As a child I used to marvel at the Eiffel Tower, the scenic Swiss Alps(Thanks to Bollywood Over Dosage), Colosseum and other famous places in Europe. I wondered if I would ever visit Europe. Until last year, the dream of visiting Europe did not materialize but a small hike in my salary, a very very small hike to be precise, triggered the plan. Sneha and I decided to go for this "Dream trip".
We convinced Jaideep and Shreya to join us. I am sure they are still cursing me for giving incorrect cost estimates but had I given proper estimates they would have never come and without them the trip would have been incomplete. Bhari was in Europe on work and decided to spend time with us in Italy.
France - Paris
After a comfortable flight we landed at Charles De Gaule Airport at Paris. The journey, from the airport to the neighborhood where our hotel was located, was long. The first thing we noticed was the announcement made when a station arrived. The french words were pronounced so differently and I realized how incorrectly and confidently I have used certain french words all my life. Of course, my french is just limited to restaurant names and a few shop names..
I could gauge the importance of railways in France by just looking at the number of tracks and trains that were running parallel to each other. At one station, I could count up to eighteen tracks spread across almost half a kilometer with at least seven different trains, three different goods trains and two emergency trains.
After changing trains at Gare De Lyon we experienced the metro. The small toy trains are extremely efficient and run pretty late into the night through some very beautiful and some very smelly stations. On a funnier note, you might want to take a crash course on opening the doors of the train before entering one as it requires you to manually open the automatic door. Quite an oxymoron but true. The latch needs to be lifted manually for the automatic door to open.
After getting down at the Convention station we took the stairs up into the city. Everybody talks about the romantic nature of the city and you feel what is it that makes this city so special. I spent hours wondering how great can it be or how the air of the city, as people say, be special. But, the moment we saw Paris we fell in love with it.
The old buildings with ancient architecture and facades that you read about in novels, the street lights with intricate designs you generally see in sculptures, the cobbled footpath where the stones fit in aesthetically, the green fountains where the drinking water flows continuously as if to show that there is no scarcity in life, the cozy little shop at the corner which is encroaching yet encouraging you to get inside it, the flower pots at the corner of the street where a man playing music are things that make you enter a wonderland.
An old lady helped us find our way to the hotel by talking in English. The myth of French being rude and not speaking in English was broken by this old lady and through out our stay people were only nice and friendly unlike the pessimistic stereotyped information we got about the country.
After checking into one of the
tiniest hotel rooms ever we went out in search of food. A small shop next to a university seemed inviting and we had delicious Panini and refreshing black coffee despite my serious doubts about the latter. The friendly owners were welcoming and mighty impressed with my lousy French sentences. It is not about knowing the language but making a genuine attempt in knowing it that always makes locals of any place happy be it Paris, Chennai or Jakarta.
Jaideep and Shreya had arrived and the gang was all set to go. We had planned out travel in advance and knew the metro map, stations, routes, locations and an added bonus was the fact that Shreya spoke French. Without any fuss we reached Louvre and entered the museum through a secret entrance. I considered myself an art handicap and anything related to arts never interested me but that was about to change. The paintings and sculptures showcased the ancient world. Painters captured scenes of joy, despair, violence on huge canvases without ignoring minute details like reflections, shadows and even dust. Sculptures carved wrinkles and captured birth marks on statues. I started observing the patterns, the colors, stories these artifacts tried to portray and realized I was not such a handicap after all. There is more to Louvre than the Mona Lisa and a lifetime is not enough to explore it all.
We spent hours inside the Louvre and by the time we came out we were starving and freezing. After eating the costliest chestnuts in the world sold by an enterprising Bangladeshi man which did justice neither to our hunger nor to our pockets we entered a restaurant by the river. This little restaurant had umbrella shaped structures with a pouch full of burning charcoal that radiated heat and made the place cozy. We escaped the cold and hogged till our boat ride was about to start.
The
Beautex Mouches boat ride started at twilight and as the sun set the cold became harder to bear. But the view of the city kept our spirits high though we wouldn't have minded some real spirits to fight the cold.But the view of the city kept our spirits high though we wouldn't have minded some real spirits to fight the cold. The Seine is a greenish mossy river that will not look pretty if it was separated from its surrounding buildings that is known to us as the city of Paris.The mud colored structures which have no modern intrusion makes you go back in time. Some of these buildings are hundreds of years old and have withstood seasons, invasions and great wars. It feels as if you have entered a movie set of a story from the 40s or 30s or perhaps earlier. The boat cruises along the river under many historic bridges each with its own unique design and style. As the night sets in, the buildings are lit beautifully and tastefully. The lights are not too bright and do not seem repelling unlike other big cities which generally have blaring lights. The transition into the night is easy as is the music played on the boat. The boat went past Eiffel Tower which under lights looks majestic to an outsider but understandably gaudy to the tasteful Parisian. The massive metal structure created for a business event doesn't blend into the beautiful city which has no sky scrapers in the central area. However, Parisians enjoy the flickering lights that come into play every hour during the night. It costs thousands of Euros to create the magical flicker but who cares as long as it is beautiful.
