Travel to Paris, France Day 5

See Paris Day 1.
See Paris Day 2.
See Paris Day 3.
See Paris Day 4.

Since we wake up really early today, it is the perfect time to see the famous arts in Louvre. Even though we are early and the museum are not yet open, the queue is still long at Louvre main entrance. There are a few entrance to go inside Louvre, one is by Passage Richeliu near to metro station. However, the guard there said that it is only for groups. Another one which my in-laws use is near the newspaper shops but I can't find it.

After you got through the main entrance to the stairs going down and inside Louvre, you still have to queue to buy tickets at four ticket counter. There are also kiosks where you can buy ticket using your credit card which we use.

After that, we rush to see the most famous, gorgeous lady herself, the Mona Lisa. Now, I can see whether the stories are real. Is she smiling or not? Is her eyes follows you where ever you are? Is she a man? Is she Leonardo himself? Unfortunately, we are not allowed to take pictures in most parts of the museum.

• Is she smiling or not? Hard to tell because one minute you saw her smiling, another minute, not.

• Is her eyes follows you where ever you are? Definitely, probably because her eyes are painted like cross-eye (juling). My opinion.

• Is she a man? Is she Leonardo himself? Her hand are big like a bad and she have strong features.

Anyway, you judge yourselves. Then, we went to see Venus de Milo. It really is a magnificent statue but the picture I have here is bad though. This statue dated 100 B.C.

Here is the picture of Winged Victory of Samothrace. It's really big and dated between 220 and 190 B.C.

Then, we detour to Cafe Mollien for breakfast. Breakfast like the french do, coffee and croissant :P. The outdoor terrace are closed at that time. Dem.
We went to the Egypt era section which have the pyramids, papyrus, mummies, tomb, pillars and everything. The picture below are real preserved mummy.
Now I know why they say can't finish see Louvre in one day. By the time we finish that ONE section, I am bored with Egypt, sleepy, tired of walking and hungry since it was lunch already.
The trip are not complete without a walk beside the River Seine. unfortunately, our memory card are full and there are no more pictures. After this, all will be words only... I'm serious.

For the night, we went to Megali boyfriend's house near Bastille and eat pasta with his kids. First course, fruits. Second course, fish and chicken pasta. Third course, cheese. Fourth course, coffee made using Italian coffee maker.

We bought one but I'm too lazy to take the picture. If you want to know how it looks like, go to Ikea, it sold there for RM99 about medium size I think. We bought it for about 15 euro at Venice.
I suddenly decided to take the pictures with my camera phone. It got two parts, the bottom part you fill up with water, put the second layer which is the filter on top. This one you put ground coffee. No need for the paper filter like in coffee machine. Screw the top on. Put it on the stove or electric stove. Some science here. The heat from the stove will boil the water and change the water into gas/vapor. The gas will go through the coffee which becomes coffee gas :P. This gas will go to the top. Because there is little outlet for the gas to go out, it will condense back into liquid. So, when the top are filled up with coffee, you turn the stove off and pour it into cup. Then, drink what else. Each time you use, it have to be fresh dry coffee.

Now, off to Prague!

Melaka Street

No, this is not about travel in Melaka but about eating at Melaka Street SS2, Petaling Jaya. The place is easy to find if you know the area. Parking can sometimes be a nightmare due to a lot of shops around the area. The staff is friendly and the atmosphere is good.

We ordered rice with prawn in portugese sauce, chicken curry kapitan and garlic big bean.
The portugese sauce is too sweet and too strong that makes the prawn almost invinsible on your tastebud. After a while, its gets too much.

Chicken curry is great. But curry is a curry.. hehehehe...
The nicest is the garlic big bean. It have the freshest taste and different from long bean taste. Usually I don't like if the vegetables have the "uncooked" taste (when you doesn't cooked it long enough and it have that greens taste), but for this, it's alright.

Anyway, it's not great but you can give it ago.

Add: 34, Jalan SS2/66, PJ

Tel: +603 7873 6232

Jco Donuts

From the top left: 2 coco loco, 2 heavenly berry.
From down left: 1 Oreo and 1 tiramisu.

I just want to show what the rave all about. For any of you who didn't know it yet, this is the new kids in town, Jco Donuts. People line up to buy these donuts. If you are at Pavilion, do come and eat this donuts if you can stand the wait. The donuts unmade is actually really small but they probably use a lot of yeast that makes the donuts takes really good and light. One is not enough. However, this donuts you can't keep very long because it will taste awful. So eat it while it's fresh and oozing chocolate.

P.S. This is already my third time buying this so the pictures only shows a little choices. My favourite is Coco Loco where they have dark chocolate inside the donuts and normal chocolate outsite. The heavenly berry (strawberry toppings) is not bad either. Alcapone (almond and white chocolate) is too sweet for me. The mocha is not bad either. My friends said the green tea and mango is also nice.

