Belleville, a colourful, multi-ethnic neighbourhood and also where one of Paris’s two main Chinatowns. I found out about Belleville only during my last two visits to Paris, as I was looking for some authentic Chinese food other than in the major Chinatown in the 13th arrondissement.
Paris is always a good idea!
I live in Belgium and for me a city trip in Paris is always something to do. We have this Thalys train and its cheaper version Izy train between Brussels and Paris. There are many Parisians living in Brussels and vice versa, besides these regular commuters, we love travelling to Paris. It’s a city that you can never finish exploring. I always try to stay in different neighbourhoods, in order to see more areas of the city.
Trip to Claude Monet’s Home and Gardens in Giverny
Today I went on a day trip to Claude Monet’s House and Gardens in Giverny. I’ve heard about Monet’s story of Giverny before and I always wanted to visit it one day. Monet noticed Giverny while looking out of a train window. Later he rented a house at the area. In 1890 he gathered enough money to buy the house and created the magnificent gardens he wanted to paint. I’ve seen many of his paintings he painted in the garden before, which made me want to visit Giverny one day. Claude Monet is not only a genius impressionist painter, but also a very talented gardener. His garden in Giverny is all gardeners’ dream. The gardens were filled with beautiful flowers. Some I had never seen before.
Parisian hidden gem of Magic and Wonder – Tour to 1900’s Mysterious Fairground
Weather you like museums or not, I believe you will enjoy this one.
Musée des Arts Forains (fairground art museum) is a private museum located in an old wine warehouse, Les Pavillons de Bercy. It all started when Jean Paul Favand, an actor and antique dealer, began collecting objects from fairgrounds and the entertainment world. For 40 years now, Jean Paul has been gathering and restoring his curiosities. All those objects boast undeniable aesthetic and cultural qualities, with the luxurious carvings and woodwork. The museum is only open upon reservation at some specific time of the week, beside being a museum, the venue can also be rent for special events.
Have you seen the Woody Allen movie Midnight in Paris? You might remember there was a special scene with the bike carousel. The scene was shot in this museum. I will take you for a ride in the bike carousel too. Let’s go.