Here’s our three days in Paris Itinerary, do bear in mind as this was our second visit to Paris we skipped Notre Dame, Arc de Triomphe and Champs-Élysées. To discover some cool Instagram worthy spots in Paris head over to the first part of our post
Checked into Hotel Eiffel Turrene
Eiffel Tower aka The Iron Lady
Even though we’ve visited Paris before, the city never ceases to amaze us with its unrelenting beauty. Even the incessant rain and bone-chilling winds couldn’t dampen our moods. R and I planned this impromptu trip to celebrate our second anniversary – what better place than Paris we thought! We spent the last weekend in absolute harmony with the city of love serving as the perfect backdrop. We sauntered through the cobbled streets, devoured buttery croissants every morning and marvelled at the city’s innumerable architectural masterpieces. No matter what you do, the city inevitably draws you into its charming aura. Let us take you on a photo journey of the most Instagram worthy spots in Paris
Located in the bustling sixth arrondissement, Musee D’Orsay houses one of the most impressive art collections in the world. You can spend hours in here marvelling at everything from Realism to Impressionist art. But the hidden gem is the majestic black and gold clock located on the fifth floor. This place tends to get quite busy, so our suggestion is to head there first and work your way from there. 
This is an obvious choice but hey, no list is complete without the mention of this iconic landmark. The beautiful arches, the winding stairs and seminal works of art all make for a great picture. If you want to get away from the jostling crowds, then the Tuileries Gardens is the perfect place to enjoy a quiet moment.
A few feet from the Abbesses metro station is the famous love wall – a work of art conceived by Frédéric Baron and Claire Kito. The wall is inscribed with the phrase ‘I love you’ in more than 300 languages. Another picture-worthy spot is the Sacré-Coeur – you can sit on the steps and take in the breathtaking panorama of the city.
You can’t go to Paree and not pay a visit to this gargantuan treasure. We snuck away to the park next to the tower to enjoy the view all to ourselves. This charming tree-lined park is the most idyllic spot to take in the expansiveness of the Eiffel Tower.
You get to see the Eiffel Tower from another perspective. The dreamy view of the city from the tallest building is breathtaking to say the least. Watching the sun go down with the sky turning hues of amber and gold was one of the top highlights of our trip.
While we missed seeing the Grand Palais, the Petit Palais more than made up for it. What stole our hearts was the serene courtyard tucked away near the entrance of the Palais. You can enjoy a hot cuppa amidst an oasis of greenery. The marble countertops, wrought iron chairs and mosaic flooring is all whimsical and equally beautiful.
7 Ladurée: The pastel décor, divine macarons and the charming café make for a picture-perfect setting. There’s nothing more heavenly than sinking your teeth into these pastel-hued delights. They are light, airy and utterly delicious. R froze for a few seconds after he devoured the rose macarons because they were just too good to be true.
PS: For a detailed itinerary and more images head over to this post here
This post is dedicated to R for having immense faith in me; for believing in my writing capabilities and for letting me turn our home into an urban jungle. Happy Birthday, my dear husband!
There’s something so satisfying about setting up your own home. It’s like carefully piecing together a puzzle, and watching it unravel in front of your eyes. When we moved into our previous apartment, it was already furnished and needed very little sprucing. While I loved the place, I felt it lacked a personal touch – we hadn’t meticulously handpicked the furniture or spent an inordinate amount of time trawling the internet to find the perfect mirror for my dresser. No, we did none of that. We just added a few photo frames, plants and other knick knacks for a home-away-from-home touch. While that was good enough, I wasn’t entirely happy. I wanted to create a welcoming cocoon that was a reflection of our personalities. I longed for a place where I could feel at home without being constantly reminded that it was a rented property.
Around December last year, my wish came true in the form a moderately spacious and well-lit apartment that is at a walking distance to the train station. Hallelujah! Since the house was partly furnished, it gave us a chance to set it up the way we wanted to. We had a huge laundry list of things we wanted for the house and our first purchase was a beautiful wooden bookshelf (Good spot, R) to complement the black and red colour palette of our open kitchen. Then came the chest of drawers, floor lamps, rugs and plants…my beloved plants that add so much colour and life to our apartment. It’s taken us over two months to decorate the whole place and the puzzle now looks complete.
Day 1
Nice, the capital of the French Riviera was love at first sight for us. The undulating Promenade des Anglais, lanes dotted with quaint chapels and boulangeries teeming with people are all an inordinately beautiful sight. On our first day, we sauntered through the entire stretch of the promenade while relishing a gelato and thinking c’est la vie! One of the best places to enjoy the view is to climb up the winding stairs of Le château de Nice (Castle hill). There are various entrances, or you can even take the free lift. This medieval castle is a maze of greenery that offers stunning views of the old town and the port. We spent the entire day wandering around and exploring this place. We even chanced upon a waterfall that was built during the 18th century. As the evening light started to set in, we walked over to the beach to bask in the warm glow.
Day 2Eze Village
The next morning, we took a bus to Eze Village – make sure you sit on the right side of the bus to enjoy the plentiful vistas. Following a quick breakfast of buttery croissants and black coffee, we headed to explore the fortified village. Perched on a rocky peak, this village offers an outstanding view of the Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat peninsula. Dotted with quaint boutiques and bougainvillaea-covered villas, this place has maze-like streets that lead to beautiful courtyards and hidden alleys. Next, we climbed up to the Jardin Exotique, where an abundance of succulent plants surrounds the castle ruins. Perfect place to enjoy a quiet moment.
