Paris, City of Love

After leaving Musee du Louvre, the next spot I want to visit is Cathedrale Notre Dame de Paris, the origin of the opera-- Hunchback of Notre Dame. I hadn't had the chance to visit the cathedral the first time I visited France. But I will never miss it twice!!! The design of the Notre Dame de Paris is similar to most of other cathedrals in Europe, built in Gothic style with sharp tower tip and sophisticated-made windows illustrating the story on the bible.

Cathedrale Notre Dame de Paris

Pont des Arts

Pont des Arts is adjacent to the Notre Dame de Paris so as soon as we take around in the cathedral, we then walked to the famous "Lover Bridge". The reason why the bridge is named with the word "Lover" is because of the hundreds and thousands of locks on the bridge locked on by countless couples who seek for proving their love publicly. (The bridge break down last year due to overweight......) It is really amazing to see so many locks on the bridge, and if the weather is good enough, you can also see many keys of those locks in the bottom of the Seine. For me, this is not only a tourist spot but the virtual evidence of "French Romance".

At the end of the introduction of Paris, I want to feature on the fashion industry and the wonderful French afternoon tea culture. Paris with other counterparts: New York and London have dominated the fashion industry for century; however, the names of the famous designer brands that pop up in your head within a seconds are definitely from France or started their business IN Paris from Coco Chanel, Christian Dior to Hermes. Champs Elysees is the avenue that gathered those brands in a line.

Louis Vuitton on Champs Elysees

The last but definitely certainly NOT the least is the French cuisine. The Michelin Guide is the most authoritative index grading restaurants around the world. As it was originated from France and as France has the most restaurants awarded with the highest honor-- Michelin Three Stars, it is not difficult to imagine how incredible the French cuisine can be. However, some Michelin awarded restaurants are not allow to take photos during the meal, I have no chance to record my Michelin heaven-like(!!!!!!) set. But what I want to introduce is another must-try: French afternoon tea!!!

In the old time, people from the upper class loved to gather in so-called salon to discuss latest new and politics as well as enjoy a cup of tea or coffee with some delicious sweets. The history of the culture of having afternoon tea is long rooted in the nation, and the cakes I have tried are INDESCRIBABLY delicious!!! Be sure to try one before you leave the country!!!

Unmatched French Afternoon Tea

Paris, City Shines with Remarkable History

Paris, being the most popular and favorable city in Europe, attracts hundreds and thousands of tourists to worship its indescribable charm. Paris is said to have witnessed the glory of Bourbon, the chaos of French Revolution and the rise of French Communism. Moreover, being the capital of France as well as located at the center of Europe, Paris has bred numerous outstanding philosophers, artists, musicians and politicians in the history.

I am a girl who is crazy about art, fashion, cuisine and romance so that you can tell how much Paris fits my appetite. From the grand Palace of Versailles to the shrine of trendy fashion industry Champs Elysees, from another top 4 largest Musee du Louvre ,the tallest structure in Paris-- Eiffel Tower to the muse of the famed opera Hunchback of Notre Dame Cathedrale Notre-Dame de Paris or from the Arc de Triomphe that recorded the glory of Napoleon Empire to the Pont des Arts that locked the love and the memory of countless lovers, Paris is a place that can amaze me in every subtleties.

At the Front Gate of Versailles

I have visited Paris twice but it's a pity for not spending long enough each time. I went to Paris at the same year as I travelled to the United Kingdom seven years ago. For me, the palace in France is similar to that of Buckingham Palace in UK but it was not until I saw the Palace of Versailles that I totally change my "bias". Palace of Versailles was painted by golden paint and constructed with white large marble. Although it is imaginable to build such a grand architecture nowadays, you can still see the astounding efforts and resources that the French Monarch had put in to build this magnificent masterpiece in order to claim the nation's power.

