Sojourn in the French Capital
Bonjour! that is how the French
greet people. Be it courtesy or beauty, art or architecture, tradition or
culture, food or fashion, Paris satiates every human expectation. The
nineteenth century city scape with its wide boulevards, intricately crafted
monuments, age old French- styled edifices, gothic cathedrals, artistic street
lamps and beautiful fountains offers a spectacle worth an experience. Autumn or
the ‘fall season’ is special time to visit Paris. It is a time when the
freezing winter is awaited and the sweet breeze has taken control over the
harsh summer. Trees adorn themselves in mixed hues of orange, green and yellow
foliage. Maple leaves scattered hither and tither, augments rather than tamper
the unscathed beauty of the city. What more can a nature lover desire for in a
city? As fascinating as nature is, so is its history.
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Musee
du Louvre, the sprawling King’s Palace which is now one of the world’s biggest museums
was my first stop. Established in 1783, it is a storehouse of approximately
thirty eight thousand artworks from Egyptian, Greek, Roman and Etruscan
civilisations including the very famous painting Mona Lisa by Leonardo da
Vinci. The courtyard of the museum has three glass pyramids created by the
Chinese American architect I. M. Pei. Its uniquely beautiful to see the
polyhedral structures lit up in a golden glow of radiance to the coveted place.
There is also an inverted pyramid inside the building which is not to be
missed, specially for the Dan Brown lovers. A walk straight from the Louvre
through the lush and idyllic Tuileries garden, leads to Place de la Concorde.
It is a public square measuring approximately 8 hectares in area and is
considered to be the largest square of the city. This very site in the 8th
arrondisement was the centre of execution of King Louis XVI after the French
Revolution. Similar to it is the Place de la Bastille, which straddles three
arrondisements holds tremendous historical significance as an active site of
French Revolution.
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Talking
of arrondisement, the city is divided into twenty arrondisement municipaux or
administrative districts well connected by metro, cab, bus and RER (Reseau
Express Regional) trains. But most tourist prefer the audio- guided two storey
buses out of which I availed the Big Bus tour. The bus tour is divided into
four lines- blue, green, red and yellow. One can get down and get up at any
stop and get onto the next bus as per the access stops mentioned in the guide.
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When
someone thinks Paris, the first think that comes to mind is Eiffel Tower. This
unique 324 metre tall creation of Alexander Gustave Eiffel can be best viewed
from a place called Trocadero or can take a walk through Champs de Mars.
However, to experience it completely it is best to get onto its zenith. A
double storey lift ferries passengers to the first and second floor and another
small lift with a capacity of 6-7 people takes to the top. Oh! what a stunning
view does the elevation offers. With rarely big landmarks, except for the
Montparnasse Tower the entire city looks like aesthetically designed toy houses
in pale white, with occasional greenery and the Siene River bisecting through
the middle of the city. As the entire Paris lit up in twilight, my heart
thumped in ecstasy and amazement. The Siene River has many beautiful bridges
built across it which connects both the parts of the city- every bridge speaks
volumes of the resplendent French engineering marvel. Of all, Alexander III
bridge is my absolutely crush. The view of the Grand Palais- a large, historic
complex, from this bridge is an incredible visual treat.
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A
stroll across the river side pavement or a boat ride on the meandering Siene
brings an absolutely soothing effect to one’s mind. There are many important
landmarks adjacent to the river side. One of them is the Notre Dame Cathedral.
Founded in 1163 by King Louis IX, it is one of the oldest monument in Paris. I
was struck by the ornamental design of the facade with its profusion of
sculptures, buttresses and gargoyles. Within a few metres walk is another
historical significant church, the Sainte- Chapelle. Built between 1242 to 1248
by Pierre de Montreuil holds distinctive style of construction has one of the
extensive coloured art work on its glass windows. The paintings on the window
glass elucidates the story from the creation of human race to Christ’s
resurrection. Around 70% of the art work has retained its original form. Close by
is the Palace de Justice, the court house of Paris and also the La
Conciergerie. This medieval fortress is the infamous prison of the French
revolutionaries. Marie Antoinette and Robespierre, who were languished here.
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Arc
de Triomphe, a triumphal arc, is one of the national monuments of France and
holds an important position in the tourist itinerary. It is centrally located
at the juncture of twelve avenues. Its western end leads to Camps de Elysees, a
high end fashion street bustling with travelers. From Tiffany’s to Swarovski,
Louis Vuitton to Hermes, Gucci to Chanel one can have it all. Fashion struck
people also flock to Galleries Lafayette. This upmarket French departmental
store chain in Boulevard Haussmann is beautifully designed to resemble to that
of a King’s palace. When you are in the mall you feel like you are in the
centre of a brightly lit auditorium with a glass hemispherical dome right on
top of you. The brightly illuminated mall gives a 360⁰ view from any of its corner.
Not only here , honestly, paris has a regal touch surprisingly even at railway
stations, Gare du Nord and Gare de Lyon are examples. Even the Pantheon, which
was originally a church and now a mausoleum of distinguished French citizens
stands as a veritable example of French glory and grandeur.
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My Parisian
sojourn came to an end with a visit to the La Defense district in West Paris.
It is a major business area with modern buildings of which the 110 metre high,
glass and marble cube structured Grand Arch is unique. Due to lack of time, I
missed out the significant Pompidou and the Catacombs. With this physically, it
was a Sortiefrom Paris, but not from
mind.
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For most people,
Paris is the city of love; for designers, it is the fashion shrine; for
foodies, it is the ultimate gourmet paradise; for historians, it is a place of
study and research and as for me, it is an addiction. I never was, never am and
never will get over this hangover. O Paris, I love you.
Picture copyright: Tomal Bhattacharjee
Wonderful!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much dear.. Kindly forward it to other people... I have started writing my travel accounts.. Hope you read and like them all.. Your opinion does mean a lot
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