Paris In 24 Hours

I  have been lucky to be able to visit the city of lights, not once but twice (so far). Audrey Hepburn was quite right, Paris is always a good idea. All the more now with the Eurostar which delivers you straight right into central Paris via Gare Du Nord station.  My first visit several years ago was spent over three nights but the most recent was a hurried one, just over 24 hours to say the least. It was at the tail end of a bigger holiday in Disneyland with the five year old.

Paris has not changed much, it still has that quintessential elegance and charm. I have noticed though that the French were friendlier on this visit. I think it was the bonjours and the merci’s that we consciously added  to our sentences that made the difference this time.

There is so much to do in this magical city which, not surprisingly, always tops the list of the most visited city in the world.  From the culturally enriching museums , to the well-manicured gardens and world renowned landmarks, you are spoilt for choice whether you are in the city for a day or a week. Here is my list of favourite things to do and places to visit when in Paris that could be done in 24 hours.

          Angelina’s Tea Room (Le Salon De The’) –  Your first meal in Paris is best taken at Angelina’s Tea Room at Rue De Rivoli, a stone’s throw from the Louvre museum. Sipping their famous Chocolat Chaud Angelina, the most decadent hot chocolate you will ever have in Paris, coupled with a few bites from a macaron or the classic Mont-Blanc in the elegantly designed tea room is an experience in itself. Established in 1903, this exquisite place has seen the likes of Chanel and Hepburn. Angelina is not only famous for their pastries. They serve lovely meals as well and I could not recommend the Suprême de Volaille enough.

·         Louvre Museum (Musee de Louvre) – Considered as one of the biggest museums in Europe and the most visited in the world, it is home to thousands of historical masterpieces including Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and Alexandros of Antioch’s Venus De Milo to name a few. Of course, you cannot see the entire Louvre in a day but a quick visit to cast a glance at Mona Lisa’s enigmatic smile or for a photograph beside I.M Pei’s iconic Louvre Pyramid always suffice.

·         Tuileries Garden (Jardin De Tuileries)   – Past the Louvre is the Tuileries Garden. Originally the garden of the Tuileries Palace, it was opened to the public after the French Revolution. A walk through this long stretch of beautiful greenery and fountains is what Parisian dreams are made of. Here you can stop at one of the outdoor cafes to have that longed for pan au chocolat from PAUL matched with a refreshing bottle of Evian or some aperitif. Better yet, grab one of those green chairs that abound and sit idly to relax your legs while admiring the beautiful fountains and watch the world go by.

·         Champs- Elysees Avenue (Avenues des Champs-Elysees)  / Arc de Triomphe -  The most famous avenue in the world, Champs-Elysee, is a foodie and shophaholic haven. The west side is bordered with shops, both designer and high street and there is a variety of restaurants on offer. If you want to satisfy your sweet cravings, you can drop in at La Maison Laduree and indulge in one

of their macarons or madeleines .For a more formal dining, you can book a table at L’ Atelier De Robuchon, Joel De Robuchon's restaurant, the only chef in the world who holds the most Michelin star on all of his restaurants combined. Make sure you book way in advanced as we tried to book a table two weeks before our visit and we did not get a table. Otherwise, the Arch De Triomphe, located at the end of Champs-Elysees is also worth a visit.  Being at the top also gives you an unparalleled  view of Paris but without the long queues you get at the Eiffel Tower.

·         Eiffel Tower (Tour Eiffel)-  A trip to Paris is not complete without seeing the Eiffel tower. Most tourists go to Paris with the main intention of seeing the most famous structure in the world, in all its glory and splendour. It is that part of the world where everyone dreams to be. Avoid the queue and book your tickets in advance or better yet, if you have some Euros to burn,  book a table at celebrated chef Alain Ducasse’s restaurant on the second floor to jump the queue, literally and figuratively taking your Parisian experience to the next level.

 So,that is your 24 hours in Paris sorted. Breakfast, lunch and dinner with stunning views of Paris and a bit of shopping on the side. There is so much more to Paris than just the Eiffel tower or the Louvre so by all means explore as far as your feet can take you and see the city of lights the way your heart desires.

