13: Last day in Paris

Slow morning as nothing opens before 10am, so took it easy. Wanted to go to the Musee of the Catacombs, but with the time constraints we just decided not to do it, went back to the student restaurant and enjoyed some fish and pilaf. Packed as always, but us just so happen to get seats every time we go….

Departed and decided to go to Petit Palasis, and Musee d’art Modern. Both were great museum. After I went there met back up with TN @ Bercy Village to see the village within the city. Lined with shops and cafes, it’s just very nice looking in terms of the cobble stones and old feel it gives as you walk through the streets! As our luck indicates, it was a special VIP program on that day, which meant discounts at the locations of those stores. In particular it allowed us to have 2 scoops at the Gelato store. After walking through the stores, we made our way to get gelato and then to Gallerie Layfette. 

This is the huge shopping complex in Paris filled with designer wear and luxury brands. Not only is it an attraction it also is where those that are looking for the new designs come to shop at all of the stores. The company has actually three locations.  One for women, one for men, and another for house ware. Great designers of Europe and even household American branding as well. But the top fashion house ware in this store. Spent a good while going through each store to get a feel of the atmosphere, but it was very overwhelming the prices the clothes and the people. Not as crazy as Oxford Street, but it was still filled with a lot of tourist. Especially for LV leather goods. Many Japanese tourist lining up to get their bags. I wonder how much they are able to sell within a day, and how many of them get stolen or taken during the rush….

After that we went to a tourist area in Saint-Michel, where they have many different cuisines from Greek, to Indian, Italian and even somewhat authentic Chinese. Gyros was the way to go today, as it was fast and easy to carry around. Then we went to Notre Dame and saw some comedy show and was able to see some street performers that were actually the same from the summer. Not sure how they operate as it is very cold! The winds were making the night time walk not bearable. It was just that the winds started to pick up and every bone in your body becomes to frigid to move. That was the case tonight, even though we walked to walk along the Seine, it was a chilly front.

Ended the night with more walking and getting home for a restful evening.

12: Musée, Musée, Museum.

Morning consisted of grocery shopping at the local market shop and got fresh baguette, croissants and crepes. Learned that many French like the notion of eating Sweets in the morning and salty in the afternoon, evening. So that can explain the Nutella, Jams, and buttery goodness of their pastries always glazed with sugar. Without a doubt, that is their typical breakfast.



Staying with TN means that we get to ride the RER more often that last August where we became very familiar with Gare de L’est. Made our way to the first museum!

Musée d’Orsay. I love this museum. It’s not as crowded as the Louvre, not as huge and just a great layout. They showcase many paints along with sculptures from famous artists. The main draws would include Monet, and Rembrandt, along with others of the impressionist era. The muse was once a main train hub in the 19th, to early 20th C. As transportation via rail became more popular it outgrew the station, and moved to a much LARGER train station (Gare du Nord, or L’est). So the building became vacant for some time, until the government issued it as a muse to showcase some of Louise XIV, and Louis XV artwork. This building has a great golden clock at the entrance and the building itself is magnificent, but the line-up and security checks are long. Even so, the 30minute wait for Free entrance makes it worth wild.

After the muse, we made our way to the Government Funded Student Restaurant located at Pont-Royal, where a meal starts at 2.90 EURO. Cheap considering you have an entrée (salad), plat (main) and a dessert. Nurtous and cheap. Busy with students from all around Paris, it houses three other restaurants inside of the building. It’s similar to a main campus building, but with residences and offices located in the same location.



