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| A slice of Paris |
Two things struck me about Paris when I walked with slight trepidation and excitement, out of the huge, bright Charles De Gaulle airport in May.
1. Parisians seemed to be in a hurry. Not one local could be
caught strolling or God forbid, lounging. Even the tourists seemed obligated to
hurry a bit. One such tourist being me, of course. No sooner did I sigh and
place my heavy backpack onto the escalator that I heard a soft
"Pardon" behind me. I turned to see a polite yet impatient local,
looking beyond me at the remaining part of the escalator, as if assessing her
chances of jumping over me and continuing without a break.
This reminded me very much of our bike riders in Chennai's
streets. They think it anathema to apply breaks while zipping through traffic, even
if it means cutting into other's path or knocking side mirrors of other
vehicles.
So I quickly moved to the right and watched the
purposeful stride of the woman who did not seem to believe that escalators are
meant to bear inert bodies up. No wonder the locals looked so fit.
2. Another thing that was obvious, immediately for me, was how nice they were. Of course there are the
usual expectations while in Europe - no jostling, no invasion of private space,
no staring, no loud talking, no spitting etc. But I am not talking about just
this type of politeness, people seemed nice, which was quite surprising for me
as I had half expected the French to be snooty and rude. Thankfully we
didn't experience any of that anywhere in Paris.
There was a girl who didn't think twice about picking up an 8-year
old and placing her near her mother, thereby saving her from getting left out
at the station. A bus captain who not only let us know when we neared the
Galeries Lafayette but who also made sure we walked to the right place without
getting lost, all the while keeping a hawk's eye on us, the passersby who
stopped and took time to give us directions in spite of our atrocious
pronunciation and of course...the hurry they were in, the shop assistants who
greeted people with cheerful smiles and a breezy Bonjour, and generally all the
helpful people we met. It was amazing.
These two factors were what made Paris attractive to me and S. The
city itself reminded me of the better part of Mumbai, India and once that
thought lodged itself in my mind, I simply couldn't look beyond that. I think I
am more a countryside person. I would probably have more to gush if our trip
was to places outside Paris. Here, in the heart of Paris, watching people hurry, I couldn't
really get a feel of the place. I didn't understand the pull of Paris, and it's
strong hold as the Number 1 tourist destination in the world. I know...you need
to slipper me. But this doesn’t mean I did not like Paris, of course I did.
Only, that I liked it say, lesser than Belgium.
However, the city had its moments, very much like the two factors
which attracted me about Paris. Here are a few snippets of my thoughts during
our stay.
The City
The city is beautiful. The satellite picture shows a nice round
pizza shaped city with clear, precise plans like arrondissements 1, 2, 3…to 20.
Paris also has amazing connectivity. While S and I were doing our research on
where to stay (we wanted somewhere affordable and also not too far from the
city) we found that we had to compromise on any one of our requirements. After
seeing Paris’s comprehensive underground metro system and excellent bus
services we decided to stay in Montrueil in Franck’s B&B. Franck was one of
the best things that happened for us in Paris. He was a very hospitable and
helpful host, who trustingly left the house in our care. We had found him on Airbnb, as also others who hosted us in other countries.
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| Orderly and beautiful - that's Paris for you |
The city is so well connected that we didn't even book a tour to
Versailles, taking instead two trains. Directions, timings, everything was
available on Google Map. I don't know what we'd do without Google map. Oh
wait...of course I know. But that would have to wait till I blog about Belgium.