The next day,
Our walking tour started at Notre Dame, the eerie Gothic church with many legends. Our guide, Hannah, kept us entertained with her story telling and acting skills which she was incidentally learning at a university. We walked past Latin quarter known for its tiny streets which were narrow enough to be blocked by throwing furniture out of a window, a ploy used by revolutionaries to stop invasions. At Tuileries garden we realized that French revolution sparked off because of some drunk men. In Paris dogs and humans drink water from the same fountain and while we were learning about French revolution a dog stopped our class because of the slurping sound it made. We all burst out laughing while the owner sheepishly smiled and apologized.
Apart from the famous monuments and buildings, we saw Johnny Depp's apartment, a bridge with love locks,
second world war bullet ridden walls, discussed cheese processing and at Champ Elysées Hannah told us about a time where the King's lack of hygiene sparked a fashion of not bathing and gave birth to the booming perfume business and the origins of "French do not bathe".
After the walking tour we stood in the queue to enter Musee De Orangerie assuming the entry was free and even encouraged some other tourists to join the queue only to realize there was an entry fee. The museum has more modern artifacts compared to the Louvre, more vague if you may call it. The paintings in Louvre are simple depictions of events or life from the past but here the paintings compel you to think, observe and comprehend the philosophy behind it. There is an audio guide that came in handy to understand the psyche of painters like Claude Monet, Paul Cezanne and Pablo Picasso amongst others but after a while I tried to decipher the paintings without the audio guide. Monet's Water Lillies were created when he suffered from cataract which explain the dull colors, Cezanne was inspired by daily life events and the geometry of things while Picasso painted based on his obsessions. Slowly, I began to appreciate art a bit more.
After two lousy dinners, one at a restaurant next to the Eiffel tower and one near Montmartre, we entered
Moulin Rouge, the world famous cabaret. We were informally dressed for the occasion but thrilled to see many badly dressed visitors like us. We were seated on tiny tables in a cramped corner with old furniture reminding me of my class room in school. But, once the champagne and show started these inconveniences were secondary. The semi nude dancers keep you wide awake and the comic fillers in between make it a memorable experience although one has to admit that it is a bit pricey.
The next day, after a heavy breakfast, we took a train ride to Versailles. At Versailles we were greeted to ocean of visitors who stood in a queue to enter the palace. The Versailles Palace represented the extravagance of the rulers of that era. Luckily, we weren't so extravagant and decided not to enter the palace and instead headed back.
Later in the evening we walked in the streets of Montmarte, a little hillock inside the city, with Chris who was our
tour guide. Montmartre has been an inspiration and a haven for artists for almost a century. Picasso, Van Gogh, Dali, Monet, etc stayed in this part of the city during some part of their lives. While Picasso was smart enough to earn, live and succeed at his work Van Gogh ruined himself. The small dwellings for artists worked on a barter system, some restaurants served free food to artists, there was a vineyard which still grows wine of a distinct flavor and the small township had its own police and laws. An interesting story around the barter system involved Lapin Agile, a cabaret and restaurant, and Picasso. Picasso painted a picture of the owner and his cow and gifted to the owner. The owner sold the painting for around 40 euros and later the same painting was resold for a million euros much to the anger of the art critics who felt anything Picasso created was being hyped and sold at high prices.
The hill has its own history apart from being known as an artist's paradise. The name Montmartre - "Mountain of the Martyr" signifies the sacrifice of Saint Dennis, the patron saint of Paris. He was beheaded on this hill during a sermon and it is believed that he carried his head and walked towards the country side while continuing his sermon. A lot of statues in Paris depict this scene. On a lighter side, it is at this hill the word Bistro came into existence. During the Russian occupation the hungry soldiers would shout at the laid back cafe owners to deliver food faster and used to utter the word Bistro. Over the years this Russian word has become a part of French lingo and represents a cafe or a small restaurant.
On top of the hill was the Basilica of the Sacré Cœur, a typical tourist hub with thousands of tourists and beggars. Only thing I remember while tugging and pushing along the crowd is the sign board a beggar held which read "celibate since last 10 years. Please spare some money for this sacrifice". Our trip in Paris had come to an end. It was time to visit the country side.
France - Avignon
We took the
TGV train to Avignon. Overlooking at the French Alps at a speed of around 300 kph gives you a slight dizzy feeling which could be attributed to the surreal view as much as to the high speeds. The train is an engineering marvel as it clocks such high speed on railway tracks instead of magnetic levitation.
Avignon is a small town perched inside a fortress. The town was the center of Christianity years ago and the Pope's palace, although in ruins, gives a great insight about the lavish lifestyle of the popes who lived there. Each pope changed the architecture, rules and culture of the town based on his fantasies. While the public was suffering the pope's were thriving. The majestic structure is located in the middle of the town. Small restaurants with live music, shops selling trinkets, musicians playing weird instruments, beggars with innovative costumes, street dancers, a movie theater that looked like an old monument, etc gave the town a nice feel.
We visited the Pope's palace and the Saint Bénézet bridge on river Rhone. We all got scattered as each went their own way. We spent half an hour searching Sneha and finally found her at a trinket shop. We should have guessed that earlier. In the evening we had dinner at an Irish Pub which served fast and served big and played music of our taste.
The next day we got up pretty late and had a long breakfast. We strolled to the garden which was located on a small hill and gave us a good view of the town. Later in the day we took a taxi to Arles. Jacques, the old driver and
our guide, was a man of few words. Unlike the over enthusiastic guides he never intruded too much into our fun and did not keep giving lectures about the place. But, whenever he spoke, he made sense.
