Last Night in Paris

Louie treated me (as always) for dinner at this posh vietnamese restaurant in Paris the night before I am scheduled to depart. I forgot the name of the restaurant! Senior Moments for the Nth time.

Louie still working via his mobile phone


I am not fond of raw meat. I always have my meat cooked well-done. But this one was an exception. Stellar! YUMMERS!


Louie's Sate' Platter, was it? And I think I need memory enhancers. I forgot what he had.


After dinner, we headed straight back to his apartment. We relaxed a bit and strolled outside to get one last glimpsed of her majesty beauty - The Eiffel Tower. The Eiffel Tower is a mere 10-minute or less walk from his apartment.


The following morning was our flight out of Paris. I was going back home to the Philippines while he was going to Bremen, Germany. And since our flight was in the evening still, we opted to visit the Sacred Heart (Sacre Coeur) Church before heading to the airport.

The Sacred Heart Church or The Sacre Coeur Basilica is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ. This very popular landmark is situated on top of MontMartre Hill which is the highest point in the City of Lights!

It took us forever to find a parking space around the area of the sacred heart church. It was a crowded afternoon. Finally, the face of relief! :)


Along the way, you will find struggling musicians playing along.


And a female artist - what do you call this type of artist again?


Souvenir shops, paintings and restaurants are scattered all over the area.


It's no joke to walk up to the church. I stopped a gazillion times to catch my breath. I am not as athletic/physically fit as Louie is, thank you very much!


View of Paris from the Hilltop. Breath-taking view of the Paris skyline. Isn't it gorgeous?


Going down these stairs from the Church, will bring you to Pigalle - Paris' Red Light District.


Pigalle is a tourist destination with many sex shops and prostitutes working on the side streets. This area was named after the sculptor Jean-Baptiste Pigalle.

The most famous cabaret built in 1889 where the can-can dance originated - Moulin Rouge.


It's time to say adieu. Here I am at the Charles De Gaulle Airport waiting for my flight back home. *sob*

They Say It's Art, We Say It's.......

When we were in Paris, dear friend Louie brought mowdil and I to Jardin de Tuileries.

Jardin de Tuileries used to be a royal palace in Paris, France. Look how beautifully manicured the garden is! Awesome! This was taken beginning of Spring 2009.

Sunbathing with Jackets on!

Posing at one of the many scupltures in the garden:

and another sculpture: I know what you're thinking so keep it to yourself! hehehe...

The Garden Designer of Tuileries: Andre Le Notre

Needed to use the restrooms along the way. I remember the three of us were being noisy, talking while walking toward the restroom and got reprimanded by the person manning it.

We made a quick stop at Mary Magdalene's Church:

Modern Day Mary Magdalene (Male Version): Lighting a candle and praying for world peace.

Inside the Church:

Baptism of Christ:

We all said our prayers, then it was off to Musee du Louvre! Along the way, we passed by mom's hotel: Haha! Wishful thinking! *wink*

and this Chopard photo shoot did make us stop! S-T-O-P and observe:

Louvre is considered to be the biggest museum in the world. And here you have the famous glass pyramid.

Inside the Museum:

First Stop: Sculptures

Unlike taking pictures where every milisecond's pose can be captured; I wonder how long this poor guy had to pose to be sculpted. Hahahaha! Peace.

A man feeding his new born child:

A guard protecting the love of his love: How Sweet!!!

A lonely goatherder lost his sheep and his clothes.

This guy probably won the marathon and slipped:


A man trying to kill a serpent:


more male sculptures:


another:


and another:


It's amazing how real this sculptures look - muscles, veins and all.

Next Stop: Egyptian Antiquities

These human-headed winged bull called shedu guards the entrance. Shedu are believed to be protectors of homes and palaces.


This was a tomb, i think (i hope im not mistaken)


Ladies and gentlemen, please take note of the purse:


This is a real mummy:


and of course, the Sphinx: Temple guardians


Your trip to the Louvre will never be complete without seeing these beauties:

Venus De Milo: believed to be the sculpture of Greek Godess of love & beauty: Aphrodite


Mona Lisa: The most famous painting of Leonardo Da Vinci


That concludes our Louvre visit. On our next trip hopefully we can visit other areas: The Sattelite Museum, Decorative Arts, etc...

Dinner the Parisian Way

I can't help but reminisce good times with old friends everytime I feel melancholic especially when good times happen in the most romantic place in the whole wide world - Paris!

Last March 2009 I left for Paris and stayed with one of my dear friends, Louie - The most gracious host ever. Two days after I arrived, another good friend of ours from EL-AY flew in to bond with us. Let's call him "Super Mowdil". On the first night of "Super Mowdil" in the city of Lights, Louie treated us to one fantastic Parisian Dinner at the CHEZ FRANCOISE RESTAURANT.




Chez Francoise is a french gastronomic restaurant that is located in Les Invalides close to the Eiffel Tower. Louie made reservations online. We got there five minutes early and were greeted by their Maitre D' who was so gracious to lead us to our table.

Browsing through the menu, three of us decided to order different dishes so we can try it out.

We had the following Entrees:

Oysters from Marennes Oleron


Rabbit's Meat with Espelette Pepper Jelly (this made Mowdil's tummy turn upside down.... vomit moments? hehehe)


Foie Gras, Apricot & Fig compote


For our Main Courses, we had the following:

Monseiur Castaing's Duck Confit


Whole Sole Meuniere


Fresh Catch of the Day: Mowdil's choice!


And who wants to miss dessert? Not I! I cannot really remember the names of these desserts but I assure you It's TDF (To Die For!!!):

If I'm not mistaken, I think this is Warm chocolate fudge with Fromage (cheese) ice cream


This one, I really forgot. But I can assure you it was stellar! :)


Louie had these unpasteurised farm cheeses that stink like crazy! (super pangsot galore... I swear!)


Just like in a movie, all good things must come to an end. *sob* After dinner, we strolled our way back to Louie's Apartment. I wish everyday I'd wake up in Paris. *super sob*