After almost 16 hours of air travel from Singapore, we arrived in France on a beautiful sunny weather. It was my first time to be on a long haul flight, to have two night’s worth of sleep and wake up not missing a day… aah, the mystery of crossing different time zones, it’s mind boggling isn’t it? #timetravel
We spent a week in Paris last autumn – walking around its quarters, tasting baguettes, croissant and macarons, admiring street and museum arts, strolling around its massive gardens, and just enjoying the sunny yet cool weather.
Reading about European History during my school days and staring at paintings, drawings, sculptures from my Humanities Research were nothing compared to the actual knowledge and cultural connection this city brings to you. It all feels surreal.
Before I flood you with more photos of Paris, here are some facts about the City of Lights!
1) Paris is abundant with parks and tree-lined avenues. They are measured and maintained; all 470,000 of them.
2) The city is home to beautiful balconies and tastefully decorated windows. Always be looking up!
3) Elevators and escalators are rare. Be prepared to climb multiple flights of stairs that starts with level “0” (as ground floor, whereas the 2nd floor is their 1st floor).
4) Paris has 1,784 bakeries. There are a lot of sweet temptations in every window display. Eat your heart out! Chances are you’ll be walking off all the calories anyway.
5) Two things about Parisian fashion: Black doesn’t go out of style and forget about diamonds; a scarf is a girl’s best friend.
6) Parisian women was officially allowed to wear pants in 2012. Yes, that’s right! For over 200 years, it is illegal for French women to “dress like a man” and wear trousers.
7) There were a lot of protests and controversy during the construction of the Eiffel Tower. Dubbed as “useless and monstrous”, people back then thought that the tower has nothing of value. Now, it’s a beloved icon of the city that around 7 million people visit each year.
8) The creator of the tower, Gustav Eiffel, made sure that it will last for years. It is windproof and only sways by 6-7 centimeters.
9) The Eiffel Tower grows by up to 18 centimeters in summer! Don’t freak out, this is due to the metal’s thermal expansion. Cool right?
10) The Eiffel Tower sparkles… It SPARKLES! Check it out in our Paris travel video.
Yay for sounding smart! I picked up all these Eiffel Tower facts while listening to the interactive audio guide provided when we visited the tower.
Audrey Hepburn said it right; Paris is always a good idea. :)
Did you fell in love with Paris too? What’s your favorite spot?