Our first destination was Arles where we were supposed to see the Van Goh's trail. We drove across villages and farmlands. Each farm was separated by big trees, to avoid certain winds , known as the windbreakers. There were farms that grew olives, tomatoes, grapes and farms that grew herbs used for Absinthe which according to Jacques had ruined many lives in the village. Later when we drove towards Le Baux we entered a jungle. We heard that Flora and fauna protection are high in the government's agenda so new national parks have been created to save the region and all human activities in that park is controlled.
Arles seemed like a place from the comic books that talk about an old kingdom. The matchbox like houses were painted in light shades of green, yellow and pink. I felt it looked like a theater which was getting ready for a play where the scene needed to depict a village during the nineteenth century. The town has a few tourist spots like the old amphitheater built by the Romans, Church of St. Trophime which has a sculpture of the judgement day, etc. But, according to me it is Van Goh's trail that one should not miss. The flawed Van Gogh who had fits of rage and depression was a genius and to preserve his legacy the town authorities of Arles have to be commended. In an era were paintings were getting irrelevant due to the prevalence of cameras artists like Van Gogh tried to portray something more. The colors and strokes tried to capture emotions, thoughts and shades of the day. We saw the hospital where the great artist painted the scene outside his room. The hospital has maintained the same wall colors and flowers in garden for years and when you notice the painting you realize that it captures the colors perfectly. Lasting impression the mind has of that place is exactly replicated in his painting.
If I close my eyes and think of that hospital it brings a picture that the painting captured. No wonder, the art connoisseurs love a form of art that captures such imaginations. The next destination in the trail took us to a cafe where he painted Midnight cafe. Even to this day the cafe has maintained the same look and feel and on a starry night you can imagine the cafe to look exactly like the painting. There were many such places that his paintings captured like the olive garden in the outskirts of Arles or the depiction of Arles itself. Unfortunate life of a man who was so talented but died young. It is sad that such a great painter gained fame only after his death. On our way to Le Baux we stopped at a quarry that was now converted into an art gallery which showed paintings of the two pals -
Paul Gauguin and Van Gogh. The gallery had eerie music and paintings were displayed on the huge walls inside the freezing quarry. The music and the paintings blended and made me feel connected to the place, paintings and the crazy painter Van Gogh.
Le Baux is a hilly village with just around fifteen permanent inhabitants which is ironic because traces of life from 6000BC have been found here. It feels like a place from the fairy tales with a massive castle at the top representing the kings home, small huts with roofs made up of brick tiles representing the common man's life, a church at the edge of the mountain from where the ringing of the church bell can be heard in the entire valley below. The castle and smaller chateaus can be rented if you have the money. We had money just for a coffee each and a bottle of Absinthe to commit the sin that night. It was fitting that we ended our night with Absinthe - a tribute to Van Gogh who popularized the drink.
The next day, we didn't have much time apart from vising a few shops around and headed towards Marseilles to catch the flight to Italy. The Marseilles airport is located by the ocean and the view from the train and airport is beautiful. It was now time to do what the Romans do.
Rome
It was night by the time we reached Rome. An eager taxi driver volunteered to take us to our bed and breakfast (BnB) in the city. He was extremely enterprising and offered us a price which was hard to resist. As he drove past without paying too much attention to the road, signals, speed or other cars he advised us on things to do and not to do in his loud voice and smelly breath. Rome seemed like a city with its foot in the past. The regular buildings were old but not historic. The monuments were situated right alongside these buildings. It seemed as if the city just grew alongside the ancient ruins.The city has tiny lanes, more like footpaths I must say, through which vehicles zoom past. The cab drivers will stop anywhere and everywhere. Our taxi driver stopped in the middle of the road to have a quick chat with his cousin who was incidentally in that area. Cities like Rome, Old Hyderabad, Kanpur, etc have this easy going culture which might cause a rude shock if you have lived in more modern cities. On reaching the BnB, our host Gildo (I know what you are thinking), gave us an idea about the city, the tourist attractions, the routes and safety measures. The BnB was an apartment that was used for what seemed like a semi legal business as they accepted only cash for payments. The lift in the BnB was no less than an artifact. The tiny lift had space for two people and a twin door that opened inwards creating great discomfort. I am sure the lift is a brain child of a great designer who probably wanted to encourage people to take stairs and save the planet. However, we didn't care as there was enough food in the pantry and the rooms were clean.
Next day, we headed to Colosseum. The metro system in Rome is well connected and you can get to any place quickly. There was a chaos at the Colosseum as hundreds of gladiators were striking against the government for banning their livelihood. Not their livelihood of fighting but of striking a pose with tourists for a few euros. There were tourist guides who flashed badges, apparently from the government, and arranged tours. We bargained a bit and took a chance with one guide who spoke in several languages including Hindi. It took us a while to realize that almost everyone wore a badge and was a guide. If I could speak in a couple of languages even I could have been a tourist guide.
