The City of Love

As promised, the first instalment of a series of trips we did. This Paris trip was in the Spring of 2005.
We were on a quest, at least Zizzster was, to find out what was so romantic about the city. To me the definition of romance in Paris depends on who you are there with. Can't be going, "Oh this place is so romantic" if you're on a business trip with your obese boss, can you?

It was a quick 2-day stop for us and we wanted to take-in all that we can in the city. The Louvre, house to Mona Lisa and DaVinci's Code's main character, was mere footsteps away from the place we stayed in. We waited in line for a good hour to be the first few in. We actually ran to Mona Lisa before the crowd got there. Some may wonder what's the big deal with this portrait of a woman with no teeth? But you have to be there to appreciate her. Different angles stir very different emotions. Now how is that possible, you may ask but you just have to have your time with the great lady to 'feel' her.


What visit to Paris is complete without saying hi to Quasimodo? Magnificent cathedral, this. From the inside I managed to capture the stained-glass window albeit in bad light. Did you know the best quality stained-glass allows all the light to pass through? For example, if you hold up a coloured glass, it only allows the colour that it is stained in but the great cathedrals of yesteryears have stained-glass windows that allows white light in. Meaning the congregation won't be in multicolor when attending mass.

No prize for guessing what shop this is on Champs Elysses.

A symbol of triumph for the Parisiens but the most dangerous roundabout in the world to us. There are absolutely no road markings where 8 roads intersect. If you think KL folks are monsters on the road, try driving in Paris!

This is us on top of the toothpick courtesy of Monsieur Eiffel. The Zizzster is afraid of heights so don't be fooled thinking that she's actually smiling for the camera. It was more of, "Ok, we've made it up here. Now, can we go?". The nice American lady who took this for us couldn't stop laughing.


It was raining when we got to Sacre Couer. We were told by our friend to see it during sunset as you can see the whole Paris from there. So much for that, huh? We took shelter in the cathedral itself and to our surprise there was Mass then and we were entertained by ethereal singing of hymns by the nuns. The acoustics were amazing.

This is a shot of a Paris street at sundown the next day. We were fortunate enough to be in the part of Paris where there are hundreds of restaurants and eateries. Alas, I've never been a fan of French cooking except for French fries.

Hope you've enjoyed the sights of the City of Love and yes, that IS the Zizzster and me.