The Icon of Louis XIV, King of the Sun

Palace of Versailles has owned by several emperors and regimes but the most notable one is definitely Louis XIV who named himself le Roi Soleil (King of the Sun in French). Louis XIV believed that he was the greatest and the most powerful emperor in the Europe (the most developed region far surpassed other places in the world at the time). Therefore, you can find the symbol on the left hand side appears almost everywhere from the furnitures to the ceilings and the top of the font gate of the palace to claim his right over the Versailles. His reign of more than 70 years is the longest of any monarch in European History. However, the construction of the Versailles also posed a threat to the French government's finances and led to the fall of Bourbon. 

Arc de Triomphe

Paris is not only SUPER for this architecture but also the famous Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe. You can see plenty of tourists tried to capture the very best picture with those beautiful and iconic historical architectures. (I am one of those crazy tourists too!!!)


Arc de Triomphe is situated at the end of Champs Elysees so the atmosphere of the avenue is a mixture of old and new, historical and fashionable. It was really difficult to capture the whole building clearly and horizontally so I was sort of risking myself for this photo -- Arc de Triomphe with the sunset.   

In addition to the picture of Arc de Triomphe, I actually also push myself really far for a perfect picture with Eiffel Tower. I guess that I might have tried more than ten gestures and postures with Eiffel Tower for a profile picture of my Facebook!!! See how crazy I was in the picture below, trying to swallow the cute little tower!!!!!!

With the Cute Little Eiffel Tower

Other than the Palace of Versailles, actually there is another palace which is far older in Paris, it is the Musee du Louvre. Needless to say, Musee du Louvre is another museum paralleled with those notable counterparts in the world of arts: the Met in New York City and the British Museum in London. Being as one of the top 4 largest museum, Musee du Louvre also has wide ranges of collections which across all the regions in the world. Differ from other mega museums, Musee du Louvre features more on paintings and sculptures collections. The must see collection is no longer the Egyptian heritages but the one that you definitely have heard of before-- Mona Lisa. Although this unmatched masterpiece is really small in size, you need no instruction to find where it exhibits. Each year, endless visitors come to Musee du Louvre only to worship and take a glimpse of Mona Lisa.

Louvre Pyramid

Except for those extraordinary pieces of arts, outside Musee du Louvre is another outstanding work of architecture-- the Louvre Pyramid. Louvre Pyramid was designed by American born Chinese designer-- I.M. Pei. The pyramid not only protrudes upward from the ground but it can also be appreciated from the underground of the museum. The Pyramid is transparent so the sunlight can penetrate the pyramid to the underground museum and the light can present you clearly the complex structure of Louvre Pyramid. 

The Empire on Which the Sun Never Sets, United Kingdom

If you said Cambridge is the best choice to experience the abundant knowledge of England than London will be where you can witness the once most powerful kingdom in the world. The first weekend after we've arrived in UK, my friends and I planned to visit London, our neighboring city, as soon as possible. We deemed that the British Museum would take plenty of times so we planned to take around first to one of the top 4 largest museum in the world. Similar to that of the Met, the British Museum is also famed of its abundant collections of the Egyptian arts collected from their consistent invasions around the North Sahara region thousands and hundreds of years ago. It is hardly to finish all the sections of the museum in a day, if you want to appreciate those treasures thoroughly, do spare at least one and half days to make your visit comfortably. 

The British Museum

Situated next to the River Thames,  London Eye and London Tower now represent the new and the old London respectively. London Eye is where English government released fireworks every year on the New Year. When my friends and I tried to queue up for London Eye, we found it almost impossible to get on in 2 hours!!!!!! Yes!!! When we arrived at around 11a.m. hundreds of tourists have already filled in each line of the ticket booths. 

The London Eye

London Tower is the old prison for the felons in the Victoria era. It was abandoned afterwards and currently transformed itself into a whole new tourist spot protecting several precious royal treasures as it used to safeguard the security of citizens of London. However, it is inhibited to take pictures inside the exhibition room. The collections are subject to change by seasons or festivals, and they include from the crowns of Queen Elizabeth to the swords of successive kings. If you are really interested in the stories behind the royal families and the treasures they have possessed, it is a place that you don't wanna miss. 

