Impressions of Paris (France)

Those who've been reading this blog for a while know that I usually publish an 'Impressions' post whenever I visit a city and want to introduce it prior to writing about any of the stores I've found. For some bizarre reason, I've never gotten around to doing one for Paris, even though I've been living here for well over a year and it's one of those places that's beyond photogenic. Nevertheless, it's not always easy to capture every aspect of the city and whenever I take one of my frequent long strolls through the French capital, I somehow forget to take any shots.

Close-up view of Pont Alexandre III with the tip of the Eiffel Tower in the background.

So I've decided to share a few photographs - the majority focus on the more scenic views as these are the ones that made me fall in love with the city when I first visited at the age of 14. Back then I didn't really care about the fashion aspect, but I do blame Paris (and France in general) for turning me into a bit of an obsessive foodie. Though the outside world and the rest of France tends to view Parisians as being incredibly pretentious (and they'll even admit this themselves), you can't help but feel you'd be the same if you were born and raised in a city that's not just culturally rich, but where even toddlers seem to be wearing the chicest outfits and every local supermarket stocks the largest variety of foie gras. Of course labeling all Parisians as snooty is a harsh generalization, especially considering that like any big city it has a diverse population in terms of social class and ethnicity. If you ever plan on visiting, I'd advise you to take a walk through the less touristy areas in the 9th, 11th or 18th arrondissements (to name a few, i.e. any area not mentioned in a guide book), just to get a feel for local life. I plan on doing posts on Parisian style and a short city guide in the near future, so stay tuned for more. Until then, I hope you enjoy these photos.

Arc de Triomphe.

Pont Royale and Musée d'Orsay as viewed from the Right Bank.

A typical residential building dating back to the Haussmann era. The second 'noble' floor is the most elaborate with ornate balconies and stonework around the windows .

The Notre-Dame as viewed from the Seine.

French gardens: Musée Carnavalet in the Marais (left) and Jardin du Luxembourg with the Panthéon in the background (right).

Place Vendôme, who's shape is mirrored in the Chanel No.5 perfume bottle - Coco Chanel's homage to Paris and the nearby flagship.

The Louvre and Jardin des Tuileries.

Did you really think I was going to do a post on Paris without showing you (yet more) macarons? The wonderful selection at Ladurée (left) and other pastries (top right). The equally delicious baguettes and seasonal Galettes des Rois in my local bakery (lower right).

La Tour Eiffel taken from the Palais de Chaillot / Trocadéro.

The streets of the Marais.

Place des Vosges..

Place de la Concorde and the Obelisk with Jardin des Tuileries in the background.

Taken at a local market: seafood (left) and a cheese stall (right).

Île de la Cité and the back of Notre-Dame as viewed from East of the Seine.

Pont Alexandre III and les Invalides as viewed from the Right Bank.

Paris as seen from the top of the Notre-Dame.