Moving About
We picked up a carnet of tickets, ten tickets for 12.50 euros,
from the many vending machines that dot the station and used it extensively
during our stay there. A ticket allows you to use the Metro to get to your
destination, using connecting trains within the city limits, but is invalid
once you leave the station. It could also be used on buses and other public
transport. The carnet however could not be shared by people. Each of us had to
have a set. It was still a cheap way of moving about. You could get more info
from this nice blog here: http://www.parislogue.com/planning-a-trip/how-to-use-public-transportation-in-paris.html
Sights and Sounds
Paris is synonymous with the Eiffel Tower. People have waxed
eloquent about its structure and engineering complexities. And though it
figured in my snaps from Day 1, I was not really aware of it. In fact S had to
point it out to me and I gasped a little belatedly. How could I forget the
Eiffel tower? I had expected to be blown away by the monument, but nothing
happened in that muscle we call ‘heart’. However, when we visited it on the
third day of our stay, I got all dewy eyed and wistful. The place seemed to get
to me or was it the people? There were so many: young, old, romantic, prosaic,
fat, thin, of different ethnic groups…you name it they were all there. And
everybody was waiting patiently in queue to get in to the Eiffel Tower. There
was an air of quite excitement and romance about it. This was also the first
place where I saw such a huge congregation of fellow Indians.
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| The sun glints off the River Seine. I couldn't have asked for more. |
Some of our best shots of Paris were taken from atop the Eiffel Tower, though from the second level. We did not feel like going all the way to the top, as it looked cloudy and there was already a fine drizzle about us. And true to expectations it poured rain just as we wrapped up our visit. It was so cold and no hot coffee or hot crepes could warm our blood. We were so glad that we weren't caught on the very top of the Tower.
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| And then the rain bearing clouds march across the sky, causing a delightful play of light and shade |
Other nice places to see are the Jardin Tuilieries, Sacre Coeur, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Rue di Rivoli to name a few. My friend P, who had made a trip earlier, also tried a couple of unique Parisian stuff. If you have the time and inclination, you could try the below experiences.
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| One up-coming landmark in Paris - the 'Lock' bridge. Locals are still making up their mind to hate or love it. |
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| You could chance upon a street act |
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| Or catch a lone musician playing a tune |
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| Or just lounge on the sturdy chairs in the parks and watch the world go by |
Though it was not peak season, there was considerable crowd everywhere, mostly in the museums. I had decided to see only 3 museums during our stay in Paris, as we were visiting other places in Europe. The first of course, is the mother of all museums – the Louvre. What a colossal, awe-inspiring abode it was of all the masters, Leonardo Da Vinci, Eugene Delacroix, Vermeer, Rembrandt etc. I had not booked the tickets online, but followed P’s advice and went down to the shops in the basement and got tickets quite easily.
The best feature of Louvre is perhaps its undoing too. There are
so many people about, jostling for space to take snaps of all masterpieces,
that there is absolutely no hope of quiet contemplation of a masterpiece or
even admire any to heart's content. So much so that when I went into the room
where Mona Lisa was housed and saw the crowd in front of her, I promptly lost
interest. I had seen enough close ups of her on the internet, so I turned 180
degree and lost myself in the massive Rembrandt.
It is best to visit Louvre early in the morning, and still you’d
need a whole day, if you are quite an art enthusiast. There’s so much to see in
the museum which also houses excellent marble statues too. There are four
floors, having many departments and is very confusing for a first time visitor.
I had armed myself with an audio guide but though it was an excellent tool to
know the story behind the paintings, it proved to be of little use for me to
chart a course and stick to it. It would be a good idea to mark the paintings
and art works that you’d absolutely love to see and not get distracted too much
by the amazing work lining the walls of the museum.
This link should help plan a visit to this landmark museum with
minimum fuss.
The other museum which I liked was the Musee D'Orsay. Known for
being built in a railway station and housing mainly French art, this museum was
where I first saw Van Gogh's paintings and Monet’s Lilies. I had already read
extensively about Van Gogh as I was also visiting Holland, so it was with great
expectations that I visited this museum. There were quite a few of his works
along with another artist’s which I enjoyed – Alfred Sisely. I was so taken up
with his depiction of various landscapes, that I even picked up a print of his.
