Tour de Paris

Paris was blessed to have seven young guys from India visit her during the first weekend of September’06. Well, at least special for us ;-).

To start with, let me introduce you to the seven Indians I am talking of:

Rahul Pal (my twin brother), Me, Zubin (Dude), Narsi (Saanp), Pranav (Buddha), Aveek (Penguin) and Louis (Louis)

After the dismal results of the Brussels visit (all but me :) ), the guys planned a “planned” visit to Paris and decided to keep me out of the planning. Well, it worked out well for them and me too!

We reached Paris early on Saturday morning and after a few but very important exercises (:-P), we headed for the Metro. First of all, let me express my admiration for the Paris Metro.

The Paris Metro was a very welcome change from the suffocating and swaying Netherlands trams. One can get a weekend pass for 13 Euros and I am confident that an average-brained man with just a Metro map in hand can travel in Paris without anyone’s help. The rail system is very extensive. Additionally, the stations are beautiful; each station has a different design in terms of wall structures, chairs’ design & color and even the way names are written. The only common part was frequent, punctual trains and the indicators on stations – they don’t leave a single stone unturned when it comes to directing you to another platform, a tourist spot or just the exit. I am really in love with the Paris Metro!

The first location was Notre Dame, a famous cathedral. Even before reaching there, we had understood from the old beautiful buildings, the bridge and the river just outside the Metro station that Paris has something really good in store for us. And Notre Dame proved that we have started right with our expectations.

The instant I saw the cathedral, I started clapping hands in excitement and applause, and stopped when I realized that it was Europe and not India. The cathedral visit started with photos.

Inside it was much quieter than the one in Brussels but not as beautiful. However, the sculptures were very good – different poses with weapons & armor. There was a new thing I observed there. In a few pictures/sculptures that depicted crucifixion of Christ, there were 2 other men who were shown crucified on either side of Christ. I didn't know who they were at that time but later, I came to find that these were two thieves and were hanged on either sides of Jesus Christ so as to signify that Christ, like them was an enemy of the state and the society.

Similar to the Brussels’ cathedral, there were a lot of donation boxes and sculptures of faintly dressed men – it always surprises me how all the sculptures manage to hide “the thing that should not be named”. It appears that the sculptors of those times were very careful while sculpting the male form, because they left no stone unturned in exposing women. Anyway, I bought a pencil painting of the cathedral in a shop outside and then we started for Montparnasse.

On our way, Narsi was able to capture the best of the dude twins:

Montparnasse is the tallest building in Paris. Clad fully in black glass, the building seems to climb into the sky when seen from ground and in fact, contrasts well with the sky. One can go to the top and get a full view of the city. We, however cancelled the plan as we had Eiffel Tower in our itinerary.

The next location was Assemble Nationale. Though I am not sure, I guess this is some sort of Parliament for France. We got down at the nearest Metro station but before we could go there, nature intervened.

Back at the Assemble Nationale, we headed towards a nearby museum (Musee d’ Orsay) where we hoped to find such a place. We reached the museum and I (the victim of nature) went inside without a ticket (it was expensive!), followed the command and stealthily returned. I can’t deny that I was afraid of being caught but as we say, all is well if it ends well. I had a look at the museum during this short visit and I liked it. But, we decided against going inside. We clicked a few snaps outside and then we moved towards Assemble Nationale.

We were not allowed to go inside and anyways, it looked like just another old heritage stuff. But the day view of Paris from this place was just amazing. On our left, we could see Eiffel Tower rising out of the greenery:

Straight ahead of us was a beautiful bridge, with four gold (or gold-plated) statues on four pillars at the beginning and end of the bridge, leading towards another prominent building:


Towards the north-east was Arc de Triomphe and at our right, we saw a flat and tall pencil-shaped structure (Obelisk of Luxor) and a beautiful fountain. Later, I d that the square is one of the most famous squares of France and is called as Place da la Concorde. This was truly the first moment of realization of the beauty Paris holds:

We went to a garden nearby, had some food and sat idly for sometime. A mild cold breeze was blowing and at times, it brought showers from the fountain on our face, further refreshing us. From here, we moved towards our youth hostel. On our way, we also saw Queen Diana’s Memorial – and would you believe it – we were on the same highway where a few years earlier, her car crashed into a wall at high speed while she was being followed by the paparazzi?