We entered the Colosseum by climbing steep stairs surrounded by huge walls. We walked past few corridors and entered an area that gave us our first view of this gigantic structure. The Colosseum rose many feet above us. Once upon a time this great building was covered in marble. Over the years the marble was plundered by the people, invaders and the members of the church. The few traces of marble visible today is luckily at a great height else would have probably been stolen by now. The Colosseum would have been an engineering marvel of its time. Centuries ago, there were lifts that carried animals to the center stage, there were seats allotted for the royalty and the common man. People loved seeing blood and to satiate their desire exotic animals were brought and slaughtered. There is a certain spot where you can see the entire oval structure which might seem small initially but on carefully observing the people at the other end you could gauge its size. The tourist guide then outsourced the next tourist attraction after lunch. We were given an hour's break and instead of eating at a decent Pizzeria outside the complex we made the mistake of buying food from the van just outside the Colosseum. After having the worst food of our trip we realized the tourist guide books and websites had warned us about the lousy food van.
Roman forum, a small valley between the Palatine and Capitoline Hills, was next on the agenda. The guide and his touts caught hold of as many people as they could and finally we had a crowd of around forty people walking together towards the forum breaking official tourist queues and walking right through the middle of the road. Had we been standing in the official queue, it would have taken us a few hours to get inside. The forum is a ruin of architectural monuments and on going excavations by lazy workers who sat most of the time under the shade.
The Palatine hill where we were standing was a place for the rich and famous. The Domus Flavia, the Domus Augustana, the Baths of Septimus Severus, and the House of Livia are in ruins. Circus Maximus (Circo Massimo) which we remember from the movie Ben Hur, is just an open space that is now used for waking dogs. In order to visualize the prodigal past one has to dream a bit else the ruins can be a disappointment.
The guide kept the audience engaged with stories from the past. Overeating and vomiting was a fashion statement. It represented affluence. Drinking blood was another style statement. The guide gave us some tips for the present too. He advised us on filling water from public water holes as even the bottled water costing a couple of euros has its humble beginnings from there. Using rest rooms in hotels was acceptable despite not paying or buying anything.
We walked past Arch of Titus which was built in the honor of Titus who was responsible for ending the Jewish revolution in Jerusalem and destroying the Jewish Temple. Septimius Severus's victories in Iraq and Iran meant an Arch in his honor. I wondered whether such destructive incidents deserved monuments. But, everything in that era was not about destruction and wastage. The governance in that era, more than 2000 years back, was noteworthy. Temple of Saturn was the public treasury. There was a Senate House (Curia), Assembly (Comitium), and Speaker's platform (Rostra) where priests attended to religious matters and the senators cared for human affairs. A lifetime is not enough to see Rome and we wanted to see everything in a few days. It was almost like a crash course in History and we were not done with our history class as we had one more guide for the evening.
We were greeted by Tiziana, our geeky looking
guide with a PhD in arts with expertise in baroque designs and paintings. I have never met anyone with so much interest in arts and one's job. She knew the details of every single place we saw that evening. Our tour started at The Victor Emmanuel II monument. Built in the honor of the first king of a unified Italy it is is often regarded as pompous and too large and sarcastically known as the cake building because of the white marble used for its construction. We visited the Trevi fountain, one of the largest baroque fountains in the world, known for its design. It was restored and redesigned many times including once by the great artist Bernini. Bernini's influence on Trevi fountain was more evident when we saw the fountain of Four Rivers which was designed by him. The base of the fountain supports four river gods representing four major rivers of the continents through which papal authority had spread: the Nile representing Africa, the Danube representing Europe, the Ganges representing Asia, and the Platte representing the Americas.
We then visited the Pantheon. Built by Marcus Agrippa the building has seen many transformations over the years. It was converted into a church by Pope Boniface IV and during the Renaissance it was used as a tomb for famous people including the artist Raphael. The building is approached by a flight of steps and a portico. The 4500 metric ton dome rests on the base which has internal honeycomb designs that are capable of handling high stress. The Oculus and the opening at the entrance are the only available sources of light in the building. They create a sun dial effect which was probably used for solar observations.
As we walked past these great monuments we realized that life and history goes hand in hand in Rome. Near the Spanish Steps you can see the latest and greatest fashion houses, near the minimally guarded parliament is a buzzing restaurant, the taxi driver stops right in front of the Pantheon, there is a cat sanctuary in one of the oldest archeological sites in the world in the heart of the city. There was no security or policing anywhere near these great monuments and a crazy man could one day spoil them. Tiziana explained the governments lack of interest in Rome's tourism which was evident and sad to hear. The tour dragged on beyond the planned time as we kept talking to Tiziana about history, culture, politics and what not. She suggested us to try out ice cream at Giolitti. Although it is not as famous as Grom the ice creams here are supposedly better. The restaurants at Piazza Novana were packed with tourists. We walked few meters past the noisy touristy places and entered a restaurant that served great food and had great service. The latter being a rarity in this city. The girls enjoyed the service more as the waiter was a handsome, courteous and charming Italian man unlike their respective husbands. I guess we loved our day so much so we could not resist exploring the city in the night. We did that by using the public transport. The bus we entered was jam packed, we had no idea where we were heading and the journey seemed endless. Afraid we would be lost we got down from the bus and walked the remaining distance and reached our BnB. Our adventure finally came to an end little past midnight. I think we all explored the city a bit too much.
