Below is an extract from I piece of copy I wrote for Indigo Hotels. This piece is a travelogue documenting a couple’s first experience of Paris.

2. Pâtissier TraiteurA short walk along Rue Montorgueil reveals the local patisserie Pâtissier Traiteur at number 51. As the logo on the glass door states, the patisserie was established in 1730, making it the oldest in Paris. Upon entering, we behold rows and rows of multicoloured macaroons, decadent pan au chocolats and tarts piled high with glistening strawberries. The girl behind the counter eagerly tells us the story behind the patisserie's rum-infused Baba cakes, which were first imagined by the shop’s original owner, Nicolas Stohrer, when King Stanislas presented him with a dry Polish Brioche. Today, the Baba cakes tower majestically over the pastries, covered with fresh red fruit salads and cream.

Opposite the mouthwatering cakes, we discover takeaway meats, fishes and sandwiches and we're tempted into an idyllic French picnic along the Seine.

3. Palais GarnierOn to the Palais Garnier - a stunning building which is difficult to miss: angels glitter atop arrestingly grand pillars and beckon us inside.

The near 2000-seat opera house's sumptuous interior with sweeping marble staircases and grand pillars evokes in us an impossible nostalgia for a golden age of splendid gowns and exquisite parties. During our tour, we are told that the house is the setting for Gaston Leroux's dark legend The Phantom of the Opera, in which a hideously deformed musician falls desperately in love with a choir girl from his home in the dark cellars.

Although nobody claims to have seen the Phantom, our tour guide reveals that Leroux's story holds a surprising truth. Through the bars beneath the opera house and into the terrifying blackness, the lake from the story exists. We are told the architect purposefully built over it instead of draining it. We visit the lake on our tour, and as we listen to its eerie lapping, we hear whispering in the dark... Could it be the skulking Phantom?

4. Les Fines GueulesFrom the outside it may look like any other café, but we don't let Les Fines Gueules deceive us into walking past. As we find out, its low-key exterior hides a cosy celebrity-endorsed wine bar and bistro which serves over 500 types of wine. We order an organic red Bordeaux and steak with seasonal vegetables - a very simple yet elegant Parisienne dish.

We are told that celebrated butcher Hugo Desnoyer, a master in the art of maturing meat, and renowned baker Jean Luc-Poujauran provide the succulent meat and first-rate bread for the bistro’s delectable yet modestly priced dishes. The dishes are prepared and cooked with the utmost pride; during our visit, one of the chefs refuses to add more sauce to a steak tartare despite a customer's wishes, fearing it might cover up the full flavour of Hugo Desnoyer’s finest beef.

5. Shopping GalleriesTo indulge in a spot of shopping, we decide to avoid the high streets and wander to the Galeries Vivienne, de Beaujolais, de Valouis and Vero Dodat where we find refuge away from the crowds.

These historical galleries were originally designed to shelter pedestrians from the flying mud horses and carts churned up in the city streets. Now, they display enchanting décor and provide all the amenities we could ask for, including takeaway restaurants, cheap clothes shops, antiquarian bookshops and stationers. Walking through these covert passages also assures a surprise at the end: the Galerie De Beaujolais leads us to the majestic gardens of Palais Royal.

6. Romance at Le Seine

As the sun begins to set, we walk along the Pont Des Arts over the Seine, and immediately we notice something unusual. Love exists in a tangible form, as literally thousands of padlocks cling to the bridge. Upon closer inspection, we realise that they are embellished with lovers’ initials and sentimental messages to sweethearts.

We are told by locals that this is an act of everlasting love, which has grown so popular that it's now included in many wedding ceremonies. It’s an extraordinary sight against the backdrop of so many iconic buildings and landmarks.

Dusk falls, and we decide that the Pont Des Arts's unique decorations are irrefutable proof that Paris is the City of Love as we fix our own padlocks to the bridge.