

Pantheon

King Louis XV ordered the reconstruction of the ruined church of Sainte-Geneviève, patron saint of Paris, after he had recovered from an illness. The church later on became a mausoleum for notable, distinguished French citizens. Amongst the remains buried here are Voltaire, Victor Hugo, Marie Curie (yes, she’s Polish but is married to a Frenchman and lived in France most of her life) and Alexandre Dumas.

 

Arc de Triomphe

To celebrate his military victories, Napoleon commissioned the building of this popular French monument. However, it was completed 30years after it was begun and the Emperor Napoleon was already ousted. It honours the soldiers who fought and died for France during the French Revolution and Napoleonic wars. Beneath it, lit by an eternal flame, lies the remain of The Unknown Soldier who came to symbolize the rest of the people who died and were never identified in World War I & II.

Avenue des Champs-Elysees

Probably one of the most famous street all over the world, this street is lined with luxurious shop, cafes and other stores. I wasn’t really into this place as I’m not into shopping. Anyways, due to its proximity to popular landmarks, most notably the Arc de Triomphe, parades were usually held along its streets.

 

The Arc de Triomphe as viewed from the famous avenue :)

Louvre Museum

One of the largest mueseum in the world, this along with the Notre Dame are my two favorite place in Paris! This is a fortress turned palace until Louis XIV vacated it for Versailles. The musueum is so huge and contains around 35,000 pieces that they say 3 whole days are not enough to give it justice. I think it’s too much so I just enjoyed myself at the Italian paintings section and some and skipped the others and passed by the rest. That way, I wasn’t overwhelmed. ;) Since I love to read, I can’t help but remember Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code while I was there. Imagining where the scenes took place. It’s not just me though coz as the book (and later, the movie) gained popularity, walking tours of the Da Vinci Code became popular! :D

Inside the musee looking out :)

 

La Tour Eiffel

The iconic landmark that came to symbolize both Paris and France was once described as useless and monstrous when it was being built for the 1889 World Fair that was held in Paris. It was named after Gustave Eiffel, the engineer whose company designed and built the tower. When I first saw it, I just couldn’t stop taking pictures of it! Every few steps, stop, take a picture. If I was in a different angle, I’ll stop again and take still another picture! But it feels like I couldn’t get enough! :)) Of course I wanted to get to the top pf the tower but then you’ll either have to fall in line for quite a while (maybe at LEAST an hour) OR you can buy your tickets online. You can choose to go up via lift or by stairs (ack!), Obviously I chose the former. However, the topmost part could only be accessed with a lift. What I found awesome was that I was able to make friends with random people at the top of the tower and I am planning to visit them in Stockholm and Barcelona! :D On the way down, we (my Paris travel buddy and I)decided to (ah.. uhmm..) walk the rest of the way down (waah!) just to say we’ve done it! My knees were shaking afterwards coz we were in a hurry to get down! lol

One cloudy day in Paris. hehe

View from the top :)

There are definitely more places to go and buildings/monuments to see there but these are those that I think you should definitely visit (amongst others) in your Parisian trip!

Have fun! :D

Related Posts:

DIY: Schengen Visa Application
Getting around in Europe
Practical Tips for Paris
Inside: Louvre Museum
Le French Riviera

2012
05/16
CATEGORY
Europe
France
Trips
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9 comments

Best of Travel Photos: My 7 Super Shots

Aleah of Solitary Wanderer a.k.a. the infamous writer of “Date A Girl Who Travels” kindly included me in this online tagging that’s been going on that was started by HostelBookers 7 Super Shots. You’re supposed to choose seven pictures from the ones you’ve already taken that you think best corresponds to the theme that they’re looking for. Then choose 5 more bloggers to continue the cycle.

When she asked me if I’d like to participate, I told her that my photos can’t compare to theirs coz I looked at what they have and I was just blown away! She encouraged me to do it and I’m happy I did! It was very nice looking back at some (I have tons of photos that it’d be impossible to do so ;)) of my travel pictures. Definitely brought back wonderful memories with friends and loved ones from the crazy adventures to those chill out moments.

Takes  My Breath Away

Iligan’s Tinago Falls

Iligan is known as the city of majestic waterfalls and they’re totally right! I cajoled my buddies into going there so that we could see this waterfall and the long trip was definitely worth it. Tinago (meaning hidden in English) Falls is appropriately named coz it took us a flight to Cagayan de Oro from Manila, an almost 3 hours bus ride to Iligan, a multicab and a motorbike ride afterwards to get there plus not to forget the almost 400+ steps that would lead you down to it!

