To be quite candid, I have tons of awful comments to make about Paris - from her poorly designed airport, her unfair transport system - single fare no matter how near or far your journey is on the metro, to her filthy, stinking dog-poo-and-pee-covered streets, her mostly unhelpful service providers who leave you to fend for yourself or give rude answers, her outdated technology - machines which only accept French credit cards, her un-tourist-friendly tourist spots - descriptions are almost always written only in French and yes, the ugly nose-in-the-air tourists who come to the city to shop, who look at you differently just because you are not carrying a Louis Vuitton like them. (Don't get me started on girls who show off their IT bags.)
In a nutshell, I think the standard of Singapore's public amenities far surpasses first world country France. (Hey, it's easier to find public toilets in Beijing / Shanghai than in Paris. And my mom thinks Paris' filth is like Singapore 30 years ago.) If not for its rich history, food and must-see monuments, icons and architecture, Paris has nothing else to recommend itself. It is not a city to relax, unwind or spend a honeymoon. So now that I have set my eyes on the icons of the city, I do not see myself making a second visit to Paris any time soon. In fact, you will probably have to drag me there kicking and screaming.
So anyway, our first stop was to Champs Elysees, to the Arc de Triomphe which was commissioned by Napoleon in 1806 to commemorate the victories of France's Grande Armee (the "invincible army").
Visitors can actually climb the stairs or take an elevator to go right up to the top of the Arc for a 360 degree view of the Avenue des Champs Elysees. We saw lots of people at the top that day.
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is also found here, under the Arc, symbolizing the many soldiers who have died in sacrifice for France.
A Flame of Remembrance burns daily at the tomb to honour the memory of these fallen men. Yes, France has a rich military history.
The construction of the Arc was not completed during Napoleon's lifetime but fifteen years after his death, Napoleon's ashes passed under the Arc in a one-time procession.
And then we walked down the Avenue des Champs Elysees to Laduree! Ooh la la. The desserts there were fantastic.
Now this is a decidedly and uniquely French institution.
Laduree has no equivalent.
We sampled their macaroons, ice-creams, cakes and special house blends of vanilla, cinnamon and herbal teas.
Everything was the perfect combination of flavour, texture, sweetness, crispness. The ingredients used were fresh and carefully selected.
My mom especially loved Laduree's ice-creams.
Of course, our favourite monument was the Eiffel Tower.
Where Aidil and Shahrir are standing at Trocadero (with the Eiffel in the background) is where Hitler stood and posed for a photo on his whirlwind tour (and conquer) of France.
An architectural marvel designed by Gustave Eiffel and employing an ingenious system of pulleys to hoist elevators up four inclined legs of the tower.
Took the elevator up to the second landing to take in a view of the city from up high.
We arrived in Paris on New Year's eve to catch the fireworks at the Eiffel Tower.
Sadly, we waited in the cold only to catch sporadic, half-hearted bursts of fireworks. The American tourists were most disappointed. I think next time, Aidil and I want to count down the New Year at New York's Times Square. And I heard the fireworks at the Esplanade this year were awesome.
