Just Landed in London: One fine day in Paris

I always thought it was so cool to be able to go to another country and come back in one day. I went to Paris for a transit several years ago. We rode our bikes and passed the Louvre, Champs-Élysées and Eifel Tower. Eifel Tower was so pretty because of the twinkling lights and at midnight, the lights were even more amazing.

Louvre at Night

Twinkling lights at Midnight

Champs-Élysées

Since then, I told myself that I would go back to Paris. Around New Year's, I got an email from Eurostar, they were having a sale. I booked a return ticket on Saturday, March 22 to Paris. I left super early at 6AM and came back around 8PM. Lucky, the tube to St. Pancras was already running at 5AM.

The tube station is empty. This never happens except at 5AM.

I will miss this tube station when I'm back in the US

I knew I couldn't get greedy in Paris since I had limited time there, so I planned my day with a couple of museums and a walking tour. I did lots of research prior to the trip. I found out what ticket to buy to get around, I decided to go with unlimited pass for zone 1 and 2. Transportation in Paris is definitely cheaper than London. After arriving at Gare du Nord, I walked across the street to exchange my voucher with Musee d'Orsay and Orangerie tickets at the FNAC office. I had to ask people since I had no idea where the store was. After 10 minutes, I found it. I made a mistake by not taking another metro to Musee d'Orsay. I got off by the Louvre and walked. It wasn't long but it would save a bit of time, had I taken another transfer. During the walk to Orsay, I took these pictures.

Rainy morning. Right in front of the Louvre.


Seine River. Less polluted than Thames? At least the color is blue, not brown.

I got the Orsay and was overwhelmed by the people and by the size of it. It used to be a train station, but they spent so much money to renovate it to a museum. The main room/ hall was huge. Most of the sculptures were on the main floor. This place basically picks up where Louvre ends. I love impressionist and post impressionist era. Musee d'Orsay has amazing collections. They happened to have a Van Gogh exhibition, so I bought a special exhibition ticket for that. It's actually not necessary but I think at the end, it worked out well because I didn't have to stand in a long line.

I got a little tired looking at paintings, so when I snapped some pictures from the windows.

I stole snapping this picture. I was scared I got yelled at, so I tried to be discreet as much as I could. No flash.
Starry Night is the first Van Gogh collection that I ever saw.


Another great view from inside of the museum.

On the way to the walking tour.

After being inside for 2.5 hours, I was ready to step out and enjoy the sun. The walking tour is free and it's based on tips only. The group was meeting at Notre dame. My tour guide was a PhD student in middle age history. She was really great, easy to listen to and very passionate about Paris. She was the best tour guide that I've ever had, and I told her that.

Where Ernest Hemingway spent his time in Paris.

The rooms upstairs are free for inspired writers as long as they work at the bookstore and read one book a week.

Drinking fountains from early 1900's

Oldest Tree in Paris, Locus tree planted in 1601.

The oldest tree stood besides the oldest church

Belly House. They concave in the middle.

Streets were marked by a wall sculpture in the old days.

This area was restructured by Georges-Eugene Haussman during Napoleon III era.


I can't remember what this is. A church, I think.

The walking tour was 2 hours long. It ended at la Sorbonne or Paris University. After it ended, I went to Orangerie. This is the museum that has two giant rooms with Monet's waterlily paintings that basically covered all the walls. They put seating in the middle of the room, so you can just sit and ponder for a long time. Downstairs are some more post impressionist and neoclassical paintings.

I took a short walk from Orangerie to the Metro Station. The weather was nice but a bit windy. I had lunch at Orsay. It was just ham and cheese salad. When I passed Jardin des Tuileries, I saw a crepe stand, and I had to have it. There you go, my French food for the day.