6 Important Things Being a Grown Up Has Taught Me

Now that I am older, I do not sweat the small stuff anymore. Here are 6 important things I learned in life.

Take care of yourself. After all, you are the only one who knows how you want to be taken care of. No one is going to come out of the blue offering you facials, gives you yoga sessions, buys you beautiful clothes and makeup, takes you to a nice holiday, or sends you to lunch with your girlfriends. Only you know all these things. Even husbands and boyfriends are clueless. Although taking care of yourself does not have to be expensive. It could be as simple as reading that book that you have been wanting to read but never had the time or taking a day off work not because you have to but because you just want to laze around the house and do nothing. Listen to your body, it tells you when to take a break. Once you have taken care of yourself, you are in a better position to take care of the people around you. As they say, take care of yourself and everything else will fall into place.

Spend more time with people who matter most, your family. With this, I mean putting down your phone, the iPad or the laptop and really talk, without distractions. We used to bring theiPad everytime we eat out but I found that while we are waiting to be served, the husband and I are on our phones and the little girl is on the iPad. No talking involved. It was not very ideal. So now, I make it a point that we put the phone away, leave the iPad at home and utilise the Kiddie packs that the restaurants provide. This way, the little girl gets to be creative with colouring and writing while the husband and I get to catch up.

Prioritise friendships. I am not best friends with everyone. I am choosy when it comes to letting people into my circle. I cannot be best friends with someone whom I am not comfortable with. If I can let my guard down with someone, where I can be just me when I am with them then there is a big chance we can be good friends, best friends even. Stay away from people who does not make you feel good about yourself. I do not like negativity or drama. As they say, the less friends you have, the less drama. So keep your circle small. Once you find your own small circle, make sure to spend time with those people and nurture your friendship. As per experience, laughter with friends always takes the stress away.

Be happy with what you have. I used to know a couple who were trying too hard to have a second child. The wife is so desperate and unhappy every time she talks about not being pregnant again. I could not fathom why instead of being happy and grateful for having their only child in front of her, she chose to be sad and long for another one that she does not have. Happiness is what you make it, people!

Learn to say no. If trying to make everyone around you happy by saying yes to everything they ask of you is stressing you out and eventually making you unhappy, then it is time to say no. No explanations. No excuses.

Lastly, do whatever makes you happy. Take holidays. If it means booking a spur of the moment Eurostar trip to Paris or as simple as snuggling all day under the duvet with a book or a movie, do it if it is what makes you happy. You heart will thank you for it.

Five Faves

L’Occitane  Almond Shower Oil – The scent is so heavenly and it leaves your skin so soft that most times you forget you have not applied lotion yet.  A little amount mixed with water rubbed between the palm of your hands lathers up into a creamy consistency . Taking a shower once a day is enough for me but the thought of very soft skin against my bed sheets is such an inviting thought that I tend to take a shower just before bed. The scent, like lavender lulls me to deep slumber.  I could never get enough of this shower oil.

The White Company Seychelles hand wash – Before I was given this as a present, we were using The Body Shop’s Almond hand wash in the house which I absolutely love but this one I love more. It feels and smells more luxurious.  Makes hand washing much less of a chore.

Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge – I am never the one to use brushes or any equipment for applying makeup on. I am fond of using my fingertips to put on my liquid foundation and cream blush as I find it blends better and looks more natural on me rather than using brushes and what have you. But this makeup sponge had me singing a different tune when I tried it. It gives me the same natural finish as when I use my finger tips and better because my fingers remain clean and I do not need to wash them.  Each part of the sponge has a function. The flat side, similar form to a leaf is for applying your foundation.  The leaf like form is very handy as it makes it easier to reach difficult areas of your face like the angle between your eye and your nose and also under eyes. The pointy bit is for applying concealer and the rounded side is for applying the blusher.  Genius! I’m a convert.

EOS hand cream – I raved about EOS lip balms on my previous Five Faves post and I could not rave enough about their equally good or should I say great hand cream. It comes in a very innovative flat container that will sit perfectly in your pocket. It smells lovely and glides in your hand like butter.

