Food Indulgence in Paris

This is my last post on Paris and of course it is about F-O-O-D! Since I saved so much money on the plane ticket and accommodation, I indulged myself on some fancy food here in Paris. 

L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon (2 Michelin Stars)

It is very close to Musée d'Orsay, perfect lunch spot after visiting the museum. I ordered a ceviche, scallop dish and souffle for dessert. They are all great, but the most memorable dish was actually the mashed potato that came with the scallop. That is definitely the most delicious mashed potato I have ever tasted in my life, and I think it's going to be hard to beat. Sometimes it is the simple things that's hard to execute well. It was so smooth, very well seasoned and I don't know, just tasted damn good. This is obviously a pricey place, and that's why I chose to go for lunch, but the food is delicious. 

Shang Palace (1 Michelin Star)

I chose this place to go because I was curious what a michelin star Chinese place tastes like in Paris. I was there for a set dinner, and it was definitely too much food for one person. This is the sad part about travelling alone. As a Chinese, this place is pretty good and they definitely use very good ingredients. However, you really don't need to pay that much for good Chinese food (maybe you do in Paris?). 

L'Agapé (1 Michelin Star)

This is a place I would recommend to everyone. I felt like I got more than I paid for, definitely a bargain. It was €99 for the "surprise me" menu (and you don't have to tip here lol), and it 6-7 courses! Every single course was a pleasant surprise! The "meat" courses include seared tuna, scallop, pigeon and sea bass. Every single one was amazing. I, in particular, like the sea bass, it absolutely blew my mind. I still remembered the pigeon was a little red for me, but turned out it was very well cooked, and the scalloped potato it came with was no ordinary. Very well layered, perfectly cooked potato, slightly sweetened with quince and crunchy nuts on top, and as I said before, it's the simple things that surprises you (or maybe I just really like potatoes?).  

Note: Although the food was amazing, these restaurants tend to take up a little more time, so if you have a tight schedule, that might be a little hard for you to try these places. Besides these fancy restaurants, food in Paris is generally above average, so don't worry about trying a particular restaurant. Sometimes, the restaurant you stumbled upon on the side street might surprise you. 

Croissant in Paris

I couldn't make it to every single bakery, but here are the places I went to, and in the order of my personal ranking.

Meilleur Ouvrier de France

THEE BEST CROISSANT I have ever had. There's nothing more to say. You just have to try it.

Des Gâteaux et du Pain

The second best place I have tried, and they have a big variety of pastries to choose from.

Gérard Mulot

Good pastries with a lot of gorgeous desserts.

Du Pain et Des Idées

Fine bakery with traditional décor.

Coffee in Paris

Two simple things I love, croissant and coffee. I can practically live on those two things, and Paris has the best of both! In between different tourist attractions, I squeezed in different coffee stops on the way, and it was absolutely worth the time. I am not saying these are the best, because there are still tons of coffee shops that I haven't been to, but here are some of the highlights/recommendations!

La Cafeotheque

didn't know coffee can taste THAT good, and it is also an excellent place to get some Parisian-roast beans (good beans but slightly pricy)! Staff was super nice and I love the ambience as well.

Loustic

Small little place that you would almost miss passing by. You can see they use different ground for different coffee preparation and they also use a nice burr mill to grind coffee. They are really particular in how the coffee is made, no wonder it is so good.

Coutume

I think this is my #1 choice if I were to go back to Paris. Best cappuccino that I have ever had, plus an amazing duck salad. If salad tasted like that here, I could eat salad every day. I also bought some beans back from this coffee shop and turned out to be my favorite bean!

Brulerie des Ternes

I heard this is a great place to get beans. Very reasonable price. I literally went to this place 3 times to get beans, and finally got it the forth time. I went on a Sunday, and it was closed. Then I returned on Monday, still closed. Then I came back on Tuesday at around 2pm, it was closed for lunch. Since it is closed to the Arc de Triomphe, so I went there and came back, and it was finally open!!!!!  

Fondation Cafe

This is the last coffee shop I went to in Paris, on the morning of my departure. Great coffee as expected and I love the hazelnut cake as well.

Au Revoir Paris.

My flight is at 2pm, and it takes about an hour to get to the airport, which means I still have a morning before leaving Paris.

I got up early to finish packing. Got one last coffee and croissant, then headed to the Eiffel tower to see it one more time. I actually didn't get around to see it in the day, so now it seems like the perfect time to do so.

As any other journey, there is always an end. But this time, it is a rough ending. I had to carry my 50 pound luggage down 6 floors, and to the metro. Until you reach the airport line, the metro was not luggage-friendly either..... stairs after stairs..... not until I reached the gate that I realized what a great time I had and I was leaving this beautiful city. Au revoir Paris, till next time.

