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Paris

Paris, Travel, France, River Cruise, Seine Cruise, Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, City Cruise, Lafayette, Paris Shopping,
in France

Travel: Paris River Cruise + Travel and Saving Tips for Your Trip to Paris

February 7, 2016

Finally on my last installment for Paris! Since I’m writing this in the middle of the night as I suffer from monthly lady pains, I’m just gonna make this a quickie post. Also, so I can proceed to writing about Geneva next. 😉

After our half-day trip to the Versailles, my husband and I quickly went back to the city to do some last minute shopping for souvenirs and sight seeing. We first dropped by the Palai Garnier which is the official home of the Paris Opera.

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It’s definitely a grand building and a pleasure to look at. After exploring that area for a bit, we went straight to the Galeries Lafayette. Not to splurge or anything but to just stare and be in awe of the ceiling. Yes, we’re kinda weird. But just look at it!

Paris, Travel, France, River Cruise, Seine Cruise, Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, City Cruise, Lafayette, Paris Shopping,

We walked around, getting lost in rows and rows of shops till it was almost sunset. We made our way back to the Eiffel Tower so we can catch a river cruise along the Seine. We wanted to do the cruise at the right moment to maximise what we could get out of it.

Normally, we wouldn’t make much effort just to join a cruise but since the ticket was included in our Paris Pass, we decided that it might be a good way to end our trip.

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Paris, Travel, France, Versailles, Chateau de Versailles, Marie Antoinette, Europe, 2015, Summer, Paris during summer, Summer Versailles,
in Uncategorized

Travel: Château de Versailles

January 24, 2016

We reserved the first half of our last day in France for a short trip to Château de Versailles. Seems fitting doesn’t it? Also, considering the itinerary my husband drew up for our Paris trip, it seemed better to venture out of the city on our last day.

I’ve always been fascinated by this place – even before the public’s whole Marie Antoinette obsession that followed the release of Sofia Coppola’s movie. Side note: Didn’t like the movie. It lacked character development. Great shots and soundtrack though. Also, Kirsten Dunst was perfect for the role.

There’s just something so intriguing about this palace. From its grandeur, the lavish lifestyle of its former inhabitants, and for it being the setting of their downfall as well. It actually makes you want to wish that the walls can talk.

To this day, the château remains to be a symbol of France’s absolute monarchy or what they call the ‘old regime’.

Paris, Travel, France, Versailles, Chateau de Versailles, Marie Antoinette, Europe, 2015, Summer, Paris during summer, Summer Versailles,

Getting there:

The easiest way is by taking the RER train (not the Metro) to the Versailles Rive Gauche station. From there, the palace is only a short walk. There will be maps all over the station.

Tickets:

It’s best to book your tickets online as lines outside the palace are horrendous. Especially if you’re visiting in the summer. We were lucky that it was starting to get cold during our visit so we didn’t end up sweating and burning under the sun while we waited to get inside, tickets in hand. We stood in line for about 15 minutes which isn’t so bad though. But of course, on warmer days, the wait will definitely be longer. A ticket that will take you through the palace and the gardens is at 15 Euros. This price also includes the audio guide. If you want to enter the Trianon estates, there will be extra fees.

The château

Located about 20 kilometres from Paris, Versailles used to be a sleepy village but nowadays, its a bit of a posh suburb. Louis XIII had a hunting lodge built in this area but it was later on expanded and renovated by the Kings that followed him: Louis XIV, Louis XV, and Louis XVI.

Paris, Travel, France, Versailles, Chateau de Versailles, Marie Antoinette, Europe, 2015, Summer, Paris during summer, Summer Versailles,

Paris, Travel, France, Versailles, Chateau de Versailles, Marie Antoinette, Europe, 2015, Summer, Paris during summer, Summer Versailles,

Paris, Travel, France, Versailles, Chateau de Versailles, Marie Antoinette, Europe, 2015, Summer, Paris during summer, Summer Versailles,

Paris, Travel, France, Versailles, Chateau de Versailles, Marie Antoinette, Europe, 2015, Summer, Paris during summer, Summer Versailles,

The château has indeed come a long way from its stone and brick hunting lodge days. It’s the epitome of grandeur – with art and gold leafing in almost every corner, painted ceilings, intricate sculptures, and lavish furniture. It can be overwhelming.

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in Uncategorized

Travel: Paris Streets and Shops, Notre Dame Cathedral, Shakespeare & Co., Sacré Cœur, Montmartre (Paris Day 3)

January 7, 2016

One of the things I love about Paris is the abundance of interesting stores and cafĂŠs that can be found in its various streets and alleys. They’re like little surprises.