London Tower

After leaving the London Tower, we rushed to Buckingham Palace, the residence and the principal workplace of the monarchy of the UK. As soon as we arrived, the parade performance in front of the palace was just started and so the front yard of the palace was crowded with countless tourists trying to witness the perfect trained soldiers' performances. It was really interesting and unforgettable to see one of the iconic symbols of England: the guard changing in Buckingham Palace.

Parade Performance in front of Buckingham Palace

Guard Changing in Buckingham Palace

What will be other icons when you think of United kingdom? or London? To me, as being the super fan of detective novels since the years in the elementary school, I am more than looking forward to visiting the Sherlock Holmes Museum. The museum has reproduced exactly as what the novels illustrate: the styles, furnishings and even the address (yes it is located in Backer Street!!!). That is, you will feel like you are one of the characters in the books from the wit Holmes, the cautious Watson or the evil Professor Moriarty. If you are the zealot of the books, this places will surely take you dozens of photos away!

The Entrance of Sherlock Holmes Museum

Near the museum is the Westminster Abbey where several royal weddings were held here. Additionally, it has become one of Britain's most significant honors to be buried or commemorated in the abbey (great figures who have been buried in the Westminster Abbey including: Oliver Cromwell, Charles Darwin and Isaac Newton). To sum up, the Westminster Abbey is a sacrosanct place in the heart of the English people to commemorate those who have done a  great contribution to this great nation.

Westminster Abbey

Cambridge, Knowledge is Power

It has been seven year since the first time I visited the United Kingdom. London and Cambridge are the two places that I visited and it was so impressive that it is too hard to forget. I traveled to the United Kingdom because of a short-term English training program in the University of Cambridge. That is, Cambridge is more like a home for me at the time.

Cambridge has formed as a college town and the University of Cambridge is right at the center of the region. There are thirty one colleges that constitute the University of Cambridge such as King's College, Queens' College, Trinity College and Clare Hall (the one I stayed in).

Cambridge University, Kings College

Other than the academic phenomenon filled in the air of Cambridge, the so-called River Cam also brings in a relaxed lifestyle and an unique activity-- punting. Punting is the most popular form of boating on the stretch and the sub-stream of the river. In the summer, you can see the river crowded by countless canoes.

Punting in River Cam

Life in Cambridge surely enriched my imagination of English culture, people always describe English as "Gentleman, monotonous, prudent and serious". However, when spending almost three weeks in Cambridge, I discovered subtle happiness, joyous mixed with sophisticated old English culture which is different from my expectation at the very beginning.

The Cradle of Liberty, Boston

Except for New York, talking about the must-visit city in the east coast of States will be Boston. Being called as the cradle of liberty, Boston is one of the oldest city in America as it was the first landed spot of the early immigrants-- the Puritans from Europe. Nowadays, Boston and the nearby cities in Massachusetts feature not only as places with abundant historical memory but also international centers of higher education with numerous exceptional universities such as Harvard, MIT and Boston University.

The first stop is definitely the most reputable university on earth, Harvard University!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

At One of the Side Gate of Harvard University

It is really exciting to personally worship Harvard not only because of its worldwide fame but also the beautiful academic atmosphere surrounded the campus. Other than the academic buildings, the school also has many libraries and museums that directly financed by the school funds or by personal donations from the alumni. The picture above is a side gate of Harvard University, the decoration of the gate is really sophisticated, and it was really astonishing for me that never see such a formal gate in any of Taiwan's university before. And it is not even a front gate!!! (See how big the gate was while I was there for a reference...)

Touch Mr. Harvard's Shoes!!! Quick come my Good Luck!!!

As a college student, you should never miss the chance to touch the shoe tip of Mr. John Harvard, the founder of Harvard University. Students in Harvard believed that touching the shoe tip on the lefthand side of Mr. Harvard will guarantee their performances in the exams and help the master students to pass the challenging oral interviews. When in Rome, do as Romans do! I therefore join the long queue, and try get some good luck from the great Mr. John Harvard.

