Paris - Day 1

After a 13-hour flight from Singapore, our plane finally touched down at CDG airport at around 6.50am on Nov 24th. Checking out was hassle-free as the airport was relatively empty given the early hours and the fact that it is now an off-peak travel period. However, the morning highway traffic into Paris was a nightmare, with cars crawling bumper to bumper virtually all the way from the airport to our hotel. We arrived at Hotel Muguet at 11 Rue Chevert almost 3 hours later. By this time, we were reeling from a gruelling flight and horrendous traffic congestion. Fortunately, a decent hotel room and a hot shower saved the day. As the hotel is located at Arrondisement 7, in the vicinity of Eiffel Tower, it was only natural that our first stop was the iconic man-made structure. I was still awed by the sight of the Eiffel Tower, notwithstanding that this wasn't the first time I visited the place. Such is timeless architecture!

It doesn't take much to have decent photography when the weather cooperates. Such was the case during our Day 1 in Paris - a sunny clear blue sky. We chose not to exert ourselves on this very first day, but to experience the true Parisian way of life, taking our trip easy and with much emphasis on having a good culinary experience. It is after all, Paris, the world capital of haute cuisine!

And so we walked slowly, taking in the sight and sound of Paris, in a high-spirited sort of way. Next, a short subway ride took us to the cathedral of Notre Dame. 

The place would have been flooded with tourists, had it not been the off-peak season. It was already 3pm, and the clouds were gathering rapidly. Yan and I decided to have our late lunch break at a cafe just opposite the cathedral, called Le Petit Pont.

One would have thought that it's a bad idea to eat at touristy places, but our rumbling stomachs were crying for food. Besides, the effects of jetlag was slowly creeping in. Our minds and limps too needed a rest. So Le Petit Pont shall be it! For ease of ordering, we just went for the set menu that cost EUR16 per pax. It came with an appetizer, a soup and a main course.

One just can't go wrong with a hot serving of pumpkin soup in a cold autumn day. For appetizer, we had duck pastry served with green salad, while our main course was medium-grilled steak served with mashed potatoes. The quality of food was surprisingly decent, and in fact better than Singapore bistro standard. The marinated duck meat fillings in the pastry was to-die-for. The steak was cooked to perfection. And this was only a simple tourist cafe! A positive start, for sure. We so look forward to the rest of our culinary experience in France. Bon Appetite!