paris - part II

 With every passing hour spent in Paris, I fall more and more in love with the beautiful, stylish city. Not only is it brimming with unbelievably fashion-forward people who seem to treat style as a religion, it’s full of the most stunning architecture and colorful heritage which I’m eager to learn more about. Coming from a concrete jungle of buildings with sleek, modern façades and futuristic design, being surrounded by century-old splendor is a refreshing change I can’t express in words. 

As the pictures suggest, we visited our fair share of touristy places during our trip; Musee D'Orsay, the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, Arc De Triomphe, check check check check. Hey, it was even Bastille Day during our visit! But even if we hadn't done all those things, I would have been perfectly happy to while away the days by simply roaming around the city, familiarizing myself with the tree-lined avenues, marveling at the overwhelming charm of Paris, and basking in the distinct French culture that the city is lathered in. While simultaneously munching on a crepe, or four. 

This summer was an exceptionally difficult one to pack for. After Paris, we’re due to go town-hopping in various parts of Bretagne for a few days, and then we’re off to Ireland for a week by the sea. I have one tiny suitcase and a weight allowance of 15kg, which I have to make do with for a whole month – including saving space to accommodate my potential overdose on retail therapy. I wanted to bring some stylish pieces to Paris, but I also wanted to dress for comfort and warmthat my other destinations. Therefore, I had to be prudent with what I packed and make sure that everything I brought could work wherever I go: be it on a boat, in a riverside caravan, at the beach, at a nice restaurant, or in one of the world’s capitals of fashion: Paris.

I kept my look simple with a lace top, a decorative necklace, my used-and-abused Longchamp bag which holds practically everything, a smart blazer to de-touristifymy look and help me blend in with the Parisians*, and a pair of simple black flats for all the walking we did.

* I swear to God everyone in Paris wears blazers – men included. I’m convinced they each own different blazers to fit every type of weather condition and occasion that could possibly come their way. Blazers are definitely part of the Parisian uniform!  

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paris - part I

Bonjour! 

After an exhausting three weeks in the mountains (read about it here!), I barely had a week of R&R back in my own bed before I was off again to Paris! The transatlantic flight was exhausting, but as soon as we left Charles De Gaulle Airport we were absolutely stunned by how beautiful the city was - even from the window of our Airport Shuttle Bus. 

There wasn't a single modern, glassy skyscraper in sight; every building we saw was authentically designed with unique floral patterns engraved in the faded stone fronts; each structure oozing with culture and history. Rows of dainty cafes lined the narrow cobblestone streets, each filled with Parisian women in leather boots and tailored trenchcoats, with their elegant, manicured fingers wrapped around warm lattes. Tree-lined avenues greeted us at every corner, each punctuated with wooden park benches occupied by lovebirds - young and old. Even the streetlamps looked so romantic, even though it was broad daylight. Within minutes of entering the city, I had come to a definite conclusion: The movies were right - Paris is really the city of love. 

After dumping our bags at our conveniently located hotel (on a quiet backstreet of Champs Elysees!), we instantly roamed the nearby streets and acquainted ourselves with the nearest coffee shop - Paul. Food always tastes best when it's made close to home, and Pain au Chocolat has never tasted better!

Apologies for the fluctuations in image quality; I'm using pictures from my digital camera as well as my mom's DSLR, so some images will be of better quality than others. 

2 more Paris posts are coming your way soon!

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