06-09 November 2006: Paris, France

I supposedly have left for Madrid yesterday's afternoon but i have extended one more day (as Musee de Louvre was closed every Tuesday when i wanted to make a visit) and will be leaving Paris this afternoon.

My left knee is decorated with the colours of pupple and red. I couldn't walk as convenient as i wished. My shoulders are in pain too. Nevertheless, miraclely they were okay when i did sightseeing but not after :)-

I bought two comprehensive books over the collections of the Musee de Louvre. Wow, these two books are really heavy.

Paris, instead of Rome, would be the "best" city i have visited if the people in general are friendlier and more polite, and the city could be cleaner.

In terms of country, the Switzerland is indisputably the best country I have been visited. The whole country is in tune with nature, people are friendly, places are clean, indeed every city carries its distinguish features.

Nevertheless, I find Paris is more interesting than London (excepts the offer of musical plays). Most attractions in Paris are respectively huge historical buildings with very fine architectural arts.

I was in the Eiffel Tower every night excepts the first night commuted fm Lille to Paris.
I am very much impressed by the architectural design of most buildings and city structure in Paris.

I like the creative architectural design of Eiffel Tower and the Musee de Louvre. Among all, the look of the Arc de Triomphe from the corridor along the "Pencil Tower/Statue" to the Musee du Louvre was marvelous. As the Arc de Triomphe becomes bigger when i move further away from it. Why?

I wish to have a day in Versailles, but it will be not in this trip as they are so many places worth to see in Paris and each place inquires long hours to admire to obtain a better understanding instead of merely a sightseeing.

I went to Basilique Royale de Saint-Denis this morning. This ancient burial for the kings of France since the 7th century is also one of my recommendations to spend a few hours there.
Among those, namely, I visited the Conciergerie, the Sainte-Chappelle, Tours de la Cathedrale Notre-Dame de Paris, Arc de Tiomphe de l'Etoille, Basilique Royale de Saint-Denis, Les Invalides, The Opera, the Montmartre Basilique du Sacre-Caeur.

In the evening after i covered main historical attractions, i walked through popular shopping streets, but sorry that i only know their names in the Chinese Language which one the street famous for branded brands and one was called ParisSpringShoppingCentre. I didn't have the time to go in (Haha fortunately) as my top priority are nature, culture, history and arts.
A Singaporean lady whom i met in the Musee De Louvre showed me three bags she bought today. One cost 200 euro and a small one cost 60 euro. She said she would go back to buy two more tomorrow that she has been regretting for not having bought today!

I joined a guided-tour in the Musee de Louvre in the beginning before i did a few hours on my own. They were people sitting in a corner sketching. Although I didn't have such talent, I could sit and admire a piece of arts for long hours. When I was in the Stonehenge, I rounded those stones three times and sat on the ground for the whole afternoon.