paris Archives - Page 4 of 4

As I have been mentioning on my twitter and facebook recently I have a big announcement to make. This isn’t really related to the blog and I know I don’t usually make personal posts on here, but this is big and I am so happy that I just want to tell everyone. So here it goes…

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I’m engaged!!

Yep! Last week my boyfriend ‘popped the question’ and I said yes, of course ;D

We have been together for nearly 3 years now and have lived together in 3 different countries (UK, Japan & France) – it’s all gone so quickly, but I’ve had an amazing time! I’m so happy and I know we are ready to take the next step in our relationship ♥♥

Unfortunately I don’t have pics of the ring yet as it was too big so it had to be re-sized and I forgot to take a picture before hand…to be honest we kind of rushed to the store so it would be done asap! But I will make sure to post pics when I get it back!

Anyway, here are some pics from that day…

He took me to Paris Aquarium, because I love Aquariums.

Then we went for tea at cafe opposite the Eiffel Tower.

But why?!

Because he had done his research!

People claim this cafe has the best macarons in Paris…

…and it’s no lie!

I had: Green Lemon & Basilic, Blackcurrant-violet, Rose, Chocolate & Hazlenut and Salty Buttered Caramel – which was my favourite!!

Then we walked by the Eiffel Tower and along the Seine.

To THE spot…although I didn’t know that.

We went to a bridge that he had found by the Louvre.

It’s where couples go to place ‘love padlocks’ on the bridge.

Sometimes they write their names, initials, a message or even a drawing.

Then they throw the key away into the river.

Romantic, no?

And that was where he proposed.

The scenery was gorgeous and the feeling was right.

It was the perfect setting!

Afterward he took me for dinner in Opera at a Japanese restaurant.

It was really tasty!

Then we celebrated with dessert from a patisserie.

♥ I couldn’t have asked for more ♥

Note: The Intensedebate commenting system I use has died on this post so I lost a lot of the comments you guys sent. I’m sorry~

This is the 2nd part to the short ‘Japan Town’ in Paris series that I recently posted. As I promised in the previous post, this one will be concerning Japanese magazines, movies and books.

First stop is ‘Komikku‘ (Japanese katakana-ized word for Comic) – this store isn’t actually on Rue Saint Anne like the others, however it does join onto it therefore I thought I would mention it. You can find it by turning down beside Starbucks on the main street.

Anyway, Komikku is a small store that claims to offer ‘Anime, Manga and J-Music’. I thought I would pop in quickly so I could tell you guys about it and, well…I was quite disappointed. I’m not a fan of manga/anime myself and this teeny-tiny store seemed to only offer manga. I saw a few anime dvds but no music (apart from anime soundtracks). That’s not really a big deal but the sign boasts this, and yet they had none.

They did have a large and very cute selection of bento boxes, recipe books and accessories though! ♥

Next is Marugen. Unfortunately the store was closed when I visited. It looked as though they were moving some stock, but the owner mentioned that it would be open the following day. They are a brand from Osaka that offer casual Tobi wear for men and women. For those who don’t know, 鳶 (Tobi) is the name usually given to construction workers and their clothing – example.

I did take a peek inside though and I was surprised by the rich textures they had on display. It reminded me of an Asakusa market stall with all the rich, traditional fabric they had used, along with tshirts, various sized 招き猫 and other ornaments, infact I didn’t see much of the ‘Tobi’ influence at all.

But the real reason I went was…

Purikura~

The lovely Natalie from Juicy Blog was very kind to let me know that there is purikura in Paris, and whereas I wasn’t surprised (they have it London, so why not Paris?!) I was very happy to know the location. Obviously I didn’t get to try it out (as they were closed) but I plan to next time!

She mentioned that it was an old machine, which you can see from the examples on the door. Even so, with the price being from only 5€ it is a lot cheaper than the one in London and you can still decorate your photos as much as you like.

I’ve not yet tried out any of the karaoke booths/salons in Japan Town/the surrounding area. However my friends have mentioned that there are a few and are keen to go, so maybe I will be posting about that soon. I really miss karaoke~

Sorry, I couldn’t take photos inside

Now onto one of my favourite stores in ‘Japan Town’ – Book Off!

Some of you may already know of Book Off – it is a successful chain store in Japan, which has also branched outside of the country…obviously. They offer Japanese language books, textbooks and revision guides, anime, manga, Japanese music, memorabilia, Japanese dvds and fashion magazines!

I was really pleased by this Book Off as they have so much stock. Their cd and dvd collection is amazing! I don’t really listen to Japanese music or watch Japanese dramas/movies as avidly as I used to, but if I did I would certainly be wasting some hard-earned cash here! Not only that but they offer foreign films with Japanese dubbing (usually blockbusters and Disney), which is great for those practising Japanese.

