PARIS

Paris is a city which has beautiful wide roads, gorgeous buildings with white facades and streets called Rue, Avenue or Boulevard. All signs are written in French, which are, oh so very difficult to pronounce. If only Dupleix had won and Robert Clive had lost India, in the 18th century, we Indians could have pronounced all those French words with ease!

Champs de Elysée

Why does one have to say Shwanze leeze for Champs de Elysée? Speaking or rather reading the names is very difficult. The French are proud of their language and do not normally like to speak English, even if they understand it. Reading a menu fare is even worse. I resort to simply pointing out what I wish to eat.

We had a bitter experience the day we landed at Paris. We were a group of seven people, with one person on a wheel chair.  Before starting our trip we bought a book of 20 tickets for the metro and bus travel. Then for entering the train station, we asked that the exit for the wheel chair be opened, which was done. We boarded the train and, on arrival at the destination were met by ticket checkers. The lady in charge asked us from where we had arrived and as soon as we told her that we had come from London, war was declared! The Lady started telling us about her trip to London, when she was stopped and fined. She accused us of travelling without validating two tickets. These two tickets were of the wheel chair passenger as well as her attendant. They had gone through the special passage and as there were no slots to swipe the tickets, these were inadvertently not swiped. The war that took place then was like a personal attack, with all of us surrounded by four checkers, looking on as though we were some criminals and not tourists, who had come to visit their city and spend money! We were fined 50 Euros for this lapse.

We had set out to see the Eiffel Tower. There was a huge line of people buying the entrance tickets and then to go up in the lift. Here we saw a different approach  of the French people. One of the officials escorted us to the ticket window and allowed us to by pass the queue, and go in on priority into the lift, as we had a wheel chair person.

The view from the top was amazing. Well laid out gardens, the river Seine meandering around, the beautiful bridges and the gorgeous Churches, Pantheon, Les Invalides which has Napolean's Tomb, Basilique du Sacre Coeur, Place de la Concorde,  and all the other beautiful spots of this great City were visible.

We walked along the River Seine and crossed over to the Champs Elysée, which has clipped horse chestnut trees lining the Avenue.These trees look like wine glasses when lit up during Christmas. The tops of the trees are shaped like cubes. Beautiful buildings, very wide roads, and the towering Arc de Triomphe stood majestically before us.

Illy coffee house

The food was divine! It had to be!What else could one expect in France?

Next day, like typical tourists we took the Hop on Hop off bus. The metro in Paris was disgusting. The stations are quite unfriendly for wheel chair users. There are steps and more steps and no ramp! Buses and trams are good. Service too is good, all that one needs to remember is to carefully validate your ticket. Tickets can be bought in lots and have to be validated on entry.

Paris is full of well laid out gardens and the place was a riot of colours.

Les Invalids was a home for aged, injured, incapacitated and unwell soldiers of France. It is said to have been created at the suggestion of Madame Pompadour the mistress of Louis XIV. Napoleon's tomb is in these premises. The dome is made of gold and Napoleon's remains are interred in 6 coffins made of lead, iron, mahogany, ebony, and  red porphyry.

Louvre is well laid out and easy to manoeuvre. The unforgettable Mona Lisa, the most beautiful Venus De Milo, from Greece of circa 130 BC,The code of Hammurabi, circa 1790 BC from Babylon,  are some of the things that one simply cannot miss. They are mind blowing! 

Place de la Concorde

A trip to Paris cannot be complete until one sees the wonderful cabaret of the city. Who has not heard of Moulin Rouge, Lido, Paradis Latin? We saw Paradise Latin. The show was fantastic. It was artistic, graceful, dignified and extremely racy. A glass of champagne went down very well as an accompaniment. 

Mont Martre is the artists corner situated on top of a hill. One takes the funicular to travel up. Once in this area, one can see artists working with charcoal, pencil, paints and drawing sketches or caricatures in minutes. The place was quite bohemian, artistic, simplistic and  charged with energy and beauty. We quickly got portraits made, as keepsakes.

The "Hunch back" of Notre dame was not visible, but the Cathedral was fantastic. The stained glass windows were amazing. The story of Christ is very nicely etched inside, so that illiterate people could also know the story of Christ. The Cathedral has interesting statues of saints on the outside. The most amazing was of a headless Priest holding his head in his hand!

REPLICA OF FLAME OF STATUE OF LIBERTY

Paris and France gave us the concept of Freedom- Liberty, equality, and fraternity. The French revolution was the first movement of people against Divine rule! The Bastille which was a symbol of the tyranny of the bourgeois was totally razed to the ground, on 14th July 1789, and thus started the French revolution. My salaam to the French, for this great gift to the people of the world!!

Do not miss the famous patisserie or boulangerie and cheese of France. 

Paris is beautiful, spacious, open. It is the city which gave to the world the coiffure, wigs, powdered hair, high heels, jewelled shoes, as well as the guillotine! Unforgettable Paris and freedom loving, inspiring people of Paris were friendly, helpful, patient and seemed happy to hear our efforts to pronounce the extremely sweet French language. I loved Paris and will return again and again and again!