Wonder.Food.Travel

There's something about Provins that captivated me. Provins is far from Paris. The train ride took almost an hour and a half from Paris Gare de l'Est. Going there, i looked out and enjoyed the countryside. Coming back, i slept. Nicely decorated train station. It is one of the bigger stations, with many trains leaving to many places. From the train ride. Quick bite on Provins: it is a medieval town, with history claiming it to be home to one of the Champagne fairs, under the Count of Champagne. The fair was an annual trading fair cycle held in towns during the Middle Ages in the regions of France. Provins is a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2001. Entering the medieval town. The Caesar's Tower and the bell. There was a legend which dates the origin of the town to the Roman era, thus the tower built by Julius Caesar. The tower had been used for various purposes: a prison, a shelter from attacks, and military administration.  We went...

Be warned: pictures in this post may be too much to handle. If you cannot stomach it, turn away when you see the *. Before i dwell on the bones and skulls, i'd like to thank you for curiously stopping by. Do head to Champs Elysees for some shopping and at the end of the street, stop by the Arche de Triumphe . There it is! Me at the gate and on the top (with fee). What's amazing at the top is the 360 degree view at the roundabout. Eiffel Tower is there. Around the gate. Like in Beijing, i was immensely amazed by the people of the past, especially their planning and geometry skills. We did walk, in a straight line, from the Louvre Museum through to Champs Elysees and the Arche de Triumphe. If shopping is in your list, head to La Vallee Village premium outlet (on the way to Disneyland via train) for discounted branded goods. Just getting there, you can pass through a shopping mall, and there you begin your shopping spree. *** You...

No, this ain't macaroons. These are Burgundy escargot. There is more to Paris than what i've written in 'Painting a Dream', and some are free admission. Sacre Coeur Basilica had left a sour taste on this otherwise sweet journey. I walked towards Sacre Coeur until a split on the road: to go up via the tram or the stairs in the park. I chose the latter, as i've read about musician playing or people picnicking along the way. I saw none of those sort and there was where i was scammed- the infamous Bracelet Scam. I noticed a group of men at the top of the stairs and i thought if i'd walk fast and ignore them, they would ignore me. One man approached and i kindly declined. He reached for my hand; i quickly retracted. I couldn't, and by then his grip tightened. He started to weave a bracelet on my hand; i tried again to pull back. That was when another man came and chatted with me. I knew what he was doing; i knew what i had gotten myself int...