Monaco
After spending three hours in Eze, we took another bus to Monaco. On reaching, we headed to a restaurant overlooking the harbour to devour dried cod cooked in tomato sauce and pasta with Mediterranean vegetables. The wide variety of museums and sites reflects the importance of art, history and culture in Monaco. We walked around the harbour for a while enjoying the sight of docked yachts dancing around in the water. Post that, we walked to the Oceanographic Museum from the old port. Although it’s quite a walk, the view is breathtaking! We highly suggest you do this instead of taking a bus or a cab. The Oceanographic Museum is a neoclassical building that houses over 6000 species in a spectacular underwater environment. The shark lagoon is a must-visit, it will surely blow your mind. In the same vicinity, you’ll also find the magnificent Prince’s Palace, the white stone Cathedral and the Chapel of Mercy. Instead of walking all the way back to the old port, there’s an exit next to the palace that’ll take you back into the city.
Day 3Cannes
Pronounced as ‘can’, this place is all about glitz and glamour. From taking pictures on the red carpet to dining at upscale restaurants, you can do it all. While there’s nothing much to see apart from the razzle-dazzle, there are a few places that are worth a visit. Head over to Forville Market to taste the local delight – Socca (chickpea crepes), walk through the charming neighbourhood of Le Suquet or shop for vintage knick-knacks at Rue Meynadier. If you have time we would surely recommend taking a ferry to Ile Sainte-Marguerite – a beautiful island with a fort and maritime museum.
While Eze still remains the best part about our trip, the French Riviera certainly did steal our hearts forever.
Handy Tips1. We booked an Uber from the airport to Nice using the wifi available at the airport and it cost us 19€, an alternative is to use the express bus which costs 6€ per person. Note that when you pull up your list of available wifi networks at the airport, you will probably see ‘FreeWifi’: this is NOT free, ‘Free’ is a network provider and it’s only free… if you pay!
2. We chose Nice as our base and travelled to Eze, Monaco and Cannes
3. Buy these handy Foldable water bottles as you will need it while exploring the city plus you can easily clip it to your bag.
4. When you get on the train to Cannes, the stop you need to get off is Cannes Voyagers, not Cannes la Bocca.
5. Nice has 3 stops Riquier, St Augustine and Nice Ville figure out which station your Hotel is the closest to
6. Validate your ticket in the little yellow machines before getting on to the train, if you’re on a tram you can do this once you get in.
City of romance: words that describe Venice perfectly. Sun glints off the canals, while the smell of fresh fish wafts through the lanes. Ancient buildings, docked gondolas and the breathtaking landscape will command your attention everywhere. Venice’s beauty lies in its intricate canal system, they bring a great sense of serenity to the surroundings.
After a hour long boat ride, we checked into L’Orologio hotel, a few minutes from the Rialto bridge. Our agenda for the evening was to explore the city and taste some Venetian cuisine.
Post a somewhat disastrous meal, we headed towards Piazza San Marco, a magnificent square that truly enchants. This usually buzzing space was completely empty, saving a few people taking selfies.
At dawn, we set out to explore the majestic Saint Mark’s Basilica. It is regarded as one of the finest examples of Byzantine architecture in the world. We were especially awed by the ornate architecture and the gemstone studded altar inside the basilica.
No trip to Venice is complete without a gondola ride. It is possibly the best way to see the city. You can explore various Byzantine and Baroque landmarks at your own pace. Also, never give your camera to your gondolier, he will probably run away with it. He did with ours but we were faster than him. Ha!
Since we visited Venice during the off-season, we paid only €60 for the gondola ride. Don’t be shy to negotiate with them, as they quote anywhere between 90 and 150 euros.
As the city bathed in splashes of gold, we walked around exploring popular sights like Doge’s Palace, an imposing gothic structure converted into a museum; Gallerie dell’Accademia – a museum showcasing pre-19th-century art, bridge of sighs and San Giorgio Maggiore, a basilica with a gleaming white façade.
Next day, we jetted off to Venice’s neighbouring island, Murano. This unassuming island is the perfect place to experience classic, old-world Venice. You can go on a tour of the glass-making industry or sit down to relish Venetian fare at a trattoria.
Venice Two Day Itinerary
Day 1:
Places to see: Campanile di San Marco, St. Mark’s Basilica, Doge’s Palace, Peggy Guggenheim Museum.
Day 2
Places to see: Grand Canal Gondola Ride, Murano (where you can visit the glass museum and workshops) or Burano (known for lace making and colorful houses) and if you still have time head to Punta della Dogana and you won’t regret it.
Travel Tips:
1) Take the Alilaguna from the airport to your hotel. There are many private boat operators best to avoid them as they’re way too expensive. You can buy tickets for this at the airport’s information desk.
2) Once you’re in the heart of Venice the best way to get around is the Vaporetto which is the Venetian water bus.
3) It’s advisable to stay close to the Rialto bridge as all the touristy attractions are at a walking distance.
4) If you are looking for offline navigation then Here maps is a handy app to have. Download links for Android and iOS.
Strasbourg has a special place in our hearts for many different reasons and the Mille Ans light show was just one of those. Pardon the quality of the video but this is an experience we will cherish for the rest of our lives
In pictures: Unadulterated beauty of Strasbourg
