Tour de Paris !! - Oct 22 - 23 2005

Travelogue of the Paris soujourn !!

Lets make it formal, for a change.

It is said that the real way to travel in Europe is in trains and buses !!! We decided to follow this theory and decided to make the trip to Paris on the EuroStar, a train that covers the distance from London to Paris in just about 2 hrs and 40 mins !! And the biggest perk in all this was the fact that we would be travelling the famous Channel Tunnel, touted to be one of the greatest marvels of modern engg !! It is said that the digging for the tunnel started from the English and French sides simultaneously and it was a race to the middle !! And inspite of the great distance that needed to be dug, the tunnels were off centered by just 4 inches !! The race to the middle was off course won by the English, but what was created was an engg marvel that very few could remain un-awed by it.

Well, so much for History, so the day dawned and we reached the train stn ( Waterloo Intl ), which I am sure could put many an airport to shame. With much excitement and anticipation and some heart-stopping moments ( caused by 2 our travellers failing to locate their boarding tickets ), we boarded the train, and guuess what, in the most eagarly awaited journey, urs truly, decided that it was time to catch up on some beauty sleep ( afterall we had not slept the prev night ). It was just before we entered the tunnel that I woke up and was at least awake when the train entered the tunnel, not that I could make out much outside the window !! Whatever it is, at least my ears felt the pressure change and I realised that we were well and truly beneath the English Channel !! What followed was the usual journey, broken by a continental breakfast that I bought on board and some good coffee !!

Well, we reached Paris well on time and it was time to take the city by storm, or was there a storm brewing ?? At least the forecast predicted some showers, and a look at the sky seemed to confirm our fears !! All that we could do was pray, and that we did !!

Parisians, like typical Mumbaiites, swear by the train system here, which is divided in Metros ( typically underground in main city ), RER ( travels farther than Metros ), buses and Trams. So getting around is no problem as long u know where you want to go and have a transport map in your hand. Paris, like many cities here, has the concept of day passes which you can use in any mode of transport, any number of times in a day, and they come in terms of days. Also, Paris like London, is divided into zones and some research indicated that the monuments that were of interest were located in Zones 1 and 2 and our hotel was in zone 3. So accordingly, we bought day passes for zones 1-3 for 2 days.

After checking in into the hotel ( which we located with great difficulty due to some map problems ), we decided to hit the road and the rail !! And thus starts our journey...

Day 1 in Paris :

First we decided to pay our obscience to Saint Michaels at Notre Dame. The church is as such an awe inspiring structure with beautifully decorated arches over the doors and an equally impressive interior. There was a book in the church that said that we could write down anything in that book that we wish should happen to our friends. I did plan to pen a few lines first for my friends, then expanded it to fammily and friends and then as a true Hindu who believes in Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, decided to wish for the well-being and happiness of the whole world !! We did manage to walk around the church and look at the paintings/frescos and diff artefacts. Although, there was access to the terrace, we did not venture out there !! So it was basically a ground level look at the church !!

A short walk and a train ride later, we arrived at the site of what has come to symbolise Paris and also France to the modern world, ie the Eiffel Tower. Built by Gustavo Eiffel, the tower is a sheer metal structure that stands nearly 300m tall. Eiffel tower is basically divided into 3 stages. There are lifts that take you all the way to the top ( to the great relief of ppl like urs truly ).Well, there are 4 lifts that operate on the 4 pillars till the 2nd level and then there are a group of 4 lifts that operate thru the center of the tower that take you to the top. And the ride to the top is one of the most picturesque. When we went, there was quite a stiff breeze blowing which made holding the camera straight an onerous task. In fact I was gripped by the mortal fear that my baby ( A95 ) would be blown off the top of the Eiffel Tower !! There are various scenes depicted at the tower top and they make an interesting visit. The observation deck also has various cities with the distances marked including a few cities from India !! Mera Bharat Mahaan !!

