From Paris, With Love — lostwithlina.com

Paris is a truly magnificent city...and is more than worthy of all the superlatives that have been bestowed upon it for centuries.

It is the city I seem to keep returning to. You would have thought that after four trips to this city, each during a different season, you’d have seen it all - you couldn’t be more wrong.

This was my second visit to Paris since having moved to London, but this time round, it was a special occasion. My little cousin, Jess, visited us from Australia in November last year, so to celebrate this reunion (which also happened to coincide with my 29th Birthday) we jumped on the Eurostar from St Pancras early on a Friday morning and headed to a frosty Paris for a girls weekend.

It literally began snowing as we stepped out of Gare du Nord. Typical. We were not prepared for this. We checked into our Hotel for the weekend, the decadent art deco Prince de Galles, Luxury Collection Hotel (just off the Champs-Élysées) and naturally did what any woman would do, and headed straight for the nearest Zara. Those who have travelled with me will know that I have a tendency to visit the Zara store in every city I travel to. This trip was no exception. Once we were warm and in our new coats, we began venturing around the city with our umbrellas in tow.

Despite the weather, Paris is still as beautiful as ever. Its graceful streets soaked in history, the abundance of gilded monuments along the boulevards, the glittering Seine - it is a paragon of style and, in my opinion, is still the most timeless and romanticised cityscape in the world.

We had a relaxing Friday afternoon browsing the shops along Champs and as the chilly night drew in, we returned to the Hotel and admired the spectacular vistas from our balcony. We had a rather extravagant, but delectable beef fillet at the award-winning Bar Les Heures and then headed out to find a nearby crêperie for dessert.

The clouds cleared the next morning which meant we could truly immerse ourselves in the city’s rich heritage. Comfy shoes are essential for this city, as it is mostly flat and can be explored by foot. One of the best walks you can do is from the Arc de Triomphe to the Louvre. You’ll walk through the Jardin des Champs-Élysées, over the Pont Alexandre III, pass the Palais Bourbon, back over to the Place de la Concorde and the Musée de l'Orangerie (where Monet’s Water Lilies exhibition can be found), before entering the Jardin des Tuileries. For the historians, you could spend hours getting lost in the Louvre or exploring the Musée d'Orsay or popping in and out of the city’s countless historical churches.

If you are interested in wandering through the Louvre, make sure you reserve your ticket online to ensure quick entry, and ensure you get there before 9am. One of the highlights of my first trip to Paris was arriving here at 7am and being one of the first ten people allowed into the Louvre, which meant I practically had the exhibitions all to myself. For more contemporary tastes, there is plenty to be seen in the less tourist-trodden outer arrondissements - from art venues on the sloped streets of Belleville to the boutique Hotels and reinvented bars of Pigalle.

Good food is a birthright and its appreciation a rite of passage in Paris, where a meal can last hours. For a memorable splurge, book one of the city's opulent three-star palace restaurants, like Le Grand Véfour or L'Astrance, or book ahead for a table at one of the trendy bistronomiques that combine gastronomy with bistro pricing — Lazare, Les Petit Plats, and Spring are all hot right now. Other trending places include Girafe Restaurant, Le Brebant and the Peninsula. What I love most about the city is each individual arrondissements’ quirks and charm. No matter where you are, you’re sure to stumble upon a local spot that will quickly become a go-to during your visit. For me, it is always Pink Mamma in the neighbourhood of south Pigalle, and every time, I get my favourite and famous truffle pasta.

You really can't leave without seeing Paris light up from the Eiffel Tower. While there is a cost to go up, it’s definitely worth it if you want to see Paris from a new perspective (make sure you book online prior to arriving). If you don’t feel like going to the top or have a fear of heights, you can still enjoy it from below at one of the nearby parks. My favourite time of day to admire the Eiffel Tower is just after sunset. Every night, every hour on the hour (until 1 am) the tower is covered in golden lights and sparkles for five minutes. This means that the light shows are more frequent in the winter months than in the summer. The best place to see the twinkling is from Place du Trocadero, or just beneath it!