Paris Baby!..

In two minutes I have polished off breakfast. All that remains of the Pain Au Rasin are the crumbs on my mouth and the picture I remembered to take before I pounced on it with all the gusto of a hungry sumo wrestler. I sit back contented as a cat. It is the beginning of what is going to be a long day.

I was wary of Paris. For a city that is always described in glowing superlatives I braced myself for heartbreak. High expectations almost always end in disappointing travel experiences.

But after that sort of breakfast I am  in some sort of a sugar trance. I suspend all judgement and happily walk along. It is a brilliant summers day, 30 degrees. For once I can swap my umbrella which we carry around in London for a cool pair of shades, for once I actually feel like it is summer and don't have to think twice before venturing outside without a coat.

Much later having done countless rides up and down Paris's underground, the three day travel card we bought is worn around the edges and has been really good value for money. What makes a good city is it's public transport, the nerves that pulsate around the core , zipping us up and down as we discover places and things. The ability to get on and off gave us the flexibility to see things at our pace and change plans without  worrying about fares.

And so Paris was a journey of discovery. For the art lover, Paris is paradise. Every turn, every little bridge every street and there is always something that catches your eye. It seems like right out of an impressionist painting, alive and merry. On this warm summer's day we make our way up Sacre-Cour , the basilica a radiant white against the clear blue sky. Every few steps I stop to stare at the city spreading itself outwards, vast and boundless. Stepping into the interior my eyes are drawn to the roof, and in blue and gold is the sacred hear of Jesus Christ in whose honour this beautiful monument stands.

Climbing up to see the basillica of  Sacre- Coeur.

The city stretches out below into the jagged line of the horizon and maybe beyond...

A different view , Sacre- Ceour as seen from the Eiffel Tower

We would see the city once again, climbing up from different vantage points. For later in the day we found ourselves atop the Arch De Triomphe, at the intersection of 13 roads. From every landmark we see others, like giants surveying one another from great heights.
An emperor at the height of his prowess, and an idea to honour those unnamed soldiers who died serving him, saw the arch take shape on the banks of the river Seine.

The Arche de Triumphe, constructed by emperor Napolean to honor the unknown soldier who died in the heat of battle

View of the Arche De Triumphe, standing at the intersection of 13 roads form atop Eiffel tower..

And again we stood queuing in the morning to get to the dizzying heights up Eiffel Tower. This time much higher, we let the winds blow as we watched the rough and tumble of the beautiful city 320m below us. Ships sailed past on the emerald green waters of the Seine  and there beneath us stood the Statue of liberty. The Roman goddess Libertas, bearing the date of the American war of independence was originally a gift from the French and in reciprocation of this a replica of the same was given back and now stands on the waters of the Seine. The emerald green waters of the river , on whose banks this city now stands, snakes its way through the heart of the capital, graceful as a ballerina.

The Eiffel Tower from the Arche de Triumphe, flanked by the city of Paris on either side

The tower lit up at night, as a full moon watches the proceesding

The moon in all her splendour..

There were many many more monuments. Between visits we lounged in cafes. Sipping on hot chocolate and trying out flavours of crepes on offer. The tables in the sun were most sought after. The French cafe is ubiquitous a celebration of sunshine and colour, chairs neatly turned facing outwards like in a cinema hall , the drama of life playing out on the streets as giant screens.
One night we watched the Eiffel tower lit, counting it down with the hordes of people standing there. Once the glittering diamonds faded, we drifted to one of the cafes, still open, bright and welcoming.
Sipping on wine, and between idle chit chat we made plans for the next day.

A heavenly crepe , filled with chocolate :)

We could never tire of the museums. Of the many on offer we only saw three and that not to our satisfaction. Even though we got to the gagantuan Musse Du Louvre,  early one morning, we drifted between the many rooms stacked with things of wonder and paintings that made us stare only to acknowledge midway though the day that seeing it all was a herculean task. Of course we did see the Most famous Mona Lisa,  smiling enigmatically at the many people who stood jostling for her attention and an opportunity to take pictures with her. We had to be content with what we got.

The entrance to the Louvre, made famous by references to its pyramid shaped structure in Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code

Exploring the Louvre, walking through the labyrinth of rooms..

The Feast

The Monalisa.. (completely annoyed with the crowds around her me thinks :))

And then we had an afternoon with the impressionists at the Musse De Orsay, a railway station now converted into a museum. After an entire 15 minutes standing in front of Van Gough's haystacks, completely in awe with the the flaming fields of yellow leaping out from the picture frame and the two tired souls resting in the center of it all, I felt like in a trance. And there was Monet and Gaugain and many many others in this collection which boasts of being the largest of the impressionists.

The clock face in the Musse De Orsy, which was once a railway station

Art imitates life they say.  But I got to see the handsome structures of Nottre Dame many years after I first heard of the art inspired from it of the famed Hunchback. The structures were magnificient and right in front were the apostles engraved on the walls in front. The dark interiors, beautifully atmospheric with tall semi circular stain glass windows hovering high above us who walked past are reminders of an brilliant era of gothic art.