We managed to find a Pakistani restaurant near our hostel and had some good desi food there. Finding an eating-place that serves food native to your country in a foreign land has always been a very satisfying feeling, especially when the food is good. The same was the case here. I would also like to highlight the good treatment we received from many Pakistanis here, be it the chef in the Shell EP building, taxi driver, just a neighbor on a restaurant table or the restaurant owner in this case. I think that being away from home in a western country where we can at least find commonalities of region and history brings this harmony despite the tension that prevails at home on the political front.

After a nap, we started for Basilisk Montmarte. I don’t remember much about it except the things it had in common with the cathedrals of Brussels and Notre Dame. I also bought a few cards here. I am not really sure why I’m purchasing all this stuff, because I’m not much of an art or showpiece freak. May be I’ll distribute it among friends and relatives. But it always feels good to buy some souvenir when you visit a tourist spot.

Other than being a Basilisk, it also provides tourists with a breathtaking view of Paris from the top. All but me went to the top (well, it was expensive and we were anyway going to see the Eiffel Tower):

I went down, had a very refreshing Cappuccino, and bought few more paintings, calendar of all hot spots and gifts for folks at home. And then we started for the Wonder!

I’d seen Eiffel Tower from different parts of the city and it really didn’t look that great from a distance. It was just another tower – may be very high and very large but more rusted than others too. But my impressions changed as I arrived closer. We first reached a park in front of the tower and sat there for some time. We had some good photo sessions as well. I thought of calling people just to express the joy. I started with the fair crowd but finally had to stay happy talking to Mayank (well, he is very fair at least!):

2 of us decided to go to the top by lift whereas the remaining 5, including me, chose the option of using stairs for the first 2 floors and then the lift. I think the latter was a very good option since it didn’t just save on money but also gave us an opportunity to read many interesting facts related to the tower. For example – When skating was started on 1^st floor, it was a bear from Moscow circus to first skate or about a guy who first used the stilts to climb up to the first floor or about how a solider climbed the tower against German Army during the 2^nd world war and hosted the French flag. The view from the first and second floors was completely amazing, but the best was yet to come.

It was dark by the time we reached the top. The view of Paris from the top of Eiffel Tower can be described as out of the world. Be it Montparnasse, or Arc de Triomphe or Montmarte, the whole of Paris can be viewed from the top. And then you also see couples hugging and kissing and you realize what you miss there! It is really a very romantic place with the cool breeze and the entire view. Nevertheless, we still managed to enjoy without the missing ones - theoretically or practically:

It was around 9:45pm when we realized that there was a light show between 10:00-10:10pm and we took the lift for the second floor. We reached there by 9:54pm and there were only 6 minutes left for the light show. And then we ran! I know that if any senior Shell employee comes to know of it, he’ll give us a stern talk but honestly, we ran while holding the handrails (thus keeping it safe!). Still, I know it was a little dangerous but we literally managed to reach down in 6 minutes. I think that was the best part of the Paris trip! And I came 1^st in the race (proud blushes) :-P.

I won’t say that the light show was something really special but it was good – it looked as if stars are running at lightning speed throughout the tower:

What looked more beautiful was the closing of the light show when it returned to the yellow and black form (i.e. with normal lights turned on); it was like a flowerpot being put in water with just a difference that it was more beautiful afterwards:

With tired legs and empty bellies, we returned to the hotel and had some sort of dinner at McDonalds’ on our way. To our surprise, we could also see the Eiffel Tower from the hotel room window and the light show as well. Again, not something very wonderful but still ‘feel good’.