Makes Me Dream

The Peak view at night

The view from the peak is one of Hong Kong’s major touristic attraction. At anytime, the view is amazing. However, you would be squeezing yourself against the hundreds and hundreds of tourists who go there for it. On one of my trips to HK, I met this guy and we went to the Peak quite late at night and we had the place to ourself! We were enjoying this wonderful view that we weren’t sharing with anyone else (alright, with maybe a handul but they’re nowhere near us hehehe) while having some drinks. It’s such a bustling city but it looks calm from up here. Makes me dream of the many possibilities ahead of us. =)

Makes Me Think

The garden of Versailles

On my first trip to mainland Europe, France was my destination. Two French friends accompanied me for a daytrip to Versailles to stroll in its gardens and to check out the palace. I’ve heard that both are big and wonderful so I was sort of expecting it. But when I got there and saw the garden.. Oh dear! It was just HUGE! Basically, as far as I can see, THAT is the garden! It is just too much grandeur and splendour for a few people.  I know they were for the royalties, built just for then even, but still! How could… Why would… Ah.. Uhmm.. Too much! Hehe I was overwhelmed!

Makes Me Smile

Early morning in Camiguin’s White Island

When I went on a trip with 2 of my travel buddies to Mindanao, my first on this very beautiful part of the Philippines, we went to the island of Camiguin. One really early morning, we hired a boat to take us to White Island. It’s such a beautiful place right smack in the middle of the sea and we were there all sleepy waiting for the sun to rise. We were all so tired coz it was the 4th day of our trip and it was our fourth province, it was too much in too little time! The beauty there just gave us back our energy and made the trip worth it. Thinking back about that place and this trip still brings a smile to my face. :)

Makes My Mouth Water

Currently, I’m living in London. What I miss most from home aside from my loved ones are its food and (fantastic) beaches! If there’s one thing I crave the most for, it has got to be Philippines’ ripe yellow mangoes. The more fragrant, the sweeter it will be! Mmmm! And mangoes made into shakes are, for me, the perfect accompaniment to every meal! I’d always tell my mom when we’re talking, “Mommy, make sure you have mangoes when you’ll fetch me at the airport!” :D

Tells A Story

Sunset in Boracay

Boracay Island is a famous party beach place. Amidst all that partying though, people also do go there to have a nice quiet time. One sunset as I was by the beachfront with a friend, I saw them all cozy up. This just goes to show that Boracay’s beauty is for everyone.

I’m Most Proud Of: My Worthy of National Geographic Shot

Karst splendour in Guilin :)

I don’t really know what constitutes a NatGeo shot. I do know that it’s something really cool! This is where I found it most hard to choose coz this category may mean differently for each person. For my first trip to mainland China, a good friend and I went to Guilin province because of its natural beauty. We stayed at a hostel owned by a Japanese and Chinese couple. The owner’splace is just beside a karst mountain and he spent many laborious hours buidling steps to reach the top and had a pavilion built there named, Friendship Pavilion. The view from the top is simply amazing and from there you can view the small town of Xingping and surrounding places. This may be one of the reasons as to why I’m partial to karst mountains! ;)

Hope you guys liked those photos!

Now I’m going to tag Chichi of We Are Sole Sisters; Renz of The Traveling Nomad; Ron of Flip Travels; Mica of Senyorita and Marky of Nomadic Experiences. Happy choosing guys! :D

2012
05/13
CATEGORY
Random
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10 comments

Practical Tips for Paris

I found the people in Paris to be kind and helpful. Though when I got back to London and told friends about my positive experience, some replied back to me, “Are you sure you went to France?!” lol Maybe it helps to look friendly and to actually make an effort to say some words in French eventhough you’re no good at it. I know I’m terrible T_T Locals still appreciated it!

For starters, a few French words:

Bonjour= good day
Bon soir= good afternoon/evening
Bonne nuit= good night
Au revoir = good bye
Merci= thanks
Oui = yes
Non = no
Sortie = exit (the most common sign you’ll see)
Poulet=chicken
Jambon=ham (gotta have something food related! :D)

Playing with Le Tour Eiffel ;)

The cheapest key chains, 3pieces for 1euro, can be bought from the guys selling them at the metro station when you get off at ‘Tour Eiffel.’

For a taste of good French food! :D

A nice place to dine at is Bergamote. I told a friend I wanted to eat good French food within a reasonable budget so he searched for one and came up with this. It’s off the main road and the place is packed during meal times. A meal (starter+main OR main+dessert) costs around 15euros. The first time I dined there, I ordered some chicken and it was soooo good! The second time, I ordered beef. I guess for a change, mine was medium rare. When it came back to me, it was cooked on the outside but raw on the inside (as I should have expected) but I found out then that I’m really not a fan of raw foods! lol So we asked them if it’s possible to recook it (well done this time around) to which they agreed. hehe Whew!

When at St. Michel, try not to eat at the ‘main street’ where there are rows upon rows of Greek food/ cafes/ etc. according to friends, food there sucks. Disclaimer: I was just repeating what I was told by several French friends! haha

10 days passed by with me not eating any rice, amazing! I was munching on these French breads! :D

For bread (croissants, pan au chocolat, eclairs etc) buy in a boulangerie (bakery) coz that’s what they’re best at, delicious and cheap! Buy cheese in a fromagerie and meat in a boucherie.

