Mundane Musings

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 no...

What makes a place special when we visit it? It's people? Culture? Landscapes and scenic beauty? Food? Certain special experiences? Or if we are lucky, all of it? This question was on loop in my mind, as I got the fabulous opportunity to tour a part of Western Europe in May. As an Indian I am happy to say that all of the above reasons are available right here, in India. Whether it is experiencing the 'athithi devo' mentality of shy locals or the rich cultural heritage of almost all states of India, or the myriad scenic places just waiting to be explored or the unparalleled gastronomic experiences that are centuries old. We even have hot air ballooning, river rafting, trekking trails...you get my drift. And I am digressing. This blog is about my trip to Europe and an Indian's perspective of it. In spite of all the reasons I have stated above, I must confess that Europe had always appealed to me. I have always wanted to visit the snowy Alpine slopes of Switzerland,...