A Parisian Reprise: Cathedrals, Fine Dining, and Panoramic Views from Montparnasse (April 9-10, 2009)

Below: Notre-Dame Cathedral of Paris

Below: Lunch at a FERRANDI Paris training restaurant - exquisite French cuisine at an affordable price

Below: Tour Montparnasse (Montparnasse Tower), the tallest building in Paris, hosts a panoramic restaurant on the 56th floor. It offers a breathtaking 360° view of Paris, including the best view of the Eiffel Tower.

Below: Ladurée, a global icon of French luxury pâtisserie, is famous for creating the modern, double-decker macaron and pioneering the Parisian salon de thé (tea room).

Below: Place Saint-Sulpice, the large public square located directly outside the Church of Saint-Sulpice (Église Saint-Sulpice).

Above: The Fontaine Saint-Sulpice (1843-48)

Above: Saint Sulpice, the second-largest church in Paris after Notre-Dame, is noted for its magnificent interior, which features high arches, massive columns, and ornate details.

Above: Luxembourg Garden (Jardin du Luxembourg)

Above left: Luxembourg Palace (Palais du Luxembourg)

Next post: Honfleur, Etretat and Giverny, France

Previous post: My South America Itinerary and Expenses

My South America Itinerary and Expenses

Here is my Dropbox link to my itinerary and expenses in South America. If I could re-do some of the plans, I would:

1) Purchase an "open jaw" ticket so I could keep my return date and flight of origin open. I ended up in Buenos Aires, Argentina and had to find my way back to Bogota, Colombia to connect to my flight home since I had bought a round-trip ticket from California to Bogota. With an "open jaw" ticket, I could avoid flying the Buenos Aires-Bogota sector and save US$646.20 (this was assuming that Delta flew out of Buenos Aires too)! It's not perfect but it's worth a try. Live and learn.

2) Not skip out on Bolivia and Venezuela. I avoided Bolivia due to a civil unrest in the country at that time. I decided not to participate and risk the chance of being stranded amid road blocks and violent clashes. I took it personal with Venezuela as I had a disdain for Hugo Chavez's politics. That aside, Venezuela is a beautiful country and I look forward to seeing Angel Falls, the world's tallest waterfall, in Venezuela some day. (Side note: Paraguay was off my radar as I could not justify paying their ridiculously high visa fee of US$160 for a 1-2 day visit).

3) Extend my stay in the continent for another 3-4 months to include the Amazon rainforest, Galapagos Islands (in Ecuador), Aconcagua (in Argentina), and the aforementioned 2 countries. Alas, there is a time in life for everything, so I suppose all these will have to wait until the time is ripe.

I hope you'll find useful information in the excel document for your travel research and decision-making. You'll see (in the Summary tab) that Uruguay was the most expensive country for me and Ecuador, the least (based on my daily average cost). Feel free to drop me a line if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions. Happy trails!

Next post: A Parisian Reprise: Cathedrals, Fine Dining, and Panoramic Views from Montparnasse

Previous post: Punta del Este, Uruguay