Dyptique candle – I have used other candles before and so far, Dyptique is the best candle I have ever lit. The quality is unrivaled and the classy design of the jar means you can place it anywhere in the house. The scent is pure bliss. Very mild on your nose but strong enough to be smelled throughout the room. It even emanates fragrance even when not lit. This is not very cheap (it was a  present) but it is worth it as you would know that they only used the purest oil and finest blend of waxes. For me, this is the gold standard when it comes to candles. Enough said.

Mad Hatter's Afternoon Tea

It was not just any afternoon tea, it was a Mad Hatter’s Afternoon tea.

Everything on this three tiered serving tray is edible. From the herb on top, to the mushroom marshmallows down to the chocolate tea cups on the bottom.

They tasted as nice as they looked, except for the marshmallows, of which I am never fond of, anyway.

The sugar cubes were served in a musical box, the menu is in the pages of a story book and the tea pot wears a crown. 

The clock shaped Victoria sponge cake was the star of the afternoon . It was moist and sweet enough without being too overpowering on your taste buds. 

This delicious chocolate mint flavoured tea had us craving for more.

And this beautiful concoction of layers of vanilla, banana and passion fruit served in an apothecary bottle was amazing.

The only downside is that unlike Alice in Wonderland, I did not shrink and neither did my waistline. In fact, it was the other way around. 

Mad Hatter’s Afternoon Tea

The Sanderson Hotel 

50 Berners Street

London, W1T 3NG

44 0 20 7300 1400

Five Faves

I find pleasure in the smallest of things in the same way I believe that great things do come in small packages. I get equally excited whether I am getting a small or a big present.  Four of my five current faves are nice, little things that made their way to my hands from across the pond. Lovingly hand carried by two of my favourite friends. 

L’Occitane hand cream – I know, I know, this is not made in the U.S. A but somehow, my friend thought I might need this buttery hand cream in our usually cold weather (even in summer!) and decided to bring me this wonderful French brand of a cream. I have been using this religiously not only because the still cold weather despite it being spring time, is making my hands dry but also because I just love how luxurious it feels on  my hands. I think a trip to L’Occitane is in the offing.

Eos lip balm – The same friend brought this ridiculously yummy and creamy lip balm from the states. It glides on my lips and keeps it supple up until I wake up in the morning. I am bordering on the obsession and applying it in every waking hour.

Bath and Body cream – The creaminess is not superior to Victoria’s Secret range of body creams but I can honestly say it can give them a run for their money as the scents that are on offer are different in a way that they do not hurt your nose. It’s subtle, like you have just come out of the shower.

Bath and Body hand sanitizer -  I first came across this sanitizer from my sister-in-law who is based in the states. She was giving them out as presents back home. I love how after a few minutes, it smells just like hand cream. The smell is overpowering at first, like any hand sanitizer, but once it dries, it smells heavenly on my hands. At one point I got confused thinking what hand cream did I use only to realize it was this amazing hand gel all along. 

M&M’s -  I’m not the one who would craves chocolates for days on end. I do have my share of cravings but only occasionally. I was surprised how much I was eating this colourful treats every single time I get hold of them. It does not help that I have a stash in a clear glass container hanging in my kitchen. I particularly love the peanut ones. So probably a trip to M&M’s is in order, too, which would delight my five year old little girl.

Flowers – Hang on, we were only talking about five faves, you might think but as it features on my photo above, I might as well mention how much I have been loving flowers lately. I particularly love the hydrangeas and the carnations . Having a vase of flowers on any corner of the house always brings that sense of calm and luxury.

Things That Make Me Happy {August}

1. A day out with the four year old. 2. A stay in a wonderful hotel. 3. A trip to the capital. 4. Discovering the tastiest pistachio ice cream in the world. 5. Eating Japanese

Popband

These came through the post the other week for me and my little girl to try. We tried it for a week and here are our thoughts. 

First and foremost, we love how pretty they look and the colours are very attractive. 

They do not only look nice on your hair, they are very pretty on your wrists, too when not in use as a hair tie.

And I love how the hairband stays on my hair as usually when I use one, it pops off my head in a few minutes. This one stayed on.

These hair ties are made of really soft material that they are very gentle on your hair and does not pull any hair strands with it when you take it off.

My little girl loves Popband hair ties and so do I.