Next on the agenda was a visit to the 3rd monument that makes Paris, Paris ie the Arc de Triomphe !! It is said that there are 3 things that make Paris, Paris which are the Notre Dame Church, the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe. So basically, we were covering the essence of Paris on the first day itself !!! Well, the Arc de Triomphe was constructed by Napolean and also houses a museum dedicated to Napoleanic atrefaacts like swords, tent clothe etc. Arc de Triomphe is also the meeting point for 12 roads, ( wonder what it would be called in Hindi.... baarah raasta !! ). The structure, as such seemed to be a blown up version of India Gate!! But one can actually climb up the pillars right to the top on a spiral stairway !! And, it is quite a climb, enuff to make one feel triumphant when one reaches the top !! But the view from there is apparently amazing !! Apparently because, we had just reached the top, when Lord Varuna, in all his good nature, decided to give me a shower and opened the shower !! We went scurrying for cover into the museum and thus our picnic to the Arc de Triomphe had a damp ending !!

Branching from the Arc de Triomphe is one of the most famous roads in Paris and possibly the whole world, ie Champs de Elysees, ie the way of the Champs. How many times have I seen Lance Armsrong, resplendent in his Yellow Tour de France leader jersey, sipping champagne and riding into the city, and I was walking the road. It was a surreal feeling, enuf to make me feel light headed !! Hang on, is it not my stomach that seems to tell my dumb head that it needs something to chew on too !! We searched high and low on Champs.., but could come up with no decent ( read affordable ) alternative. All that we could do was rue the fact that there was not even a single place where we could get a decent veg dish !! Nothing much that we could do, other than go to our plan B, ir pot noodles that we had stocked up before we came here ! Add hot water and they are ready to eat !! And Yummmmmmmmmmm !! Enuff for the day, I say !

Day 2 :

To compensate for the early start the prev day, we decided to take it lighter on the 2nd day and emerged from the covers only when we were convinced that the Sun was indeed up, on that lazy Sunday. After a heavy breakfast, which incidentally was also to be our lunch, we set forth on our trail again. We actually planned to visit just 2 places, ie MontMarte and Louvres Museum. Ring any bells ?? The Da Vinci Code readers !!!

First we went to the Sacre Coure Basilica. Located on top of a small hillock, the basilica stands out because of its snow white exterior. And set against a clear blue sky, it seemed post card perfect. The Basilica had all the elements that I had talked about earlier, but the most striking aspect was the depiction of Jesus in a mural above the altar. It was all ncompassing and huge and jaw dropping and beautiful !! Also, there were numerous artefacts that were descibed as the Treasures of the Church on display. And to add to all this, there was a person playing the harp too, thus creating a heavenly surrounding !!

We were brought down from heaven to earth pretty quickly, by the smell of coffee and some muffins ( which I managed to avoid ) !! and we did manage to come to our senses, we realised that we, in true Infy spirit were ahead of the real schedule. So we decided to squeeze in an extra place, ie Concorde into the visit plan, and boy were we glad that we did so. It was one of the best places. The main attraction is a monolith stone that was gifted to France by Egypt and it is full of Egyptian inscriptions. Besides there are depictions of how the stone was actually transported and placed at its current location. The Place d la Concorde, as it is called is flanked by Gardens on one side, the Arc de Troimphe on the far side and fountains on either side. It is indeed a sight to behold !!

Finally came the crowning moment of the visit, ie a visit to the Louvres museum, home to the La Jaconda, of in layman's language, the Mona Lisa !! The most striking aspect of the painting is that it seems too ordinary for any casual observer, but the simplicity is striking. One may wonder what is there in it that makes it so special, when there are so many more elaborate painitngs that clamour for our attention, but the most crowds were there in front of the Mona Lisa !! Something that each one needs to reflect on !!

Then it was time to head back the Karmabhoomi, ie London. It was a gr8 trip and one could only reflect on the memories that the trip had left us with !! But my friends were bent on creating more memories for one to think about. They managed to lose their return tickets once again and had to pay 23 euros as ticket charges !!

As far as I am concerned, the foll are what I would take back from this trip

I managed to travel the Channel Tunnel, albeit in a trin, but still !!
I also realised the extent to which ppl go to flut rules. When it had been clearly stated that photography in the church was prohibited, ppl still insist on taking snaps in the hope that they would not be spotted. And this behavior is not confined to any nation or group. It seems universal !!
It also showed the importance of how some thought and preparation could make a trip an enjoyable experiance.
Finally, It left me with a lighter pocket, not because I spent money on the trip, but because I ended up losing my mobile on the trip !!

Until the next post... Cheers and N'joi !!