Hidden Gems of Paris

Art and Food Experience

I've always imagined myself walking around Paris with gelato on hand or sitting in a cafe having coffee overlooking the Eiffel tower. Wishes do come true.  If you imagine something again and again, sooner or later it will materialize in front of you and all you have to do is believe. 

We wanted something different for Paris, not just the normal tourist sites attractions.  I knew exactly what we needed to do.  I've always wanted to study art and I thought to myself why not explore that possibility in France.  Let's go!

Tuesday, October 15

Check-in:  Ibis Budget Paris Porte De Montmartre

Address: 45 Rue du Docteur Babinski 18th arr. 75018 Paris France 

5 days, 4 nights: 275 euros (2 pax)

Honestly speaking, the only thing I like about Ibis Budget Paris Porte De Montmartre is the location and it's cheaper compared to most hotels in the area.

Activities for the day: Art Class, check out Sacre Couer and dinner in Montmartre

My husband and I along with a close friend of mine made up our travel group for this trip.  We took Uber for all our activities in Paris as it saved us considerable travel time around the city.  Every minute counted!  We divided the cost of each ride between the three of us. Uber rides: 15-25 euros

Art Class at Eiffel Tower 

Address: Place du Trocadéro et du 11 Novembre, 75016 Paris, France

Class fee: 20 euros

In my previous blog post, I mentioned there that the original plan was to have the art class the next day we arrived from the airport.  However, jet-lag kicked in and we slept through the alarm. Believe it or not, we ditched our art class teacher.  She was mad but the goodness of her heart shined through and she gave us another chance to retrieve our glory. 

The day has come to unleash our creativity to the world.  We wanted to paint the Eiffel tower; our teacher was confused and asked why.  I answered well, of course, why not?!  just like that short and simple.  It was a sunny, windy day and tourists of all sorts flocked the attraction site.  Our teacher proposed to meet up at the Trocadero Cafe where we can walk to a good vantage point of the tower. 

We purchased our Art Class Voucher with Groupon.

Save on activities, spas, restaurants, and events near you at Groupon 

A sweet French lady with lovely eyes and a cherry voice.  She brought with her 3 canvasses, brushes, and a variety of acrylic paints, which she distributed to us.  We found a spot nearby the fountains that sat perfectly in front of the tower. 

It was a short class; we had to decide what angle of the Eiffel tower appealed to us right at the moment.  It's funny as each one of us had a unique idea for our painting.  My friend wanted to paint hers as a happy, sunny day.  I chose the sunset scenery.  Lastly, my husband imagined a starry night.  It was a perfect showing of The Tower from start to end. 

Our paintings looked exquisitely cute, it deserved to be in the Louvre Museum.  Our art was painted with so much love and excitement.  Back when I was still in Singapore, I've always wanted to pursue my love for the arts and painting. This art class in Paris unlocked that fantasy.  I'll be painting more for this year and maybe one day I'll get to show my love of art to the world, fulfilling my dream of being an artist.

Montmartre
Address: Parvis du Sacré-Cœur, 75018 Paris, France

The last place we want to see is a small town up in the hill of Paris called "Montmartre."

We didn't take the usual tourist route.  Instead, we wanted to take our time and climb some stairs to reach Montmartre.  It's a fun way to see a foreign place.

Basilica of the Sacré-Cœur.

Overlooking view of the city.

This is a great place to see real artists doing their craft.  You can also purchase paintings here and, even better, meet the artists themselves.  I didn't take a picture of their privacy.  One artist specifically said she did not want to be photographed even if just her back and most especially her paintings.  Most of the other guys were cool about it.

Most photographed crosswalk in Montmarte.

Make sure to get your souvenirs here, they're handmade and unique for your collections.

We did a different route when we went down the hill.

I love seeing apartment verandas here in Paris.

For our last day in Paris, we made sure to try the must-eat foods on our list.  It's not every day that you get to try food made from the country itself.  Seize the moment and satisfy your appetite! 

Escargot.

Baguettes and Croissants.

There's only one slice of baguette left in our table and the croissant is all gone - the bread is that good!  Paris is a bakery mecca for bread lovers out there.

Macarons.

Crepes and Gelato.

Duck Confit.

Crème brûlée.

A random bookstore along the way and look at what I found!  One of my favorite authors is here; who would have thought.  One of his famous quotes about traveling is “Travel is never a matter of money but of courage.”  One of these days I'm going to make my "Top 35 Inspiring Quotes by Paulo Coelho."  Be mind-blown how this novelist gets to your inner core with his wise words and distinct love for life.

This building right here reminds me of a structure in Toronto, Canada. I love how Paris brings back memories of my life in Canada.

This ends our tour in France.  Another memorable travel experience with my partner — the one and only champion of my world.  Walking around Paris was just like walking around another city — or that's what I thought.  But there is something about these places that brings you back in time where men opened doors for ladies, guys serenade girls, and, moreover, where conversations are more important than today's digital era of texting and video chatting.  Paris is truly a romantic city.

Check out my travel resources: This Is How I Travel On A Budget

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1. AIRFARE

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2. ACCOMMODATION

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3. GROUPON DEALS

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Have fun and be safe  ^__^

Do you want more information about our European adventure?

Check out Travelling to Europe for 2 weeks: Art Class in Paris, France then getting on a Hot air balloon ride at Siena, Italy, and relaxing by the beach at Amalfi, Coast with a side trip to Rome, Italy before flying back home.

Where am I going next?

My next adventure is Taking the train from Paris, France to Siena, Italy.