Right next door Harvard is the other outstanding academic palace that birth numerous great inventors, scientists and Nobel Prize winners in the world (yeah I bet you already know which school I am indicating)-- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)!!! MIT is not "right" next to Harvard but because it only takes about 20 mins on foot from one to another, these two schools surely have enriched the Cambridge City in a great extent. 

One Building of Massachusetts Institute of Technology

MIT has educated more than 80 Nobel Prize winners and all those outstanding figures have played significant roles in modern science. Some of them even contribute greatly during the second world war and serve as the powerful backing for the advancement of American military force.After visiting those dream schools, my friend and I then went to Quincy Market for appreciating Boston in a modern aspect, and of course... to FEED OURSELVES UP!!! (lobsters, seafoods......here I come!)

North Wing of Quincy Market

Quincy Market is separated into three buildings: the North Wing, the Quincy, and the South Wing markets that assembled many stores and restaurants around and inside. My friends and I take a quick search around Quincy Market for the super duper delicious lobster sandwiches. The lobster sandwiched in the Quincy Market have been recommended by countless bloggers, travel websites, and cuisine publications. Therefore, it is definitely the one that we never wanna miss. Yeah... no photo for the sandwiches, the ecstasy of enjoying the sandwiches makes us forget to leave any photo for this heaven-made delicacy. All I wanna say is: Save money and go try it, trust me!!! Or you will regret for the rest of your life!!!

After fully fed up by the amazing cuisines in the Quincy Market, we then took around stores nearby. There are some selling the classic souvenirs of Boston such as related products and apparels of the Red Socks and the Celtics; others focus on Boston's historical feature and selling postcards or images that record the historical stories of Boston; the others are those famous brands that are commonly seen in the market worldwide.

As night getting deeper, bars and clubs surrounded the market are open playing with  jazz music and add in more relaxed and easy atmosphere to the place. You can smell the aroma of beers and wines and listen to the laugh in the air.

USS Constitution Museum in Boston

The second day of the trip in Boston, we went to the USS Constitution Museum, a private owned museum that preserved and displayed the ship of Constitution which was applied by the United States in many battles during WWII.

The Constitution Ship

And the sailor below gave us a very detailed introduction about the background of and the facilities in the ship. The USS Constitution Museum is at the end of the so-called the Freedom Trail. The Freedom Trail connects seventeen main points which all play the indispensable roles in the history of the United States to the country's independence. We went back from the tail to the head of the road after taking around the USS Constitution but didn't visit all the spots due to the time limitation.

------------------------------------------------The Freedom Trail------------------------------------------------

• Boston Common
• Massachusetts State House
• Park Street Church
• Granary Burying Ground
• King's Chapel
• King's Chapel Burying Ground
• Boston Latin School
• Old Corner Bookstore
• Old South Meeting House
• Old State House
• Boston Massacre
• Faneuil Hall
• Paul Revere House
• Old North Church
• Copp's Hill Burying Ground
• USS Constitution
• Bunker Hill Monument
• Names that colored in bright yellow are places that I do visit

New York, Music, Movies and Money

Talking about New York, I definitely not wanna miss the typical girls "stuffs": shopping, music, and visit romantic scenes in Hollywood's blockbusters. Although having learned Western music from Baroque to Realistic Periods, I am always crazy about opera especially the one composed by Andrew Lloyd Weber -- The Phantom of the Opera.

With the poster of the Phantom of the Opera

Broadway is always a must-experience art form in New York City for tourists around the world. The hottest productions include The Phantom of the Opera, Chicago, the Lion King and Mamma mia! etc. The Phantom of the Opera however has overtaken Cats as one of the most longest run musical in broadway theater.