After lunch, we decided to go to Centre de George Pompidou. This is where the Musée national Modern Art makes its’ home and where they’ve created an atmosphere to inspire the youth to design, create and experiment with alternative aspects of the Arts. In the location consists of a glass escalator for 6 floors, library, 2 cinema screens and research site. While TN went to school, I was able to go around the gallery and take in the permanent exhibition. The theme for the gallery  women in arts and their influence of the medium. On the upper level was temporary exhibits, 5th floor (1900-1960; Modern Art), 4th floor was 1960-present; contemporary art. Many installations and amazing works on display. Some of the most memorable works included this one piece where they took chairs (made of Plexiglas) and enables the user to experience the whole realm of listening and search for other samples. All within the confines of the users comfort. Great way for the user to experience the whole of the music. Afterwards met back up with TN (at the Catacombs, but it was closed 17h…) so we decided to go around Bastille and walk around Place du Vosges. It was once a famous ground for the likes of Napoleon, and the aristocrats of France. Buildings surround the gardens, where kids play football and families come to experience the nature of their jardin. Caught a bit of some kids playing a quick match on the dirt ground. Everyday life of these children.

Went around the Place and then went to dinner at Leon de Bruxelles. A location where they serve Moules (mussels). Decided to try the white wine and fresh cream style to get the flavours of the meat. Unlimited frites, Bier and dessert to add. A great steal for 15.90 euro. Very busy at this location, but rightfully so, as the moules were cooked with perfection. Went back towards Palasis Royal and saw the grounds and went to the Louvre to get some night-time shots. Accomplished and back home.

11: Transit from Southampton to Paris

Woke up early in the morning to catch the 6am Coach into London Victoria station. Upon arrival into the city, there was the typical rush hour traffic of any major city hub, but the traffic inside of London was manageable. With everyone going towards the core, it was very easy for the coach to find the right lane to get us to our destination. Once at the Coach station, the proximity to the Tube station is still a good walk, approximately 400m. But with many people on the streets it’s was still fast paced with everyone moving in an orderly fashion. The Underground works because they allow the public to enter in many entrance/exit points. At a busy hub such as Victoria it is even more essential for orderly fashion and queuing. In the British culture it is normal for people to wait in a cue for a short period of time, but when it becomes long that is when it becomes unbearable.  On the effort to save a couple of pounds I opted to get on the tube after 9:30am. The Underground also accounts for peak-hour premium to discourage unnecessary travel during the hours of 5-9:30am. As such, I just waited the extra 15 minutes and was on my way towards St.Pancras Station.

St. Pancras was a terminal set-up for international travel. Within the last century they created the English tunnel in order for the easy commute of cars, trains, Lorries to have fast and efficient means of transport across the English Channel. The check-in was typical stamping of passports and X-rays the luggage, nothing out of the ordinary. After 2 hours we arrived into Paris (Nord) and met up with TN.

From the Train Station towards TN apartment was a quick metro ride with changing of the lines made it very smooth. Dropped of the luggage, rested for an hour and decided to embark on the Paris sightseeing tour to experience everything that was missing the last time I was here.

The theme for the day was Stairs, Ariel Views and Student lifestyle. In France, there are many attractions that tourist love, with those that are quite famous. As an EU citizen between the ages of 18-25, you are encouraged to go into these attractions and experience history. TN is currently in Paris to study for 1.5 years and has a student card. I, not being a student, am not entitled to these benefits… So what do we do? Take another student card from a fellow Asian and use it as ID. It worked! Some places asked for additional ID, but we didn’t have any on us, but they still let us enter.

First stop of the evening: Notre Dame along with 400 steps, a great view of the city and gargoyles to make the trip a worth wild experience. FREE! But it was the journey up the narrow stairwell that makes it hard to travel up. Upon the ascent, it boggles the mind to try and think about the number of people that go into the Attraction every day of the year. How many people have also stepped on these steps and seen this site. Notre Dame is always a wonder to be at and is amazing to see how it never fails to have a huge line-up.

(NOTE: this shot was inspired by KC! when she was in Paris)

The opportunity to experience the bell, the steps and the view, was a great way to start the trip. Next up Arc du Triumph. Same idea of steps, not as many but inside of the building was the museum of the Arc. A little bit of history mixed with statues and other memorials of the fallen soldiers of those wars. Got our tickets but decided to go to the top at night time to get the cityscape in lights. Even though the weather was cold, with temperatures of 9 with strong winds, it did not deter us from going and walking on Bd. Haussmann towards the infamous Gallérie Lafayette. Upon walk, TN explained that Haussmann was the famous designed who created the balconies of the apartments and MADE it such that on the 2^nd and 4^th floor is where the wealthy live. Great architecture still preserved to this day.

