ENCHANTING EUROPE - PLEASURES OF PARIS

Day 3 - Pleasant Paris, France

London to Paris by Eurostar 

All of us gathered at the lobby of Hotel Leonardo, London at 5 am - all the members of our group - right from the 9 year-olds to senior citizens in their early 70s - were punctual and deserved a big pat. We picked up packed breakfast from the hotel and loaded and boarded our bus by 5.30 and reached St. Pancras station after a long one-hour drive to catch the Eurostar. After we were handed over our tickets, we had to go through screening and immigration which should not have been surprising considering the fact that we were taking the train to another country. We enjoyed the packed breakfast of muffin, granola bar, flavoured yogurt, juice and fruit at the station. As if this was not enough, we were treated to hot coffee from the station. 

Then we boarded Eurostar in our respective compartments and took our seats. Our group of 35 were distributed in groups of fives and sixes in various bogies. The train started on time at 7.55 from St. Pancras. After a 3 1/2 hour scenic travel for the most part, including the unique underground tunnel ride under the English Channel - we reached Nord, Paris at 11.25. 

During the brief wait at the station we got a taste of Paris - a youth was running and he was chased by a couple of cops and sure enough rounded up, handcuffed and taken away - he was probably a pickpocket! Sushant reiterated that we be very wary of pickpockets while in Paris and also be cautious about not getting into arguments while haggling with vendors. Useful tips - we temporarily shoved aside the Indian attitude of bargaining for something we didn't have the least idea of buying just for the heck of it!

Paris Bus Ride

We boarded the bus at 12 noon. This bus would drive us from one country to another for the rest of the tour. We said a big 'hi' to our Coach Captain Henry who would drive us for the rest of the tour. First he took us to 'Welcome India' for a very tasty Indian lunch. 

Louvre Museum

Louis Vuitton

Arc de Triomphe

After that we drove around Paris to enjoy the sight of imposing structures - modest B & B hotel, lavish hotels, Brasseries (restaurants) and a good number of museums and monuments lined along the Seine river which we'd see again during our cruise - Vandolm Column, the sprawling Louvre Museum ( unfortunately it was not included in our agenda)the second biggest MO (Orsay Museum), Notre Dame, Arc de Triomphe, the posh shopping area Champs Elysee.... 

                                                              

We had a photo stop at Place de la Concorde. 

                                                        

And then the bus went 'wow' as it got the first glimpse of the awesome Eiffel Tower.

Eiffel Tower Experience

We spilled out of the bus in our enthu to climb up the tower but we found a long queue. We were informed that we'd be allowed to go up to the second level, not the third. A drizzle added to our disappointment. But none of these factors dampened our spirits - we pulled out the ponchos provided thoughtfully by Kesari Travels and wore them and spent the two hours in the queue (as one of the elevators was not functioning) observing the international tourists and their repartees with the vendors selling Eiffel Tower souvenirs. 

                                                       

We forgot all these hurdles when we enjoyed the breath-taking panoramic view of Paris from the first level and again from the second and came out with satisfaction. 

Seine River Cruise

We had to walk a few yards to take the Star Cruise on the Seine River. Again we found ourselves stuck in a queue (some mess-up) After a wait of an hour and a half, when we finally got into the ferry, we were relieved to plonk ourselves on the seats. 

Orsay Museum

Some of us still had the enthu to click photos of the impressive monuments looming around. Others chose to relax as they listened to the running commentary on their walkie-talkies. When the twenty minute course ended, it was with reluctance that we left our seats. 

We reached 'Bhojan' for dinner - since our schedule had gone haywire at the Eiffel Tower due to our grouchiness, we found ourselves waiting here too as another group was having dinner. To add to our grouchiness, we encountered a rude security guard who shooed us from here to there as  the thirty five of us tried to find a spot to stand in that congested space. Little wonder that we found the menu repetitive and the 'sheera' bad.

When we checked in at Novotel hotel at 10.30 pm, we were so fagged out after the long day that we crashed. It was next morning that I discovered our room had a fridge and a microwave. Also the restroom was unique in the sense that it had a separate WC and bathroom.

Day 4 - Paris

Disneyland

After a hearty breakfast at the breakfast room assigned to our group, we were all set for the day's tour.

We left at 9.15 to Disneyland which was a short drive. I was not particularly enthusiastic about Disneyland as I had seen all the theme parks in LA and Florida. Once again Paris tested our patience - there was some mess-up about the tickets, so we were left cooling our heels - in the bus itself. 

We entered Disneyland at 10.45. Sushant briefed us about the place and accompanied all of us in the first ride - 'It's a small World' - which showcased the arts and culture of the countries over the world. 'Oohs and aahs' resounded .... our group went 'arre wah' when we got glimpses of Ganpati Bappa and India. I should say I was totally bowled over by this ride - 'paisa vasool'! After this we were allowed to explore the place on our own and choose the rides of our choice - we had to assemble at the mentioned spot at 4 pm to return to the hotel. 

                                   

Both of us chose our rides, smartly secured Fast Pass (having had prior experience) for the required ones.......