Before entering the theater, we have to buy a ticket of the musical that we want to enjoy. Broadway tickets can be booked online in advance for reserving a better seat or you can just check out your preferred time of the musical and lining up for the ticket at the theater. For me, due to the prompt idea of watching the show, my friend and I decide to just go lining up. Luckily, it takes only 15mins to get a ticket from the ticket booth at the Majestic Theater (the one that performs the Phantom of the Opera). Although the seat is at the upper floor which is far from the stage, it is still really lucky to purchase a ticket in summer vacation without booking in advance. Anyway, let's go for the super broadway show!!!!!!!!! (Hooray~~~)

The Majestic Theater is just as it's name suggests: magnificent, splendorous, and beyond description. As the theater itself is so spatial, it is hardly for me to see the stage and the actors' facial expression clearly but can only appreciate the outstanding performance of the orchestra and the beautiful melody. The music starts from the Overture, Think of me, Angel of Music, Little Lotte, The Phantom of the Opera, Music of the Night, All I Ask of you, Masquerade, Don Juan to the Point of No Return. 

The total length of The Phantom of the Opera takes about 4hrs including the intermission so it is already in the afternoon as soon as we exit the theater. The Majestic Theater is close enough to the Time Square, the intersection of the contemporary popular culture. Time Square is surrounded by countless big and small advertisement boards as shown below.

The Massive Advertisement Board in Time Square

Fifth Avenue

After hanging around Time Square, the next stop is the so-called fashion avenue-- the Fifth Avenue. 

As soon as you see the Fifth Avenue, you will realize why it will be associated with "Fashion". Fifth Avenue assembles numerous famous designer brands such as Cartier, Tiffany, Louise Vuitton, Gucci, Coach, Abercrombie & Fitch, and whatever fashionable brand you can think of. Moreover, countless sophisticated skyscrapers stand at two-sided of the Fifth Avenue to make this place look even more luxurious.

My friend and I visit Abercrombie & Fitch first. It is so popular that you even need to line up to enter the store for the number limitation there. Abercrombie is famed for the unique fragrance of its own perfume brand filling the entire store. I bought two T-shirts for my brother and one for myself. We finished shopping very soon since the smell make both my friend and I dizzy badly. The next stop will be the place for my mother's present. Due to most of the brands are unaffordable, I ultimately visit Coach and bought a pair of earrings for my mother as souvenir.

A pair of earrings for my mom

In order to grasp our last chance to worship Wall Street-- the heart of financial and economic of the United States. My friend and I left Fifth Avenue for the south Manhattan immediately.

Brooklyn Bridge in New York City

Compare with Fifth Avenue decorated by fashionable brands, buildings in Wall Street feature more on Baroque and Classic styles and therefore make the place look more prudent than any other places in New York City. You can see businessmen walking in and out of these buildings to push forward the development of a great majority of the country's fortune. The New York Stock Exchange also located next to Wall Street which is by far the largest stock exchange in accordance to the market capitalization. After taking around Wall Street, we then go to the South Street Seaport situated at the south Manhattan. The picture above is taken at the South Street Seaport where is popular for viewing Brooklyn Bridge. Many Hollywood's blockbusters including action to romantic have filmed Brooklyn Bridge into the movie such as Kate & Leopold and Enchanted.

 

Pier 17 in the South Street Seaport

In fact, South Street Seaport itself is another popular location for film taking especially the Pier 17. For example, the place where Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey enjoy the fresh and mouth-watering lobsters in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days is shooting right in this pier. For sure, I personally super recommended end up the short trip of south Manhattan and have a try on the delicious and fresh seafoods here.

New York, the City that Never Sleeps- Day #2

According to the City Pass that I purchased, and the ticket left, the second day of our exploration in Manhattan will surely be a "knowledge trip". But I always believe that a wonderful trip starts by a perfect breakfast, and as I am caffeine-addicted, my friend and I then go to Starbucks, a couple blocks away, for our first breakfast in New York city.

Starbucks near Penn Station

Classic Cranberry Scone with Grande Latte

After enjoyed a decent breakfast in Starbucks, we then headed to American Museum of Natural History at the Upper West of Manhattan. The American Museum of Natural History features collections from astronomy, anthropology, geology, biology to Paleontology. Being as the shooting location of the film Night at the Museum, I am welcomed by countless animal fossils, which can be traced back to as early as Paleozoic era. Those fossils are not strange to me, I can still match some of them with my subtle memory about the movie.