The beautiful gothic structures of Nottre Dame

The entrance to Nottre Dame..

High celiings and Stained glass windows, inside Nottre Dame..

 Beautiful sepulchar interiors of Nottre Dame, the candles and the chandeliers throw up mysterious light

Joan of Arc, who was burnt on the stake as a witch..

And just arcoss the roads with the bustiling cafes is the Latin quarter teeming with restaurants and shops. Street Performers come and go and the whole area wears a festive air. There were shops and more shops, restaurants and more restaurants. The cafes got fuller, the music louder as evening came and went. We enjoyed our meal before wandering off and catching the train back home.

The latin Quarter adjacent Nottre Dame, full of fubs and restaurants. The place full of cheap deals and some of the set menus were at mouth watering prices (3 courses for less 10-12 Euros!)

Street Performances in the Latin Quarter. The cafes heaving with people play an willing audience..

And on the final day, I tell the receptionist a young French girl that I would love to come and live here sometime. I rue my complete absence of French and rant about the education system in India...
And she says she wants to come down and live in London and wishes she had taken her English more seriously.
Well the grass does seem greener on the other side of the Fence, but as long as we can get to the other side every now and then, even if it is just for a couple of days I decide it should be okay..

So muaaah Paris and Thanks for having us around..

Meena

Clock Towers of Venice

Venice boasts of some really beautiful clock towers. The first, the most famous here, the clock tower standing on St Mark's Square. In striking Blue and Gold, with signs of the zodiac marking the 24 hours of the day, the clock tower is an eye-catching piece. A coming together of two number systems , The Roman numerals are on the outer edge indicating the passing of hours. The minutes are measured by the Arabic numerals sitting on the right. The clock tower dates back to the 15 century. But the clock itself had to be restored many a time to ensure that it was an accurate measure of the passing minutes. The archway below the tower leads out of St Mark's square and into the main street of the city leading up to Rialto.

The Golden pointer has an image of the Sun. And within the clock face one can also see the earth and the moon. Clocks such as these are called Astronomical clocks.

The Clock Tower in Pizza San Marco

Two gigantic structures stand on top , these strikers of the bell, are symbolic of the young and the old..  Both of which have equal grasp of time, for time waits for none. The size of the structures was to ensure that they could be seen by ships in a distance.

The bronze structures that strike the bell every hour..

Clock Tower in Rialto Market,..

Walking down Rialto Market, we see another clock tower. Sadly time stands still for this one in strange contrast to the feverish activity in the market circle. Its more straightforward that the more famous cousin in St Mark's Square, but is extremely pretty nonetheless...

M

Venice..

Venice is a Gondolier's Song Light, Lilting, Deep, Slow, Intense and Incredibly Romantic..
Its an irony that for a city built entirely on water, the only was to discover it is on foot.
Our three days in Venice were magical. We spend most of the first day exploring Venice through the magical alleyways.
We reached Venice late in the evening. Since we travelled Ryan Air, we had to take a bus from Travisco into the city. Venice is a Group of Islands. Our hotel ' Hotel Pelligrino & Commercino' was in the Island of San Zacharia. So once inside Venice we got into a water bus and headed for our Hotel. It had been raining all evening and the showers continued.
It was already dark and we sat out a bit to catch some of the sights and sounds. It got too chilly to stay on and we quickly huddled inside. We got off St Zacharia and set about finding our hotel . We had called asking for directions a few days before we got here and the directions really were spot on. We were thrilled that it was so close to St Marks Square one of the chief attractions of Venice. We were shown to our rooms. The rooms were nice and clean with an attached bath. We decided we would venture out a bit and get some dinner. The Hotel Staff were friendly and gave us suggestions on local places where we could find good Venetian food. The drizzle continued. We were soon sitting nice and warm, enjoying our welcome drink having placed our orders. It was a lovely night.

DAY 1
The next day we enjoyed a scrumptious breakfast at our hotel before we set off. About half an hour into our journey our Camera died on us and we returned back to the hotel. Luckily we hadn't gone very far and the option of getting back to recharge the almost dead batteries was feasible. We set off once again determined to put behind us the setback of the morning. All hotels provide maps of Venice. There maps are intricate in detail and tell you all about the alleyways of Venice. So if map reading is not your thing then its good to remember that theres no lovelier place than Venice to be lost. Luckily for me S is super at map Reading. So I let him do the navigating and just tagged along.

Map reading our way into the heart of Venice..

Rains had been forecast and the hotel had a ready stock of umbrellas for anyone who wished to use one. So umbrella in hand and a really heavy camera in the other we set of into the maze of alleyways stopping first at St Marks Square. The Piazza San Marco , is one of the most famous Urban spaces in the world. Its where Venetians from time immemorial have gathered and socialised. Its the only Urban Space called 'Piazza' in Venice. All the others regardless of how big or how small are all called Campi.It opens up into the Grand Canal on one side and is surrounded by buildings of note - St Marks Basilica, The Doges Palace, St Mark's Clock tower. What caught my eye first were the lovely paintings on the walls of the Basilica.
We wandered around St Marks Square. From time immemorial the square has been the place where Venetians gather and socialize. It plays host to events such as the Venetian Carnival. Its surrounded by buildings of note and opens up into the grand Canal in front.

