All posts tagged: Travelling

Exploring the hidden gems of Paris: 3 day itinerary

Having been here in Paris for 9 months – where does the time fly?! – I thought it would be appropriate to share some of my favourite places that I think everyone should visit when coming to this magical city. Off the beaten track, the places listed here will no doubt provide you with delightful experiences and fantastic memories. This blog post is based on my entry on a new-and-upcoming website, called Marco, where travellers like myself write about particular trips we’ve been on. There are so many great things about this website. For starters, you can find real inspiration from reading other people’s entries, and be fixated on stunning photographs posted. Without doubt, another great factor of the website is that when you enter the weekly competitions, you have the chance of winning $1000! Think of new amazing places that could take you to! You can check out my entry here. If you could vote for me, that would be great – just click here to vote, and don’t forget to choose ‘Explore the hidden gems …

Berlin Instagram

Weekend in Berlin

What a weekend! I have a surprise for many of you (for those who follow my instagram account, the surprise is unfortunately ruined…). Last weekend in France was a holiday, which meant that we had a four-day weekend. With so much time off, I decided it was the perfect time to go and visit one of my best friends, Sally. So, I headed of to Berlin! Yes, I spent the four-day weekend exploring the city and hanging out with one of my dearest pals. Berlin is an awesome city. It was my first time there, and to Germany! Having studied German for five years with the expectation of going to visit the country with my family, you can probably imagine how excited I was to finally go. There is something really interesting about Berlin. As we wandered the city, I felt as if there was not ‘one’ Berlin. The capital is incredibly diverse, and as you progress around the city, it almost feels as if you yourself are traveling through different cultures and countries. Berlin …

The Promenade Plantee, Paris

The Promenade Plantée – A hidden gem of Paris

Located in the 12th arrondissement is one of Paris’ hidden gems. The Promenade Plantée, also known as the Coulée Verte René-Dumont (tree-lined walkway en Anglais), is an exquisite promenade that stretches just under 3 miles (around 4.7 kilometers) spanning from the Bois de Vincennes to Place de la Bastille, via the old Vincennes rail line. Having walked across New York’s High Line last October, I was convinced that it was unique to the American city. However, Paris’ Promenade Plantée was in fact the very first green space constructed to form a public park/promenade, as it was inaugurated in 1993. Similar to New York’s High Line, the Promenade Plantée was erected from a disused railway line The entire promenade is aligned with a variety of beautiful flowers, plants and trees. It was almost like walking through a perfumery – the sheer amount of different plants was not only aesthetically magnificent, but also nice on the nose! The Promenade Plantée offers a variety of wonderful sights and experiences. Part of the promenade follows the route across a wooden …

Instagram Paris

The last two weeks on Instagram

It’s been a while since I’ve written one of my usual ‘This week on Instagram’ posts, and without further ado, here it is. The last two weeks have been incredibly busy – I’ve ended up doing so much. But the main idea that I think one could possibly take from the last couple of days is that I have been somewhat preoccupied with Spring – Paris in Spring. As previously mentioned in my blog (and of course in future posts), Spring here in Paris is beautiful. There is something magical and dream-like to be able to wander around the various streets, especially with no aim or goal in mind. The arrival of the flowers and green luscious leaves makes for much nicer photos, and I’ve recently been trying to experiment with different angles and ways to capture the environment around me. As you will be able to tell, I’m becoming a huge fan or the sun flare and trying to get that ethereal quality to my photographs. I just hope that my filter on my lens protects my camera …

Geneva

Geneva: Photo Diary

This is a very belated account of my mini-adventure to Geneva in February. So with out delay, here it is: The day after my return from the Alps to Paris, an early 4am start took me onto my next adventure: less than two days in the city of Geneva with one of my best friends, Kate (don’t forget to check out her blog! https://wherekateresides.wordpress.com) Unfortunately for us, Geneva welcomed us with grey skies and light rain. Despite this, we were determined to make the most of the hours that we had in this fascinating city. Our first day consisted of wandering around the streets, taking in all the different architecture. Whilst also looking in the windows in a few of the designer shops. Our first ‘tourist attraction’ was Saint Pierre Cathedral, situated in the old part of the city. I was surprised that the Cathedral was begun in the 12th century, and was therefore immediately captivated. In addition, we decided to head on down into the Archaeological site directly underneath the cathedral, wherein we explored …

Notre-Dame Blossom, Spring in Paris

Le Printemps à Paris

It has been a while since I have managed to sit down and write a blog post, and to my lovely readers I apologise! The last few weeks have been busy, and despite all this chaos, we are finally catching the first glimpses of Spring here in Paris (aka. Printemps en Francais). It may not be April just yet, but we are indeed experiencing more rain at the moment – sigh. Moving on from weather issues… As I mentioned, my somewhat hectic schedule has been a fun one! Two weekends ago I was blessed to have my parents come and visit me in Paris. As it was both Mother’s day on the Sunday, as well as Mum’s birthday, we made the most of the time we had together. This included venturing to the Marché aux puces de Saint-Ouen and the Puces de Vanves Marché, which both have amazing trinkets and antiques on offer. For those who don’t know my father, he has a little (‘little’ being gigantic) passion for collecting records, and so these markets were …