Paris Diaries, Day 1

This is a late post for a Paris trip I did in February 2015. I decided to write this as on ode to a very nice and charming city some areas of which have recently been under siege by terrorists sowing unimaginable violent bloodbath (Bataclan, Saint-Denis, etc.).

Although it was my first time in Paris, I deliberately skipped museums, reserving them for future return trips. My intention was mainly to get to know the city by focusing on outdoor Parisian sights as I walked around.


The Louvre. I started from the iconic Louvre, admiring it and the architecturally wonderful structures around. Took some photos as shown below.

From the Louvre, which is located on the right bank of the famous River Seine, I crossed over to the left bank and continued walking towards the Cathedral of the Notre Dame. Instead of proceeding to the cathedral, I decided to turn around and head for the Eiffel Tower which is still a bit far, walking by the river most of the time to avoid losing my direction.


Love-Lock Bridge and Gold Ring Scam. I stayed for a while at the love-lock bridge (sorry, I failed to note down its real name). There must be millions of padlocks on the bridge, all mute witnesses to the love wished to last 'til forever. Here happened my first encounter with one of the infamous Parisian scams - an old man picking up from the pavement what purports to be a gold ring and seemingly offering it to me for something. I was then taking photos of the love-lock bridge when he suddenly appeared from behind me with an impish smile, extending to me his hand that held the golden ring. I got a bit scared but after uttering a nervous "non, merci" I managed to run away from him.

  

The padlocks have apparently taken their toll on the

bridge by adversely affecting its structural integrity

but it seems that lovers can't be stopped.

Pont Alexandre III and Grand Palais. Still staying close by the river, I passed by these two Parisian landmarks on my way to the Eiffel Tower. Pont Alexandre III is a deck arch bridge that spans the River Seine and leads to the Grand Palais, a showcase for Beaux-Arts architecture. Both historic structures were constructed in the 19th century. The way Paris is able to preserve and maintain its old structures for subsequent generations to use and enjoy is simply amazing.

Eiffel Tower and "Do-you-speak-English Scam". After minutes of walking, I finally reached Eiffel Tower. As I was about to start admiring this great mass of steel, a couple of teen-looking sweet-smiling ladies walked up to me asking if I speak English. Nicely, I answered "yes" and that's when they started explaining about something while showing me some sheets of paper with names and signatures. From what I saw, it seemed like pledges to some charitable institution prompting me to figure it out as another scam. I quickly excused myself and moved about to start taking photos of the steely beauty that Eiffel Tower is.   

 

After I took photos of the Eiffel Tower,

this Colombian family handed me over

their camera and requested me to

take their family picture. 

Place de la Concorde and Jardins des Tuileries. Once done with Eiffel Tower, I returned to the right bank of the River Seine, strolled down Avenue of New York, and passed through Place de la Concorde and Jardins des Tuileries before reaching The Louvre. 

 

  

Jardin des Tuileries - between Place de la Concorde 

and The Louvre

Place de la Concorde - a huge square or open space with 

an Egyptian obelisk standing at the center (though 

not seen here)

Overall, it was a good Day 1 in Paris, and, there's more to come.

Lady M Confections (Singapore)

There is always something new in Singapore. It's obviously a way to encourage us for return visits to this city-state - small yet packed with so many big things.

For our visit this time around (well, our second for 2015), we made sure to drop by Lady M Confections in Orchard Central, just right across Somerset Orchard serviced residences where we stayed. Although at first glance it looks more of a dessert place given the mouth watering cakes and crepes we see, its all-breakfast fare is also worth noting, and trying.

Apparently, it's from New York and has recently landed in Singapore. What we've missed in our 2013 New York visit, we've made up for in our 2015 Singapore visit. Not bad at all. 

We tried the much vaunted desserts but the all-breakfast dishes we feasted on impressed our tummies more. Sharing some with you here, in pictures :-).

Salad to drool for. This one is tops on our list - smoked

salmon and poached eggs with roasted squash.

This one is a close second for us - fisherman's pot pie.

We are pie persons. And the fact that it's got shrimps

and white fish makes us like it even more.

Hmn, they say that this type of breakfast can be boring -

poached eggs on toasted muffins, bacons, beans, sausages.

Well, maybe it can be boring but not when it's Lady M. :-)

 

Ambiance is light and easy - its floor-to-ceiling glass walls adequately lighten up the place evoking a casual but classy vibe. The street side view of Orchard Road is also a big plus as it allows one to see how life unfolds in the iconic shopping haven.

 

We asked the lady who waited on us to tell us the title

of the centerpiece artwork hanging from the ceiling but

unfortunately she said she does not know. Also asked her

what the medium was, whether it's steel or fiberglass, etc., 

she said again that - you're right - she does not know. :-)

An all-glass wall maximizes the view on this side

of Orchard Road. 

 

In the interest of transparency, let it be disclosed though that the service was a bit slow. A pair of diners came after us, that is, after we had ordered, and yet, their food was served ahead of ours. A slice of civility and politeness was enough by just reminding the staff of what our ordered dishes were. We observed that the place was undermanned. Also, there is a notice at the entrance about the one hour dining rule so as to give way to other diners in waiting. To be sure, our order of 3 dishes and 2 desserts can't be gobbled up in an hour. We stayed for about 2.5 hours and no, we were not shooed away. :-) 

 

 

 

Pool in the Sky

It’s a pool like no other – on the 57^th floor of three (3) skyscrapers conjoined on top by Skypark, a boat-shaped structure which hosts a 150-meter infinity pool dubbed as the biggest, longest and highest of its kind in the world. The Skypark infinity pool is the crowning glory of Marina Bay Sands’ (MBS) three (3) towers and with its spectacular views of the city, it could very well be one’s ultimate destination when in Singapore.

The entire complex was still under construction when I last set foot in the Garden City/City in a Garden for a short-term study on Enterprise Risk Management at the National University of Singapore (Extension School). By the time MBS opened and became operational, I haven’t had any chance to go back to Singapore anymore. A swim at Skypark infinity pool remained an elusive dream until recently when I attended a global summit on Big Data. Although the summit was held elsewhere in the city (in a hotel on Scotts Rd., near Orchard), I wasted no time booking for an overnight stay at MBS after the summit for a chance to take a dip in the famous pool. It didn't come cheap but it's a dream-come-true.

Access to the pool is via key cards issued to billeted guests only. While non-billeted guests can go up to the 57th floor upon payment of around SGD23, they are limited only to the view deck which is far and separate from the pool area. 



Here are some photos of the pool that I took at various periods of the day – afternoon after checking in, night time (pool closes at 11 PM) and the morning after (pool opens at 6 AM). 

The Singapore Flyer, high as it is, looks small from the view deck
of Skypark at the 57th Floor of Marina Bay Sands (MBS).

Gardens by the Bay, another Singapore attraction just behind MBS,
can also be seen from the Skypark. 

A much closer view of Gardens by the Bay which,
by the way, sits on reclaimed land. 

Photos taken from both ends (i.e. "bow" and "stern" sides) of the Skypark.

It seems like the Singapore skyscrapers jut out of the water.

 The pool at night. For obvious reasons, the pool gets to have the most 

number of people at night, out on a swimming frenzy while enjoying

at the same time, a spectacular view of the city.

Best to swim early in the morning. Sun is not yet out and one can 

practically have the entire pool to enjoy. The pool attendant also 

converts the middle part of the pool into a lapping area with 

buoys to mark the appropriate lanes.