My friends started for Louvre the next morning whereas I left for the Ashram in Paris (I joined them later). Without much difficulty, I reached the Ashram and spent some time there after the group meditation. It is always good to meet abhyasis from the West. There is something special about them. As it has been my observation, India or East provides good ground for spirituality and its development. On the other hand, West is very different, very materialistic (not that materialism is not there in India, but not as much and people respect religion and spirituality more than in the West). I am confident that with so much materialism in terms of money, bigger buildings, higher standards of living, “rich” history, “more beautiful” chicks and “advanced versions of sex” available, it is always difficult to change orientation and move towards spirituality and continue in that direction.

After the group meditation, I went to join my friends in Louvre. For a moment, it seemed like a loss of time as I missed a few hours in group meditation, but after seeing Louvre, I realized that it wasn’t so. I know that by saying so, I may be disappointing many art freaks (or may be inviting their wrath), MonaLisa-lovers, people who have read The Da Vinci Code or those who have just heard too much of Louvre. Louvre is great. It is just that after roaming around for an hour or so, you just get too tired of all the art around. If I’ve to justify what I say, lets take the case of MonaLisa. Yes, it is world-famous and everything but how many of us can really appreciate its beauty or the secret of art or reality it holds. Hardly a few!

Not that I’m negative. I am saying it in a positive sense because everything around is just too good some way or other. It is just that it’ll take days to really consume all the stuff that is on display. A few highlights were :

Napoleon's Room (don't know how they managed to bring everything out there), which embodies the peak of luxury and ostentation. I think the King's Palace of Brussels (which was the most ostentatious palace I'd ever seen) was nothing compared to Napoleon's - and to me it makes sense. After all, Napoleon was king of the kings.

MonaLisa – just for the name

The Grand Odalisque (don’t blame me for putting it here – it is just a piece of art):

The wedding feast of Cana:

The victory of Samothrace:

Venus de Milo:

The seated scribe:

Inverse pyramid (suspected location of Holy Grail as discovered by legendary symbologist Robert Langdon :-P):

Just to make sure once again that my comments about Louvre haven’t been misinterpreted, it is really beautiful and worth many hours of inspection. Just be ready to get tired of walking and the impossible attempts to absorb the art it withholds. I purchased a MonaLisa ceramic coffee cup and a book with most famous paintings and their brief history.

We left Museu de Louvre at 3pm and started for La Defense. Just as we stepped out of the metro, the grandeur of the Grand Arch and the size and architecture of the buildings left us wide-eyed and open-mouthed. To add to the whole effect was the breeze. Sometimes it is really difficult to determine what is the best and Paris was revealing it with every new spot. Other than the Grand Arch (which was literally impossible to be captured with the simple digital cameras and amateur photographers that we had), there were some high-rise glass buildings (none higher than Montparnasse though) and the effect of reflection of buildings into one another was very beautiful.

And what to say of the breeze – such romantic and lovely breeze, and it reminded me of the Marine Drive of Mumbai. On the other side of La Defense, we could see beautiful farms with colorful interceptions followed by buildings once again.

From here, we left for Champs-Elyses and Arc de Troumph. We went to the bridge with four gold sculptures this time and tried to absorb their grandeur and beauty.

There was some other architectural work done around the bridge and it was also equally diverse and beautiful.

With legs already overworked beyond their limits and bags heavier than ever with all the purchased stuff, we started for Arc de Triomphe along Champs-Elyses. Champs-Elyses is the famous avenue, which leads us to Arc de Triomphe and it houses one of the costliest shops and the best chicks of the country.

Now that I’ve come to it, let me also write some words in praise of the fairer world of Paris. They are the best in the world – with fair faces and black hair (and what not - I am not going to mention the unmentionable). Even when we talk of figure, we observed that almost everyone here has the best of it, which is a unique feature in itself. It is further decorated with the costumes and designs of the fashion capital of the world which makes it a deadly combination. And sorry since I have no photo proof!

Arc de Triomphe was another beauty but I must admit that we were very tired when we reached there and we just lay there for a few minutes and then we left.