France, Travel, Paris, Europe, Holiday, Summer, Paris Streets, Paris Shops,

France, Travel, Paris, Europe, Holiday, Summer, Paris Streets, Paris Shops,

Caught window shopping by the husband. 😉

If you’re a fan of luxury bags, there are a LOT of stores selling pre-loved ones all over Paris. Lili Rose Luxury in Rue Dauphine actually offers pretty good deals. However, if you’re from Asia, I’d say the shops in Tokyo still offer better prices. 😉

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France, Travel, Paris, Europe, Holiday, Summer, Paris Streets, Paris Shops, River Seine,

France, Travel, Paris, Europe, Holiday, Summer, Paris Streets

France, Travel, Paris, Europe, Holiday, Summer, Paris Streets, Paris Shops, Paris Streets, Love Locks, Love Locks Paris, Pont des Artes,

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in Travel

Travel: Jardin du Luxembourg (Paris Day 3)

January 6, 2016

It’s 2016 and I’m still behind my posting schedule. I’ve already had three other trips after our Europe trip so you guys can really imagine my backlog. Tee hee. Just looking at it is enough to make me feel overwhelmed. So from now on, I’m gonna keep the travel entries for Europe shorter and will keep it to one to two places per post. I will be eliminating some of the minor places we visited or passed by and just focus on the major ones. Will also just opt for photo heavy posts. I’ll still be giving travel tips but they’ll definitely be a lot shorter. Hope that’s alright with you, loves!

***

On our third day, my husband and I decided to bring some breakfast and eat inside the Luxembourg Gardens to have a picnic of sorts. It was a great plan as we wanted a relaxed and kind of a romantic morning.

France, Travel, Paris, Europe, Holiday, Summer, Luxembourg Gardens, Luxembourg Palace, Jardin du Luxembourg, Paris Garden, Paris Flower Garden, Park

It was the perfect place for a breakfast date, to be honest.

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in France

Travel: (Paris Day 2) The Louvre + Tuileries Garden + Place de la Concorde

November 15, 2015

** It’s quite sad that this post (which has been sitting in my draft pile for over a week due to pending edits) was scheduled for posting in the wake of the senseless acts of violence in Paris. My heart goes to the victims and their families as well as those who perished in Beirut due to a similar incident.

A visit to Paris won’t be complete without stopping by The Louvre. While the city does have a lot of museums, nothing compares to the Louvre when it comes to the number of historical artefacts it hosts. It sounds so basic to say that the Louvre has got to be one of my favourite museums in Europe – but it is. Tied with Rijksmuseum, to be honest.

A dream job of mine would be to work there and have a humungous employee discount at their souvenir shop. I’ll just buy all the books I want. 😀 😀

My last visit before this year was in January 2013 and I wrote a quick article for Rappler on some of my must-see pieces. You can find that article by clicking on this link: Visiting The Louvre. If you’re a first time visitor and would love to get a few tips in getting in and exploring the museum, I think that article can serve as a primer.

For this post, I won’t go into detail on the pieces anymore since I already did that in the Rappler article. This is going to be more of a photo diary from our recent visit in August.

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in Uncategorized

Travel: Paris Day 1 – MusĂŠe de l’ArmĂŠe + Les Invalides + Napoleon Bonaparte Tomb + Eiffel Tower

October 28, 2015

Back to travel posts! Right after we arrived in Paris, my husband and I freshened up and went straight to exploring for a bit. The first stop was MusĂŠe d’Orsay.

And since it’s summer in Paris and it was about two in the afternoon, we found the longest line known to mankind.

Of course, my spirits weren’t dampened. We each have a Paris Pass! Surely, there’s a special line. Yes, there is! But it’s also equally long. *insert disappointed face emoji here 😒*

For those who haven’t heard of the Paris Pass, it’s your ticket to a lot of the attractions in Paris and includes a lot of perks and freebies too. Oh, you can also opt to get a train ticket with them that will give you unlimited Metro rides for the duration of your stay.

Some would say it’s kinda gimmicky but you actually save money and time by using it if you plan to go to a lot of museums and attractions. Since it’s the husband’s first time in Paris, we had a pretty tight itinerary so we could go to a lot of the ‘must-sees’.

Sadly, we had to skip MusĂŠe d’Orsay for this trip due to the crazy line. I really wanted to go show him my favourite Renoir which can be found in this museum. 🙁 Weird enough, we didn’t have the same problem with the Louvre. But I’ll talk about this on a different post.

We then moved on to MusĂŠe de l’ArmĂŠe which is something we’re really excited about.

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France’s National Military Museum is located inside Les Invalides. A compound in the 7th Arrondissement that houses a couple of beautiful buildings that relate to the country’s rich military history. Aside from MusĂŠe de l’ArmĂŠe, you can also find a couple of war monuments, a hospital and retirement home for war veterans, and even a former Church that houses Napoleon Bonaparte’s tomb. We’ll get to that in a bit. 😉

 

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Almost Diplomatic - carolific - Diplomat’s Wife - Travel - Paris - Hotel Home Moderne Paris - Antique Book Market
in Europe

Travel: Arrival in Paris + Hotel Home Moderne, Paris (Review) + Antique Book Market

October 7, 2015

After a short stay in Amsterdam, we took the Thalys to Paris. It was a pleasant journey that took a little over 3 hours.

Thankfully, we took the train on that particular day as just a few days later, a gunman boarded the same train and planned to shoot innocent passengers as the train sped through Belgium! Good thing there were 3 men – 2 Americans and a French national who stopped him! It’s still a running joke that if it were Alvin and me on that train, God knows what would have happened. :)) But I digress.

