"J'adore Paris" Paris by akikonomu

Paris was the very first city I visited in Europe and I haven't yet found another city to match it. Well, maybe Kyoto of Japan...

We bought a 2 day consecutive metro pass, and looking back, we needn't.

To truly enjoy Paris, take slow strolls around each quarter (or arrondisement). Half a day flies by. By the time you're done with a quarter, you realise that you've entered the next, all by foot!!

There's just so much to see. Roadside cafes and grocery stores, parks and gardens, museums, churches, interesting archtitecture, all layered into one quarter.

Walking sometimes pushes you into alleys you'd never have listed in your "To Visit" list. Or perhaps you'll chance upon an interesting restaurant or structure. There's always something interesting in every nook and cranny of a foreign land and walking's the best way to discover them.

Restaurant off champ Elysees

I simply loved the gardens (J'ardin du Luxembourg, Tuileries) especially where the white tulips in full bloom accentuated by small purple flowers were a sight to behold. Statues amid well tended flowerbeds - a piece of art in its own right.

It was drizzling when we visited the gardens. But our experience was not marred - simply because the flowers were too beautiful.

Passed by a flower market along the Seine but the beauty of the flowers was diminished by the untidy arrangements of pots and soil and other gardening tools. To top it off, it was raining and the slush around us didn't make the market so attractive. Hmmm, I guess I can't complain.

The Louvre was massive and I should have spent at least a day there, instead of one evening.

Everyone was crowding around the Mona Lisa, and I caught a glimpse of ... the frame. There are many other artworks that may not be so famous but just as interesting, if not more.

I had already gathered that I'll be back in Paris one day. And on that one day, I'll make sure I get to see the Mona Lisa in her smiling glory.

We visited other predictable sites like Monsieur Eiffel's creation - the snake like queue discouraged us from ascending the tower and the Champ Elysees - check out the stamp market in the vicinity. But I much preferred the aimless rambling along the streets of Paris.

• Pros:Beautiful gardens, wonderful museums
• Cons:Nationalistic pride - prepare to be snubbed if you utter "Parlez vous Anglaise?"
• In a nutshell:Beauty in its full glory!