I never thought i'd fall in love with Balmain's shoulders this season but u know, never say never. Especially if it has been adapted by Zara to fit every woman on the street.

So into my luggage it goes... because french chic is what I need for Paris this weekend! Bisous

St Germain-en-laye.. a suburb of Paris i stayed in.

Birthplace of Louis XIV & Henry II, it is rather bourgeois, but I actually prefer old apartments with floorboards that creak & lots of wood.

The castle..

I spy with my little eye.

Petit dejeuner... simple et bon.

the little streets of St Germain-en laye

Can never say no to cheese.

The saturday flea market

Town square where we bumped into a friend with whom we had dinner, thats how small the city is!

Was invited to a lovely baptism of Celeste..

it was an evening of excesses..

I had to stop myself halfway thru the foie gras... so smooth & creamy but you gotta think of those arteries!

pistachio macaroon with cream & raspberry... went to heaven & back.

Handmade chocolates... knocked on heaven's door once more!

Dinner was soooooo good we literally floated back to St Germain-en-laye & vowed to skip breakfast & lunch the next day.

Oh the charm of Paris...

lies in the cafes, the chocolat chaud, the tartines au beurre...

the marches... this one was a Thursday market in the Bastille.

the Christmas lights..

L'Opera.. it just looks so majestic every time.

the ever-lovely Obelix you can find in every bookstore.

Boutiques destockage... hmmm! 

the fact that Catherine Deneuve lives just among those apartments...

home to Mariage Freres tea... I like their Sakura blends with Mcdonald's chicken nuggets. Unromantic but very nice.

the river Seine... even in the cold, it's so nice to take a stroll just recognizing the places, browsing thru the old bookstalls.

the lights at night... I willed the sunset to last a little longer for us.

the fact that the Eiffel tower could just appear at any turn, glittering like a diamond... & the friendly driver moving his car back so we could catch a shot while giggling like children.

I am off to Paris tonight... for a short holiday.

Plunge myself into the depths of autumn, from the scorching sun in Dubai just 24 hours ago.

Jetlag is my greatest enemy.

See you in a week, stay warm x

Istanbul, capital of the Ottoman Empire.

Sultanahmet, or the Blue Mosque, considered to be the last great mosque of the classical period.

Outside the mosque, where followers wash their hands & feet before going in. I was humbled by this, because it was less than 10 degrees, and they gamely removed their thick jackets, washing with the icy cold water.

The courtyard

One of the cool ppl on this flight... it was just pure fun for 6 days, the crew were hilarious & we had such a good time that i was sorry to come home. Almost.

The famous Yerebatan Sarnici that i so wanted to see. Even with many tourists, it was eerily silent.

The Hagia Sophia, originally a church & then converted to a mosque after the invasion of the Ottoman turks in 1453.

The friendly shop owner insisted i give it a try haha! I did shave off a very unprofessional looking piece of meat.

Yumms. chicken & beef.

Carpets anyone?

Hard at work weaving.

The Bosphorus bridge linking Europe on one side & Asia on the other. Totally amazing.. Words & photos fail to capture the emotions you feel straddling 2 continents & being in the cultural melting pot of it all.