Paris By Day

A dream within a dream...

Paris is a place that will enchant your soul and awaken your senses. Every street a romantic rue, every landmark glistens of Napoleonic opulence, every arrondissement owns its distinctive balance of grit and glamour. Unlike other metropolitan cities defined by their pace and density, Paris pulsates with its own drumbeat that neither leads nor follows... a syncopated rhythm that skips with your heart as you fall in love with its beauty, history, culture, and culinary delights—over and over again. 

The café of all Parisian cafés...

Cafe de la Paix, located in the InterContinental Paris Le Grand Hotel right across from the Palais Garnier, has been welcoming celebrities, royalty, and fanciful visitors since 1862. In 1975, the French government declared it a historic site. I highly recommend the beer tartare and escargot. Request a seat indoors by the window for the ultimate "people watching" experience.

A Day at the opéra

Of all the opera houses in Paris, Palais Garnier is by far the most stunning. A 19th-century architectural masterpiece, it was built by Charles Garnier and opened in 1875 as part of the massive urban renewal program commissioned by Napoleon III and carried out by Baron Haussmann (he's the reason why most of Paris buildings look the same). Palais Garnier has inspired opera houses around the world (such as the Hanoi Opera House) and is the setting for the classic novel, The Phantom of the Opera.

I'm wearing a white Sandro dress and Bershka red pants, which I bought while shopping on rue de Rivoli. As a minimalist, I rarely shop, but there's something about Paris that makes you want to indulge in the finer things in life. The French understand that if it makes you feel good, it's an investment in yourself, and therefore it's worth it.