C'est Paris!! Enough Said!

I know it's been a while since I last posted so here is something for the lovers and romantics at heart! There should also be a post about Italy coming up soon!
Well for the few who do read this, and I think there are a few of you who occasionally, when all other modes of entertainment exhaust, glance through this. Thank you for reading!

So if the title of this blog hadn't given it away, I am spending this weekend in Paris. Yes Paris! And that too with my mom and sister. Now I had also been to Paris in my initial few weeks here in France but never blogged about that, so I might add some stuff from that trip as well. Alright here goes...

Paris!! I had been here two times before and transited through almost every other week. When my mom told me that her plan had finalized about a month back, apart from the excitement to meet them, I was really excited at the prospect of being a tourist in the city of dreams. Now you see, I am a student on a shoestring budget,typically cutting corners everywhere. My family coming meant that I would get to stay in a hotel and do things that I might not otherwise due to a lack of funds!

I am pretty accustomed to taking the train from Metz to Paris EST now. After precisely 1 hour and 23 minutes, the train rolled into Paris on a slightly chilly and wet Friday afternoon. I am pretty used to the routine by now. Go from Paris EST to Paris Nord. Take the RER B straight to Terminal 1 of the Airport. I did this munching away at fries I bought at McDonalds and deeply engrossed in the book I am reading. I got there just in time to pick mom and sis up and after the initial hug's and hello's I was ready to 'show off' my French. And mind you it's not too bad. After a long cab ride, costing 'don't even ask', we arrived at our hotel, Les Jardins Du Marais, in the 11th Quartier de Paris. Paris to clarify is divided into 20 quarters or quartiers. The hotel a very charming 4 star property, had a contemporary look from the outside while still exuding that warmth an old property does. Our suite, a good sized two rooms with attached kitchenettes and bathrooms, was more than enough for the 3 of us.

Soon after settling in, we left, with both mom and sister marveling at each and every building and cafe. It's then that I realized the sheer amount of street side cafe's and brasseries Paris has. It was slightly gloomy, as rain fell every now and then, but each others presence and the ambiance of a typical Parisian brasserie made it quite the contrary. I enjoyed a big British pint(500ml,0.5L) of Leffe(A Belgian Beer) and we talked about Paris and France and all things magical. For dinner we found a little Italian Pizzeria run by a very friendly old Italian man. As I continued to impress with my French, I discovered the man's family were from Ventigmiglia, a small Italian town on the Franco Italian border. And as it turned out I had been there a few weeks ago(Mention of it in the next post. It'll be a fun read.Promise) and that made him real chatty with us. The food was delicious. We shared a pizza and a prawn pasta in a tomato sauce. We had a big chunk of Gorgonzola to go with the bread and some Proseco(Poor Italian country cousin of Champagne). After a very scrumptious dinner and very interesting conversations it was time to retire. It had been a while since I had been in a nice hotel, and since we were staying in one, I was excited. As I lay in my Queen size bed, with extra large pillows, a cosy quilt and a full stomach, it didn't take long for me to fall into my sleep... Some other part of Paris was to be discovered tomorrow...

