A Prelude to Paris
In my life on this planet, there's only been a handful of foreign cities that I have been to more than once (for leisure). Recently I had decided to induct the City of Lights into the Hall of Destinations Worthy of Revisits.My first trip to Paris was nine years ago and left a faint impression as it was part of a greater European tour. I remember taking token pictures of the Eiffel Tower from afar and circumventing the peripherique for a (god-forbidden) chinese dinner in Paris. Yep. Paris land of bistro-lined streets, enticing patisserie displays, Michelin-starred chefs, and I was having chinese food. "Mon Dieu!"** as the French would have exclaimed.My brief visit was definitely unworthy of a true Parisian experience and did not allow me to get fully aquainted with this rarefied city. Historical justification aside, there were other reasons that continues to fan my interest to revisit Paris, such as:
- world famous architectural wonders: Eiffel Tower, Louvre Museum, Versailles;
- birthplace of my favourite Impressionist painter (Monet) and type of painting (Impressionism);
- fabulous food! From haute cuisine to daily yummies like croissant, crepe;
- French quirks and sensibilities which I found thoroughly amusing from my readings of Peter Mayle's books; and
- the romance of it all and a perfect inaugural overseas destination with my beloved S.
In hindsight, it was probably a blessing in disguise that I found my first visit inadequate as nine years later the twin blessings of cheap corporate and MATTA rates tickled my wanderlust feet enough to spring into action. With S's enthusiastic agreement to my holiday idea, we thus begin our journey of:
- locking down the dates: 08-Nov-04 to 13-Nov-04;
- arranging for the flight: MAS direct non-stop on MH020/1;
- booking our hotel: Libertel Montparnasse; and
- planning out the itinerary: CC's spreadsheet & DK Eyewitness.
* A ring road or circumferential highway found around many cities. The most famous of these is the Périphérique around Paris. France's anglophone community occasionally refers to the Parisian example as the "Perifreak", attesting to the many accidents and thick traffic associated with it.
** My God!
