Paris Plus

SHOPPING

Of course, Paris can't all be sights and tourist activities, shopping was also on the agenda. Our first major stop  was the vaunted Galeries Lafayette in the Opera district. And wouldn't you know it, we were just in time for their big summer sale! Galeries Lafayette is probably one of the most beautiful malls we've ever seen. Check out the stunning interiors!

None of our strip malls hold a candle to the charm of this shopping mecca!

Heaven for make-up junkies!

Shoes, shoes, and more shoes. Pick your poison!
D: I nearly fainted when I saw the brand listing on this mirrored wall!

Loved the enormous space teeming with shoes of every shape, size, and color!

Huge discounts on everything! I love it when stores don't scrimp on their markdowns! Everything from Marc Jacobs to Fendi and more were heavily discounted and you could claim tax rebates at the airport as well! I wanted to take more photos but I was already getting warning looks from the SAs so this is the extent of my shoe shots. :(

Love the styling on these mannequins! The purple Tara Jarmon jacket is adorable.

Stolen shot at one of the two Pierre Herme stores in the building, right before the lady snapped at us whoops. They really have the most interesting flavors (i.e. olive oil and vanilla, asparagus, etc).

Quick outfit details: Topshop tiger tank, SM white paperbag shorts, Topshop tights

P: D's haul. Of course, she insisted on carrying her precious cargo around.
D: Let's not forget that I also lugged those two paper bags of macaroons for our families across the globe and through three airports so I think I deserve some snaps! What's in the red paper bag?

 My tortoise-shell Dsquareds that I promise to love forever! After a bit of retail therapy, P decided it was time for us to get some culture and so off to the Louvre we went!

LOUVRE

The immensely crowded Louvre Museum. We thought the crowds would have cleared a bit because we came at the eleventh hour but obviously that wasn't the case. The museum looked like it was under siege!

The little painting everyone came to see, shot over plenty of heads and after some shoving. Everyone seemed to be in awe of the famous lady with the famous smile.

Venus di Milo

P: Found that the sculptures piqued my interest most, plus there were less tourists to contend with.

P: BKK shirt, FH denim shorts, Zara chukkas

Dressed for a sunny day in Paris.

 They say that even if you spent a whole week here you wouldn't be able to see all the exhibits so we were satisfied with the key exhibits that we got to visit.

We ended our quick tour of the Louvre with a view of the lovely courtyard outside.

After the Louvre, we did as many people suggested and visited the famous Angelina for an afternoon snack.

The incredibly rich hot chocolate "l'Africain". There's no going back from here if you're a hot chocolate lover. Spot the dollop of fresh whipped cream on the side too.

It was a little too hot for a cup of hot chocolate but you'll soon forget once you start sipping from your cup!

The Mont Blanc, a house specialty and delectably sweet. It's a soft meringue pastry topped with cream and chestnut puree. This was unlike any other pastry we've ever tried! The chestnut puree was such a great flavor!

We capped off the evening with a light dinner at Bistrot Papillon, down the street from our hotel. The magazines by the front tell us that this is one of Paris' top restaurants and we wouldn't disagree.

Started off with the prawn skewers and rice. This dish was super fresh and delicious. The rice was very flavorful on its own and had a very nice texture!

Magret de canard with roasted peach and mashed potatoes. I'm certain this is the best duck breast I've tasted. It's better than most steaks I've tried and I like my meat. The roasted peach it's paired with gave the lightly salted duck a perfect touch of sweetness.
 Day 2 showcased everything Paris had to offer! Definitely one for the books!