The next morning rain greeted us. This was one of those unique days where we didn't plan any activity. Even more unique for people like me and Jaideep. People suggested us to visit the Galleria Borghese, a museum known for its rare artifacts. To reach the museum we walked through the huge garden known as Villa Borghese which had old buildings and statues of famous artists, politicians and mythical characters. On reaching the museum we realized that museum authorities did not entertain guests unless they had an appointment. I tried to convince the museum guard to let us in but my plea didn't reach his ears. Instead, he suggested the way to the closest bus stop. We walked to this bus stop and waited almost an hour for a bus without luck. Despite being disappointed, wet and frozen, the relaxing walk through the garden was a breather from our fast paced trip. After some shopping in the usual malls which are common all around the planet with the same shops, the same food stores and the same smells we headed back to our room and took a nap. The rain was relentless and it meant our plans of going out were dashed again. It made more sense to get food and drinks to the room and sit in the warmth. Jaideep and I ventured into the rain searching for food and drinks. It was funny that we didn't find a wine shop in Italy for almost half a kilometer. Luckily, our friends from Bangladesh were working even though the entire city seemed shut down because of the weather. The Bangladeshi store had all the necessary items for our long lazy evening.
Few hours past midnight, Bhari landed from Sweden. She struggled to get to our phone numbers and had to wait outside the building all alone in the cold. Gildo, the BnB owner, asked her not to press the bell as it was common for all the rooms in the BnB. Desperate, Bhari had no choice and she rang the bell waking up half dozen tourists. Finally, we got to meet her after two years.
Later in the day, we went to the Vatican. The world's smallest country is located inside Rome with its own laws, currency and army. The Swiss guards had saved the Pope years ago and the honor of safeguarding him lies with these bachelor warriors. However, I think it is a conspiracy that links the Swiss banks and the political power of the Pope. The Pope though revered all around the world is not that famous in Rome. The locals feel that Pope's political influence and power casts a shadow over Christianity. Leaving the conspiracy and controversy aside the Vatican is truly a heritage site. The three main attractions are the Vatican museum, Sistine chapel and St Peter's basilica.
The museum contains old maps of the world, statues, bronze items, ivory items, etc. Nero's red marble bath tub, made from stones from a rare red marble quarry known at that time, and Hercules's bronze statue are two exhibits that I loved the most. While we walked through the corridors towards the Sistine chapel we saw one of the oldest three dimensional fresco work on the ceiling. Initially, I thought the sunlight created shadow on the ceiling but it was an extraordinary painting that gave the shadow effect. I wish we had the time to see each of the paintings and exhibits. The Sistine chapel is the star attraction in the Vatican. The old painting on the ceiling is so delicate that camera flash light or loud noise can destroy some parts of it. Despite warnings from the ushers people still talk loudly and use their cameras. These paintings of Michelangelo showcase scenes from the book of genesis like the great flood, Noah's sacrifice. It also captures prophets from the past like Daniel and Joel, Ancestors of Christ and Ignudi. Ignudi are nude males whose importance is still a mystery. People say Michelangelo's paintings like the Ignudi gives subtle hints towards his sexual orientation. One thing his paintings in Sistine chapel definitely hint at is his hatred towards the members of the Church. He painted them in compromising and controversial positions which forced the church to cover up the great painters work. All of us loved this controversial tour. We then entered St Peter's basilica. After successive redesigns the basilica was built over a hundred years. There are tombs and crypts that hold secrets that many of us want to know. The interiors are made up of marble and other precious stones. The Crepuscular rays are regularly seen in St. Peter's Basilica at certain times each day. The Vatican we know or see on print is the Maderno's facade and St Peter's Piazza with a swarm of people. We hardly saw a crowd and took our sweet time clicking photographs in that area. The Pope's window in the papal apartment is kept open on days when he is present in the Vatican. In fact, the day we visited the Vatican he was in town.
In the evening we visited Trastevere which is known for its carnival atmosphere. The narrow lanes with medieval buildings seemed like some European village but almost every building here is either a restaurant or pub. The place had so many options that we got confused and kept walking all over the place. Finally, our tired bodies could not take it any longer and we entered an Irish pub. We sat and ordered gallons of booze and kept talking through the night. We discussed everything from work to love stories, the latter embarrassing Jaideep a bit more than he could handle. Shreya was in her zone and gave us lectures on various topics. From the history of Pompeii to the infidelities of Bollywood stars, she knew it all. At around one in the morning we hopped to another place. After another session of Jack Daniels,a session because I don't remember the quantity, we called it a night. It was easily around two in the morning when we took taxis back to the BnB. Thankfully we didn't try our luck with the city bus though that thought came to one of our great minds. Even before we could close our eyes and sleep the alarm rang. In a couple of hours we had a train to catch.
Positnano
Amalfi was where we were headed. We took the train to Naples and as suggested by our guide Tony we kept our eyes on our luggage till the hangover of the previous night put us to slumber. All four of us squeezed our luggage and ourselves into the tiny compartment. Even if a thief had plans of stealing, there was little chance that he could take out the luggage from this Pigeon hole.
We got a glimpse of the Italian country side during the ride but most of us remember dozing off and occasionally checking the luggage. Even, the bubbly Shreya was quiet which meant we had a long night the day before.