Paris Day 6

Musée Rodin

This museum is a small museum that is dedicated to the works of the French sculptor, Auguste Rodin. Some of the more significant works, including The Thinker, The Kiss and The Gates of Hell can be seen here. At the back of the museum is a very beautiful garden, decorated with sculptures as well.

Jardin du Luxembourg

Another beautiful garden in Paris. It is basically the garden of the Luxembourg Palace created in 1612. The garden is owned by the French Senate right now, which meets in the Palace. I have noticed by now that the French like to put a bunch of loose chairs around the garden for people to sit. What's interesting about it is that I am more used to gardens with benches in fixed locations, and I think this is a clever ideas because people can move and rearrange the seatings however they want.

Catacombes de Paris

This is the creepiest thing that I have ever seen. The catacombs are underground ossuaries in Paris, which contain the bones of over six million people in a small ancient tunnel network. Since it is not tourist season, there were hardly any people in it, which made it so much creepier. Thousands of bones arranged in an orderly manner in a very dimly lit underground tunnel, gave me chills just thinking about it!

Musée Picasso

This is definitely the most extensive collection I have ever seen of Picasso's. Although I don't always understand his art, I really enjoyed this museum. There are some works that I have never seen and it shows paintings from all the different periods. This museum definitely broadened my knowledge of his works. Highly Recommend!

This concludes my last day in Paris. There is still so much to see in Paris, including the other 120 museums that I didn't go to (lol). But I think I have experienced Paris enough to say it is one of the most beautiful cities that I have ever been. Definitely the most romantic, need to come back with guai lo next time.

Paris Day 5 - The hidden gems

The trip was getting close to an end, and I still have a lot to check off on my list! These might not be the most common attractions, but they are definitely worth the visit.

Père Lachaise Cemetery

I got up early to go to this famous cemetery. The cemetery was very quiet and beautiful, but slightly creepy if you were there by yourself. The cemetery is really big and I was trying to find tombs of some famous people, but I couldn't. This is definitely the most crowded cemetery I have seen in terms of the number of gravestones. I thought it doesn't accept any new burials because it looks so crowded, but then I saw online that it does. Anyways, definitely worth a visit. I still remember I missed the La Recoleta Cemetery in Buenos Aires by 10 mins, so I made sure I didn't miss it this time.

Musee d'Orsay

Besides Louvre, this is one other must-see museum! It contains the largest collection of impressionist and post-impressionist paintings in the world, including Monet and Van Gogh.

Sainte-Chapelle

I couldn't believe I missed it the other day when I was in Notre Dame. This is also on the island, and this is the most impressive churches I have ever seen. It might be small in size, and might not look as impressive from the outside, but once you got in and see the stained glass.... Oh my.... I was in total awe. If I remembered it correctly, 70% of the stained glass in there was original, and it has one of the most extensive 13th-century stained glass collections in the world. I was lucky that the day I went, it was a sunny day, so the sun shined through the stained glass, and it was amazing. Absolutely must-see.

Musée Marmottan Monet

I made it there just right before it closed! Monet is one of my favorite painters, and I would not miss this for the world. It houses the largest collection of Claude Monet's works in the world, along with other impressionist and post-impressionist works. The museum does not allow photography, but I did take one (shame on me), and look at that! A whole floor of Monet's paintings of lilies. Stunning.

I only have one full day left in Paris, and I planned to make the most of it! I was determined to finish off my list tomorrow.

Paris Day 4 - The Palace of Versailles

I went on a Sunday, because it's closed on Mondays. Château de Versailles or the palace of Versailles is a nice short day trip from Paris. It is the symbol of the system of absolute monarchy of the Ancien Régime.
 

The most famous room of the palace is the hall of mirrors, and you definitely cannot miss that.

The most impressive thing of the palace is not the palace itself, but the huge garden next to it! It is really enormous. I walked down to the canal and decided to go to the Grand Trianon, where Louis XIV kept his mistress, Madame de Montespan. I wanted to take a different route back to the palace, and I got lost in this huge garden........ My plan was to go back to Paris and maybe visit another museum, but I couldn't quite make it because I was all the way on the other end of the garden and it took me a long time to figure out how to get back. I can't believe that I didn't get lost in Paris, but I got lost in the garden..... That proved how big it is!

It was already dark when I got back to Paris. After dinner, I decided to take a cruise tour on the Seine. It was freezing cold on the upper deck, but it was amazing to see the city. Below is a little video clip I took.

