Paris: The Guide - Part 2

Arrived, but too early to check in the Hotel, so checked baggage into the Luggage Room, be careful not to leave valuables in your luggage, anyone (guests or people who look like they're guests) can get the key from the reception.

the hotel's facade

the hotel's really nice and dizzying spiral staircase (one of the first of many staircases that you will encounter in Paris!!)

Then roam la, make sure you have a very good and detailed map coz as i said, EVERYTHING is in French, Paris is not a very tourist friendly city.

We found a Hard Rock Cafe brochure at the hotel lobby, so that's where we headed first coz it looks quite near from the Hotel.

We're on a quest to collecting HRC Kid's T-Shirt from all the cities that we visit from now. Prefer collecting the Kid's T-shirt instead of getting overpriced knick knacks and fridge magnets....although, the t-shirts won't have any picture or memorabilia of the place we visit....ooppss.....we'll figure something out about that la...

Hard Rock Cafe Paris

Then just walk la, walk summore without knowing where to go and if you're lucky, can find some shops by the alley way

like this, it's so french innit

found Marley without a leash

found some cool alleyways, the buildings in Paris are quite old. Also, some small lanes smell like pee coz supposedly Parisians like to pee anywhere they like, until the government had to build loads of public toilets, but still the alleys smell like pee!!

found 2 arches just like this, there are loads in Paris, mostly old ones but then there is one modern arch....what's with French people and arches??

lots of scooters around, got Peugeot scooters, and a BMW scooter with a roof just like this

So after all the roaming, it was time to check in to the room, and this is the view from the room...nice eh, but at night, can hear cars zooming by.....

the view

After checking in, apa lagi!! Go roam la, what for stay in the room, go explore la.

1st stop is Sacre Coeur, or "Basilica of the Sacred Heart" which looked near enough to walk to from our hotel. Turned out that it was a half hour walk!! But then at least we get to see the Paris streets.

maaf insurance

We walked and walked and walked and passed this place that's like Chow Kit, got cheap clothes la, but cheap cheap also still 1€. And very dirty la, just like Chow Kit....and must climb uphill summore....then we saw something white!!

it was the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, but it looked like a mosque....but it was white, apparently the stone that they use to build it exhumes white chlorite which makes it look white or whiter over time.

come on, doesn't that look like a mosque?

just to prove that we were there!!

got load of people chilling on the steps, just listening to the street performers or enjoying the view of Paris.

chilling...

No pictures of the inside of the Basilica, pictures not allowed, but it was DAMN beautiful!! Got paintings on the roof la, got stained glass window la, got people confessing their confessions la....(is that right??), got a lot of candles la....loads i tell you!!

managed to 'find' the Eiffel Tower from all the mess that is Paris...

Make sure you don't just go to the Basilica and go off, there's a small quaint town just next to the Basilica, if i am not mistaken it's the small town of Montmarte. Very nice, looks very arty, maybe coz they were a lot of road side artists painting the Basilica and also portraits/caricatures of tourists (for a fee that is)

the arty feel to Montmarte

i bet the flats/condos here must be DAMN ex!!

there's a funicular that takes you up to the top of the hill where the Basilica is, but to save money, walk the steps la!!
this is the other quieter steps....

Just be careful when you go up Sacre Coeur, at the bottom of the hill where the steps up starts, you will definitely be harassed by some Afrikaans more popularly known as Bracelet Men. What they do is they will stop you and try to tie a friendship bracelet on you, when they finish the bracelet, you'll probably find that you're stuck with him coz he tied himself to you via the bracelet, so you'll be 'bracelet buddies'. They'll only cut off the bracelet once you pay them some €....so beware of this!!!

So, money saving tip....walk to your destination (if walkable) because most of the stops on the Metro are just a few hundred meters away, so walk if it's walkable.

Another tip, if you plan to walk a lot, go and buy a carnet of Metro tickets. 1 ticket is usually 1,60€ but if you buy a carnet (a book of 10 tickets) it would only cost you 11,60€. So plan your journeys well and you'll save a lot!!

Next up....

The one thing you come to Paris and have to see....

The Eiffel Tower....

tomorrow!!