Thank you for being such great friends!

I am really glad that I actually have such great friends...

Without my prompting, Jo Ho had described my beloved Gucci to Nickie already! Unfortunately, there is just no Gucci in Edinburgh so I have truly missed a great buy! Else I am sure they would have helped me buy it... with my own money left over in Scotland of course.... Wahaha!

Paris once again... 2008

I've probably done a quick overview of this already, so I am trying hard to delve into my poor memory to give you a better, more in-depth analysis into my recent trip to LV.. Sorry, I mean to Paris. Haha!

This trip was somewhat different from the previous one. For one, I actually managed to get to the bottom of the Effiel Tower and not just admire it from afar from Trocadero. We did, of course get to Trocedero in time for the 9pm "x'mas lighting" display, which was rather enchanting. Dinner was a long baguette stuffed with ham and cheese shared with Jo Ho, romantically under the not so starry Parisian skies with a view of the Grand Dame.

We didn't (again!!!) get to go up the Effiel Tower because the queues were much too long, stretching as far as the eye could see. We did, however, take a romantic scenic trip down the River Seine taking in the warm sunshine while listening to the plaintive sounds of a rich voice singing "La Vie En Rose".

And what trip could be complete without a visit to Madame Mona Lisa with her mystic smile that so bewitched an employee of the Louvre that he took it upon himself to steal her and hold her dear? Unlike the free 1st Sunday that first brought my feet to the Louvre and my eyes on her, this time, Jo Ho and I managed to get close enough to take picture with her... without flash of course!

For meals, we had one of the best Yaki Soba along Rue St Honore, lovely escargo in Cite, a baguette in Trocadero and a huge kilo pot of the finest mussels at Asniere Sur Seine. Not to forget, the fantastic Laduree with her captivating ambience and sinfully tempting desserts.

But most importantly, we shopped!!! From the little shops along Cite to Goyard, Gucci and of course, LV! I am hitting myself over and over again for missing out on the Gucci which was going for a song... Trying to find it in Edinburgh but as Jo has kindly helped me look, there is no Gucci in Edin... so I have missed it... ah.. perhaps this is fate.

The Indian/Pakistani uncle was flirting with us, all left, right and centre. Giving us a discount of 10 euros from the original price of 30 euros. Basically Jo Ho's 3 sets of coasters were like free? Not to mention the free gifts of 2 keyrings and 1 fridge magnet.

It was great excitement from Rue St. Honore to Champs Elysees after a well earned rest at Laduree. However, much as I was excellently served at Champs Elysees, they didn't have what I wanted, so I was shown the way to Rue Montaigne. "Go down this road and enter the lane which starts off at Hermes, a good place as well in addition to LV, "said he.. the very pleasant salesman.

I left LV with 2 bags and a tummy full of jus d'orange courtesy of LV... Jo Ho and I walked out very happy and contented, until we saw an uncle walking towards us with huge bags of LV, Hermes and Dior... I must admit, that deflated our ego somewhat.

Oh and yes... 5 mins too late to go to Gucci which was already closed.. sigh... why do all the stores have to close at 7pm?!! The sun only sets at 830pm!!!!! -grumble-

Trying to blog with missing keys on the keyboard

You have no idea how tough it can be to be typing on a severely handicapped keyboard. This tatty lappy at hubby's house is missing the "n", "e" and the Up and Down keys.

So how exactly am I typing? By touching the sensors directly under my keyboard! Haha... feels so weird to have like zero resistance to my fingertips. Interesting sensation though.

Laduree? - YES PLEASE!!!!

The Laduree which I went to was the one on Rue Royale which is perpendicular to the Oblisque at Place de la Concorde. Get off at the Concorde Metro and take a short walk.

I absolutely don't regret going to Laduree when I was in Paris with Jo Ho. Sure, one teapot of Laduree Medley and a slice of cake costs as much as a 3 course-lunch for one in Cite, but boy was it good!!! Think 12.70 euros.

We would have got in sooner if not the commotion at the front door which resulted in 2 different but not very distinct queue. One for take-away and the other for dine-in. With my highly limited kindergarten french, and the very pleasant waiter who spoke fantastic English, we managed to get an order.

The top layer of the cake slice was a crisp, wafer-like biscuit with a light bitterness of cocoa. The second later was a mix of lemon mousse and candied ginger cubes. I can't remember the name of this sweet treat, but one bite was simply pure heaven...

The tea was served in a precious silver pot with the handle holder monogrammed with an "L" for Laduree. In it, was a delicious, delectable blend which made an excellent tea.

My hotel receptionist tells me that there is another Laduree at 75 Champs Elysses. I didn't get to find out. If you have been there, let me know and do holler a rating!

Promise to publish pics soon, once I get home... they are already uploiaded from the cam, just need to get them from hard disk to blogspot.

I am starting to question...

I am starting to question whether those so-called famous must-try items are all a distractor ploy for tourists.

What do I mean?

Well, when we went to Ireland, there was no such thing as Irish Coffee on or off the menu in any of the Irish pubs and cafes! And when we went to France to get a cup of Vietnamese Coffee in a Vietnamese restaurant, there wasn't one to be found either.

Last but not least, you definitely won't find Singapore Fried Noodle in Singapore but its incredible prevalent in Europe and UK.

So the question is, "HUH?"