Bastille Day

Home alone today. S is off in Manchester for an overnighter business trip :s

July 14:
France's Bastille Day. Had wanted to watch the parade along Champs Elysées but we couldn't wake up in time. Blessing in disguise though, because we realized people from all parts of France came into Paris and started to "queue" as early as 6am! By the time it started at 10, the crowd was around 20-people deep and unless you're 2m tall, there's no way you can see anything. Plus, it started pouring, like really pouring hard. So we were extremely satisfied catching it on TV on our nice comfy sofa. Even better, we managed to see fighter planes fly past our place. Oh, here's just a photo of our nice little courtyard.

In the night, people gathered at Trocadéro to celebrate and also to watch the fireworks near Eiffel. (Again, we didn't make it there. I know..we sound lazy to not participate in the fun. Crowd-phobia cannot be an excuse :( But we promised each other to go next year!) Anyway, the fireworks display was MAGNIFIQUE! 30 minutes at one shot. Beat that. I swear I anticipated the end of the display for at least 5 times. But no, it just kept going.. Climax after climax. Whooo. Nonetheless, the real finale was awesome.

NB: As you can see from the little shadowy figures, our next building neighbors actually climbed onto their rooftops to watch! The view must have been to-die-for.

How I love Paris....

New toys

#1

Not the TV, not the Wii, but the 2 elegant speakers at the sides! They are called Parrot by Philippe Starck, available from Apple Store. Fantastic clear sound. Love 'em.

#2

Ipad with 3G. Most useful for reading ebooks & news (especially since English papers in France are rare), playing games with the "enlarged" effect, and quick surfing. Least useful for websites that require the Adobe Flash Player - quite a limiting factor - and applications that are only compatible with iphone & ipod touch (they'll appear to be the size of your iphone or ipod). But we still love it anyway :D

#3

Limited Edition Nespresso coffee machine under the brand Krups. Bought the Paris edition (naturally), while the other available design was New York. We made it well worth our money by drinking coffee at least 2-3 times a day!

Fifa Fan Fest; Hotel Le Parc Trocadéro

Fifa Fan Fest Paris (big screen for World Cup!) at the Trocadéro square just 15 mins' walk from our place. We were refused entry cos no wine/bottles/sharp objects allowed (we actually prepared a picnic basket) but managed to settle on some grass patches along the side, so no biggie :) In fact, happy to not squeeze with the crowds!

Dinner at a hotel near our place with a nice hidden courtyard. The French are really big on courtyards and I like the concept. Quiet & peaceful yet natural & open. Makes a really tranquil dining experience. A huge contrast from the busy roads just on the other side of the building.

There is a surprise menu in which the chef will decide your 2 or 3-course meal. I tried it and recommend this option only if you REALLY have no preference/nothing on the menu interests you. This place is rather value for money. 3 of us (with S' friend Sofia) had a 2-course meal each, as well as a bottle of wine, and the bill came up to be less than expected.

Name: Hotel Le Parc Trocadéro

Location: 75116 Paris

Expenditure: 165€

Last night's home-cooked steak dinner:

First pineapple rice

my first pineapple rice:

House AFTER

As promised: Photos of done-up apartment!

 Extremely contented :)