At night we arrived back to the Arc and experienced everything inside of the monument.

10: Winchester and supermarkets

Typical day out in the burbs of London... aka Southampton.
Cuaght the buzz on the UK elections happening on Thursday May 6th, 2010.
Its a very close race between the three front runners (Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrats)

When

9: Bath and Stonehenge

Morning starts off right with a hearty Asian affair

点心 Dim sum a la home style!

(L-R; starting on the top left corner. Corn soup, pan-friend buns with Curry and chicken, or BBQ pork; Steamed Turkey dumplings 燒賣 siu mai ; (鍋貼, woh tip) Potstickers.

Great homemade by my cousin. Here is the thing about Asian food outside of London (it rarely exists in the traditional sense) No authethic shops, only the Chinese buffet with General tao chciken... o barf!


The rest of the day consistented of Driving 50miles towards Bath and experiencing the Roman Baths that have made the town of Bath, England famous.
Seeing as it was a holiday Monday (we should have expected more traffic than we were thinking. It was tough to get in, but the plan was to go to BATH, and then to go over to the Stonehenges.

The anicent roman bath is definitely the sight to see while in Bath. Admission was £10 (Student). Worth it for the experience. But not something Id do on a regular basis.
Here are some photos from my journey into the Baths.

Ariel View of the Main Bath 

Raising the floor to create a Sauna type room. Hottest at Bath.

After venturing through the Bath, we took the car and drove back towards home (and to stop by stonehenge) on the way. Due to traffic I didn't get to walk on the grounds, but you can't even get up close and personal anymore. Plus there is now an admissions fee to get in.... Bullocks!

Got as close as we could, as we just missed the cut off time to see the World Hertiage site. (second of the day)

The photo almost looks like I stole it off of the internet, but it's REAL. and I was that close (behind barriers and fences). Rumour has it that 5-10 years ago gypsies were sleeping under or in the stones and creating a nusiances, along with those that wanted to steal a piece of the stones. That is why there is a separate entrance and an admission fee to see the famous objects.

NEXT TIME.

Agenda for tmr: Winchester and shopping?

8: Portmouth

Late sunday wake-up (11am)
Had a traditional English Breakfast with all the fixings

Egg, Baked Beans, Fried Mushroom, friend tomato, hashbrown, toast, ham (no sausage)

NEXT stop: driving to Portsmouth (the Waterfront City)

As usual I fell asleep on this rainy Sunday afternoon. Driving down to the Quay and the mega outlet mall. Typical driving along the Motorway. It does take some time to adjust to the roundabouts and the "left" driving. But it's not like I was at the drivers seat. I'm at my cousins house in southampton for the next 3 days taking in the smaller cities near the coast and out of Londons area.

While at the quay/pier, the weather dipped down to 8 degrees. Having packed for somewhat warmer weather it was a drastic change to have the temperature be cold. The previous week while in London, the temperatures were 17-19 degrees and I got away with wearing Birkenstocks. I have a lovely tanlines from my sandals. I'm usually opposed to them, but it's the case where you cant really pick and choose your footwear.... in the middle of the busy streets of london.

Portmouth is another Port city with a castle that got overtaken during some war of Europe. Great historical buildings still stand, but the majority has been taken down for more new and exciting architecture.

There are many musuems in portsmouth, one of the more important ones that I went to was D-Day museum. showcasing the events of the important date in European history of WWII.

Great day trip. Came home and rested.

Here is a great video I found at LA BLOGETHEQUIE

Papier Tigre - Restless Empire - A Take Away Show from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.

7: Southampton, Rain!

Early morning to a late night.

Camden Passage MArket for Antique browsing! Just had enough time to spend all of 20minutes appreciating silverware, tea cups and more.

Caught the coach going to Southampton (10minutes by tube, and 10 mins for the walk)

Coach ride-- typical falling asleep!
Entered Southampton.