                                 

                                       

and enjoyed a good lunch of pizza, salad, juice and ice cream at the pizza place. 

                                     

We enjoyed the colorful processions of Disney characters too. At the appointed time, all of us gathered, got into the bus and reached the hotel at 5.

We had to pack a small bag with a day's clothes and requirements as our next day's halt at the hotel in Brussels was for just a day and there would be no need to unnecessarily lug the big suitcases to the hotel room. After that we had to get ready in our Sunday best - Indian / Western for the much-anticipated Lido show. 

Paradis Latin

   

We left for Paradis Latin for formal dinner followed by Cabaret show. It was a huge hall packed with rows of narrow tables with chairs on either side, leaving just enough space for the waiters to squeeze through to serve us. Our entire group seated ourselves together - the place was teeming with international tourists arriving from various places. There were spots in the balcony too.

Dinner

                                           

The formal dinner started at 8. We were served champagne. The three-course dinner we were served was also Indian - for starters we had paneer, salad and kabab-chutney. 

                                         

The second course was chole, mixed vegetable, rice and naan. For dessert it was ice cream and payasam (rice pudding). 

                                        

We took pictures of one another. There was the official photograph of each couple / family. 

                                                         

We were handed our photos with the info that we could buy each for 10 Euros. The smart Alecs that we were, we quietly and quickly took a photo of the photo and later returned the official photo with an apology.

Lido Show

Dinner was over at 9 and the tables were cleared as we took a restroom break. Considering the huge number number of visitors, the queue at the restrooms were not bad. We resumed our seats and the much-awaited Lido show started at 9.30. The cabarets were interspersed with trapeze and jugglery acts. What was amazing was that the cabaret items were a far cry from our Bollywood counterparts; these were performed with such grace and poise that you fail to notice the nudity. We enjoyed the show which lasted for close to two hours. 

Eiffel at Midnight

After the show, we took the bus for one more glimpse of the Eiffel Tower - we got the opportunity of watching the dazzling illumination at midnight. There were quite a few visitors and quite a few souvenir vendors too - I managed to strike a good deal as they were winding up for the the day. When we reached the hotel, it was 12.30 am. Another great day had ended.

The next day we started our drive to Brussels, Belgium.

ENCHANTING EUROPE - LONDON DELIGHTS

                          

EUROPE TOUR - 2015

Preparations 

It was not that Europe was not inviting enough for us. The fact was every other year saw us visiting our sons in the US and it was not possible to squeeze in another pleasure trip due to various constraints. So when it happened this year, we were more than excited. Though we have traveled extensively in the US, everything used to be taken care of by our sons. All we had to do was sit back, accompany them and enjoy - we had got used to this sort of pampering. Also we are no longer young and so planning a trip to Europe by ourselves was not happening. We had heard rave reviews about Kesari Travels and decided to choose their 'Best of Europe' tour of 14 days, spanning ten countries and 24 major cities. We chose the tour starting in the end of April 2015 as we felt May would bestow relatively warm days along with winter attractions. We booked our tickets, collected the complimentary 'roll-ons' and documents.

We  went through the formalities smoothly for our British visa, then our Schengen visa as per instructions from Kesari Travels, got Euros for our shopping, and we were all set. We didn't have to procure warm clothes as we already had them. Many of our new-found friends told us that they had to spend a sizable amount on sweaters / jackets / woollen caps and gloves, not to mention thermal wear and shoes.Usually I  always love to carry home-made snacks to enjoy during our trips . This time we were specifically told by several friends that Kesari tours offers us delicious snack packs which will last longer than the entire tour. So I spent the next few days browsing to study the weather as well as the details about the places on our list of visit and also preparing 'Musical Tombola' tickets which I am fond of conducting at get-togethers. We had a list of the participants of our tour but we had not got in touch with any of them. We were surprised to find that the majority were ladies; also most of us were senior citizens. The group also included three children and two youngsters and two couples who were in their mid forties. We were a group of 35. 

Day 1 - Off to London

We reached Mumbai International airport, waited for the representative of Kesari Travels to collect our 'goody bag' of snack -packs, electric kettle, cap, poncho and pouch, got introduced to our tour manager Mr. Sushant Kharat and went through the formalities of Check-in, Customs, Immigration, and Security Check and boarded the flight even as we exchanged smiles with the other group members. How did we identify one another? Oh the 'Kesari' roll-ons acted as our 'I-Cards'! As we disembarked in Zurich on our way to London, we exchanged hellos with them. Another couple of hours on the plane and we found ourselves at noon in London which cheerfully welcomed us with an unusual 'sunny' smile.

Our luggage was loaded in one bus and we boarded another which took us to an Indian restaurant at Hounslow, Bath for lunch. After a yummy Indian meal, we drove to Hotel Leonardo, very close to Heathrow airport and checked in. As we didn't have any program for the evening, we freshened up, relaxed and unpacked. 

