A summer’s day walk in the heart of the city of love ~ Paris.

Presenting a page from my memory book of last year, 2017.

It was the first Sunday of August and like all first Sundays of every month, the famous museums in Paris have a free entry for all. So I decided to head to Musee D’Orsay to start the day out all by myself. All photos here are shot by me and hence I am not in any. After my morning cup of tea and croissants, I took the public transport and arrived at the entrance of the museum only to find long winding queues of people and many others sitting on the pavement surrounding the museum, waiting their turn. I guess I shouldn’t have let it be a lazy Sunday morning start (lesson learnt – there will be tourists everywhere, anywhere in Paris, be prepared).

Anyways, I didn’t want to waste much time standing in line so I decided to skip the museum visit and go see another gem. Below is the view of the museum building from across the Tuileries garden.I put on my gps and set it to walk from the musée to Sainte Chapelle. It’s a long walk and I’m sharing the screenshot, to put into perspective the location of what’s where.One of my most favourite free things to do in Paris, is to walk along the Seine, sightseeing the city on the go. These are some of the typical sidewalk views on the route I took.

Here’s one of the Love Lock bridges  – Pont des Arts. Lovers lock a padlock here and throw the key into the river as a symbol of commitment to each other. I recommend getting unique souvenirs of Paris right from one of these stalls, anytime you’re in this city.

So on I marched, to find my way for the first time to the old royal chapel. It felt as though I was on a treasure hunt in the city. Sainte Chapelle is located in the Palais de la Cité at the heart of ParisIt was a pleasant feeling, a relief in fact to see a much much much shorter queue as I approached the chapel. The entry fee here was $10 and can be purchased at the entrance or on their website. It’s entry is free only on the first Sundays of the months from November to March.

Sainte Chapelle dates back to the 13th century. It then served as the parish church for the Parisian royal residents, hence the Holy Chapel is known as the Royal Chapel. It also housed the relics of the crown of thorns that’s now at the Notre Dame Cathedral.

The restoration work done in the 19th century in impressive. Here’s a visual delight of this splendid chapel, as seen through my lens.This spectacular view above greets you, as you set foot into the chapel, before proceeding upstairs, round a spiral stone staircase. There is a gift shop on the ground floor so you can purchase a souvenir here if interested. There are audio guides and concierge services available at a little extra cost and plain old laminated sheets of paper with information about the chapel incase you wish to know the chapel’s history in depth.

The chapel is a prime example of Gothic architecture. The beauty and antiquity of this place really speaks out from each pillar and glass window.These 13th century stained glass windows are 15 in number and 15 metres in height. Each of them tell a bible story from the old testament through the new.Below is the rose window of the chapel.After spending my time in admiration here and clicking snapshots of this gorgeous place, I still had the rest of the day as it was early noon. Next I headed to grab a quick bite at the nearest Bistro and went on to enjoy my walk along the Seine river towards Notre Dame cathedral. I had to stop by here since it was at such close quarters.

This view I’m sharing with you was so worth the short visit here. These pictures always make me feel nostalgic and serve as a reminder to stop and smell the roses, no matter  the rush. Below is a shot of a boat full of people enjoying the lovely sun and sights on a Seine river cruise, another perfect way to enjoy Paris.

As I crossed the street to walk into the most famous book store in town, I couldn’t help but feel overcome with gratitude of how casually I was going about my day in comparison to doing things as a tourist in other cities. This day was a learning in so many ways.Here’s Shakespeare & Company, there is a special aura about this place and you have to experience it for yourself to know what I am talking about. I highly recommend this place for all book lovers.

Yes, I did buy a Hemingway book here 🙂 and got it stamped at the store.

Taking pictures inside is prohibited and I respect that, so here are some outdoor views.Could there be a more perfect scene to sum up my day and this post ; the snapshot below says it all.


41 Comments

jenna · May 17, 2018 at 2:29 pm

Im going to Paris in August! This is amazing! Thank you!

miriam · May 17, 2018 at 8:47 am

I have been a few times I Paris but didn’t now about the book store. Definitively a place I will visit next time. Love the smell of old books! 😉

Nish · May 16, 2018 at 3:10 pm

Oh my! This sounds like the most perfect day!

The Cheapskate Girl · May 16, 2018 at 12:50 am

It looks like such a dreamy place. You have great photos of the architecture! You make me want to go and souvenir shop!!

olia · May 15, 2018 at 6:36 pm

You got me dreaming of Paris with your post!

Natalie @ Obsessive Cooking Disorder · May 15, 2018 at 3:37 pm

I LOOOOVE Paris so much! My honeymoon

Lejna · March 25, 2018 at 7:34 pm

Hi Vivz,
The first time I read your blog, though I’ve been thinking of doing it for a very long while. It’s so well written and induces nostalgia. I’m going to read every blog post now. Keep writing dear!!!