Their choice of fashion magazines is good. They don’t have as much as the Japanese Centre in London but they have quite a bit, although the last 3 times I have been in they haven’t had any recent Gal magazines. They also stock recent mooks for those who want special catalogues and gifts. Of course they all come at a price; 15€ is the average magazine price, around 20€ for mooks (sometimes cheaper, especially for older ones).

However I was most impressed by their selection of back-issues. They had TONS! I found at least 3 from each popular Gal magazine (and more from others) – most for only 4 or 5€..and this was for issues from only 2-3months ago. Of course they’re not completely up-to-date but what was usually in around 2-3months ago is usually still good to go…or you can just add any issues you missed to your library. Bargain!

Hello!Project and AKB48 Merchandise in the window

– I also need to visit and have been recommended Junku, which I’ve been told stocks a lot of Japanese language books and some magazines also.

– Another place to find Manga, Anime and Japanese music CDs is fnac.com in Chatelet’s ‘Forum Des Halles‘ – I’ve only been to that store but they do sell it on their online store too, so it’s more than likely that they also stock similar things in other stores.

Unfortunately I wasn’t able to find any stores that stock Japanese cosmetics, but if you live in Paris (or have visited) and know anywhere, please let me know!

This time I decided to do an entry about ‘Japan Town’, located on the Rue Saint Anne street (I’m going to split this into 2 parts as some of the places in this area aren’t located on the same street).

Paris has a large population of Japanese residents and so it’s only fitting that there is an area dedicated to the country…or at least the street which tourists and locals alike have dubbed as ‘Japan Town‘.

Rue St Anne is relatively easy to find. Take Line 14 (purple line) to Pyramides and go out of the exit on the right hand side. You’ll see the store 「ニャンニャン＆ワンワン」(pet store) in front of you – turn right and walk to the end of the street – don’t cross the road. Take a sharp left and you will see the Rue St Anne sign on the building and K-Mart to your right. This is the beginning of ‘Japan Town’.

Since I mentioned K-Mart it seems only fitting to tell you a little about it.

As the name would suggest it is a Korean market. However it does also stock Japanese products and is in my opinion one of the best places to go to for Japanese food items, in the area.

They stock Korean and Japanese; instant noodles, cooking ingredients, drinks, confectionery, fresh meat/vegetables and much more!

Of course, with the products being imported they can be a little pricey, however it’s a price most are willing to pay when you can’t get them elsewhere.

There is also a Japanese market (expensive) and a few other Korean/Japanese/Chinese markets in the area. One of which is at the end of Rue St Anne and is called Ace Mart where you can buy…

Melon Soda & Calpis Soda

Apparently those were two things my friends couldn’t be without because they had to buy them, even at the crazy price of €2.40 – however I may have to go back for some melon soda at some point haha

What if you just want to eat out?!

Well you’re in luck!

Rue St Anne is probably most well known for its variety of Japanese restaurants…

From Sushi to Okonomiyaki there are plenty of places to choose from. Ramen and Sushi are in abundance in ‘Japan Town’ with a couple of Okonomiyaki and Udon restaurants littered in-between. There is also a bakery that sells some Japanese baked goods (I’ve been told they have melon pan and matcha eclairs), but I have yet to purchase anything from it.

The best restaurants usually have crowds outside them in the evenings and at weekends. This is one of those times where it’s best to move with the crowd – sometimes its worth waiting, otherwise you can always make a reservation and come back at a later date/time.

I visited HIGUMA ひぐま, which is one of the many ramen stores on the street.

On a Saturday night this place is packed full of people, which is surprising as the majority of the chefs are Chinese. Even so they do have some Japanese staff and the menu is full of genuine Japanese recipes.

An English Menu is available.

Of course it may not taste the same as the Japanese food you had in Japan but it’s pretty close! They even had…

KATSU CURRY!!

My favourite Japanese dish~♥

Ramen soup

I did also try out another ‘Japanese’ restaurant on the street. I won’t mention the name but it was at the end of the road and it certainly wasn’t Japanese. The menu and food were blatantly Cantonese which was a big let down as the prices were reasonable (that should have been an indicator).

That is my only warning about the restaurants on the street, otherwise take your time browsing the many places to eat and enjoy yourself~

‘Japan Town’ Part 2. will include where to buy Japanese magazines, movies, music and more!

Thank you to all of those who entered the poll – and for those of you who didn’t, well you still can!

– here –

As some of you who follow my twitter may know I was given a very small baggage allowance by my university when travelling to Paris – ONLY 14KG!! I swear my suitcase weighs about 4kg by itself…so I had to pack lightly!
Then when I got to Paris I was placed in a rather awkward accommodation situation…But you have to make the best of things, right?
So anyway, how about taking a peek at my room & some of the stuff I took?!