Travel to Paris, France Day 4

See Paris Day 1.
See Paris Day 2.
See Paris Day 3.

On the 29 April, we left the rented car at Europcar office in Paris Noord which is one of the major train station in Paris. Since we will be using the train station again to go to airport for our next city, we left the bags at the baggage station. It's a coins locker, where you put your bag in the locker, put the coins and it will lock until you open it with your key. It is valid within 48 hours but I forgot how much we kept it for medium size locker. If not mistaken, it's below 10 euros.

Then, we send my in-laws to the train's gate. They have gates which is large enough for your baggage. But, we having difficulty in using it. There are two gates. You are supposed to go in through the first gate. Then, the gate will shut. Put in you ticket or swipe your card, and the second gate will open. Unfortunately, the second gate won't open. Lastly, we resort to, just go by the single gate and pull up the bags over that gate. hehehe... however, we are not the only one who have trouble with this gate.Then, we went to see the Arc the Triomphe by metro Charles De Gaulle - Etoile. There's a underpass you can use to go to the center of the Arc. Whenever I saw the picture, it's look just like any other arch but when I see it live, it's absolutely gorgeous.
These arc are created to commemorate the victories of Napoleon Bonaparte and his Grand Army. It lists the names of generals in the French troops.
There is a tomb of unknown soldier whose have the honor of eternal flame. Here are retired army that they hire with full army uniform and medals.

Then, we went for a walk to go up to Sacre Coeur. We stops at Abbesses metro, take rue Ravignan to place Emile-Godeau where they called this building as the "cradle of cubism". This is probably because most of the famous painter that lives here at the era of cubism's painting for example Picasso used to live here. From here, you will see all around you, tourist carrying maps or guide books, including us lol...
Then, from the metro station, turn right and head at rue des Abbesses. From here, we walk by steep road which beautiful building on each sides. There is one of early cinema here also but I forgot the name.

We go up the hills where right and left are interesting collector's item shop. Not to mention, all the delicious pasties you can find.

Then, we arrive at a windmill which sits on top a restaurant, Le Moulin Galette.

From here, we walk up to the Place du Tertre where there is a lot shops or painters selling painting, draw a caricature of yourselves and all thing arts. Just imagine an outdoor Pasar Seni with a lot more people.

From here, you can see the beautiful view of Paris.
The just up above, we saw the breathtaking white dome of Sacre Coeur (basillica - church).
From here also, we had the glimpse of Paris again. It starting to rain so we take cover at furnicular station. If you don't want to walk, you can take the funicular up to Sacre Coeur and went back the way we come. However, that day. it is being renovated.

Then, we have the option to go back to Moulin Rouge or to go down to Montmarte which we choose the later. Since, it was raining and we supposed to meet a friend, we don't explore the area. Down at Montmarte, you will see a lot of African-American brings a wool bracelet. They will come at tourist and tie this bracelet at their wrist. When you said you don't want, they will force you to pay for the bracelet.

Then, we went to see Faisal global freeloader's friend, Megali. Global freeloader is a website community where you can meet people around the world and when you are going for a trip, you can look up if there are any freeloader's friend that can accommodate you at the places where you're going. You must also be willing to accommodate people that coming to your country but you can reject if you feel that person can't be trusted. Faisal had stay at her place previously about five years ago and she is great but walks really fast.

She stays with her roommate at La Chapell area. The place is very nice with two bedroom and wood all over the place. As with the usual Paris house, the staircase is narrow and winding with no lift and her place is at third/fourth floor.

Travel to Paris, France Day 3

See Paris Day 1.
See Paris Day 2.
The next morning, we went for a walk at morning market where they sold a lot of scarfs, clothes, fruits, flowers and kitchen appliances. I bought scarfs, thinking of buying a dress and beautiful, big strawberries. I don't know why but since I arrived here, I felt like having a fever and suddenly I had an eye irritation. So, I went to the pharmacy and they sold to me a box of eye medications which were very expansive, 15 euro. But, just one application and my eyes back to normal. Now, I have no use for the other applications.

My in-laws were going back to Malaysia and so, we left Adik to study. We went back to Paris and decided to stay at St. Denis Formule 1 hotel since it's near to our Europcar car rental office. However, although there is St Denis university nearby, but I think the area is a bit dodgy. I don't recommend you to stay at the area.

