A Week Of Indulgence In Paris

While many Parisians enjoy the beaches in Goa, long time residents travel to experience a cosmopolitan landscape. Sapna was looking for an indulgent break from work and culinary exploration, but discovered cultural thrills and artisanal shopping too.

- Sapna Shahani

THE world’s most visited city, with its artistic splendour and quaint neighbourhoods, made for a wonderful holiday choice for me. I’d never been there before and as a restaurant marketing consultant, felt that I would learn something from the likely food capital of the world.

For us in Goa, Qatar Airways makes a convenient choice clocking a comfortable 13-hour journey via Doha. The visa process was also fairly painless at the VFS office in Pato. But the only thing you will have to brush up on is your French, as the Parisians make it quite clear they aren’t going to make much conversation in English. Or at least say ‘Bonjour’ and then continue in English, as I did. I had booked an apartment in the Montmatre area, which turned out to be my favourite neighbourhood. To see the rest of the city, I found that the metro was the best way to get around, as long as you have comfortable shoes. Other essentials include an umbrella because you could be caught in a hailstorm unexpectedly, like I was.

Now that the brass tacks are out of the way, here is my recommended itinerary for those who are looking for a feast of the senses… A daywise plan for neighbourhood surfing, food tasting and shopping.

SATURDAY: MONTMATRE