Paris Day 3 - Wandering around

I have decided today will be a relaxing day to wander around the city. I did not plan much today because I am giving myself time to enjoy this beautiful city.

Basilique du sacré-cœur

I am starting my day with this beautiful Church on a little hill. Be prepared to walk up those stairs! But when you get there, you can enjoy a very nice view of the Paris city. You can even see the Eiffel Tower from there!

Getting distracted

Around sacré-cœur is a beautiful neighborhood, definitely take your time to walk around. I was taking my time to wander around, and I came across some small museums, Moulin Rouge, farmer's market, the covered passages, etc. I might not have done what I was planning to do, but I loved to be distracted constantly with different things I saw in the city.

Arc De Triomphe

Time passed by pretty quickly, but I managed to get up the Arc de Triomphe to see the beautiful sunset.

Avenue des Champs-Élysées

Right next to the Arc de Triomphe is the Champs-Élysées, where shopping happens! My budget did not allow me to shop much, so I was just going to window shop and walk along the street, but then it slowly turned into Christmas Street Market!!!! What a pleasant surprise! There are lots of booths for cheeses, foie gras, street food, leather gloves, etc. Perfect place for souvenirs!!!! And most importantly, there is Vin Chaud. Nothing is better than mulled wine in a cold winter day.

Paris Day 2 - the must-see

Well, there are a few things everybody wants to see when they come to Paris. There are two ways things can go, you have high expectations and you get disappointed. Or, you lower your expectations, and you get wowed. But I am telling you (now that I have seen them), these attractions are not overrated, and absolutely worth going.

Le Musée du Louvre (The Louvre Museum)

Huge collections of amazing paintings and sculptures here in Louvre. You can definitely spend a whole day here and it won't even be enough. I limited myself to a half-day visit. Two things I wouldn't miss, the Nike of Samothrace, also called the winged victory of Samothrace, as well as the Monica Lisa. From the outside to the inside, the Louvre museum is definitely one of the most beautiful museums I have ever been to (it bumped the British Museum to the second on my list now).
* If you plan to go to a lot of museums, consider getting the museum pass. The museum pass also works for Notre Dame and some other tourist attractions. Once you get it, you can also skip the long lines!

Jardin des Tuileries (Tuileries Garden)

This is a nice garden right next to the Louvre along the Seine. After being in LA for so long, I really enjoyed strolling in the park with the crisp weather here in Paris. 

Cathédrale Notre Dame de Paris (Notre Dame Cathedral) 

This is a beautiful medieval catholic cathedral and it is often considered the finest example of the French Gothic architecture. You can also go up to the observatory deck to enjoy the view of Paris.

La tour Eiffel (The Eiffel Tower) 

This is definitely the icon of Paris. This is also the tallest structure in Paris, and you can definitely get a very nice city view up there. I chose to go at night because I prefer the night view of a city. You can clearly see the Notre Dame as well as the Arc de Triomphe. 

Every hour on the hour, the eiffel tower twinkles and sparkles for 5 mins!  

Before I headed back to the airbnb, I stopped by the Louvre to get some night pictures. Louvre at night is definitely my favorite place to be. You can also see a lot of people taking wedding pictures here as well! 

These were the attractions that I had to see first! I heard so much about it, and I can't believe I finally made it there! It was absolutely breathtaking. 

My first night in Paris

My plane landed at around 4pm, and I headed straight to the airbnb to put down all my stuff. The subway system is so convenient, it only took me an hour from the airport to the airbnb next to the République metro station. The week-long pass for unlimited metro access is only €22.5, which is totally worth it for me because I made a million stops a day to go to different places. 

I found an amazing deal on airbnb, it only costs me USD 217 for 6 nights! You have your own private room with a shower in the corner, but the toilet is shared (I believe that's a French thing to separate shower and toilet). The only complaint is that you would have to walk up to the 6th floor every day to your room. It wasn't easy for me to walk up or down those stairs with my 20 kg luggage, definitely a work out. That being said, can't complain much because of this amazing price. 

After I dropped off my stuff (I did bring a lot of clothes because I was too excited to be able to utilize my winter closet finally after being in LA for so long), I walked around the neighborhood. I was trying to enjoy the chilly weather and of course the Parisian atmosphere. First thing I did was to find a bakery and get a croissant! And of course it was délicieux! I saw the US grocery store, which I don't understand why would you need it when you have French stuff. Anyways. 

