Angelina was established in 1903 and is a favourite among Parisians and tourists alike. JW’s Parisian friend recommended that we try it and boy was the experience truly amazing. Its neo-rococo dining environment, coupled with delectable pastries and desserts, set my heart fluttering. I love tea rooms like this.
Angelina is famous for its decadent hot chocolate concoction, which we didn’t try this time but will definitely do so when we next go to Paris. We had the Angelina tea, which had a rich yet refreshingly sweet flavour. It was love at first taste.
I ordered a salad, followed by the legendary Mont Blanc, which is a meringue base piled with chestnut puree and filled with whipped cream. Apparently, Coco Chanel, Marcel Proust and Karl Lagerfeld shared a common love for the hot chocolate and Mont Blanc served at this quaint Parisian pastry shop.
After a satisfying meal at Angelina’s, we took off to the Louvre for more art appreciation. I wasn’t particularly impressed with the Louvre after viewing so many masterpieces in Italy, especially at the Vatican Museums and the Academie. We made our way to the Mona Lisa exhibit immediately because the works of art simply paled in comparison to what we saw in Italy.
In my opinion, Louvre’s saving grace (other than the Mona Lisa) was Napolean’s Apartments. It reminded me of Chateau de Versaille, only that it had rich tapestries and red velvet canopies. The decor was so luxurious that I almost didn’t want to leave.
Musee de Orsay was the other museum that we visited in Paris. Orsay showcases impressionist, post-impressionist and contemporary art, including artworks by Renoir, Van Gogh, Monet, Edgar Degas ( I love his ballerina paintings!!) and Picasso. I prefer Orsay to Lourve, perhaps because some of my favourite art pieces can be found here.