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| The queue at Musee D'Orsay |
Another reason why this museum is close to my heart is because we
got a free entry that day. I don't know if it is a regular phenomenon in this
museum or if it was due to the rains, but after waiting for almost an hour in
the queue with depleting hopes of gaining entry, S and I were pleasantly
surprised to be one of the first to be sent in without a ticket in to the
museum. The only catch is that we had to visit the museum in a hurry as it was
closing time. I managed to see many good works and would've loved to linger a
bit, but as the saying goes...there are no free lunches. :-)
The Seine river cruise:
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| Paris at night |
When S and I walked into the Bateaux Mouches office along the quay
one morning of our stay, to book an evening cruise on the River Seine, we
didn't dream it would end with us having an unforgettable experience. Oh the
cruise itself was nothing much to write home about. As the river had risen,
they had left out Notre Dame in the route and there was no open top seating. We
persevered. And after a rather long day of sightseeing when we started walking
back to the quay we forgot where the office was. S who has very good
navigational skills was stumped. We had to cross at least five bridges multiple
times and walk up and down jauntily initially but miserably later as rain
pounded on us mercilessly. Suffice it to say that when we did get on to that
cruise with legs that threatened to give away any moment, we couldn't summon
enough enthusiasm to see the very same landmarks which we saw while walking.
Later, in the comfort of our room, we laughed as we remembered the tedious evening. But the cruise was clearly overshadowed by this experience.
And last but not the least, Eating:
I guess the first things on my list would be all things sweet and sugary. I simply love pastries and desserts. And like a bee flitting from one flower to the other, I used to get in to some joint or the other looking for a pastry to send me to Nirvana. There are the quintessential eclairs, chocolate croissants, pain au chocolate, soft, powdery, complicated macaroons are all laid in alluring order in patisseries to make your purse lighter. But whose complaining.
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| A simple, sumptuous lunch, on the go |
Paris seems to have embraced ethnic cuisine, like Brits and their curry. Where ever we went there were many shops selling Thai, Chinese, Moroccan and Arabic (can I even call it that?) food. S, who between the two of us was going to miss Indian food more, was very happy. He found it hard to survive on meat and bread for all of our stay and these restaurants provided a good alternative for a non-adventurous foodie. Our favorite was a shawarma joint in Montreuil,where we filled our stomachs with a huge plate of pita bread crammed with chicken and veggies, served with frites and hot sauces for Madame and Monsieur. Yumm. Sometimes, we'd try a Thai restaurant where you are billed by the weight of the items selected. An excellent dinner option.
Of course there is so much to try of the local cuisine, which P, would vouch for as she pleasantly discovered on a Champagne tour where two of her weaknesses - wine and food were mated to give her an unforgettable experience.
And I shall leave you with a few do's while in Paris:
Do remember:
Do remember:
1. To pick up your carnet and enjoy your
transport around the city.
2. To book tickets online for all those
places of interest that would otherwise be crowded and take a print out of the
ticket before getting there.
3. To keep an eye on your budget. Food,
lodging and shopping is expensive here. It’d be a better idea to mark a budget
for the day and stick by it come what may.
4. To taste the yummy macaroons and desserts
in any of the little cafes or bakery.
5. To carry good rain gear as the weather is
so fickle there; one minute it is sunshine and suddenly you are soaked.
6. To make an effort while dressing.
Parisians dress well and they do give you a once over when they are not
hurrying about like rabbits. They wore well-fitted jeans and tops and matched
it with tasteful scarves and trendy jackets, on all the days that it rained.
7. Try any one show. I regret not having
attended either Lido or Moulin Rouge. As an Indian, I shouldn’t have gotten
swayed by the unfavorable reviews on the internet, as with all due respect, our shows are
not too outstanding either. Next time.
8. Sandwiches are good and cheap here. You
can pick one on the go from the myriad Carrefour shops, along with a bottle of
wine, and you are set for lunch.
9. To learn a bit of the local language. This is
specifically for us Indians, as we don't get much opportunity to learn an International language other than English of course. I noticed a couple
of Indians who were un-aware of the culture there. Not bothering with a
‘bonjour’ or even a ‘thank you’ or ‘merci’. I think it is important to shun the
idea that being a tourist one can get away with any behaviour and rather adopt
the principle of trying to make an effort for the locals.
10. Rue Rivoli is a nice place to pick up
souvenirs. Many were tasteful and were available at competitive prices.
Au revoir! A la prochaine J
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