With my Paris travel buddy, Kris :)

For travels within the city, it’s mostly done either by taking the bus or the train.  It’s cheaper to buy the 10ticket pass than to get an all day pass nor when buying them one at a time. 1train tix=1.7 euro; 10tix=12+ish. Unfortunately, they don’t have a pamphlet of their train system but signs abound so just check every now and then. Also, there is a downloadable mobile app of the map but I found that I could only use it if I have wifi/3G which wasn’t often as data roaming is expensive for me. :(

Probably what I wasn’t expecting was that since in London, it’s normal to let passengers out of the train before going inside, I found it disappointing that you’re on way out and people would push you back in in their hurry to get in. -_- Also, some trains won’t automatically open their doors. There is a knob there that you have to push upward so that the doors would open up.

Inside the Louvre one busy, sunny morning :)

Entrance to Musee de Louvre is free every first Sunday of the month! Same goes for the Palace of Versailles (November-March)! Entrance to its garden is always free though opening hours may vary according to the season. :)

Have fun!!!!

Related posts:

DIY: Schengen Visa Application
Getting around in Europe
Paris Must See(s)
Inside: Louvre Museum
Le French Riviera

2012
04/25
CATEGORY
Europe
France
Trips
TAGS








11 comments

Getting around in Europe :)

I know I wanna travel all over Europe but I was clueless as to how to go about booking my trips. I’ve asked friends, read websites and based from my experience, it’s quite easy. As easy as booking crazy cheap fares within the Philippines! :D

Travelling within the UK:

There are various modes of transportation within the country. You can either travel by plane, bus or coach which is almost the same, I can’t differentiate one from the other -_-; or train. Buses are the cheapest mode of transportation but it’s where you’ll spend the most hours on the road. Trains are way more convenient but pricier. Planes on the other hand are affordable but the airport/s are outside of London.

Megabus is a popular choice for bus travel because they’re very cheap! And with cheap, something like £1 to go to Oxford or £8 to go to Paris! Because it’s very affordable, many tend to choose this one. I would have to say that their buses aren’t the most comfy but at least you saved some money. National Express coaches on the other hand are almost double the price of Megabus (their one-way trip for Amsterdam can cost £20) but definitely a more comfortable choice. The seats can be reclined unlike the former and you can charge your gadgets which is a big plus for people with an iPhone whose battery life totally sucks! haha :) But I recently took a National Express coach to go to Cambridge and I didn’t find any plug for chargers. Maybe they only them have on selected buses?

I am yet to travel by train within UK. Though options include National Rail, Virgin, Southwest, East Midlands and The Train Line amongst others.

Traveling within Europe:

Visiting other European countries is easy as well once you have the appropriate papers (ie. Schengen visa).  You can do it by bus, train, plane, ferry, your own car, even hitch hike if you want to. I’ve had guests who got to London via hitchhiking.

Aboard the Eurostar enroute to Paris! :D

For my first Eurotrip, I went to Paris via Eurostar. I got it for£84 return trip which according to people I know here is very cheap. I checked the prices there and it’s normally around £100+ so I guess it’s better to book in advance and it also help to travel on weekdays rather than weekends, way cheaper fares! There are several train lines to choose from when you are crossing borders within mainland Europe: TGV, Thalys; and much more if you’re traveling within a European country (ie. Italy’s Tren Italia).

Note: If traveling within mainland Europe, it’s perfectly alright to get to your train at least 10minutes before it departs because they would only check your ticket. But please arrive earlier if you’re traveling between UK and  any other European country. They have border control. I totally forgot this and got to the train station at almost the time of departure that’s why I had to miss my train back to London! T_T Disaster was avoided when they allowed me to board the next train at no extra charge. hehehe (And there I was hoping that I could stay longer in Paris! Oh well! lol)

In Brussel’s Central Station :)

Flying is cheap IF you’re going with low cost carries such as Easy Jet and Ryan Air. A one way ticket between Venice and London cost me £30. There are cheaper flights to other countries. Just be patient in looking for those cheap fares and besides, they always have promos. ;) But just with what I’ve said from the start of this post, these airlines tend to operate in airports outside of London so you have to take into consideration that you’ll travel another hour to get to them (Luton, Gatwick or Stansted) and that you’ll need to buy a bus or train ticket to get there.

On the other hand, if you really wanna travel cheap, go to mainland Europe by bus. I paid £10 (one way) for a Megabus ticket between London and Amsterdam. It entails having to sit for 10hours straight though but I guess it won’t be so bad since I’ll be with other couchsurfers! Eurolines also have cheap fares. ;)

There! Hope that helps you out in deciding on how to travel within this part of the world! ;)

Bon voyage!

ps: If you’ll notice, I’ve already bought many tickets to many countries here. Old habits die hard I guess. hehe

Related posts:

DIY: Schengen Visa Application

Practical tips for Paris
Paris Must See(s)
Inside: Louvre Museum
Le French Riviera

Koninginnedag in Amsterdam

Londres! Londra! London!

Bella Italia!
Rome, the Eternal City!
Rome: Must See(s)
Amalfi Coast
Inside: Vatican City’s St. Peter’s Square

2012
04/09
CATEGORY
Europe
Trips
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18 comments