Day 14 - Paris - 05.06.2013

We woke up early today about 7am. After getting ourselves and Benji to be ready for the day, we had breakfast at the hotel area which turned out to be a total rip-off; 10€ per person for croissants, cereals and coffee. It was a bad call to have breakfast provided by the hotel, thinking that we could save some time searching for breakfast venues which would translate to more time for shopping. We were disappointed but reminded ourselves not to have our day dampened just because of the unsatisfactory breakfast.

We took the train to the stop Val d'Europe which took us about 45min to arrive from where we were. From there, we walked about 10min to La Vallee Village where we shopped for the whole day.

La Vallee Village is a huge compound with hundred over prestigious brands, ranging from apparels, household appliances, bags and shoes, flanking both sides of the pavement. We went from shop to shop in the hope to get the best buy. The thrill was in getting anything which was cheaper than if we were to get them in Singapore. Among many other loot, one of the best steal came from getting several Ralph Lauren polo tees which were sold at almost half price. Many people crowded the shop and the queue was serpentine long. I suspect the longest time was spent in that shop. There were many other stuff which we bought too; some at very large discounts, others were just nominal. Overall, it was an enjoyable experience with all our spoils packed into even a new luggage bought from La Vallee too.

It was about 8pm plus. The sky was still bright and showed no sign of night encroaching. Our stomachs didn't give the hint that it was time for dinner. We knew we had to leave as the conquest at La Vallee was accomplished.

We took the 45min train ride back. Thanks to Emma. She knew my love for French onion soup and searched online this morning for reviews of recommended restaurants that serve French onion soup. She found Le Stella and off we went. Our initial joy turned into disappointment when the waiter represented to us that French onion soup would not be served during summer but only during winter. However, all was not lost. We savoured one of the most authentic French food in Paris. At 9pm plus, the restaurant was still full with people and we reckon that it must have been one of the popular restaurants amongst the locals. The rump steak which I had was awesomely great.

After dinner, we took a bus and alighted somewhere near our hotel. We still had to walk a distance but compared to lugging so many stuff with a baby and climbing up and down some flight of stairs at the unfriendly metro station, the former was a better choice.

Back in the hotel, we were faced with this seemingly energetic baby who refused to sleep. As if he has drunk some Red Bull, he was so full of life and "entertained" us with his chuckles that made us wonder whether to get annoyed by him or to laugh at his silliness. His mum still eventually nursed him back to sleep which made me truly admire the nobility of a mother's role.

Tomorrow will be our final day in Paris. I hope to savour every moment of it. After penning this, I slept at about 145am.