PARIS

Hi, I am back to share some more of my travel accounts. While going through my photo albums recently, I came across my Paris- trip pics and, immediately, decided to write about my Paris trip. My recently concluded trip of Jodhpur and Jaisalmer can wait.

This time, I will elaborate, about various places through my picture album/slide show. I feel it will make an interesting and illustrative journey.

Allow me to take you on a trip through the awe-inspiring city of Paris. Here, I will briefly elaborate on the must-see sites of the city, and let my slide-show do the rest.

Paris can be divided into five imaginary zones – Old city, new Paris of today, Right/north bank of Seine, Left/south bank and working class Paris.

Old Paris has survived its charm despite the ravages of time, innumerable wars and revolutions. At the same time new projects and redevelopment in recent times have added charisma to the city. The Right and left parts of the city are situated on the two sides of the river Seine.

The capital city is abundant with ancient buildings and monuments that have witnessed not only several battles and revolutions but also the two mightiest of wars ever waged in world history.

One has several options of transport to choose for sight-seeing. Most popular are bus tours, for a two-to-four days’ stay, and the bookings can be done either online through their websites in advance or at one of their bus stops instantly.Before doing booking, please compare the route followed, bus-stops, fare and other features offered by different tour operators and decide on the one that best suits your schedule. Their buses ply on fixed routes and there is an audio guide to inform you about the monuments you see to your left or right while sitting in the bus. You can get down at various tourist sites, see the place at your own pace, come back and take the next available bus of the same tour operator. Cool!

When in Paris, one must also experience the joys of cycling. The city first introduced its bike rental scheme in Aug’2007. `Paris’s Velib’ or freedom bike scheme turned cycling into a fad instantly. `The Velib’ or the `Velorution’ added Paris to the league cycling pioneers like Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Oslo and Lyon. These bikes are excellent in quality and environmental-friendly. (Refer pic for more info)

Besides, one must also make a cruise trip of Seine River, as the river has twenty one beautiful bridges connecting two halves of the city. These bridges were built at different times as the city and its needs grew. Moreover, it offers a scenic view of the major tourist spots that lie on its banks.

It is always better to hire an audio guide wherever it is available.

Old Paris will basically be the major consideration of a tourist’s agenda as it offers many historical sites which are architecturally very grand, viz.-

 Notre-dame cathedral-The symbol of Gothic Paris, it was founded by Bishop Maurice in 1163 and took200 years to complete. Its huge size was unmatched until other cathedrals were built in 1230. It was damaged during the Revolution and its gothic status was restored post 1845. In 1991, it was declared a Unesco World Heritage site.

One must obtain the brochure available at the site to fully understand and appreciate the layout of the structure. Specially look for- Chimeras, finial, Belfry and the Great Bell (the largest bell with the deepest sound), chalices, cups and crosses. The visit requires an hour on an average. If you choose to ascend the towers (400 steps and no lift), be sure you are very healthy.

P.S. Victor Hugo’s famous novel, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, published in 1831, was a huge success as it coincided with a general interest in the medieval monuments at that time. Later, another book, The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown evoked the curiosity of visitors in the Pyramid at the Louvre, museum itself and the Mona Lisa, in particular and the Notre Dame.

 The saint-Chapel- A 13th century chapel today, is surrounded by other contrasting modern building complexes.

 The Palais-Royal

 The Louvre Museum and The Pyramid – The Grand Louvre Complex is the largest complex of museums in the world today. Minimum time one needs to even look around the whole place is one day; for genuine art connoisseurs, sky is the limit.

 The Vendome – the square with the central column

 The Pompidou centre – A modern structure situated in the heart of the old Paris and surrounded by old buildings.

 The town Hall – A fairly accurate reconstructed building after the original was burnt down during the Paris Commune of 1871.

The Left bank has-

 The Invalides – In addition to the invalides Hospital, it has the Monsart Dome with Napoleans tomb and Military office and museum.

 The Sorbon Quadrangle and the Sorbon Chapel – The University site

 The Odeon Theatre

 The Pantheon – The church of Saint Genevieve, now the resting place of Victor Hugo and Jean Moulin

 The pond in the Luxembourg Gardens – One of the principal attractions for children

 The Observatory – Built in 17th century, the Paris meridian cuts through the exact centre of the building whose four sides are oriented to face the four directions.

 The Montparnasse Tower – This is a conspicuously visible high-rise modern structure in an otherwise city of low-rise buildings.

 The National Assembly

 The Eiffel Tower – This name is now synonymous with Paris

 The Saint Sulpice Church – It has some paintings and sculptures by famous painters and sculptors.

 The Jardin Park and the Maze – A garden on a hilly ground with a spiral promenade and a complicated sundial with the cheery inscription, ``I count only the happy times”.

 Roman Thermal Baths and The Cluny Museum

 The Senate and its gardens – Originally a palace built for Catherine de’medici, resembling the Pitti Palace in her native Florence.

Right Bank – Has considerably more recent buildings than those of the Old Paris. To the south of the Triumphal Way which passes through the Triumph arch, it extends to the areas having restaurants, sports arenas and grand avenues.

 The Triumph Arc and The Triumph way

 The Concorde – one of the finest squares of the city with its famous obelisks

 The Grand Palais and the Petit Palais – the central place for the 1900’s World’s fair and many other famous exhibitions, these palaises are very ornate.

 The Russian Church- a five- domed Russian Orthodox church

 The Opera Garnier

 The Trocadero Palace – Built more recently for world exhibitions, this place now houses several museums and is also noted for the quotes from Paul Valery carved on its walls.

 North-eastern Paris of the working class – Built largely on a hilly terrain, this part is more of historical importance compared to the remaining city which mainly boasts of architectural excellence.

 The Gare De Lyon – a 210-feet high clock tower is a monument to the great era of railways.

 The Opera Batille and The July Column

 The Sacre-Ceor Church at Montmartre

 The Pere-Lachaise Cemetery – This final resting place of innumerable celebrities has become an open air museum of funerary art due to diverse styles of the tombs made over centuries.

The New Paris – This part was basically developed much after the World War II. The new and modern constructions and renovation and redevelopment of some of the earlier structures are now favourite landmarks of the city.