Where In The World Is Annika? ~Paris, France 2011 Edition, Part 2

Paris, France 2011 Edition, Part 2: Versailles, Laduree, More Food, and Baby the Stars Shine Bright!

And weclooooome back to this episode of: Where In The World Is Annika?, where we are returning for the second episode of Paris, France 2011 Edition. In this episode we shall cover the magical pink frills of Baby the Stars Shine Bright, the glittering royalty of the Versailles palace and grounds, and more cute Parisian treats from Laduree!

We all had to know that this segment was going to be opened with my visit to the Baby the Stars Shine Bright shop in Paris! I made it my absolute mission to visit this store, even if I saw nothing else, as it was the first brand shop I had ever been to and of course, Baby is my first love. I must say that the men that got dragged along were less than enthused for this venture, perhaps even to say dismayed, as the one knew nothing about Lolita fashion and thought it strange.

The store front is a big sparkling pink gem in the middle of a rather normal, blase looking street and just a short walk from the subway station. Prominently displayed on the window was the Baby logo, set off by the beautiful dresses, shoes, and accessories shining elegantly in its shadow. Ah, and there it sat, calling out to my frilly soul to come inside and stay awhile.

Step inside, and you are greeted by the sweetest French shop girl, dressed in gorgeous old school Baby threads! It is a small shop, but small in a way that is warm, friendly, and inviting. Each display is set up with care, each piece laid out to look like a lovely work of art to admire. I spent a good deal of time carefully roaming through each dress and garment on the racks, taking in as much detail as I could, and as they say, "When in Rome Baby..." I decided to try some things on! (I know you're not supposed to take photos but I couldn't help it! Oh what a bad influence you have on me!)

Alas, my dream had to end but not before the shop girl informed me that I had coincidentally just missed Mr. Isobe himself, and left with a pair of cute ribbon socks!

My heart was not heavy for too long, as the next day we hopped a train to go visit the magnanimous dream world that is: Versailles! I cannot express to you in words what a magical place this is, so instead, I will have to show you. It's truly amazing! (I took over 200 photos of Versailles alone, so here are the best.)

Sigh. Wasn't that wonderful? And that's only a few of the photos. Visiting the Versailles grounds was like being transported back in time. I really hope that I am able to visit their again one day, and I might I recommend if you visit: rent a little golf cart! Not only does it blast opera music the entire time you drive, but you are able to see all the grounds so quickly especially if it's chilly chilly cold like in March!

And lastly, to fulfill our little photo journey of France... one cannot visit without going to Laduree!
What a queue! They are so popular you had to wait nearly an hour just to get to the front of the line.
I can only imagine how divine it might have been to dine at the restaurant!

Now while I may say this to the aghast of many, I think macaroons are adorable but I do not much care for the taste. However, I absolutely adored the packaging and cakes we bought there! I kept the boxes. : )

Visiting Paris was an absolute dream come true for me! It was one of the best weeks of my life, and I sincerely hope that I will be able to revisit France one day and explore more of its gorgeous landscape and sights.

I hope you've enjoyed this brief interlude of traveling with me! : ) xo Annika

Our Next Journey: China? Scotland? Thailand? It's up to you! Tell me, where you would like to see next! : )