 

We were bowled over by the stack of a variety of neat, small, resealable yummy snack-packets Kesari had provided each of us. And yes, we caught up with social networking with the free WiFi at the hotel rooms / lobby. It turned to become a pattern throughout our tour - as our Manager would collect the keys and allot our rooms, everyone would be busy inquiring 'What's the User Name? And Password?' And busy sending mails or messages or calling up on 'What's App'! Even the novices soon learnt the basics of Smartphone usage thanks to the helpful tech-savvy youngsters. We had dinner at the hotel - an interesting mix of Indian curries and European desserts - specially for our group!

Day 2 - London Delights

The early-birds that we are, we stuck to our schedule, woke up at 5.30 am, made invigorating morning cuppa coffee with the coffee pouches and the electric kettle provided by Kesari. Our policy - have it, use it! Not everyone from our group had the time or inclination to make the effort. After a rejuvenating shower, we joined our friends for the lavish European breakfast at the hotel - I gorged on croissants, cereals, hash browns, fruits and juice. 

London City Orientation Tour

We then boarded our bus for the City Orientation tour. Our tour manager Sushant Kharat  enlightened us with interesting tidbits about London. We were soon joined by our local guide Mellissa. As we listened to her, we were constantly shifting our eyes and craning our necks to get glimpses of landmarks on either side of the road. Not to forget our enthu for capturing them on our camera. 

We were not supposed to stand in the bus but as we all know, Indians will be Indians! Finally I ended up clicking pics of buildings on my side and extracted a promise from my friend seated on the other side to share our photos. Needless to say it didn't work out eventually as each one of us had ton loads of photos by the end of the tour!

                                     

                                     

                                     
We excitedly looked at the lavish stores fleeting past us - Burberry, Harrods (of Diana's boyfriend fame), Mc Laren dealer, Fortnum & Mason and Ritz Hotel (Charlie Chaplin's favorite; here afternoon tea with a lavish spread costs 50 pounds).........

   

We were also enlightened about the cycles sponsored by Barclays for public convenience - you can hire a bicycle for a meagre sum - of course it is free for the first 30 minutes. You can guess the modus operandi of a smart Alec! 

                                             
We reached the famed Piccadilly Circus - also termed Little Times Square. 
                                             

             

               

              

Then we saw Her Majesty's Theatre, Somerset House (which serves as open air theatre in summer and skating rink in winter), Methodist Central Hall, Trafalgar Square, .... 

                                          

                                          

                                           
Nelson's Column, Egyptian Sphinx, Hyde Park .... 

Tower of London

We went to Tower of London with great excitement to see the royal jewels and of course the historical Kohinoor diamond which was originally 'ours'!  We ladies went 'ooh' and 'aah' by the blinding razzle-dazzle of the crown jewels ... - here photography is prohibited. Our tour manager sent us once again to have a second longing look at the 'Kohinoor' lest any one should complain about missing it! 

We made a round of the the Tower where political prisoners and others had been confined as also the traitor's gate ......

As we came out, we clicked the famous landmarks looming majestically at a distance - Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, the Thames river, Shaltz (the tallest building in West Europe made of glass), Millennium Bridge, Putney Bridge, London Bridge ..... 

We had a good look of the grand Buckingham Palace - from the outside.

We then went for Indian lunch at Red Heron. Then we got more details about the expensive Chelsea area and Victoria & Albert Museum as we proceeded to London Eye.

London Eye

                                      

London Eye also known as the 'Millennium Wheel' is second only to the one in Las Vegas. This has 32 capsules, each with a capacity of 32 persons for a ride lasting 32 minutes. We went clickety click with our cameras while taking in the royal splendour of London - Big Ben, Westminster Abbey ..... - as we got a fabulous birds'eye view from the London Eye - its movement was so slow that we could not even discern it! We felt 'paisa vasool' for the London leg ..... till we were in Madam Tussauds.

Madam Tussauds Wax Museum

I had always had a hankering to visit this place and had made sure this was in the tour's agenda. I had had the opportunity of visiting Madam Tussauds in Las Vegas but I was sadly disappointed as I was mostly unfamiliar with the personalities lined up there - mostly American sports-persons and stars. How I loved to be here in the midst of so many legends; my better half was tired out clicking my pics (I didn't pose with every one of them, still ...) and he proceeded ahead. So I had to resort to selfies.... and be obliged to friends - a case of 'I'll click you, you click me' which works. 

Whether it was the British Royal family or politicians / stars / writers / scientists of the West, they looked life-like. 




Only our Indian luminaries were a let-down - be it Big B, Ash or even Indira Gandhi! Ooh that was some elite company! After that we enjoyed the fabulous 4 D show 'Super Heroes'. When all of us felt fagged out, we were treated to a cup of hot coffee which revived our spirits.

We returned to the hotel at 7.30, freshened up and relished a sumptuous Indian dinner at the hotel with continental desserts.

Every night we would be briefed about the timetable for the next day's program. Accordingly we'd set our alarm for the morning. Of course we'd get wake-up calls too! But as we were early birds, we'd be up before 5.30 every morning. But the next day had to dawn super early for our group - wake-up call would be at 4! We had to take the Eurostar train to Paris.