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While I was walking around the neighborhood, I was also searching for my first meal in Paris, and I found a cute little place with a decent number of people inside (it's always a good indication). So, I went in, and I did not understand the menu very well, but the waitress was very nice and explained the menu to me. There were only 3 main courses on the menu: salmon, chicken breast, and veal. I didn't feel like salmon and veal, so I went for the chicken breast. I never like chicken breast because it's often very dry. BUT, this dish was amazing! That got to be the best chicken breast I have ever had, juicy and tender. The fingerling potatoes were very tasty as well. The dish was pipping hot when it was brought to the table, and it was really good. Definitely can't find anything like this in America if I were to walk into a random restaurant I found on the street. 

I went back to the airbnb right after to get a good night sleep before my adventure the next day. I definitely had a good impression of Paris so far, and couldn't wait to explore more. 

My thanksgiving trip - Paris

Above is the Eiffel Tower or Tour Effiel in French. I saw it so many times when I was in Paris and could not get sick of it.

I really can't believe I did this - another solo trip. I spontaneously bought a ticket to Paris for thanksgiving since I don't really have a "home" to go back to. People always say that Paris is the most romantic city and now I understand why. It was so beautiful. You can feel it in the architecture, the culture, the history, the arts..... even the air you breathe. It was another amazing trip. I spent almost 6 days in the city, and I thought it would be too long, but I think it was just about right. I walked a lot, ate a lot, shopped a bit, really couldn't ask for a better thanksgiving.

November is a great time to go to Paris, no tourist (means no line and nicer photos), weather is nice (might be a little chilly for some people, but I think the cold made it even more romantic), cheap tickets (because it's off season)! Guai lo always says that I would hate the amount of tourists in Paris, but guess what, they weren't there this time of the year! I have heard so much about Paris being dangerous, but I felt so safe when I was there. I am still in the process of organizing the photos, and I will be telling you everything about my amazing trip!

Belgium Day 3 - Leuven

I have two scientist friends doing postdocs here in Leuven, and I got in touch with one who I haven't seen in FIVE years!!!! One reason that I chose to come to Belgium is to see her!!! I took an early train to Leuven from Brussels, and they picked me up from the train station. 

This is the library in Leuven. It was destroyed in the WWI and later reconstructed with the help of the US. The architect was the same one who designed the grand central station in New York. The wood work inside is amazing. 

Wandering the city and saw beautiful architecture everywhere. I think I actually like this city more than Brussels! 

Farmer's market at Leuven. The salmon was so good that I brought some back from Belgium and their fruits were just phenomenal. Great coffee place, I am almost convinced that I should come here to do a postdoc!

The city is so beautiful, isn't it? So is the newborn baby of my friend! Adorable!!!! Only a couple days old. 

I spent two hours in the afternoon trying to get in contact with the airline due to the closure of the Brussels airport, so I didn't get to see more of the city. The airline confirmed my flight at 6pm for the next day at 7am, leaving from the Antwerp airport. I was very proud of myself for getting back on schedule!

It was a crazy night though. After I found out my flight is confirmed, I left Leuven and went back to the hotel in Brussels, showered and packed. There is no train early enough to get to the airport, so I decided to take the night train there. I got to Antwerp around midnight, and hoping I could just stay the night at the airport. But guess what!? It is a small airport and it closes at night. So, I have no where to stay, and I found a taxi on the street, and asked him if there's any hotel/hostel close by that I can go to. My plan was just to stay at the lobby till the next day. The taxi-driver said he would have to drive me somewhere and the taxi ride was quite expensive. So, he took me to the taxi center/office? right next to the airport, and they let me stay at the lobby overnight. There was triple security to just go into the airport and it took a lot longer than I thought, but luckily I made it! My flight rerouted to Zürich and from Zürich back to LA. So, I also get to try some Swiss chocolate! It was quite an adventure and I was glad I got home safe! 

Belgium Day 2 - Brussels

My heart is with Brussels. Two days before my train ride to Brussels, the terrorist attack happened. When I heard, I was sad that another violent act happened to innocent people and a lot of my friends contacted me to see if I was okay. I was still in London at the time, and they all asked me the same question, are you still going? I did not, for one second, think about not going, the question I had is more like how do I get there? Luckily, the Eurostar only stopped service for a day and so I was able to get to Brussels no problem. My return flight was supposed to be from the Brussels airport back to LAX, and the Brussels airport was shut down. At the time, I still had no idea how was I gonna get back.

Because of the attack, the city was very tense. There are military walking at different train stations as well as patrolling along the streets. There were people gathered in Place de Bourse for the victims from the attack. There were flowers, candles and music about peace. This was the closest I have ever been to a terrorist attack, and it was awful that it happened. I thought the memorial is beautiful. Honestly, if I changed my schedule or if the terrorist changed their schedule, I could have died. There were attacks at the airport and the metro, two places I was planning to be at some point. I was lucky. 