At Naples, Rafaellle, Tony's driver greeted us. Rafaellle was Tony's father and business partner. It is common to see parents and children working together in Italy. The old man's body language seemed different and for a brief while the stereotypical thought of being ripped off in Italy surfaced in my mind but the old man was courteous and his humor broke the ice. We started driving along and Rafaellle suggested that I do not lower my glass while we were in Naples and we do not stop for snaps till we cross the town. The high unemployment rate of up to 25 percent forces the people to commit crime. The state of affairs could be seen easily by looking at the worn out buildings, rickety vehicles still plying on the roads, group of men standing and doing nothing, etc.
After crossing Naples the world changed. It reminded me of slick gangster movies showcasing beaches, colorful homes and churches.The sun rays partially obstructed by the clouds created a turquoise reflection off the sea. On one side, the hills, olive gardens, orange plantations and numerous herbs and spice shops make it seem like a hilly destination. The other side was full off small villages along the coast. The ancient churches all along the drive reiterated the fact that we were in a Christianity dominated land. But surprisingly, a lot of Italians stay away from the doctrine of Church.
We stopped for taking pictures at various places. While the couples snuggled and took pictures that exaggerated the actual closeness, Bhari took this opportunity to pose like a modern confident single woman although I am sure those pics have already gone to some prospective grooms.
Later, we were stuck in a traffic jam. There was a cycle race going on and we had to make way for the cyclists who braved the cold, rain and steep climbs. There were some local supporters who had their favorites and the fans were not let down as a cyclist threw his sweat ridden shades into the crowd as a token of appreciation.
After two hours drive, we reached our hotel Ill Gabbiano. The rooms were a bit dingy and there was linen odor that suggested we were the early birds in the season. The bathroom had a unique health faucet that I shall not further comment on. The weather deteriorated and so did my mood. After coming so far, staying and relaxing in the room was not my cup of tea or rather my glass of beer.We went for a walk and entered the first authentic Italian restaurant in our lives. The lazy workers took their own sweet time to make delicious food. The pastas had juicy tangy flavors. The fish was cooked in olive oil and herbs that we had never tasted before. To top it we had Tiramisu and Limoncello. The latter though was a bit of a let down as it was too strong and bitter. After the heavy meal we headed to our beds and caught up with some sleep. Only Jaideep and Shreya had the enthusiasiasm to explore the town.
In the evening we walked down to the shore to do what we do best. Eat. It was drizzling and the slippery lanes were a challenge especially for women in heels. But the candles that lit up the churches en-route or the restaurants with ocean view with cozy corners made the walk interesting. The dinner was an expensive affair. There was nothing much to do after dinner other than burning our calories by climbing all the way up to the hotel.
The next day, the weather improved and we took a bus to Amalfi. I remember waiting for the bus in a nondescript bus stop looking at the tiny cars, specially designed for the hills, drive past us. The shop at the corner was selling fresh fruits and vegetables. Shreya and I took a walk to the store and identified most of the items much to our happiness. We wanted to be sure that we could survive in Positano in case we we get a chance to live there. Later, Jaideep and I explored a little cigarette shop that sold the bus tickets and some cheap quality curious. The bus arrived and it looked like one of the buses we have in India with nonadjustable seats, torn at some places, windows not aligned and old fading curtains. But the view was so lovely that all this didn't matter. We spent very little time in Amalfi and Ravello as the weather deteriorated again. Ravello which is situated on a high peak is known for its breathtaking views of the coastline but the only view we got was that of the rain. Amalfi seemed like a bigger and more touristy town. Glad we stayed at Positano.
In the evening, me, Sneha and Bhari sat in the hotel's lobby looking at the ocean and listening to cheesy Kannada songs. There was a sight in store for us. As the clouds cleared , a rainbow was formed over the blue sea while the church at the edge of the hill had its bells ringing. After all the rain was not such a dampener.
The next day we drove back to Naples via Pompeii, the ancient ruins. Shreya and Jaideep visited the ruins while Sneha and Bhari went shopping. I sat back and chatted with Rafaellle. He told me about his family, government, politics. But the funny thing he mentioned was that Italians in this region worked only for six months. The remaining six months they just relaxed. No wonder, the economic situation has deteriorated in Italy. We had time to kill before catching the train to Rome. Rafaellle took us to a vineyard. The family run vineyard and olive plantation are situated between the ocean and Mt Vesuvius. One memory that stays with me is the view from the fire place. We could see the ocean, mountains and the vineyard from our table as we ate generous portions of pasta served by an old man and sipping wine especially their signature "Tears of the Christ". This for me was the Italian experience.
The next day we headed to Switzerland while Bhari flew back to Sweden in the wee hours of the morning. At the airport, I wondered what is it that made Italy so wonderful. Before visiting Italy we were warned about petty criminals, touts, bad drivers and once again I realized that most people harp about the negative things. Italy reminded me of India. Friendly people who are willing to share the stories from life and ask about your life. Parents and children living together. The Italians love their food and know how to treat visitors. One cannot can deny the rogue element here and there. We all want things perfect but sometimes beauty lies in or within that imperfection and Italy is beautiful for that reason.