We were ready to leave at 9:30 the next morning.. Still gloomy outside but it seemed like the sun was trying to peek out from behind the grayish clouds. Nevertheless are plans included starting at the Arc De Triomphe and walking to the Eiffel Tower(La Tour Eiffel), accompanied with grabbing a baguette or something somewhere on the way. The last time I was in Paris, in the beginning of February, I was with my Friend who is studying at Sciences Po; A very Prestigious University in France. We had roamed all day passing through alleys and cobble stone roads. We roamed the Latin Quarters, which are on the other side of the Seine from the Louvre. A chic area frequented by students because of the presence of the Universities in the region. We had sat at a cafe and I remember drinking the best Chocolat Chaud; Warm and frothy, with the perfect amount of sweet chocolate, while still tasting like a mature beverage! We had roamed the streets and she had told me about the hangouts of the young Parisians. Cafe Oz in Chatelet was one such place. We had lunched in the 'Jardin du Luxembourg' across from the Iconic Louvre Pyramid while watching daring pigeons scavenge-ring around people to grab any crumbs of bread or even more. It was a good day. I didn't go see the Eiffel tower, or Notre Dame, or Champs Elysees as I had done all that in my first visit with a dear friend Niren from high school in 2008. Interesting fact: That trip was actually the one where I met my love later in Nottingham.
We got off the taxi at the Arc De Triomph on the famous Champs Elysees. The magnificent arc that is a memorial for soldiers from the Napoleonic wars. The place as always was thronged by tourists of all colors. Paris interestingly is one of the most visited places alongside New York and London. (I feel privileged saying that I have already been to all those places) Walking down the Champs Elysees, window shopping at one of the hundreds of designer brands, we were actually walking towards the Tour Eiffel. Walking without a planned route always results in the discovery of hidden treasures. As we turned off the Champs Elysees, we hit a wide tree lined street, with top end labels on both sides. Yet the street was quiet and had an understated elegance about it.
The Tour Eiffel was unmissable now, and despite having seen it a number of times from a number of different angles, from a number of locations and at a number of different times of the day, it still looked magical. It looked different. The clouds made an excellent backdrop and it peeked from behind the buildings and trees we were walking in front off. The Eiffel Tower, it really is that magical! Unfortunately our plans to climb it were put on halt till another time as there was an obscene amount of people queuing up to climb the erstwhile tallest building of the world. ( Hard to believe now with something like the Emirates tower in Dubai isn't it.)
Having stopped at a Parisian cafe for a quick bite we returned to the hotel to re-energize and leave again later.
From my various travels and experiences in some of the major cities in the world, there is a few similarities I find. Big cities mean big traffic, and big traffic means angry drivers. Whether New Delhi or New York, people seem angry on the streets. Though not quite as bad in Paris, there is still an uneasiness on the roads not typical of this continent. Another similarity is the presence of umpteen amounts of vendors of from a hundred different countries. It is always interesting to observe their sales pitch as all of them are essentially selling the same things. I won't lie, I have been prey to these enterprising and persistent salesmen in some part of the world or the other.
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Marais is an interesting part of town, lined with boutique and home grown designer stores. It promises some great shopping. It also has a number of popular bars that are literally overflowing with people onto the streets in the early evening. We roamed the roads as the shops were closing, as the sun slowly set, as lights started illuminating on every nook, cranny and corner. What makes Paris magical is the multitude of lights. It's one of those things that is hard to describe. From the Tabac's (Small convenience stores) to fancy restaurants, 'lights will guide you through.' (Sorry I couldn't resist).

Sparkling lights all around, the ever so beautiful French in the air, the smell of the myriad perfumes emanating from the immaculately dressed people mixing beautifully with the smell of Fresh bread and coffee, and the Eiffel tower as a backdrop, as you eat your croissant or sip that fresh pint of beer. Tell me you don't believe in Falling in Love! It's the sum of the parts that makes Paris what it is!

A fitting end to the night was to be in Montmarte. Montmarte or more famously the Artist's square is located on top of a mountain, which has the most Spectacular view of the city. It is one of the best Panoramas followed very closely by Firenze (Florence. To be talked about in the next blog). Montmarte used to be a very poor region and was a home to many famous artists. Rich people came to this part of town to get their portraits made and soak in the splendor of the city from top. Today, it's touristy and one of the richest parts of town. Though the view is as magnificent as ever, offering a splendid view of the vista that is Paris, with the Eiffel Tower glittering away in the East in all its glory, the square is pretty touristy. Lots of tourist shops flock the streets leading upto Montmarte and even the restaurants in the square are a little pricey. The atmosphere though is unlike you would find anywhere else. Artists of all kinds flock the area from morning till evening trying to sell their art to anyone that might be interested. From painters who paint scenes of Paris, to portrait sketchers to even artists that go up to people at their table as they sip coffee and start painting them. I was a victim and ended up paying 20 euros for a caricature of myself! Being there one could imagine the days of Picasso and others sitting on that hill painting the myriad colors of Paris.

I am sitting in our hotel room. I think I have fallen in Love with this city. After having been here many a time, it was only until I roamed the streets of this city with open eyes of wonderment and glee that I fell in love with it. Tomorrow we plan to roam the gardens of the Louvre and hopefully climb the Eiffel tower.... I cannot wait for tomorrow. I cannot wait to fall more in love with cette ville!

Au Boulangeries, A La Tour Eiffel et a L'Amour!!!