First spot I went to was the Manneken Pis. It is a famous statue depicting a naked little boy peeing into the fountain. It was nothing like I expected, and I really don't understand why is it famous. Then, I did a little research and found that there were different stories about a little boy peeing on something to save the city in history, hence the statue. On occasion, the statue is dressed up in different costumes. 
I walked around the area and saw another statue, the Everard t'Serclaes, who was made famous by recovering the Flemings. I saw everybody touching/rubbing the statue, and I figured it's a thing to do, so I followed, but have no idea why. I later found out that it is said among locals that the statue brings luck and grants the wishes of all who touch it, especially the arm, because it was said that rubbing the arm will ensure one's return to Brussels. 

Above are some pictures I took when I was wandering the city aimlessly. 

Now, this is the Grand Place/Grote Market, and it is the central square of Brussels since the 12th century. It is surrounded by apulent gulldhalls, the city's Town Hall, and some museums. It was the Easter weekend when I was there, and it was supposed to be PACKED, but due to the attack, it was pretty empty. Even the weather was gloomy. The sides streets around the Grand Place have a lot of restaurants that serve Belgium cuisines. I planned to come back to the Grand Place at night to take some pictures, but due to safety issues (the metro stopped running early, not a lot of people around), I didn't. Got to come back here!

More wandering around the city, and I found a lot of goodies! That meringue store was magnificent, thee best meringue I have ever had. There are also other goodies that looked really good, but I couldn't have tried it all. (sad face) I also found the Brussels Chinatown! It is small but it's there! I even had dinner in one Vietnamese/Thai restaurant, and it was pretty decent considering there isn't a huge Asian population around here. 

Belgium Day 1 - Bruges

I took the Eurostar from London to Brussels early in the morning. Once I arrived at Brussels, I took another train to Bruges. I was struggling between Bruges and Ghent, and I decided to go to Bruges because the pictures looked prettier on the internet, but my friend later told me that he likes Ghent more...... I guess I would need to go back to Belgium to check it out! 

This is a canal-based city and due to its history, it is also a Unesco World Heritage City. Walking around the city made me felt like I went back in time. There is a bus going directly from the train station to the Bruges Market, which is the city center. The minute I got off the bus, I have already fallen in love with the city. Around the city center, there are a lot of historical buildings, including the most distinctive landmark, the Belfry. It is a medieval bell tower and you can walk all the way up there to get an eagle view of this beautiful city. 

There are a lot of music performances on the street, and they were beautiful and elegant.  

As I walked away from the city center, I found a cute little coffee place. When you order coffee here, it usually comes with a piece of chocolate. The chocolate here is soooooo good! And they also like to put cocoa powder on top of a cappuccino. I bought a bag of coffee beans from here because the coffee is just too good. 

Then, I took a boat tour through the canals. Too bad that it was a little overcast that day, but it was still very nice. I felt like I was in the movie of Pride and Prejudice or Vanity Fair or some historic piece. I tried to ignore the fact that there were another 20 passengers on the boat, and imagined it was just me enjoying the ride. 

After I got off the boat, I walked to the places I wanted to see when I was on the boat. I also encountered a lot of beer and chocolate stores! Guai lo loves beers, so I got him two bottles of beer for souvenir. Too bad I am not a fan of beers, this is really a beer lover's heaven. On the other hand, I love waffles! How can one not have any Belgian waffles in Belgium! So, I got myself a waffle as well. 

It's dinner time! I decided to treat myself to a nice dinner. There are a lot of restaurants around the area, and I had a very hard time picking one place. I finally decided that I wanted some pasta, so I went to the place called Sale & Pepe. I ordered a simple tomato/Parmesan spaghetti and a tiramisu, and it was pretty good! It was a very simple dish, but the pasta was al dente, tomato is so sweet and the dish was perfectly seasoned. I was completely stuffed after the pasta, but I was so tempted to try their dessert, and I was glad that I did. The dessert was not too sweet and the mousse layer was very smooth. Overall, a very satisfying dinner. The only sad thing was to dine alone.  

It started to drizzle a bit after dinner, and that made it very difficult to take some night pictures. So, I took a few and then went back to the hotel. I really really enjoyed Bruges, and it was so sad to be in this city alone because It is such a romantic city <3. 

Wandering around London - Part 2

My last day in London, and tomorrow I am off to Belgium! I got an early start, but nothing is really open till 9am. A morning stroll in London is pretty amazing anyways. 