Getting there

We arrived at Garre du Nord station where we were able take the Metro to where our hotel was.

Almost Diplomatic - carolific - Diplomat’s Wife - Travel - Paris - Hotel Home Moderne Paris - Antique Book Market

We were lugging around big suitcases and one thing I should tell you is that Paris Metro stations are not that conducive for people with humungous trolleys with them.

I knew this already and I know I should have packed less but we were staying in Europe for 3 effing weeks! I’m not the backpacker type of traveller either – I need my hair products and I will never sacrifice my clothing choices. So I pulled and huffed my way to the other side of Garre du Nord.

Alvin tried to help me but I was too proud. I did let a couple of French guys help me carry my suitcase up a few flights of stairs in two separate incidents. For two good reasons – 1, my suitcase was indeed heavy and 2, I just want show Alvin that I still got ‘it’. 😛 Whoever started the rumour that the French are snobs, I really have no idea whom you’ve met. The last time I was in Paris in 2013 and on this recent visit as well, I’ve only met kind and helpful Parisians!

We got off at Plaisance where the hotel was a good 10-minute walk from. It’s not too far, to be honest. But with heavy luggage, it did feel like forever.

Location

Almost Diplomatic - carolific - Diplomat’s Wife - Travel - Paris - Hotel Home Moderne Paris - Antique Book Market

Hotel Home Moderne is located in the 15th arrondissement so it’s not too near the city centre and all the attractions. However, with the Paris Metro line, everything in the city and its outskirts are always easily accessible.

Almost Diplomatic - carolific - Diplomat’s Wife - Travel - Paris - Hotel Home Moderne Paris - Antique Book Market

It’s more of a residential area where there are quaint cafĂŠs and small restaurants. If you want to see actual Parisians (even in the summer!), I suggest you stay here. You also get the feel of actually ‘living’ in Paris because of the neighbourhood.

It’s a tourist-friendly area but not touristy – you get what I’m saying? There’s an abundance of small grocery stores which also makes everything easier.

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Paris, Travel, Diplomat's Wife, Eiffel Tower, Where to go, What to see, What to eat
in Video

Travel + Video: Paris 2015

September 22, 2015

Our next stop in Europe was Paris! Though this city will always have a special place in my heart, I have to admit that in the summer, it can be too hot and too crowded. Nevertheless, I still had a lot of fun since going back to this city – this time with my husband – is just really romantic.

Before I move on to writing about where to go and some travel tips to Paris, let me share with you this video filled with snippets from this leg of our trip! Enjoy! :-*

More later!

xx,

Carol

*Trip is not sponsored by any country’s tourism department, company, or brand but by my side of the family living in Europe.  😊

in Beauty & Fashion, OOTD

Fashion: Kenzo Time’s 2015 Collection

August 12, 2015

Well this blog has been rather quiet! Sorry for the lack of updates, guys. If you’ve been following my Instagram, you might have noticed that I am not in Malaysia at the moment. The husband and I are finally enjoying an actual (!) holiday since our honeymoon.

It’s also well-deserved, I must say. They’ve been so busy at the embassy! He was ending his work days at 2am during the most recent ASEAN meetings. So to everyone who thinks that the job of a diplomat is easy – well, it’s not. Especially in a really busy post! We’re currently in Europe to visit my family and drop by a few must-see cities. It’s my husband’s first time here so it’s pretty fun to explore with him.

We’re currently at our second stop which is Paris! The city of lights, love, and of course – fashion. Looking at the Eiffel Tower yesterday reminded me of something! I actually have important news to share with you guys!

Before leaving for our trip, I attended the launch of Kenzo Time‘s 2015 collection in Kuala Lumpur and I must say that I was pretty impressed. I’m a lover of vintage and the classics when it comes to fashion and that mindset extends to my choice of timepieces. I usually stick with gold, vintage watches or bangle-type silver timepieces. I never saw watches as an accessory that can make or break my outfit. But alas, I stand corrected yet again. 😉

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Betjeman & Barton, Tea, Perfume Making, Afternoon Tea, Bisou Bon Bon, Paris Theme, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, The Butterfly Project
in Expat Life, KL Food, KL What to Do

Events: Bisou Bon Bon Perfume Tea Party at Betjeman and Barton

February 18, 2015

**As promised, here’s a new post! I’m back! <3 So happy to have time to write again!**

A couple of weeks back, I was so fortunate to be able to attend an event organised by The Butterfly Project where I, along with several other beauty bloggers, learned the basics of making perfume while indulging in oh-so good tea and desserts. Definitely my kind of party. 😉

I’m so, so happy to see Betjeman & Barton in Kuala Lumpur. Prior to being told the venue for this event, I was not aware that this French company was present in this part of the world.

But quite frankly, I’m not surprised to find a Betjeman & Barton branch thousands of miles away from Paris. After all, they’re one of the most trusted brands for tea and has been around since 1919. I’m happy that they’re here in KL as I just love their tea selection!

Which has a wide variety, by the way. 😉

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