Paris Part III on Film

Hi Film Friends! Blessed Good Friday! This week has brought about some bad news for the city of Paris. But I am sure the resilience of the French will see them through it. This will be the last blogpost for Paris and looking at the photos on here, I’m really starting to miss Paris a lot. The recent bout of bad things happening in Paris just made me feel even luckier that I got to enjoy everything the city had to offer without fear for my safety and life. Without further ado, here’s my last day in the City of Lights and Romance, Paris.

Someone had seen my instastory of the Eiffel Tower the day before and said that it looked even more stunning during sunrise. There’d be less people as well. 8am. That was the time the sun rose in Paris. That’s not too early, I thought to myself. And so, I found myself on the train at 7:30 in the morning back to Trocadéro. I was not disappointed.

Glorious sun peeking up from above the skyline.

The plan for that day was to go to Musée d'Orsay in the morning and spend around two hours there. Check out the stained glass of Sainte-Chapelle. Have lunch in Montmartre. And check out the Palais Garnier, home to the Paris Opera, at tea time.

However, things rarely go according to plan. I was the first few people in line at the Musée d'Orsay at around 9:30am. Once I got my tickets and stepped in, I grabbed a museum map and made a battle plan, strategically planning my route to cut down time spent walking back and forth exhibits. Little did I know, the beauty and masterful realism of the paintings prevented me from averting my gaze and would cause me to spend two whole hours just for the ground floor alone!

With works of famous impressionistic painters such as Manet, Monet, Renoir and of course Van Gogh adorning the walls of the Museum, one can’t help but spend all the time one has in this esteemed museum.

The building itself looked very aesthetic as well. As I found out, it used to be a former railway station made just in time for the 1900 World’s Fair in Paris. After it fell out of use, the museum took over and made it into a venue for impressionist art in Paris.

Field trips were always my favorite part of school.

Before I had realized, I had already spent 5 hours in the Musée d'Orsay. Truly a place to enrich the soul. I had to push back my plans for the day but I’m glad I took time fully exploring the Musée d'Orsay. Since the weather was nice out, I strolled along the Seine River to my next location, Sainte-Chapelle.

Arriving at Sainte-Chapelle, I was met with the rosy hues of the stained glass Sainte-Chapelle was famous for. It was beautiful, to have everything touched by the coloured light of the stained glass. You have to witness it for yourself. Tickets cost € 10 and even though the actual room with the stained glass is quite small, it is well worth the price.

I think I may have a thing for stained glass.

The entrance to the Sainte-Chapelle is through the compounds of the Palais de Justice de Paris.

I guess someone wasn’t happy with the law.

Before my trip to Europe, I remember seeing on Aisyah’s instagram (@foxinthesnw) a really unique looking pharmacy. Aisyah didn’t remember where it was but with a little help from google maps, I managed to find it. I made a small detour to the 11th arrondissement just to see the pharmacy in person.

By the way, Aisyah is a really good friend of mine who travels to the most amazing places for her job. She also has a travel blog which strongly inspired me to start my own. Pop by her blog and give her a follow for amazing travel photos!

After the short detour, I took the Métro to Pigalle Station to check out a really cool basketball court famous on the internet for the way it was painted. Right before my trip, the basketball court received a paint job and went from primary colours to sunset colours. I’m not complaining though.

Pigalle was really close to Montmartre and so I visited one of the most famous places in Montmartre, Café des Deux Moulins. If you find this name familiar, it is because this cafe was made famous by the French romantic comedy, Amélie. It is one of my favorite movies of all time and I recommend everyone watch it at least once. The movie is about a waitress who discretely orchestrates the lives of the people around her, creating a world exclusively of her own making. The director, Jean-Pierre Jeunet paints a whimsical and fantastical portrayal of the city of Paris. In the movie, Amélie worked in this café. I ordered a coffee and sat down in a booth, playing scenes from the movie and that was how I spent my afternoon.

While I was sipping on my coffee, I noticed this lady. Her hair and coat along with the act of her waiting at a bar caught my attention. It reminded me of another one of my favorite movies. Can you make a guess? (Hint: It’s a Wong Kar Wai movie.)

Walking around Montmartre, you could feel that the neighbourhood was especially filled with creative energy. Painters litter the streets with their paintings and everyone was immaculately dressed. Music always playing around the corner and performers added to the ambience of Montmartre. There was a certain bohemian vibe to the neighbourhood and I loved it!

This musician managed to gather a crowd and kept them engaged throughout her performance. That’s pure entertainment!

I couldn’t say I have been to Montmartre until I’ve visited the Sacré-Cœur. Located on the highest point of Montmartre and the whole of Paris, it was a popular gathering point for both locals and tourists looking to enjoy the city from a vantage point.

As the sun started to lower into the skyline, I made haste for Palais Garnier. However, I couldn’t help but slow down and take photos of Montmartre. The neighbourhood was just too beautiful and interesting. Everywhere you look, it was a photo opportunity. Montmartre is the quintessential Parisian neighbourhood. Montmartre is what Hollywood shows in its depiction of Paris. An artist’s paradise.

A little boy getting his portrait done. I love the fact that the artists had a sofa in the middle of the street.

Photos up till now were shot on the Contax T2 with Agfa Vista 400. Developed and scanned by Photocity Lab in Bangkok, Thailand.

The famous Moulin Rouge. I would’ve caught a show if not for the fact I was a broke kid.

When I finally arrived at the Palais Garnier, the sun has already set and I couldn’t get into the opera house. There was just enough light for me to capture the exterior of the famous landmark. The Palais Garnier featured heavily in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera.

Photos up till now were shot on the Contax T2 with Lomography 100. Developed and scanned by Photocity Lab in Bangkok, Thailand.

Even though I was quite disappointed that manage to go into the Palais Garnier, I wasn’t going to let a little setback ruin what was an otherwise perfect day! Good weather and a beautiful city really made Paris one of my favorite cities in Europe. I had Vietnamese food for my final meal in Paris and it was uber delicious. The next day, I caught a plane to London where I would be for a week. I was only in Paris for 3 full days and even though it seems like I did a lot, I feel like Paris still has a lot to offer so I’ll definitely be back!

This brings me to the end of the blogpost. Next week, we’ll explore London in film. See you guys in the next blogpost. Till then, keep shooting film friends!