Tyrannosaurus Fossil and the "Rexy" in the Night at the Museum

Oviraptor's Egg Fossil

Except for the diverse collections of animal fossils, the American Museum of Natural History also exhibits the precious dinosaur eggs' fossil. On the left hand side is the collection of Oviraptor's eggs fossil.

I lose almost 10kg on the Moon!!!!

Other than Paleontology, the museum also presented abundant astronomy knowledge about the mysterious outer space and interesting devices for the visitors to try out. For example, the picture on the right is the converter to converse your weight on Earth to the Moon. According to the result shown, I will lose at least 10kg on Moon. That makes sense why all the astronomers at the outer space can float on the air and look so light!!!

Substance on the Moon

The most attractive collection for me in this section is this AMAZING substance!!!!! The substance is originated from the Moon and now carefully protected in the three-layered-thick showcase. It was brought back by Neil Alden Armstrong and his companions from the first manned Moon landing mission on human history.

Talked about the must must AND MUST visit museum in New York, in States or in the WHOLE world, you will definitely not wanna miss The Metropolitan Museum of Art (Certainly deserve a golden yellow). Although it is impossible to visit all the sections for only half of day, my friend and I still try as efficient as we could to take around the museum. The Metropolitan located at the eastern edge of the Central Park. The beautiful vast green is just right in front of the museum but as soon as we saw the front gate of the Metropolitan, the enchanting scenery has been left back of our mind and the only thought remained is to "GET IN RIGHT AWAY"!!!

The Metropolitan Museum!!!

Being as one of the four major museum in the world (Louvre, British Museum, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the National Palace Museum), the Metropolitan also collected more than two millions, yes, you are right two MILLION (!!) of precious pieces of works and covered wide ranges of categories. My friend and I first visited the section of Egyptian Art. There are already 26,000 collections in this single section of the museum, so that you can imagine how long it will take to literally "finished" viewing all of the collections.

The Pharaoh Statue

The first thing that welcomed us as we enter the Egyptian Art is the Statue of Pharaoh (not sure which one) sitting steadily watch everyone who visit his territory. The section of Egyptian Art mainly exhibited the subjects and collections of Pharaoh and his queens, and of course the MUMMIES!!!

Accessories of Pharaoh

The picture on the right is the basic accessories of Pharaoh. Gold in the ancient Egypt was deemed as precious metal and that can only be possessed by almighty Pharaoh who is the son of the God. Wearing those accessories means that you have embraced the power that no one can exceed.

The upper accessories is for fingers and the middle is for toes.

Below is the model of the hairstyle of Cleopatra. The hair is precisely braided into numerous strands, and this kind of style can only be seen from the women in the royal family in the ancient Egypt as the symbol of their sacrosanct identity.

The model of Cleopatra's hair

Egyptian hieroglyphs

How can we visit the Egyptian Art without taking a glimpse at the MUMMIES?!!!!! The museum smartly puts a series of mummies' collections at the very end of the Egyptian Art section. For people who are fascinated about mummies' movies and long attracted by the mysterious ancient Egyptian culture as I do, to see the real one in front will definitely drag your pace for a long while. I stand closely in front of the showcase, read word by word of the explanation of who the mummy is, why is he/she be "made" as a mummy, and where this mummy was dig out. I feel that I can exactly imagine and witness the whole process of making this mummy. It is amazing but scary at the same time, and I just can't stop dreaming the interesting or terrifying stories behind each mummies exhibited there, and their original appearances that can no longer reappear.

The Mummy

After spending a long while in the Egyptian Art, the remaining time is not enough for another section. Therefore, we decide to take the advice on the guide book to visit the last must-see in the Met's. Hippo William is the mascot of the Met's and is also displayed in the Egyptian Art section. It was produced around 1885B.C.-1981B.C. and is the few collections that remain intact till now. The cute Hippo William collection perfectly ended up my first short trip in New York City (basically around Manhattan) but will never halt my enthusiasm of exploring this enchanting metropolitan.

Hippo William in the Egyptian Art section