Stop #1 - The Shakespeare's Globe
It wasn't open when I arrived, so I had a breakfast at their restaurant called the Swan. I have been meaning to try an authentic full English Breakfast, and it was delicious! There are eggs, mushrooms, blood sausage, tomato, bacon, toast and beans. A very substantial meal! All the ingredients just tasted so fresh and good (fruits and vegetables in the US lack flavor).
After breakfast, I walked into the the museum/theater, and I decided not to go in because I don't really know too much about Shakespeare and didn't want to pay for the tour and not understand most of the things that I would be seeing.    

Stop #2 - Tate Modern
It is a modern art museum close by the Shakespeare's globe. It's mostly free unless you want to see the special exhibition.

Stop #3 St. Paul's Cathedral
I have not been to too many cathedrals in Europe, but this is the biggest I have ever seen. Photography is not allowed inside (technically). You can go up to different levels in the cathedral, from the whispering gallery (a higher view of the cathedral inside) to the top of the church outside. There are more than 1000 stairs, so be prepared! 

Stop #4 - Tower of London
This is an excellent place to discover the history of London. The Tower has served as an armoury, a treasury, a menagerie, the home of the Crown Jewels, etc at different times in history. During the first and second world wars, the Tower was used as a prison, and 12 men were executed there.   

Stop #5 Borough Market
Time for some food! I went to the Borough Market, and there was so much food there! I saw a lot of pastries, bread, cheeses, honey, as well as cooked foods. I walked past an Indian place, and the food smelled so good, so I ordered a box, and it was very cheap with a good amount of food, and most importantly, it was DELICIOUS! This is probably the best food I have had in London so far. I also got some pastries for tomorrow's breakfast (early train ride) and a jar of honey for my honey (lol). 

Stop #6 - The Natural History Museum and the Albert and Victoria museum
These two museums are right next to each other, perfect for a museum afternoon. It is free admission for both of them. The Natural History Museum was fascinating, they have so many dinosaur fossils! Although dinosaurs might be the most interesting thing to me, this museum is home to 80 million life/earth specimens in botany, entomology, mineralogy, paleontology and zoology. The museum itself was absolutely stunning as well. 
The Albert and Victoria museum is the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design. Its collection spans 5000 years from all over the world, including Europe, North America, Asia and North Africa. It's definitely worth a visit.

Stop #7 - The Hyde Park
There were still a couple spots I wanted to go, but it's getting dark already! I decided maybe I can go to the park for an evening walk before I called it a day. The park was so quiet and beautiful, and the huge lake inside the park is called the Serpentine Lake. Too bad it's cloudy, I bet the sunset would be so pretty. There are two Serpentine Galleries in the park, a rose garden, a memorial fountain you can go to while wandering around the park.

Stop #8 - Chinatown London
Guai lo is always interested in different Chinatowns around US and around the world, so he wouldn't forgive me if I didn't pay a visit to the London Chinatown. The London Chinatown is a little bigger than I thought! It seems like there are a lot of good restaurants to try if I ever get the chance to live here. I was wondering the quality of boba in London, so I went to the boba store there, and it was pretty decent! Awesome history and architecture, check. Beautiful countryside, check. Chinese food, check. Good boba, check. I think I could live here!

Super duper early train ride to Brussels tomorrow! I was gonna take the overnight bus, but my friend (who was supposed to be here BTW) felt like it's unsafe to take the bus by myself, so she bought me a Eurostar ticket. Europe train ride experience, check!

Wandering around London - Part 1

I have two full days to explore the entire city of London, and I have packed a lot in these two days. I didn't end up hitting all the spots, but I tried my best and I felt like I saw a lot!

Stop #1: The King's Cross Station - Platform 9 3/4
I was a Harry Potter fan. I read all seven books and watched all seven movies. How can I not go to the platform 9 3/4! So, I went! And it wasn't as exciting as I thought. It was just a sign and a cart half-way into the wall next to the Harry Potter Shop, full of overpriced Harry Potter related products. 

Stop #2: The British Museum
It is huge! One can definitely spend a whole day in this museum! It has an amazing Egyptian collection. It was slightly creepy to see a whole room full of mummies though. 

The museum also has a lot of Roman stuff, and it was super cool! A lot of heads (or busts lol).

Before heading to the next destination, I was walking around a little bit and found a kaiten sushi place for lunch. I was just curious what is the quality of a random Asian restaurant in London. Conclusion: pretty decent. 

Stop #3: 221B Baker Street
I love Sherlock Holmes. All-time favorite detective stories! I was a little skeptical about going into the "museum", but I did it anyways and it was not worth the money. 

