Chic in China

So I Went To Paris . .

It is actually 10 years since I was last in Paris, then it was with my high school French class (yeah, I studied French for 6 years actually..). I was 14 years old; my hair was horrible cause I was growing it out from cutting it all off, and my fashion sense were not yet developed. That time we stayed at a hostel for backpackers, sharing rooms 3 or 4 and sleeping in bunk beds. Well, it is safe to say that this time, ten years later, my trip to Paris was slightly more fabulous. But honestly, no matter what kind hostel or hotel you stay in, Paris is just as beautiful.

This time Paris was not for a school trip, but rather for a work trip; Men's Fashion Week, visit a showroom and do some interviews. It all sounds (and looks) pretty fabulous, right? And it really is, some parts of it at least. But what you don't see on Instagram, for example, is the jet lag, dehydration, hunger, lack of sleep, painful feet, pounding head and the never ending workday. You are lucky if you even get to bed before 1: am...

It is fabulous and gritty all tied into one. But would I trade it for anything else? Hell no! After you get back home and sleep for a week, you will already start planning your outfits for the next trip.

My last day in Paris I was lucky enough to have time to do some "touristy" things; check out the biggest attractions, enjoy the sunny weather and just walk around in Paris. There is this notion about how chic Paris and Parisian women are, you know, Chanel and high heels, but you actually don’t see that many people walking around in heels. So, take it from a high heeled addicted girl; if you are going to do a lot of walking, get a pair of really comfy (and cute - doesn’t hurt..) flat shoes. My Adidas Supercolor was a real life saver; my legs were tired as F when I got back to the hotel, but my feet were happy and without blisters.

I started by checking out the things closest to our hotel, Sacre Coeur and Moulin Rouge. You know, the whole area around Moulin Rouge is filled with sex shops and sex clubs. Every other store has some naughty kind of thing going on. I was there during the day time so it doesn’t feel as "intimidating" as it might do during the night, when the neon lights are shining and spelling out "PUSSY". But you know, it is Paris, so even though it is what it is, it still feels chic. The sex stores are not dark and grimy, with some sweaty weirdo behind the desk; it is clean, spacious, bright and beautifully decorated. So if you are walking in that neighbourhood, check it out, if not to buy, then just for fun. And if you are a group of friends, why not check out a ‘show’. "Ticket for one" might be intimidating, but as a group, go for it!

After Moulin Rouge I checked out all the other things; Notre Dame, The Louvre, the bridge with all the locks, Arc de Triomphe and the Fontaines de la Concorde. If you are a fan of the movie "The Devil Wears Prada" you might recognize the fountain from *spoilers* the end of the movie when Andrea throws her phone into a fountain - this is the one.

Paris was great! It is a city that I really do love. The whole Europe trip was amazing (I'll write about Italy and Denmark later) but my packing for this trip was absolutely shit. So I'm thinking about writing a post about what I've learned about packing your bag for a trip like this. So stay tuned for that post, you might thank me later..