French Holiday Part IV: Paris

Hello everyone.
Finally, here is the fourth and final installment of our French Holiday and apology if it took me a week to finish it. Was just busy with things lately.
But please be warned that this is going to be a very lengthy one.
Anyway, what better way to conclude a French Holiday than in its very beautiful capital, the city of romance- Paris?!
Both Dearest Husband and I had already visited  this captivating city in the past on our own, respectively. (He, with friends on several occasions for  a rugby match and I, once on a business trip.)
But this one, is our first time together as a family and it was just wonderful.

Before I share some of our pictures, let me tell you about our  experience with Best Western Hotel.

When Dearest Husband  booked us at the said hotel  I did not object because of the following reasons:
1st: I had a pleasant stay at a Best Western Hotel  on 2 separate business trips  in the past  - 1 in Las Vegas and 1 in Amsterdam so naturally I expected the same quality ; 2nd, it was near Disneyland and there is a shopping mall nearby; 3rd, with a car with us we naturally wanted a hotel car park and the train station in the area is just perfect for us going to the city and 4th, convenient for us to go to Versailles without enduring the city's traffic jam.

So bearing all of these in mind, we were anticipating for a gratifying stay only to be disappointed.
It was smelly and dirty. Very poor decor and there was no air conditioning unit.
It was such a struggle especially as the weather was just so humid.
And lastly, the bar and restaurant are close at weekends, how inconvenient!
It was such a poor value and we don't think this is good representation of a Best Western in general.
Nevertheless, we tried our best to abide with this situation especially us our stay was already fully paid in advance and  is non refundable.
But in the end we were forced to cut short our stay by 3 days and moved to another hotel  in the city centre at an additional expense of course.
We have contacted Best Western and lodged our discontent but we were told the said hotel is no longer part of their chain since 1998.
We were of course surprise because it didn't say anything when we booked it and the logos and literatures of the said hotel chain is still being used during our stay.
But when probed further, they came back to us saying it is still part of their chain. Just how confusing this is!
But anyway, we've had enough of them now and we enjoyed our Paris escapades anyway especially as the new hotel we stayed at was far more suitable for us.

No Paris trip would be complete without the sight and seeing of its famous landmarks:


Below picture I believe does not require any introduction at all as obviously it is a very famous world structure -the Eiffel Tower! Although I have already seen this landmark before, it is still very mesmerizing.

A great family photo on our very first Parisian holiday

.

Despite the scorching heat, my little girl is without a doubt enjoying the scenery.

And mummy must have a solo picture of course!

My little girl when she first laid eyes on the famous structure. This would make a very good souvenir picture.

I wanted to capture in my camera the beauty of Eiffel Tower at night.
It is such a sight to behold. Like a rotating giant Christmas Tree sharing its splendid lights to the rest of the city.
Unfortunately, I did not have the opportunity this time. Next time perhaps.

Another famous landmark - the Notre Dame de Paris.

All good attempts to have a good picture together by the Arc de Triomphe

We also took part in the River Seine Cruise. It was a very informative experience.

Of course Little Girl must not be left out although Dearest Husband said he put hers on the Chinese Audio.

Still,  it appears she is listening to it attentively!

Madsaboutu requested for me to take plenty of pictures.
I tried my best juggling my camera with either a very active toddler or pushing her stroller.
Here are some I managed:

River Seine

Paris Plage or Paris Beach. Temporary artificial beach along the stretches of River Seine every July-August

Paris on a busy Summer day

Just some of the great Parisian architecture

I just love how this hotel adorned itself with beautiful flowers

Cafes everywhere. A typical Parisian street with a long stretch of an array of cafes.

And speaking of cafes, what best way to also enjoy Paris than through its food.
Paris is famous for its bistros and cafes. And we did have a good time with them.
 Dearest Husband and I would be having a drink in one cafe and moved to another one after a few minutes just to have varied experiences especially as the cafes have different themes. 

Mummy and Little Girl one rainy Sunday afternoon just outside our hotel at La Cafe Pierre.
They serve delicious food and the cafe is decorated with ballet pictures.

The cafe interior

Just one of the many ballet pictures that adorned the walls of Le Cafe Pierre. 
The names of the model and the photographer is in a sign by the door.

Another cafe, another drink on the same area. At Le Bastille Bar.

Another day, another cafe with a Venetian theme. Et Etoile Venetienne Cafe.

.

In one of Dearest Husbands favourite Restaurant- Au Chien Qui Fume Seafood Restaurant. 

It is a dog theme restaurant with pictures and figurines all over the place although they don't serve dog meat of course!

The food is just heavenly! I had the Fisherman's Hotpot all to myself!

Another evening, another lovely cafe. Soufflot Cafe in the Latin Quartier.

The interiors of Soufflot Cafe graced with book cases and framed pictures of itself.

t

I can go on with the cafes and restaurants that we went to but I think that would be over the top.
And there are just too many to mention.

Lastly, we also went to Le Puces (Paris Flea Market).
I had a great time although Dearest Husband wasn't particularly feeling well.
The antiques shops were abundant and most of the prices were just out of  our reach.
The antiques part of this flea market is off limits to camera so I have no pictures to share.
There was also another side to Le Puces that is within the masses reach. Hundreds of stalls of different merchandise. From clothing, shoes, perfumes and a lot more.
I managed to buy some dresses and tops for myself.
Some may not be suitable as a going out outfit but for a stay at home mum they are definitely perfect for me when Little Girl and I are just cuddling/playing inside our humble abode.

There we go, I've finally shared our Paris antics. I hope you find it interesting. Have a very good weekend everyone and Good night!