Impian. Idaman.

I guess women and handbags are just like men with gadgets/cars. Both gender could not comprehend why we splurge and spend money on these things. For the quality? Definitely. Membazir? Maybe to some. Maybe if beli banyak sangat. Or maybe priority orang untuk spend duit kat mana tu lain-lain.

Buying leather and expensive bag sebenarnya is not a total waste of money. Really, it is not. Look at it this way, these bags can last for years (granted you take care of it properly) and you can actually hand it down to your daughter/niece later on in life..vintage ok. Plus, every year, harga naik..just last month Chanel double flap bag naik harga 500€  within a year. So kira save la jugak if beli awal..no? So, ade sape2 nak sponsor I beli any of these handbags yg dalam list idaman ni? =p

Marc Jacobs Stam Bag

Louis Vuitton Alma Bag. 

Prada Saffiano Leather Tote

The ultimate splurge 

Lady Dior handbag. Don't know when I will have that extra few (by that I meant blardy 13+k) ringgit to get this one.

I shall work hard, do more calls, locum and reward myself satu setiap tahun. Ada motivation and  arah tujuan sikit nak save up..huhu..I want them all, can? 

In the mean time, I am perfectly happy carrying my good old handbag yg byk berjasa tu =))

Cote D'Azur Day 1

Last week, another dear friend of ours came over to Paris. It was an impromptu trip for her, a celebration for completing another phase of our medical profession journey. She was here for 7 days but since it was her 4th trip to Paris, we suggested that she visits the south part of France while she was here. The plan was for all 3 of us to go together but unfortunately, hubby wasn't able to take off from work as he has a dateline for his project. Booo! So sedih ok..but he insisted that we proceed with the plan. He's the best. I know. *_*
Our flight was on the 21st at 7am..meaning we have to take the first RER train at 5am. Unfortunately, those "smart" RER people decided that they want to have strike on the very day. They gave the notification a few days in advanced so that the public can plan own transportation for that day. After tons of discussions, we had no choice but to take the last train on the 20th and spend the night at the airport. We have considered staying at the nearest hotel but since now is a peak season, no rooms were available (cheap ones at least) and we have also considered taking the cab but our apartment is in the suburbs (zone 4, near Disneyland) which is on the other side of the airport..usually it'll take us almost one and a half hour to get to the airport via train. Taking a cab means that we have to spend an additional 100€; hence it is out of question.
Anyway, despite the initial suffering sleeping at the airport, we arrived safely in Nice. I had no expectations at all of what the city will look like as I have never imagined nor planned to visit the place. And yes, I did not do my research before I came over. But it is a good thing though..I was purely surprised of how beautiful and pretty the city is. The people are friendlier than the ones in Paris.

The view from above, prior to landing.

We stayed at Star Hotel, right in the middle of Nice Ville. It is a small 3 star hotel..a very nice and comfortable place if you're looking for a place to just have shower and crash in at night. The workers there are really friendly and helpful too. One of them (Phillipe - he has been to Malaysia and loved it!) actually rearrange our itinerary for us so that we would be able to enjoy the very best of Nice. 

On our first day, since we arrived at 10am, we had the whole day to see the city. After we checked in and dropped our bags at the hotel, we went on foot to the old city.

                       

        

Along the Avenue Jean Medicine which is also where our hotel is situated. This is the modernized part of the town where there are malls, boutiques, and fast food chains. The tram pictured above will take you from one end to the other. 

Place Massena. 

Look closely and you'll see that there are men up on the stilts sitting in different positions. They lit up at night in different colours that change every few seconds. 

Vieux Nice or The Old City. 

Narrow streets with shops selling food, icecreams, handcrafts, and sourvenirs of course. And that's a stranger who just happened to be in the middle of the shot.

The Promenade des Anglais is a long seaside walkway (about 5km) that stretches along the pebble beach. Restaurants and naked people burning themselves can be found all along this Mediterranean seaside. 

This is definitely the highlight of the day ; The Colline du Chateau or The Castle Hill. There's only a few sections of the castle that still remain but mostly people climb up  (or in our case, took the free elevator up) there for the spectacular panoramic view of the city and also for the amazing fountain which I really can't recall the name. 

