Where does one stay in Paris? This sprawling city is riddled with neighborhoods, nay, districts or arrondisements each with their own distinct flavor that researching for the best place for a first-time visitor to stay in was daunting. I later concluded that you can't go wrong staying in the  districts closest to the city center from the 1st to 9th arrondisement. The train rides will be quicker going to the main attractions (Eiffel Tower, Champs Elysees, The Louvre, Notre Dame Cathedral), however, accommodation prices may be a bit steep.

So, when it came time to book our hotel, I just went ahead and looked for an adequate studio accommodation in a price range I could swallow and ended up in the Latin Quarter.

This tiny building is just off Boulevard Saint Germain and was a great home base for pretending to be Parisiennes for a few days. It was in the middle of everything and was a few blocks to the Saint-Michel Metro which we needed to take to go to the sites. The Cluny-La Sorbonne station is just steps away on Blvd Saint Germain but we never used this station as it never served our destinations. It was also walking distance to the Luxembourg Gardens walking south and to the Notre Dame walking north. 

I found the area very safe, possibly because there were a lot of tourists, but we've been out walking till about 11pm and it never felt unsafe. There is an ATM on the corners of Blvd Saint Germain and Saint Michel, close to a Monoprix (if you feel like grocery shopping) otherwise, there's a cheaper more mom-and-pop grocery store close to the McDonald's that also sells good French wine for under €10. Being a touristy area, there are of course, a ton of restaurants, most of them offering affordable prix fixe menu. No Michelin-starred dining here, but all the meals we've had were pretty good. 

 I've heard great things about the Marais and St. Germain de Pres neighborhoods, as well. Where did or will you stay in your Paris trip?

Xoxo, Karrisa and Ketie

*Some parts of this post had been previoiusly shared on Trip Advisor under my TA account. 

When in Paris: Live Like Locals

Where does one stay in Paris? This sprawling city is riddled with neighborhoods, nay, districts or arrondisements each with their own dis...

When in Paris: Live Like Locals

0

We had no pressing desire to see Greenwich, seeing as it was out of the way of Central London. The unexpected detour up the Thames River was a welcome inconvenience, however. 

Beautiful Georgian-era buildings greet you the moment you set foot in the area. We had no idea where to go so we  walked where directional arrows pointed and meandered around... until we found ourselves in Greenwich Park... home of the Greenwich Royal Observatory, and the origin of the Prime Meridian or 0° longitude on your maps. This is serious nerding, folks!

Karrisa standing directly in the way of the Prime Meridian.

Ketie at the sundial.

Nelson's Ship

 Greenwich, being close to the river, has a big maritime history. Here's Admiral Nelson's ship in a bottle that used to sit on the fourth plinth at Trafalgar Square.

Greenwich Royal Observatory

We would've loved to have hiked all the way up to the observatory but it was getting late and we had just arrived in London that very morning, so we were spent. We contented ourselves with this glorious view. 

Xoxo, 

Karrisa & Ketie

When in London: Detour to Greenwich

We had no pressing desire to see Greenwich, seeing as it was out of the way of Central London. The unexpected detour up the Thames River...

When in London: Detour to Greenwich

0

At the Docks

The River Thames, the lifeblood of London. You see it by the London Eye, The London Bridge-- which we know we're actually thinking of the Tower Bridge, the Tate Modern. As much as it is so efficient, relatively cheap and relatively fast to traverse Central London using the Tube, what better way to get the lay of the land than to cruise up the River Thames?

We took the Blue Line, planning to get off a few stops upriver. We really just wanted to cruise the river so we bought the "River Roamer" which lets you hop on and hop off the river all day long. It was a dear £18 (around $23) but worth the comfort of just getting on and off the boat whenever we felt like it. Standard fare is £8 ($10) or a bit cheaper if you used your Oyster Card (the local reloadable transport card.) More information on that here.

It was a very pleasant and comfortable trip. You could hang out at the back and have an uninterrupted view, or if it were chilly, you can go towards the covered section in the front, where inside, they also sell coffee, drinks and snacks.

You get lulled into the comfort and amazement of sight-seeing by the river that you forget to take photos!

View from Westminster

The one photo I remembered to take, the Tower Bridge! And to the far right, you can see the Gherkin, as well.

In fact, the ride was so scenic and comfortable that by the time I realized we were leaving Canary Wharf, the boat was speeding up faster upriver! And that's how we ended up on an unplanned trip to Greenwich. :)

Xoxo, Karrisa and Ketie

When in London: Cruisin' Down the River Thames

At the Docks The River Thames, the lifeblood of London. You see it by the London Eye, The London Bridge-- which we know we're actual...

When in London: Cruisin' Down the River Thames

0

She's hard to miss and she's definitely visible in almost every corner of Paris... The Eiffel Tower.

It was getting dark by the time we got to the Eiffel Tower, no big thanks to the long wait at the public restroom (that needs a separate post). We had intended to walk up the 328 steps to the first floor in order to steer clear of the lines at the elevators but London had worn us out and so, we contented ourselves with just the view of the tower from below.

Upskirt view of the Eiffel Tower... in all her iron glory.

 I was a bit bummed that we were coming here at dusk because I wanted a view of the Parisian streets from the top floor. But, in exchange for that, we got the glittery tower instead. It was fun, almost unreal to see it lit up! Catch it every hour beginning at dusk.

If you wish to just take a good photo of the Eiffel Tower as a background, it's true what most guidebooks say. Go instead to the Trocadero and take a photo from there. You'll have a better perspective and a sweeping view of the Eiffel Tower complex. However, you've seen those photos so many times before. You want to see and touch the tower for yourself so it's still worth it to get in or under the Eiffel Tower and then take your photo op across the street.

We bumped into a nice Filipino couple who offered to take a photo of us both. 

xoxo, Karrisa & Ketie

When in Paris: Le Tour Eiffel

She's hard to miss and she's definitely visible in almost every corner of Paris... The Eiffel Tower. It was getting dark by the...

When in Paris: Le Tour Eiffel

0

The Union Jack. The Queen. The Tube. The Spice Girls. Harry Potter. Fish and chips. Dreary, gray, rain-soaked mornings. I think by now, you already have some idea of where I’m heading here. London is such an iconic city, we deemed it worthy of the first stamp on our new passports.

By now, everyone knows Big Ben is the bell inside the Tower, right? We all gawk at "Big Ben" even though technically, it's not Big Ben we're looking at, but no one really gasps, "Hey, it's the Elizabeth Tower!" And while the bell itself will be silenced sometime soon, at the time of our trip, Big Ben's sonorous tolling was every bit as grandiose as the building it belongs in.

So, let’s step back a bit and focus on the majesty of the Palace of Westminster! Wow.

The golden bricks, the intricate spires and the dainty, narrow windows make this building breathtaking. This is what I think of straightaway when I think of London. All the pomp and majesty fades in the background of this symbol. It's just so quintessentially British, and therefore the best place to introduce oneself to London. "Hello, London, pleased to meet you."

xoxo, Karrisa & Ketie

When in London... Big Ben

The Union Jack. The Queen. The Tube. The Spice Girls. Harry Potter. Fish and chips. Dreary, gray, rain-soaked mornings. I think by n...

When in London... Big Ben

0