Paris & London

I woke up this morning thinking that I was still in London. In a state of semi-consciousness, I dreamt of the lavish state banquet held at Buckingham Palace, the magnificent St Paul's Cathedral, the fun filled Thames Festival, the musical which set me dancing and the breathtaking panoramic view of the city from London Eye. I murmured to myself I had to return to the lovely city of London. And of course to Paris too - the city of lights which is bursting with romance and beauty.
I was in awe all the time during the Europe trip. I was amazed and completely blown away by the grandeur and stupendousness of the architecture, impressive monuments, great works of art and stunning beauty of the seductive city. I adored the sound produced whenever a Parisian or Londoner spoke - so refined, soothing and captivating. I'm in love with Paris and London and I'm very certain the memories I had will linger for many years to come.

Here are some of the highlights of our trip.

The Eiffel Tower, Paris' very symbol. The hubby and I queued for at least 1 hour to get tickets to the tower top. During the long wait, it drizzled. It was kind of romantic waiting in the rain. The view from the tower top was magnificent. But we didn't stay too long as it was terribly cold with icy wind blowing right onto our faces.

The Seine which the Parisians call the lifeline of Paris (la ligne de vie de Paris).

View of the glass Pyramid from inside Musee du Louvre.

Notre Dame - The Cathedral of Our Lady of Paris. Pope Benedict XVI was in Paris on the day we visited Notre Dame. A mass was held that morning but the hubby and I watched it on the TV instead. While in the cathedral, I felt an incredible sense of serenity and calmness.

Musee d'Orsay - the first museum we visited in Paris. I could not help but marvelled at the sheer stupendousness of the museum.

The av des Champs-Elysees is lined with super sized chain stores and luxury fashion houses. I've heard others said, 'If you are in Paris, you have to buy LV!'. True???

Arc De Triomphe. The hubby and I climbed a long flight of spiral staircase to get to the viewing platform. It was a darn good workout. I was out of breath when I reached the top.

Tower of London - London's old symbol of blood and gore standing on the Thames. Many famous Englishmen had lost their heads at the Tower.

The Tower Bridge which is located just near the exit of Tower of London.

Night view of The London Eye. The hubby and I took the London Eye and was blown away by the breathtaking night scenery of the city.

View of the Big Ben and Houses of Parliament from the London Eye. And there's also the Westminster bridge and the River Thames.

The majestic Buckingham Palace. I so wanted to witness the changing of guards but unfortunately, it wasn't gonna happen that day. What luck!

The St Paul's Cathedral. We climbed a total of 528 steps to reach the Golden Gallery on top of the dome. The Whispering Gallery left a deep impression on me. A whisper spoken against on wall of the gallery can be heard 32 metres away on the other side of the dome. It's amazing!

HAIRSPRAY rocks! The hubby and I had a super enjoyable night at the musical!