Kaitlyn · March 15, 2018 at 4:42 am

Paris is on my travel bucket list and these beautiful pictures just make me want to visit there even more!

johnny · March 14, 2018 at 4:03 pm

Such an amazing and historic city. Incredible pictures by the way.

derra howard · March 14, 2018 at 6:52 am

Paris is completely beautiful!!! Thank you for showing us!!!

Bettie Toonstra · March 8, 2018 at 8:42 am

I love Paris, but I’ve never been to this beautiful city in spring/summertime. Maybe I should

Lulu @ Thousand Caminos · February 26, 2018 at 5:05 pm

Absolutely want to see Paris one day! I love the “free” recommendations as it helps in a city so expensive. But I feel like Paris is a walking museum in any case 🙂

Matthew Stephens · February 21, 2018 at 12:10 pm

I really enjoyed reading this, as I have never been to Paris, so I found it quite interesting. Love your photography, and I really like how you implemented the screenshot to show a scale of distance. Simply wonderful.

Nancy · February 21, 2018 at 7:08 am

I’ve never been so thank you for sharing your experience! I definitely want to go sometime in the near future. The chapel is gorgeous!

Stephanie | Une Cherette · February 21, 2018 at 12:14 am

Summer in Paris sounds so lovely.

Kayla // Buy The Plane Ticket · February 20, 2018 at 5:11 pm

I’m a huge architecture nerd so those stain glass windows have me IN LOVE. Plus, I actually own a budget travel website so I love the fact that you focused on keeping the trip cheap. It just shows you can go somewhere amazing like Paris and not have to spend a ton of money.

Kat Nelson · February 20, 2018 at 4:21 pm

Ahhh, this makes me miss Paris! Love all the photos!

Lauren · February 19, 2018 at 9:32 pm

Thank you for the lovely break from work haha. Your pictures made me feel like I was right there with you!

Traveling Morion · February 17, 2018 at 2:55 pm

One of my fave places on earth! Thank you for sharing your beautiful journey in Paris 🙂

Katie · February 15, 2018 at 6:06 pm

omg thanks for sharing I miss Europe so much! Made my day 🙂 xx Katie

Sheila Price · February 14, 2018 at 4:31 pm

I’ve never been to Paris, but I would love to some day!

Simona · February 11, 2018 at 5:18 pm

Beautiful post..loved the chapel..really stunning!

    Viveena Rodrigues · February 12, 2018 at 7:43 am

    Thanks Sim , for taking the time to read & show your appreciation. It means a lot ♥️.

Bestcapturedblog · February 7, 2018 at 12:44 pm

Looks amazing! Great photos of a great city!

Christina · February 7, 2018 at 12:14 pm

Beautiful post!

Emily · February 7, 2018 at 12:12 pm

Paris is at the top of my list of places I want to visit. That bookstore sounds amazing!

Tracy · February 7, 2018 at 2:03 am

Such a lovely city! I would love to spend some time there and maybe see some other parts of Europe too!

Jade · February 7, 2018 at 12:33 am

These pictures are stunning!!

Lena Juice · February 7, 2018 at 12:26 am

Wow, thanks for sharing your memories with us. I love Paris so much!

Shelbie (9to5hiatus) · February 6, 2018 at 8:56 pm

Sounds like a wonderful day! Keeping this article in mind for whenever I make my way down there!

Gretchen · February 6, 2018 at 8:27 pm

Thank you for sharing. Paris is a place I have always wanted to visit. Your pictures are very beautiful. Especially inside the church. I love churches. That is one of the reasons why I want to go to Paris….one day!

Caitlin | Beauty & Colour · February 6, 2018 at 6:19 pm

Legitimately one of my top 3 favorite cities in the world! Love Paris!!!

Beauty & Colour | Vegan Lifestyle Blog

Kerri · February 6, 2018 at 2:57 pm

Such a cool trip!!

Charlotte · February 6, 2018 at 2:54 pm

Thank you so much for sharing your memories and photos of this day in Paris. It’s such a lovely city, and there are so many places to get lost and fall in love on those city streets, eh? I haven’t been to that book store!! I’ll have to stop by next time I make my way to France <3 Also I haven't been to the Musee D'Orsay but it's been on my bucket list forever because of the Monets. Thank you for sharing this, and hope you have a great week!

    Viveena Rodrigues · February 6, 2018 at 6:31 pm

    My pleasure . Have you been to Musée de l’Orangerie near the Tuileries garden .. there’s a lovely work of Monet’s art at display there .

      Charlotte · February 6, 2018 at 10:37 pm

      Ahhh! No you’re right! The Musee de l’Orangerie is the one I’m thinking about that I’ve never been to <3 I'll have to find my way back there!!

Nina | Lemons and Luggage · February 5, 2018 at 3:16 pm

I know that not everyone agrees but summer is the perfect time in Paris for me, and your description supports my point of view! What a lovely city, right?

MAMTA · February 5, 2018 at 4:32 am

Cela me donne envie d’aller visiter Paris aussitôt que possible!! C’est très bien écrit!! Et bien sûr que Paris is magnifique..

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