St Marks Square

Along the length of the square are raised platforms. When the tide(called the Aqua Alta) raises most of the areas around the square are prone to flooding and so the platforms are how you can get around this place.

The Clock Towers of Venice have some interesting stories attached to them. (That will need another post I guess :))

We walk on. Narrow Alleyways lead into open spaces. Bridges take us over beautiful canals and old churches appear and disappear in view. Finally we reach Rialto upon which stands the oldest bridge on the Grand Canal , 'The Rialto Bridge'.

The Bridge leads into the Rialto market and was a blur of activity. We stood a while on top of the bridge just taking in the amazing sights and sounds unravelling on the banks and in the waters of the canal before us. We could see Gondolier's row past.

The Rialto Bridge

The view from the bridge is a picture of activity. Venice coming alive, Gondolier's rowing away, local traders going over their daily chores, people haggling.
We wander into the Rialto market. The hustle and bustle and the colours of the market are truely spectacular. I love the little lanterns hanging on top. These get lit up at night! Wow :)

Inside the Rialto Market

The Rialto Market

A typical Venetian household is a pretty sight. Quaint windows framed by beautiful flowers along the sides

A Typical Venetian Household

We walk the entire length of Venice that day. We wore ourselves out. No complaints cause Venice is made for the walker. Its a small island easily navigable and best discovered by foot. We came back to where we first started, St Marks Square. This time we went into St Mark's Basilica.

Paintings on the Roof of St Marks Basilica

The insides of the Basilica are splashed with gold The paintings in such intricate detail and such a grand scale took my breath away. Its a challenge getting symmetry right on paper , canvasses and flat surfaces leave , but when I saw what they had managed to do on the roof and on the sides of the cathedral I just had to stand and stare. Unimaginable!. Every small space is Art. The Floors that we walk on seem to have some sort of designs too St Marks Basilica

Theres a certain serenity that hangs in the air. As we walk around I think to myself about how much science has gone into the construction of something of such architectural stature Inside St Marks Basilica

We were allowed to take the stairs and walk up to the top of the basilica. There were a few exhibits explaining how the paintings had been done. Outside on the terrace a spectacular Ariel view of the square awaited us, The row of Gondolas on the Grand Canal in a distance, followed by the square itself and the proud buildings of note standing all around it.

DAY 2 We set off to Murano another one of the Venetian islands. Murano is a beautiful island, very different in character from her Venetian cousins Most striking is the sense of calm and quiet which seems to prevail which you would never see in the noiser parts of central Venice One of the Many Glass Factories in Murano

Murano is famous for Glass. Her Glass makers are of ancient renown. We got to watch some of them in action, their deft fingers effortlessly moulding intricate shape to life

The Finished Work.. 

We walked around for most part of the day sitting by canals and sipping on Coffee.

Scenes from Murano..

We decided it was time to head back and caught the water

The Water Bus..

Quick lunch and we head back to St Marks Square. This time we did a bit of shopping and decided to haggle with the Gondoliers of Venice. Gondola rides are expensive. Typically they cost about 90 Euros.  But we couldn't have been here and not  done the Gondola ride... Its a decision we did not regret Add caption

FromVenice 2010

The gondola ride was surreal. It was amazing as we found ourselves being rowed into lovely canals in the heart of Venice.

Our Loveboat :)..

View of the Bank from our Gondola

It wasn't a very hot day and thankfully it wasn't raining. The weather was perfect. The gentle breeze and the Gondolier's slow song set the mood up perfectly. So far we had seen Venice from the land. For the first time now we got to see her other colors staying on water... It was almost like we were her.
The same sights looked different. We sailed past St Marks Square past the Bridge of Sighs

The able Gondolier negotiates a bridge..

The reflections of Venetian buildings on her waters were such a spectacular sight.. The Artist in me wanted to paint every scene ..:)

Sailing towards the Rialto Bridge..

We finally sailed past Rialto Bridge..

Inside one of the many Canals

View from our Gandola..

Walls of Buildings we rowed past..

Our Ride finally ended and I felt like I was walking away from a dream. Since it was sunny we went back to St Marks Square. It was teeming with people.. And Pigeons :).. We sat a bit in the square soaking up the sun .. It was lovely. Quintessential Venice! A lady feeding Pigeons - St Mark's Square

DAY 3 Our walk back to the station was our perfect goodbye to a beautiful city. We walked past many of the sights we had grown to love during the past few days. We sat by one of the numerous cafes in Rialto and had some delicious Coffee. A cafe on the banks of the Grand Canal near the Rialto Bridge

A very Special Passenger..

Venetian Clothes Line..

We decided we would have one drink of Spitz before we left.. :)

And finally had lunch sipping on wine and having our sandwiches right outside a pretty little church... :).. Hmmmmmmm! 'SPITZ' . The local Drink The Old Church, where we had Lunch Digging into our Lunch. Goodbye Venice..We shall be back again..!