Stop #4: Beatles' store
On the same street, there's the Beatles' store! They have all different kinds of Beatles mugs, T-shirts, posters, etc. Pretty cool!

Stop #5: Buckingham palace
Buckingham Palace was the royal residence since 1837, and right now, it is the administrative headquarters of the Monarch. It is a place for significant national celebrations and commemorations. 

Stop #6: Harrods
I heard that this is an awesome shopping mall, so I decided to check it out. There are a lot of fancy brand stuff, but I ended up in the food court and bought myself some fancy macarons. 

Stop #7: High tea at Browns Hotel
High tea is definitely a thing for the British as well as Hongkongers (influenced by the British), and I decided to book myself a nice high tea in the oldest hotel in London. The tea set was supposed to be for 2 people, so I took the leftovers with me to the next stop! 

Last stop: Wicked
I have watched the Phantom of the Opera too many times, so I decided to watch something different: Wicked! The Untold Story of the Witches of Oz. Two witches (Elphaba and Glinda) with completely different personalities became friends, discovered the Wizard's government was corrupt, yet they both fell in love with the same guy, which resulted in tragedy. I'm not gonna spoil it for you. 

The University of Oxford

The University of Oxford, established in the 12th century, is the oldest university in the English-speaking world, and second-oldest in the world (first being the University of Bologna in Italy). The whole area is infused with stunning architecture, intense history and culture.  

Christ Church is one of the most famous colleges in Oxford, and you can find links of the story "Alice in the Wonderland" around there. Harry Potter was also filmed here as you can see from the pictures above. 

Above is the Hertford Bridge, commonly known as the Bridge of Sighs. It is the landmark for Oxford due to its location as well as its unique structure. 

Covered Market is a nice special shopping area for local produce and souvenirs! Tons of tea shops, and I got some nice tea leaves for friends. I walked pass a cookie place called the Ben's Cookies, and it looked so good that I couldn't resist. So, I bought one just to try, and it tasted pretty good. (tad bit too sweet for my taste, but still good) 

A lot of people would spend a half day in Oxford and a half day in an outlet which is a 30 mins bus ride from Oxford. I don't like to shop that much, and I don't have the money to shop anyways. I decided it would be nice to walk around Oxford, and try to absorb as much history and culture as I can. A couple honorable mentions: 
Bodleian Library - An iconic building in Oxford, there's no way you can miss it.
Exeter College - The Victorian Gothic revival chapel is absolutely stunning.
Bontanic Garden - Nice walk and I bet it would be a lot prettier in summer as well. It leads to the river, and they offer boat rides (so expensive....) if you would like to enjoy a quiet green tour. 
Alice's shop - It was closed by the time I got there, and it looks really interesting from the window.

I just couldn't resist a walk along the river Thames at night, so I took the underground to the Tower Bridge, and it was beautiful. During the day, you can go to the Tower Bridge Exhibition and they have glass floor across the walkways for visitors to see the river Thames at a very different angle. The bottom of the bridge can be raised to 86 degree to allow river traffic to pass. Pretty cool, eh? This part of the river is a little quieter at night compared to the London eye, it was a real nice walk and gave me time to think about the plan for tomorrow. 

Day tour to Windsor, Stonehenge and the Roman Baths

Got up super early, headed to the Victoria Station to join this tour! All the places I wanted to go! Very exciting day! Looking out the tour bus window, I saw the countryside of England, so quiet and pretty. 

First stop is the Windsor Castle. It is the oldest and largest inhabited castle in the world, and it has been home for the British loyalties for almost 1000 years. Her Majesty The Queen spends a fair amount of time here and the castle is used regularly for ceremonial and State occasions. Photography was not allowed inside the castle, so I only got one without anyone noticing! Everybody can pick up a recorded audio tour and it explains all the history and significance of different parts of the castle in detail. Because this tour included a lot of places in one day, and the castle is huge, so I was kinda in a hurry to walk through the castle, and couldn't enjoy as much. I would suggest that if you have time, you should probably take a half day just to explore the castle. It'd be worth it.

Next stop is Stonehenge. It is believed that it was constructed from 3000 to 2000 BC, and it is still a mystery how it was constructed and what it was used for. It was not as big as I thought, but still very cool to see. You cannot walk between the stones like I imagined it because they want to protect the site as much as possible. Too bad it was not a sunny day and I could not see the alignments, but it would be hard to see anyways in the middle of the day. I would suggest taking a sunrise or sunset tour if that is something you would like to see.