Of course we had to try the seafood since we were in Mediterranean (and plus the fact that that's the only halal thing we could have!) We had our dinner at one of those many many restaurants along Cours Saleya..and again , I can't recall the name..Sorry! 

Told ya they lit up at night in different colours! We spent a good few hours here watching street performances by the local artists. Coincidentally that it was Fète de la musique day so there were a few small street concerts going on along the area.

The Graduate

After 7 years of pure hard work in a foreign land, my husband is now a graduate with a Masters Degree..MSc. Electronic Systems Engineering that is. Very very VERY proud of you, love =)

Londres

Somewhere in the middle of the second week, the two of us went to London for one of our girlfriend's solemnization. We spent a good 4 days and 3 nights there. Nasib baik both of us pernah dtg sini..if not sure stress sebab nak sightseeing but masa tak banyak.

We went there via TGV and Ema picked us up at the train station. This is us, in the bus to Ema's place where we bersiap2 before going to the nikah ceremony.

We stayed at two different hotels while we were there..it was a last minute change since initially we planned to stay for 2 nights but we added another additional night due to certain circumstances and at that time, the only place available (within our budget) was Easy Hotel. Dodgy jugak la..bilik kecik but katil besar (almost 4/5 of the room was occupied by the bed - nasib baik best katil tu). Stayed there for a night tapi dah dapat cabin fever within 6 hours. The 2nd hotel we stayed was Premier Inn..we were really happy with this hotel because for one, it is just a stone's throw away from Earl's court station..50m je kot. And two, it is super comfy for a budget hotel..mcm hotel 3-4 star ok! And their staffs are friendly and accommodating..unlike the receptionist kat Easy Hotel yg sombong gila tu. Recommended for those yg nak gi London and budget hotel kurang mcm kitorang =)

Our second day there was wholly spent at Bicester Village. The 5 of us ( + sweet Dina, who took this photo) went crazy there..semua rambang mata..semua nak. Lesson learnt. Lain kali jimat kat Malaysia and spend kat sini je. At least 50% cheaper! My greatest purchase were those Clarks shoes for work..satu kasut £20..and second pair for £10. Mana tak beli sampai 4?!?!

The 3rd and final night there we went to see a Broadway show after dah penat borong kat Primark and jln2 kat Oxford Street. We went to see Wicked; one of the longest running show in Broadway history. Best nak mamps please! The actors were so good and talented sgt sgt..diorang nyanyi sampai goosebumps naik 5cm!

Our train back to Paris was at 8pm so we had the whole day to just roam around. After brunch with the newlyweds, the two of us went for last minute shopping and souvenir hunting. Atas nasihat Shida, both of us went to Bayswater for some milkshake and steak sandwich at Tinseltown for our early dinner..sodap!!

2nd and 3rd week

After five days of my arrival, one of my bestfriends, Dalia, came here for a two week holiday. I was super excited when I saw her at the arrival hall that we almost scream in the middle of the airport. We have been planning her trip together for the past month or so and we had this packed-to-the-core itinerary for that 14 days she was here. Hubby and I tried to bring her to all the places we know but there are just so many thing to see, 14 days are just not enough. However, we managed to cover all the touristy places, the main shopping malls and also some of the locals' favorite spots.

Here are some of the places we went..

At the Charles De Gaulle arrival hall. There were jumping, hugging and shrieking as if we haven't seen each other for years but really, we just saw each other days prior to my departure.

Trocadero + Eiffel Tower

We brought her there twice..the first time was at night so she could see the Eiffel when its lit up and all sparkly and the second time was during the day, when the three of us went to the top most of the tower. Tiga-tiga pun first time naik. Thank God that the sky was really clear that day..we could see the whole of Paris so clearly from up there.

The Lourve..where Dot met her Cik Mona.

Notre Dame

She was more exited about the Greek shops, kebabs and souvenir shops along St Michel rather than Notre Dame itself. Tak nak jumpa Quasimodo ke Dot? Hehe

Jardin De Tuileries

Impromptu picnic.. lepas penat jalan straight from Hotel De Ville, around Auber, Palais Royal-Lourve, and the huge garden, we bought drinks and macarons and sat down at the the garden for an hour or so.

