Day 25 [31-Oct]: Paris

I started my day late as I do not have many plans for the day. I walked and navigated my way to the Pantheon which is about 1.2km away from my hotel. It's a cold morning, so I relied on paper maps and reduced usage of my phone (with GPS) since I was wearing gloves. Along the way, I passed by one day market and noticed some strange meat with the whole body intact. Wonder if that could be a rabbit. I did not take photo of it though.


After a short walk, I passed by and entered a church which is near Pantheon. I also took it as a short rest and to warm up my hands before I proceed to the Pantheon.


The Pantheon is located less than 5 minutes walk away from the church. From the outside, it looks like the one in Rome, but in a cleaner/newer shade of white. On ground level, there are some paintings, sculptures and a giant pendulum. Apparently, the pendulum was an effort of some scientists claiming earth's rotation and that it can tell the time. In the basement lies the crypts, where many famous Frenchmen were burried, including Victor Hugo.

 

After the short visit, I settled for lunch nearby. I had French onion soup for starter and also tried duck breast again.


After my lunch, I went to Jardins du Luxembourg that is just nearby. The weather is still cold, but the gardens were certainly beautiful. There were sights of beautiful, colorful flowers and also colors of autumn.

 

After the short walk and photo-taking session, I headed for the nearest metro station and made my way to Basilique du Sacré Cœur‎. I alighted at Abbesses station and navigated my way around Montmatre all the way to the top. There were several flights of stairs and also slopes along the way. I also noticed that the prices of souvenirs in Montmatre district seem to be generally better than elsewhere. Upon reaching the basilique, the climb is rewarded with a beautiful view of the city.


I hanged around the place for a while to take some photos and also buy some cheap souvenirs before I walked all the way down to the Abbesses metro station. From there, I took the metro to Place de la Concorde. Over there, I helped a friend buy a bag from the Longchamp boutique over there. From there, I walked around the area and saw La Madeleine. I decided to enter the church since I did not do so the last time round. It was also a good chance to get a short rest and warm up my hands.


I headed to the metro station next to go back to my hotel for a short rest before dinner. Along the way, I was hoping to find nice macaroons to try and found a chocolate shop called La Maison du Chocolate. I bought a box of 6 macaroons for €9.90 and also bought 5 praline milk chocolates for €5.


For dinner, I was thinking of having duck confit and walked around in the vicinity of the hotel in search of it. After quite a bit of walk along the streets, I still went back to the restaurant nearer to the hotel called Village Monge. For starters, I decided to try foie gras but I'm still not too used to the taste. I wanted duck confit for my main course but because of some confusion, bavette was served instead. I ended my meal with a glass of chardonnay and also chocolate mousse for dessert. After dinner, it's back to hotel for rest as usual.

 

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