At this point, we experienced the saddest part of the Paris trip. We were thinking of clicking a photograph at Arc de Triomphe such that the whole avenue from Arc de Triomphe to La Defense is covered. (Would you believe it, it is a straight line avenue for many kilometers, and includes Champs-Elyses?). It would have been probably the best photo of the whole trip and at the precise moment, Mr. Murphy entered the scene and lo, the batteries were empty.

However, the Paris trip ended in a very comfortable manner with us luckily locating a South Indian Restaurant. Idli, Sambhar, Rice, Rasam and Sambhar in this far land were like heaven. We filled the empty bellies more than it was necessary and returned to the bus stand to catch our return bus. We found satisfied faces everywhere (I forgot to mention but around 20 of us in 4 groups were there in this Paris trip).

Finally, I know that this blog comes very late but then it was hard work and with my busy schedule here, it got delayed. In this one month, another group of 20 visited Paris and they mentioned a few more places, which are worth watching in Paris. We knew a few of these like Palace of Versailles and Disney Land but they didn’t fit in our tight schedule. But they mentioned a few others as well which we could have covered had we known about them. One more thing we missed was canal ride that starts from Eiffel tower and takes us around the city through 7 top spots and I’ve heard that the canal ride, especially in the evening is a great experience.

Well, I can just say that after so much travel and the satisfaction I obtained, I can see a lot of scope for exploration. Honestly, we are unsure if we can find a better place in Europe. Hopefully Italy (Rome, Vatican, Venice and what not) will try to match the standard set by Paris. Another trip is surely on the cards!

How much land does a man need?

This story is another of my father's favourites (Gosh, he deserves a lot of credit for these blogs which he isn't even aware of!). I am not really sure of the characters and their relationship with each other but that doesn't matter much since the message is very important!

Once upon a time, there was a rich man. In fact, calling him just 'rich' would underestimate his richness. He was one of the richest men of the country and a large chunk of his property was in land, which itself was a big pie of the whole country's land. But he was old and he realized that his end could come any day. And did I not mention? He had no heir for his property.

The man didn't want to just give away his property. He wanted to give the property to someone who "deserved" to own it after him. He wanted the beneficiary to win it. The rich man loved athletics and was fond of athletes. Thus he invited the fastest athlete of the country to give him a chance.

There was only one rule of the game! The athlete had to start at sunrise, finish at sunset and had to reach your starting point before sunset so that he could claim the closed area that he covers. And finally the D-day arrived.

The athlete saw the vast fields that constituted the land owned by the rich man. He had a whole day from sunrise to sunset to cover as big a chunk as he could. He started running and ran fast. Of course he was the best athlete in the village and this was the moment to prove his worth as well as get the whole property of the rich man.

With full confidence, he started with the ambition to cover the whole fields during the given time. He ran fast and ran without halting. When noon arrived, he realized that half of the day had passed and he hadn't been able to cover half the distance and he was already tired.

Instead of taking the straight-line path that he would possibly be able to cover before sunset, he furthered his conviction and made up his mind to get the whole land and started running even faster. With the faster pace, he started getting near to his goal. But the vast fields were indeed very fast and it would be appropriate to say that it was "so near but yet so far".

With only an hour left or so before sunset, the athlete again analysed the situation. He was already very tired and he calculated that it would be indeed very difficult to go the whole round and reach the starting point. But alas, greed overpowered wisdom. He argued with himself – Limitations are created by mind and not by body; I can do it. With his belief enhanced, he started running even faster and ran without giving any heed to the tiredness and pain growing fast in his body.

And at last, he saw the bright circle drowning into the abode of the mountains and at the same times he saw the starting point. His happiness and enthusiasm were boundless and he just ran to make sure that he makes it to the flag at the starting point before the sun fails him.

In a very Bollywood or even Hollywood fashion, he touched the starting point as the last ray disappeared. And he fell down. Forever!

How much land does a man need? 6 ft X 3 ft, gravely enough!