There's suspicious activity going on near the hotel and our hotel manager also warned us to take care of our bags. The hotel windows also have some sort of lock which are different from Formule1 at the airport. Since we didn't reserved, the manager said that they are fully booked. But, he was so nice and helped us to find hotels at other Formule1 hotel. Lastly, maybe one of his cleaner said to him, there's empty rooms for us. So, we stay there which are not very from the nearest metro station (St. Denis).
After that, we went to paid a visit to the most photographed tower, Eiffel Tower. Take the metro and stops at Trocadero which is much closer and more beautiful than the metro at Champs-Elysees. On our way back, we took the other metro and it's quite far and change more station then Trocadero. Unless you want to see the shops in Champs-Elysees, stops at Trocadero.

From Trocadero, you have the top view of the park and much closer Eiffel Tower picture advantage. Do stop to eat the delicious chocolate crepe before crossing to the tower. Why we don't have chocolate crepe, I also don't know. We have crepe and we have nutella but no chocolate crepe.
There is a lot of people and we queue for the shortest line. Unfortunately, it is the line for climbing the stairs to the first level. If you see escalier, then it means stairs to climb. Choose the other corner to queue. However, we survived climbing the tower with a bit of rest and expansive mineral water afterwards. Then, we find the ticket machine to go to the second level. There is some reataurant here and the view is limited due to fencing.
The second level is fabulous. The scenery is breathtaking. You can see most of the city. The view I like the most is the Arc the Triomphe where you can see the roads circling the arc. There is no fence here so you can do a lot of picture taking. There is these Korean couple (maybe) that for every few feet, pose and take a pictures. I was annoy at first because it looks like they are cutting queues but actually not. They're just too crazy taking pictures lol..That's what happen when we are queuing for the third level. It's the expansive yet. First landing - escalier; 4 euro, second landing; 7 euro and third landing; 10 euro. While we are queuing the tower suddenly lights up and started to blink. To me, this is very pretty. I have the opportunity to watch the blinks full view from a Trocadero and it was so beautiful. The person who said Eiffel Tower not beautiful must never have seen this. The tower will lights up at dusk, so we were seeing it at about 9 p.m. for spring. At winter, it's about 7 p.m.
While we were taking the metro back, it suddenly stops for 10 minutes. I saw everybody irritated. When you have a very efficient transportation system, all the small things will irritate you. Let them take our LRT/commuter which pack with people, more than a few times has "technical" problems, arrive late, sometimes no aircond (Paris metro have no aircond also but it is much colder there hehe) etc.

We arrived at St. Denis metro around 12 a.m. Big mistake. Everywhere was black and quiet. We don’t recognize the station that we get out from. The entry and the exit of the metro was different. So we try to walk to the place the we thought was the right way. However, we got lost. Luckily for Paris, the map was every junction away. I started to get scared. (Did I tell you it's a bit dodgy??) Got a few african-american in the car on the road blasting their radio. There is one person who standing quietly and do nothing. After a 45 minutes to an hour walk, we arrived back at the metro station. We actually make a circle.

Luckily, we saw a lady who looks friendly, just sending off her family and we ask her for direction. It is actually near from there and finally we arrive back to the hotel safely but hungry. The lesson is don't arrive back at night if you are not familiar with that place. Oh yeah, the soup from vending machine was awful.

Travel to Paris, France Day 2

See Paris Day 1.

We start the day by getting the oriental buffet from the restaurant at the hotel lobby. Oriental includes, bread, cornflakes, fruit jus, jams, nutellas and some weird desert consists of crushed apple which looks like baby food. I taste it and taste awful but the-different-tastebud-than-me husband of mine like it after eating it a while.

Today, we’re going back to Adik’s hostel in the surburban at Chateroux because she want to study for her exams which will be starting in a few days. However, we got lost, where we go around the city centre because we can’t find the highway which they call outer peripherique.

Then, near to Chateroux, we got lost again at the highway. We missed a turn and have to use the long way. The three hours drive become five or six hours, I think. By the time we arrived, it’s almost dark. However, the drive was good, can see some of the countryside, farm house, lots of small towns and lots of direction to château.

This is Grape farm where they will process it into wine.

It’s raining in a few area and we stop at Burger Quick for lunch. I’m having a 3 cheese burger. Yumm... can't get it in Malaysia. I forgot what are the three cheese they use; mozarella, parmesan and cheddar maybe? Although the burger is small but taste great. The others have filet burgers.
When we arrive at Chateroux, we stop at Carrefour which is exactly the same as in Malaysia hehehe.My mother in-law bought de province spice at another market for souvenir to her friends. This taste really good. It's used in vegetables and meat or fish. The taste is very distinctive so you'll have to use it sparingly or you can't taste your vegetables.


Then, My hubby and I have a walk at the town. Very nice town, not that big, quiet. At the window's shop, a lot of nice clothes but soooo expansive. Oh yeah, by the time we arrive, I think might be 7 or 8-ish, all the shops close already.

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This was Adik's cat, Stupid cat.

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