Bern
We landed in Geneva and took a train from Geneva to Bern. Although, the rail passes can be tempting to purchase it is sometimes cheaper to book point to point tickets and travel. The train was empty and it meant we could walk anywhere and everywhere in the train to take pictures. Sneha and Jaideep were as relentless as an infantry giving cover fire to its soldiers. The sound of camera clicks was all I heard during the journey. The views were spectacular. Initially we were hooked on to the Geneva Lake, then the snow capped peaks, then the country side with rivers and villages. It reached a stage where we loved everything we saw. Switzerland is like that. You fall in love with it.
Bern is not a famous tourist destination with most travelers. However, It is an old historic town with a lot of interesting places to see. It is located by the river Aare which loops around Bern creating an island like land mass which is known as the old town. The area outside this loop is connected to the old town through numerous bridges. Our home for the night was the
Backpackers hostel, a perfect reunion for me and Jaideep. The room was just enough for the four of us and the toilets were common. Luckily the common toilets were uncommonly clean.
Jaideep and Shreya explored the town on foot, while Sneha and I took bicycles. Bicycles are rented out free of charge and are an easy way to travel in this rider friendly city with exclusive cycle lanes and even traffic signals for cyclists. I remember a young man who had speaking disability helping us with directions and places to visit. These small things make your trip richer and in this case humbler.
Old town is full of trams, buses and cyclists. The lanes have numerous ice cream parlors , restaurants and hotels. The distinct feature of the buildings is the flags that jut out of the windows. It feels as if the town is gearing up for a revolution. The buildings also had wooden walls with slanting brick tiled roofs, huge windows with cross sections and small balconies to keep pots of colorful plants.
In the old town we stopped by the famous Zytglogge tower which has a 15th century mechanical clock that gongs every hour. This clock acts as a reminder to all of us about the Swiss obsession with time. From the Bern Minster, a Gothic church, we could see the new town. More modern in its looks but equally beautiful. At a distance we saw the Parliament and a bridge with huge arches which connected heavy vehicular traffic between the two towns. A small barrage on the river diverted water to a power plant. The modern elements confirming the presence and the need of these amenities. There were low rise apartments next to the river and a school with a huge playground with a lush green outfield. It must fun living in a place like Bern. We cycled our way from the old town to the new town and saw an Indian supermarket. We picked up groceries, returned the cycles and went straight to the hostel kitchen. Cooking your own food in a hostel is a relaxing experience and gives you time to converse and socialize with other residents. It has a buzz with lots of back packers cooking, cleaning, eating and playing. I remember admiring the enthusiasm of an old Indian lady who was traveling alone. There was another group of two men and a drunk woman from USA who incessantly glorified her life as the two flirtatious men listened.
Next day, we headed to Einstein museum which showcased the great scientist's personal, professional and philosophical life. The museum preserved letters, personal items and research material belonging to the genius. With the help of audio visual guide you can understand and appreciate the importance of Albert Einstein in this world. It was a treat for science lovers like us and a 'must visit place' for everyone. After lunch we took a train to Lauterbrunnen.
Lauterbrunnen
God must have spent years creating Switzerland. The way everything gels together in the scenery makes it a delight. The houses strewn over the hills, the rivulets passing by neighborhoods, the grass as though mowed to make it look like a carpet and all this with the backdrop of Swiss alps makes you wonder if there is a place as beautiful as this anywhere else in the world.
Lauterbrunnen, a small village with few residents, is located en-route the famous Jungfraujoch. We decided to stay in this village to avoid tourist crowds generally seen at places like Interlaken. The village has few hotels and just two restaurants. The Staubbach falls, the second highest in Europe, is the only famous attraction so not many tourists end up staying here. At
hotel Stuabbach our rooms opened up to a church, the village and of course the Staubbach falls The sound of the water fall could be heard from our room and the waterfalls created a mist in unison with the fog giving the place a mystic feel. The fog also indicated that the weather was deteriorating and our sight seeing might end up in a disaster. Nevertheless, we ventured towards Mürren, a small village, further up the hills. The cable car ride had just started and it began to snow. Despite the rain, snow or any other form of precipitation the
Swiss transport system functions efficiently and deserves praise. From the cable car we moved inside to a cog wheel train with a snow mobile attached in the front to clear the snow. There was snow everywhere and it reflected light which blinded our sight. The faded green and yellow colored train compartment looked bright because of the white snow cover outside. Had it been raining we probably would have been upset but somehow the snow fall did not dampen our mood. After reaching Mürren we started playing like kids in the snow. Snow balls were made and thrown around and we managed to make snow bat and snow ball for a mini game of cricket.
The town was deserted and all the restaurants were closed. We tried requesting for tea at a hotel and were refused. Even a Singaporean restaurant had its kitchen closed. It was so unlike the kitchens in Singapore which run late into the night. At last we found a restaurant that was open. Hot Rösti and Pasta with some whiskey was gobbled up in no time and off we went again clicking pictures in the snow.The night was setting in fast and in the darkness we somehow found the cable car station and got back to the hotel. Jaideep clicked few snaps near the skiing equipment. He had to prove to his boss that an educational tour to Europe was the reason behind his absence from office. Once again bad weather was a good omen and we enjoyed the unplanned experience.
