Mon voyage vers Paris

Continuing from my journey to Africa, my next destination was a place nearer, Paris. From the day I landed in Europe Paris was one among the top destinations I had on mind and I was not the only one. Ten of us had similar thoughts and we made good use of a long weekend and a day off from work. Unlike my earlier trips we were going on a package tour which was a first time for me. So here I was getting ready to go to Paris and that is where I start from...

Day 1...

Our cab left Bristol for London at about 01:00 and we were left with a good couple of hours to kill waiting for the on the streets of London at a time where even the earliest risers would be drifting into their deep slumber.

The interesting part about this trip was that we were travelling across countries by bus and ferry and that was something I was looking forward to, both with a sense of anticipation and apprehension. Anticipaiton towards the ferry trip and apprehension about the hours of bus journey lying ahead of us. After a good hour and half’s journey we reached the English Channel. The weather was so bad that we were forced to spend the hour long journey across the Channel indoors on the ferry which was carrying about 50 buses and at least twice as many cars. With our fingers crossed we hoped that the weather that would greet us on the other side would be far more pleasant and so it was.

We arrived at the Calais port in France and continued our journey into the city of Paris, arriving at our destination at just about evening time. We managed to catch a glimpse of the famous Eiffel Tower and the Orly airport. The airport has roads running underneath it and as we headed towards our destination on the road a colossal 747 just taxied above us and the sight was breathtaking to say the least.

Day 2

After a well deserved rest and an early breakfast we set out to see the city of Paris. There was no bounds to the excitement we all felt and off we ventured on our bus. While driving through the streets I instantly felt that this was one city which will leave an indelible impression in my memory and the next couple of days would prove me right. Our first stop was the Eiffel tower itself and the it was one collosal structure or metal. The mech engineers in us woke up and we noticed that this was one gigantic collection of metal sections kept together by a few million rivets. In layman terms this was just a huge metal pillar which served no practical purpose until a few years after which there were Radio masts installed on the pillar to justify the purpose of its continued existance. That it had many a detractor is a well known fact and even now I think many people feel that the tower as an eye sore on the face of a beautiful city. More about the tower a bit later.

After posing for a few pictures in front of arguably Paris's most well known landmark we set out on a cruise along the river Seine. The fact that Paris is a very small city is something which is not well known. To put it into perspective Paris is 1/3rd the size of Bangalore and the river Siene is the blood line of the city. One description says that the city itself occupies a bowl hollowed out by La Seine in its prehistoric vigour. Whatever may be the history, to travel on the river which has about 30 handsome bridges over it, added to it the enchanting old buildings the experience is worth more than my words can express.

The next stop was the Versailles palace or the Château de Versailles, this historic place in all its grandeaur had been the centre of power until the late 18th century. The size of this gardens at this Château were something which was beyond my imagination. The main reason we went into the garden was because our guide couldn't take our entire group at the same time and we would have missed something not for her. I still can't imagine how they maintain such a place. After basking in the glory of this garden off we went into the palace. The palace in itself was nothing short of my expectations but the crowning glory most definitely being the Hall of Mirrors. Over the years this Hall has been a part of history many times, perhaps the most famous one being the Treaty of Versailles signed in 1919 which signified the end of World War I.

Though half the hall was under renovation, which took some sheen away from it's splendour we could still experience an awe which many a people like me would have felt standing in the same place as I was. An added sense of pride to me was when I learnt that the great Napolean Bonaparte walked the very aisle I was walking. One another thing that drew my attention was the riches of a certain Mr Mittal whose daughter got engagement in this palace. Though not a king he for sure knows how to spend like a one.

That night we were going around the streets of the Paris and as our tour guide kept mentioning the true beauty of Paris was indeed at the night. To see the streets, the buildings and the tower all lit, was captivating to such an extent we just didn't realize the time that we had spent there

Day 3

After seeing the city of Paris it was time for us to go to Disneyland. A time to rekindle the child in us, or so we thought. The sight and sounds of this place were something which catered to not just the kids but the grown ups as well. Though the primary attractions were for the kids there were a few which were not for the weak hearted. A couple of rides did bring our heart into our mouths. It was like spending a day in wonderland and if that was me I can't imagine how a kid would feel.

As the day neared to an end it was time for the Lido dance show. This probably was one place about which we were unsure about. The Lido dance show is a world famous cabaret performance and in which at most times the girls are topless. Coming from a society where such things are considered more a taboo than a performance we had our apprehensions. But on reaching there we saw that the crowd waiting to get in, had a mix of people from many different cultures including a good mix of middle aged and elderly Indians. At the end of the show we were mesmerized at the artistry and the elegance of the performers. The other support shows which were a part of the package was equally good if not better. The best part for me was a figure skating duet on an ice rink half the size of a badminton court. The grace, control and the talent of the skaters was something which would have made even the Winter Olympic medallists stand up and take notice. We went back to our rooms feeling elated that we had witnessed a true spectacle.

Day 4

Back to the Eiffel Tower...the last day of our trip and we were rounding it off from the place where we started it all. We were up early and then headed towards the tower. The cold and damp weather was bit of a downside but nothing could dampen the spirits of the umpteen people waiting to get on the metal staricase of this metallic piece architecture. I did a little research on the reason the tower was errected and found that it was to serve as a visual attraction and an entrance to a fair held in the late 19 century. Hardly a reason to spend loads of money and it took a certain Gustave Eiffel all his convncing skills to justify the tower. At that time the tower was called 'truly tragic street lamp', 'mast of iron gymnasium apparatus (I love that one)', 'half buitl factory pipe' and a host of other names. But all this was only until the tower was finished. Since then millions of people have been flocking to see this architectural wonder. Just to conceptualize and complete a project of this magnitude needed some revolutionary thinking and skills which Eiffel possesed. Few people know that the framework for The Statue of Liberty was also done by Gustave Eiffel. The controversy apart, as we began our ascent on the elevators the beauty of Paris struck on us yet again. Looking outward from the tower on can see the rooftops of all the wonderful buildings, the churches and museums and the river Siene. It is literally like being on top of the world. On the top level the directions and the distances of various important places in the world are marked.

The cold weather and our tour guide influenced us to spend relatively little time on the tower but most of us came away satisfied. A few of us chose to walk down from the 2 level and every landing of the stairs has paintings of the vairous feats, and milestones the Tower has been a part of.

And it was time for our way back to UK and normal life. Owing to the fact we were on a short package trip, we were not able to see a lot of other places including the Louvere Museum, the various churches and museums and neither did we have the time to explore the bylanes of this wonderful city on foot. What we had seen was just a small but significant part of what this wonderful city is know for. But we went away with a mixed feelings and also with a thought that we didn't have enough of this place and I'm sure most if not all of us will definitely come back another time and who knows maybe another one after that and another one....