Pondering Paris

Waiting for a taxi at around 6:10 a.m. in 7 degrees celsius weather.

We arrive at Charles de Gaulle Airport in the wee hours of the morning. My husband and I were weighing the option of whether to take a train or bus to get to our hotel but after a 12-hour and 17 minute flight from Hong Kong International Airport, we succumbed to the easier option of queueing for what turned out to be a 65 Euro taxi ride to our Paris hotel. Thus, my first tip is to ensure you know exactly how you will get to your Paris accommodation and knowing how much it will cost you. It will probably still be around the same price, but at least you avoid the icky feeling that you have been conned by someone who could actually be the most honest cab driver in Paris. Here are some other options to get to the city via RER B or by bus.

This display is conveniently located near the baggage carousels.

It took us around 45 minutes to get to Holiday Inn Paris Montparnasse, which I thought was too long considering there was hardly any traffic at that time of day, but I felt heaps better when the kind front desk staff named Galina found us a room and got us in it by 7:30 a.m. Check-in is usually not until 2 p.m. The room was a decent size and the sunrise view was pretty. I may have been a bit biased though, because after flying from Manila to Hong Kong then to Paris, any room with a clean bed would have suited just fine :-).

I was lucky that I got to stay in a hotel and an apartment in Paris during this trip to France. First at this hotel and then after our pilgrimage to Lourdes, at a beautiful BridgeStreet apartment with a fantastic view of the Eiffel Tower and within walking distance of the Gare St. Lazare train station.

Bedroom 1 was nice and had an en-suite.

Bedroom 2 was a bit bigger.

The lounge room made for a comfy bedroom 3!

The apartment option works if there are at least three of you staying there and it comes out cheaper when you divide the cost amongst the three (or even six!) of you. This next room, however, is my favourite of the four...

Yes, it's a kitchen which means we get to whip up delicious meals at half or even a third of the cost of Paris restaurant meals! Top tip right there! ;) Oh, and there are lots of convenience stores, fruit shops and mini groceries nearby from which to buy your ingredients. If you feel like splurging a bit, get your groceries at Galleries Lafayette.

But the stove, the big refrigerator, the microwave, the dishwasher are not the main reasons why I love this room, it's not even the fantastic meals that were prepared in this kitchen...

... it was THIS captivating view of the Eiffel Tower which left me starry-eyed! Sigh! *swooning with joy!* ;) I made over a dozen trips to that kitchen throughout our stay... just to catch another splendid glimpse of the Eiffel. It never failed to impress! With such a wonderful home base, it was easy to enjoy the City of Light and Love!

Paris Sightseeing Highlights:

*Tour the sights with ease on a hop-on hop-off, double-decker, open top(in good weather) bus.

* The Arc de Triomphe on the Champs Elysees

The iconic Arc de Triomphe along the equally famous Champs Elysees.

A stroll along the Champs Elysees

* Parisian food, drink & pastime ;)
I enjoyed waiting in line for an authentic Parisian crepe. I must have waited for over 15 minutes as there was quite a queue. But the smell of the crepes as they were cooking was too irresistible. I could hear those in line speaking in French and discussing what they would get- "sucre"(sugar), "chocolat!"(no translation needed ;)) and "Nutella!" If it was good enough for the locals, it was good enough for me. I ordered all three! hahaha!

Street food! Parisian style ;)

After walking along the Champs Elysees, enjoying some drinks at Louis XXV. Cheers!

* The Tour Eiffel or Eiffel Tower

Always leaves me... STARSTRUCK!!! 

* Basilique du Sacre Coeur de Montmartre

Fun little shops as I take a leisurely walk up the street to the base of the Sacred Heart Basilica.

The Sacred Heart Basilica of Montmartre( Sacre- Couer), Paris

Sporting a hat which I got from one of the shops on the way up ;).

* Sunset over Paris as seen from the Sacred Heart Basilica <3 

* The Artists' Village of Montmartre

* The Louvre Museum and Glass Pyramid

Sure you're in the midst of great masterpieces like Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa, but you still gotta eat! ;)

A fun photo with the Louvre Pyramid! ;)

Since you cannot take photographs of most of the exhibits in the Louvre, you'll just have to settle for some wacky or quirky pictures outside the museum. With this photo of me leaning on the Pyramid taken, all that's left to say is Vive la France!!! :D

Salzburg, the Sound of Music & Mozart

A view of Salzburg's Old Town from across the Salzach River

        Roses are blooming in my garden and I was reminded of the song “My Favourite things” from the movie “The Sound of Music”. It’s been raining and so I saw some “raindrops on roses…”.  I watched this movie over and over again around 20 or so years ago and several times more in recent years. The story is set in Austria, specifically Salzburg. There was mention of Vienna and Germany throughout the movie, too, but Salzburg was the star! 

