French in the (Ho Chi Minh) City

Vietnam used to be part of French Indochina together with Laos and Cambodia. Saigon, now called Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) which has been home to us for the past three weeks,  used to be the capital of this region until it was moved to Hanoi in 1902. 

It's been more than half a century already since the country gained their independence from the French (after numerous wars, including the infamous Vietnam War) but you can still see the legacy the French have left. Maybe that's why we are enjoying our stay here so much.

The Notre Dame Cathedral

Note Dame Cathedral in Saigon.

Notre Dame Cathedrale in Paris.
December 2010

The side of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.

The side of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Saigon on a street named "something Paris".

Notre Dame at night is a center of activity.

Gustave Eiffel's Legacy

In Paris, he left his mark with the iconic Eiffel Tower.
Photo Credit: Sofia (April 2012)

Here, he left his mark with the Saigon Post Office. 

Opera Garnier

Saigon Opera House

Opera Garnier in Paris.
April 2012

Bouquinistes (literally means booksellers)

The vendor had everything in this little box
outside the Saigon Post Office and across the cathedral.

Bouquinistes by the river near Notre Dame in Paris.
They keep everything in boxes too, just a bit more permanent.

The Shops!

Surprisingly, this is totally at the same level as Paris... in terms of accessibility. The prices I didn't even check since I just paid the bill for my Europe shopping... we are only buying locally made for this trip (meaning local prices too!).

Louis Vuitton

Louis Vuitton is in a prominent location across the Saigon Opera House.

This is me as I stepped out of the LV flagship store in Champs Elysees.
Paris December 2010.

Let's play I-spy CHANEL!

The iconic Rex Hotel has been renovated to house the poshest brands.
Can you spot the Chanel logo? 

A Chanel boutique in charming shopping arcade in Madeleine.
Paris April 2012

Christian Louboutin

We spotted this boutique in a side street in District 1.
I don't think I've ever randomly spotted it in Paris!

I wasn't sure at first if it was the real thing until I saw the wall of red soles.

I would love to be rich enough to point to everything I want
in a store like this without looking at the price tag.
I'd get this for the added inches wear it once,
then decide I'd go for comfort over beauty.

This is more my style. I didn't know they also have simple flats.

There is nothing simple about their guy collection though.

There are also a lot of restaurants, Cafes and Patisseries

They serve bread as a side dish a lot...
and their bread looks like a baguette but it's not as good crusty.

We stumbled on Le Bouchon de Saigon,
a cozy French Restraurant that looks like a homey Italian place in District 1.

We also saw this Creperie & Cafe near the Cathedral.

We have venturing out and exploring the different streets around us more and more. I hope we get a chance to try everything that looks interesting before we head back to Singapore in a few days. Just Saying.