The next day, despite the bad weather, we took the train to Jungfraujoch - "Top of Europe" in a tourist accessibility sense. The train was full of Indian tourist groups singing and dancing to Bollywood numbers. On reaching the summit we were stunned by the number of Indian tourists we saw. It seemed like a place in India. On top of that there was an Indian restaurant that served meals. A lot of Bollywood films have been shot at the summit and the tourists wanted every single place to be captured in their cameras. The weather improved and we got a chance to look at the glacier. The color of the glacier changed from greenish blue to white based on the cloud cover. The entire horizon seemed to be covered with snow. It was a great sight. It was few degrees below zero and we could hardly spend more than five minutes outside.
On our way back we stopped at the tiny town of Grindlewald to change over to a different train line. It was bright and sunny despite a mild snowfall. The railway station was so beautiful that a Korean couple forgot to catch the connecting train as they were busy clicking pictures. In the afternoon we strolled around the village graveyard as it was the most beautiful thing in the village. Every grave looked pretty with small flowered plants covering its sides. I must admit that even a graveyard in Switzerland can be pretty.
We spent our evening sipping wine and brandy at the best pub in the village. "The only lonely little pub in the village".
The next morning we visited the Trummelbach Falls. The ten glacier-waterfalls inside the mountain is accessible by a tunnel-lift. The falls although not spectacular is a UNESCO world heritage site as it the only glacier water falls in the world carrying up to 20,000 liters of water a second. We then headed to Lucerne. Our last leg of the journey had stared.
Lucerne
After another journey through some forested areas, tunnels and mountain passes filled with the sounds of clicks, we reached Lucerne. Lucerne is a busy modern town. The taxi stands and the bus stands were busy with people in work attire rushing with a purpose. While the world rushed around us, we relaxed in our lake facing rooms at Hotel Seeburg after a long lunch.
In the evening, we visited the Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrücke). A covered wooden bridge spanning diagonally across the Reuss River it is named after St. Peter's Chapel located next to it. The bridge contains a number of paintings dating back to the 17th century. While we walked along admiring the surroundings, some hooligans were having a bachelor's party where the groom to be was selling alcohol. They were stopping everyone and forcing them to buy liquor. However, they never bothered us.
We also saw the Lion Monument (Löwendenkmal), commemorating the Swiss Guards who were massacred in 1792 during the French Revolution. The great Mark Twain praised this sculpture of a mortally-wounded lion as "the most mournful and moving piece of stone in the world".
After seeing the Lion we became hungry Lions. After days of eating western food our tummies craved for Indian food. Luckily, there was an Indian restaurant around the corner. After dinner we took a taxi to the hotel as it started raining again. This was a rare instance in Europe where we had a language problem. The taxi driver pronounced the hotel name differently and kept talking in German. Once again Shreya was our savior as she spoke not only French but a little bit of German as well. The taxi driver was mighty impressed with her language skills and somehow we reached our hotel.
The next morning we headed towards Mt Rigi, the Queen of mountains. The to and fro journey had to be covered using different modes of transport. First, we took the ferry to Vitznau. The sky was cloudy and we could hardly see the mountains surrounding the lake. Slowly, the weather started to improve and that meant heavy fires of clicks. The entire ferry echoed with clicks from cameras. Next, we took the cog wheel train to the peak. The train had to climb the peak at an inclination of sixty degrees or more. The train was full of middle aged tourists from south east Asia and China who spent more time clicking snaps instead of just looking outside. They climbed on seats, opened windows that were not meant to be open and didn't care about the inconvenience they caused others. As we went higher the sky became clearer and we saw contrasting views on each side. On one side, with too much snow and sunshine, it made no sense. It looked as though we were looking at a white wall. The other side we could see the green valley and the blue sky. The train stopped at the peak for few minutes and people thought they could play in the snow but as soon as we got down the weather changed and there was a chilly wind that pierced through the warm winter wear forcing everyone to rush indoors.
Shreya and Jaideep wanted to visit the transport museum, while Sneha and I wanted to spend our last day in Europe in the hills. Sneha and I spent some time in a small village, few meters below the peak, wondering about life in that place. There were some houses, a small garden filled with snow, a clinic and a hotel. What do people do there ? what work can they do ? Don't they get bored ?. A lot of such questions surfaced my mind. We then took a cable car down to Weggis where we were supposed to catch the Ferry back to Lucerne. However, we decided to spend some time at this beautiful town by the lakeside. Sitting on the bench we observed the birds chirping in the garden next to the lake, flowers blooming in the afternoon sun, the waves on the lake making synchronous sounds. It was the last day of our trip and time stood still as Sneha and I enjoyed a long afternoon with each other. I feel it was the best moment in our trip.
As the trip came to an end, a lot of things came to my mind. I heard a dialogue, some years back, in a movie - "Go see the world. You shall never regret it". The dialogue replayed in my mind as I took the return flight to Singapore. Our busy city life never gives us time to read, observe or learn about anything other than work. Things like culture, history, paintings, etc, are topics we touch upon while flipping tv channels during dinner or watching videos uploaded on the internet. Seeing the paintings of Picasso, following Van Goh's trail or admiring the Sistine chapel is a once in a lifetime experience that television and internet won't give you.
Most people would visit cities like Zurich and Naples but try visiting and staying in a village in the outskirts to experience life. Talking to a Swiss or a French person will break your notions about them. The real world lies outside our comfort zone and preconceived notions.