        “ Edelweiss” is one of my favorite songs from that movie.

Not the real deal but you can take some home & not worry about customs & quarantine.

        The movie introduced me to Salzburg, in particular, and Austria, in general. Imagine my surprise when I went to Salzburg and most locals didn’t know about the movie, let alone the songs of my childhood! I thought they were kidding me! They weren’t!

It was a cold winter day when my group set off on our tour of Salzburg with the utter bewilderment on my part, that the locals wouldn’t be able to relate to my references to scenes/locations which I found familiar because I had seen them in the movie. If you’re still reading this, then you,  hopefully, will have a better chance of recognizing these scenes ;).

The Alps behind me. The movie began and ended with scenes of the breathtaking Alps.

At some point during the tour, our bilingual( English-Spanish) guide told me that some of the scenes in the movie weren’t even filmed in Salzburg. They were probably filmed in another location or at some movie studio using recreated sets. Still and all, that didn’t stop me from humming “ The hills are alive!” as soon as Salzburg’s hills started rolling before my eyes =)

THE hills are most certainly alive! =)

A photo of the Mirabell Gardens in full bloom
from a Salzburg Sightseeing Tours Ad.

Maria and the Von Trapp children walked around these gardens as they sang, “Doe a deer a female deer…”

My photo of the Mirabell Gardens... not in full bloom ;)
but still as serene.

My guess is that the Von Trapp family were hiding at this convent cemetery when the soldiers came looking for them after the music festival where they won the First Prize...

Maria walked through one of these arches as she left the Abbey to go to the Von Trapp family home...

Captivating Residenz Platz

As if all that wasn’t enough to keep me tourist-happy, Salzburg just happens to be the birthplace of one of the most famous musical genius of all time--- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart!

Mozart's Birthplace & Home

It would be great to revisit this place with my Mom, sister and daughter one day. Mom is a pianist and has enjoyed listening and playing some of Mozart’s most enchanting symphonies. 

As for my sister and daughter, we’ve sung Sound of Music songs in many family gatherings =).

If you’ve had your fill of culture and history, there are the quaint little shops around Salzburg waiting to be explored and enjoyed. Familiar labels abound, with outdoor advertising to match the culturally rich town.

Posh Zara signage

Many establishments are named after Salzburg's musical genius.

Everything may look a bit expensive compared to the prices we are used to in the Philippines, that’s probably because they are! But it’s not to say that you can’t find good deals around. Try the souvenir shops with the mini Mozart violins, magnets, etc.

Okay, this is a bit random but it's nice to see something familiar. My house dress which I got from Shenzhen, China has the same material as the one used in this pink robe. Nice to see a bit of Asia in Europe =)

Getting a bit hungry from all the exploring? Pretzels are a good option. This lot which I took a photo of claim to be made by the original pretzel maker in town!

You can't go wrong with 2 Euro pretzels ;)

Let you in on a REAL money-saving tip- this is what we had for breakfast at our apartment in Vienna before our tour of Salzburg:

Produce all bought from the Billa store a few steps away from our Hotel Pension Lumes apartment near Stephansplatz. Love Billa!=) European treats at a fraction of restaurant prices.

This next bit of info is a tad bit unromantic... and I shouldn't really be posting it right after food... but it's most essential! 

Please have 0.50 Euro coins ready in your pocket for when you need to use the toilet. For even if you can enter the cubicle without putting in a coin, you won’t be able to lock it!

Before I headed back to our tour group’s meeting place for departure back to Vienna, I thought I would just soak in the whole experience. I found a place to sit down, relax and simply enjoy the idyllic scenery.

A plaza such as this one is just too lovely for words!

Ahhh... such is the sound of music for me!

THE Eiffel Tower

The iconic Tour Eiffel or Eiffel Tower is a sight to behold!

Be it day...

... or night! :-)

Staring at it makes my mind hum, "La Vie En Rose" ;-).

Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1

Things to do while waiting for boarding: Catch a few NBA games, shop for gifts/pasalubongs at Duty Free and the many other shops, buy medicines or other travel needs, surf at the Free Internet Station, get a prepaid SIM or roaming load for your mobile, make all the texts & calls (There are pay phone booths as well) you need to make BEFORE going on roaming( It's cheaper that way), set your SIM/mobile on roaming, get a massage, simply lounge around or eat. The last is my fave to do ;) My usual food stop at NAIA 1 is Great Panda. Love their shrimp siomai! ;) They've got congee, noodles, siopao, etc. Yum!

If you're a Mom with an infant in tow, there's also a Feeding Station for you and your little baby.

Before you do all that, set your cellphone alarm to make sure you won't miss your boarding call. Oops, there goes my alarm!

Safe travels! ;)