National l'opera

Super duper cantik. Almost as beautiful as Versaille. Its a shame that the auditorium is not open for public unless you're there to watch a show. I'm sure it is as beautiful as the exterior.

Arc de triomphe + Champs Elysees

The high end street in Paris. I did a lot of window shopping but someone did some actual shopping..hehe..I guess LV here really is cheaper than the one in Malaysia. Significantly so. If minat and ada niat nak beli, mesti beli bila dah datang sini..rugi if tak beli.

La Valle Village

Just outside Val d'europe mall, it is the area where we can find outlet stores of a few famous brands. It is where they sell their previous seasons collections at half (or more) from the original price. Sama outlet macam kat Bicester Village but less choices as compared to there.

Chateau de Versailles

A beautiful beautiful place. No picture can do justice for its beauty. We spent the whole day there, immersing ourselves with its elegance and attention to details.

Sacre Couer

Another touristy spot. Bare in mind, if you visit here, please be aware of those people selling strings of thread (macam friendship band tu)..they will just grab and tie your hand with the string and demand for money. Saw two girls in front of us kena and they were asked to pay 5euros for that stupid benang. Other than that, it is a nice, pretty place to visit and to look for souvenirs.

Disneyland

Channeling in our inner child! Saw all Disney's prince and princesses, the parade, Disney's characters and went to all the rides they have including their Merry-go-round. My favorite is definitely The Wonderland - we met the Mad Hatter (he really IS mad!) and the Queen of Hearts of course. No Alice in sight though.

One of the main contributor to our weight gain is the desserts here. They are all so delish and irresistible! The most famous dessert/cookie is obviously the macaron. Brought Dalia to try the legendary Laduree, the famous Pierre Hermes and also the pretty Fauchon. Personally, I prefer Laduree among all three. I really don't fancy Fauchon's macarons..even McD's macaron is better. I still like their chocolates though.

Mussels, mussels and more mussels! Yums!

On her last night here, we decided to round up her trip with a boat ride along Seine River. We manage to get a good seat on top of the open air boat. Saw all the famous buildings on a boat at night, recap-ing her trip..a great way to wrap things up.

To Dot, we hope you had an enjoyable time here..sorry if ada terkurang =)

Paghee

My stay here is exactly a month today. Alhamdulillah..So far, it has been nothing but great and interesting. I thought I would be updating more regularly since I'm on leave..but I guess other than catching up with TV series and movies (Jakun sebab internet laju and boleh download satu movie for about 15 minutes je) ,laziness got the best of me.

Even though this is my third time here but there's still so much to see..so much I have yet to experience. I used to depend on my hubby since he speaks fluent french, while I, on the other hand, only know how to say bonjour and because of that, I refused to go out alone and will only go out whenever he's around (boo! teruk betul..). However, this time around, takkan nak duduk rumah 2bulan? Dah tak kira..kena jeling pun, I would still say "anglais, s'il vu plait?" sbb boring duduk rumah sorang-sorang punya pasal..huhu..but not everyone is like that..most of them don't mind conversing in English especially the younger ones..

The First Week

We went jalan-jalan around Paris..I wanted to see how the city looks like in

spring since the last two times that I was here, both were during winter. The city is definitely prettier in spring..people are more cheerful and everything is just bright and colourful. The weather was perfect..the sun's up but tak panas sbb angin sejuk (kadang2 biadap juga angin tu)..around 15-18°C..

This is Noisy Champs..walking around the neighbourhood.

Seine River.

Here you will see couples and groups of people hanging out, eating baguettes, ice cream, drinking wine, and some (like us) just enjoying the view and sucking it all in.

See the second picture; that is an island kat tgh2 Paris, and according to our tour guide masa naik boat, that's where the super rich people lives. It is some sort of a private, and exclusive island..satu apartment can go up to millions of euros.

Walking around Hotel De Ville, Auber, Opera area

Jardin des Tuileries.

Beautiful flowers. Love love love the bright colours

At the Military Museum

Did some walking around Invalides too. Museum tu masuk next time..hehe