Last stop of the tour, the Roman Baths. Bath is a city, and the Roman Baths is a well-preserved Roman site for public bathing in the city. Because of the natural hot spring in the city, it was developed to be the spot for hot spa, and hence the name. Besides the actual Roman Baths complex, the whole city was just beautiful, filled with history. A lot of the buildings can date back to the 16th - 18th centuries. It's almost like I went back in time! It was enchanting.   

The bus tour guide suggested this place for fish and chips. Well, can't say I have been to London without trying their fish and chips, right? The place is called Bag O' Nails, and the fish and chips was okay (if this is the best, can't imagine what other places taste like). I was told not to expect too much in England when it comes to food, so I have been warned. The portion is definitely big enough to feed 2 people, and I was so stuffed. What's the plan tomorrow? Oxford! I struggled between Oxford and Cambridge because I only had time to go to one. I was very into Harry Potter back in the day, so I kinda really wanted to see the site where it was shoot, so I went for Oxford instead of Cambridge. But that's just me, and most reviews suggested Cambridge might be a better choice. Oh well, there's always a next time!

First day in London

I arrived in the late afternoon, and I have to drop off my luggage at the hostel, so I couldn't really do much today. I stayed at a B&B/bar (convenient huh?!) called New Market House B&B close to the Caledonian station, which is a convenient enough location with a much cheaper price. A pretty decent room (why does it matter anyways? I ended up spending less than 7 hours there everyday.....) and a shared bathroom with just one other room next to me. Not bad. 

 Not surprisingly it was pretty cloudy here in London (well, that's the real London, right?). Spring is definitely a good time to go because it's not too cold, not too hot and it doesn't rain much. Since I have a whole night, and the night view of London is amazing (so I was told), I decided to go check it out! The London Eye, the Big Ben, etc. Yes, all the cliché tourist spots. On the way there, I passed by this awesome food market! If I haven't already gotten a pie before I saw that, I would have had so much fun here munching on all the snack food. That guy in the picture below saw me taking that picture, and ended up giving me a free bruschetta! 

When I finally got to the river. Oh God, it was mesmerizing. I caught the last ride up the London Eye, but too bad the lights for the London Eye and Big Ben were off when I was up there. I think it was due to some international energy saving thing, so they turned it off for an hour. I totally support this, but I just wish I could have seen the lighted view when I was on the top of the London Eye. What surprised me was that the capsules were huge! So, it is not like 2 people can go up to enjoy a romantic moment like other Ferris wheels. Instead, there are 10-20 people inside each capsule at once! It wasn't crowded inside though, and there was enough room for everyone to see the view.

Before I headed back, I walked to the Big Ben and it was exactly how I imagined it. I was dazzled. This is the most beautiful clock tower I have ever seen. I thought I took enough pictures at the time, but when I got home, I was mad at myself for not taking more pictures! Most people thought that it's enough to see it in person, but not me. Maybe I don't have a very good memory? No matter how great it was, the images in my head faded after a while, and only my pictures can take me back. 

I am joining a tour tomorrow, and the tour includes the Windsor Palace, the Roman Bath and the legendary Stonehenge. It is going to be an exciting day! Tomorrow happens to be the equinox (perfect time to go to Stonehenge!), but too bad that it's going to be cloudy tomorrow...... can't exactly see the sun.

My first time to Europe

I have always wanted go to Europe. The history, the culture, the architecture, the ambiance, everything is just so captivating. I imagined my first time in Europe would be with someone I love, at least 3 weeks, hopping on the buses and trains from city to city with a big heavy backpack, and Italy would preferably be the first country I visit. But it wasn't at all like how I imagined it.

One of my best friends decided to go to London during Easter and she begged me to go with her because she didn't want to travel alone. I was tempted, so I said yes. She wanted to go to London for the whole 10-day vacation because she loves London so much (although she has never been there), and I couldn't bare the thought that I only visit one city in Europe as I would be so close to Paris, Belgium, Amsterdam, etc. So, I suggested we should go to Belgium for a couple days. The itinerary was set to go to London, then to Brussels. At the very last minute, my friend did not go on to that plane due to some family emergency (which I totally understand but sad anyways), so I ended up going alone. And that is my very first trip alone as well!

I have always wondered what it's like to travel alone, and now that I have, I am not sure how I feel about it. It felt so free. You don't have to make any compromises, or discuss with anybody about what you want to do, where you want to go, what food you want to eat, and when you want a break. You can just do whatever you want in a brand new city that you are trying to explore. It felt great and you can see more of the city because you are less distracted. However, when you were walking along the River Thames in London at night or listening to the beautiful classical music being played on the street in Bruges, you'd wish someone was next to you to share that moment. 

Stay tuned for my Europe trip posts!