A travelogue on exploring Paris – tourist spots, commotion, eccentric crowds, and Seine

Still reeling from the adventure of the first day, we took things slowly in the subsequent days. We attended the orientation program of our exchange university, realized there were too many Indians there, got ourselves French SIM cards, explored Lille, realized McDonald’s served beer and that avocado sandwiches were atrocious, visited an art museum that was so painfully dull that we resorted to making memes, went to the local casino, and settled on Maggi as our staple dinner. Over the weekend, Sumit’s friends were going to be in Paris so we decided to join them.

After attending a lecture in the morning, we packed and left for Paris. It was a 3 hour train* and I, still very much in my ‘Look, European grasslands!’ phase, clicked pictures of empty swathes of land throughout the ride. We got off at Gare du Nord and entered a nearby restaurant. While we were waiting for the order, a guy started selling flowers to the diners. He made his way through the tables, speaking undecipherable French, when he turned to Sarthak and spoke in impeccable Hindi, “Bhaiyya, gulaab lelo, bilkul fresh hai”, much to our amusement.

We took the metro(with a lot of confusion) and reached the Louvre. I can’t express how the 15 year-old kid in me who had read ‘The DaVinci Code’ felt on seeing that pyramid but my reverie was soon interrupted by shady men trying to pawn tickets to us. We met Sumit’s friends who told us that the museum was closing in an hour. Coincidentally, the day we were there, entry was free for those holding an ISIC card* and we made our way through the labyrinthine stairs to see the iconic Mona Lisa. Pictures don’t do the experience justice. By that I mean they make it look much better than it was in person. I was expecting this majestic painting that would leave me in awe and I’d admire it like Robert Langdon but what I got was a railing that kept me a couple of feet away, a guard who kept the queue moving, each person being allowed 3 pictures/selfies, and an aftertaste of disappointment.

We promised ourselves we’d come back and view other sections at leisure(Morgan Freeman voiceover: They never did)* and took a bus for ‘La Tour Eiffel’, the quintessential French monument. I walked towards it, neck craned upwards to absorb the image, the glittering lights in my eyes when for the second time that day, a stranger said in impeccable Hindi, “Bhaiyya 1 Euro mei 4”. It was a guy hawking Eiffel keychains. My reverie shattered again, we went across to have crêpes and ice-creams. On the dot, the famous light show started which we duly captured(Fun fact: It is illegal to videograph the Eiffel tower at night, so I guess I can add International criminal to my CV). Still caught up in the romance of being in Paris, we planned to come back someday in our finest clothes, climb atop the Tower and have a drink together(Morgan Freeman voiceover: They never did). Exhausted from the day and unsure of the metro route for where we were supposed to stay, we took another expensive cab within a week and made our way to a suburb called Limeil-Brevannes.

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The next morning we set out early for the Notre-Dame cathedral which was still under renovation so we did what we did best, have an ice-cream outside it. The streets nearby had rows of beautiful street artists. I planned to return and buy the paintings as souvenirs for friends(Morgan Freeman voiceover: He nev…Wait, he did). I had had my eye on a bookstore called ‘Shakespeare and Company’(Fans of the ‘Before…’ Trilogy will recognize it as the bookstore where Jesse stops for a book tour in ‘Before Sunset’). I bought a book as a token(so did Simran) and we proceeded to a famous ice-cream store called Berthillon(Yes, another ice-cream, I know). We then window-shopped at the Rue de Francs-Bourgeois. The only thing bourgeois about that street was me wondering which kidney should I sell to buy a coat there. I also saw the first of many stores that I’d encounter in Europe that sold vintage apparel which was a fancy euphemism for second-hand clothes.

Next on our list were Champs-Élysées and the Arc de Triomphe*. The Arc de Triomphe had an underground entry which took us 30 minutes to figure out, so good luck to our employers. We tested our stamina as we climbed our way to the top and got a literal breath-taking view of the city. With hours to kill, we decided to take the Seine cruise at night. Paris so far had been an awkward letdown for me but sitting in that cruise under the stars, hearing the guide narrate the rich history of the architectural wonders we saw, the city won me over. We also happened to chance upon a public salsa event which the guide informed us was a weekly affair. We solemnly planned to return for that too(Morgan Freeman voiceover: They never did). The cruise ended and we figured out our way home. Sarthak told us he had to fend off a mugging attempt when we were purchasing food.

 

Determined not to pay another penny for a cab, we found a train back home. But when we reached our last leg, the last bus to Limeil-Brevannes had left and the train station was closed. We were 2 km away from the house and our booked Ubers cancelled on us thrice. I was already on edge with the mugging in Paris but seeing as we had no alternative, we started walking our way home. It was 1:30 AM and the streets were dead silent. Imagine walking 2 km at night with absolutely no sound coming from the houses on the way!

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The final day, we had planned to see the Palace of Versailles. But before that, Deepesh was set to arrive. So Diksha and I decided to meet him at Gare du Nord to hand him the keys of the Lille house. We reached before time and visited a sex shop outside Gare du Nord. The guy behind the counter perked up and looked at us expectantly while we absorbed the multiple monitors catering to different categories of porn, and some terrifying sex toys and contraptions that hung on the walls. We strolled meanderingly in the streets and heard choir sounds coming from a church so we went in. The Sunday prayers were going and we caught the last 15 minutes of the harmonious singing. When we were leaving, we were offered snacks and wine(or as I like to say, Jesus juice). We met Deepesh, handed him the keys and left for Versailles.

On the train ride, I observed (what seemed like) flirting between two people so I went back to my own business but minutes later, the lady shouted and the guy fled from the train. He had made a physical pass and she had stood up to him. Of course, I only realized this later because the entire thing had happened in French but strangely, the incident stayed with me.

We got off at Versailles, caught up with Simran and Sarthak, and later Sumit. We had to queue for close to 45 minutes just to enter and we showed the ticket-lady our passports and visas, for we were told it was free for students*. The lady first refused but later acquiesced, telling us she was making an exception(Was she? I don’t know). As I walked through the Palace, all I could hear were the words of my Social Science teacher when she taught us the French Revolution. The Palace itself is a work of art. It is luxurious, awe-inspiring, and ridiculously over-the-top. No wonder the peasants were mad at the sheer display of wealth. Simran went ahead with a paid tour for the gardens while I refused, on moral grounds, to pay to watch flowers and leaves. We strolled around the fairly small town of Versailles, went inside another church, and soon left for Lille. Although we were exhausted with the day’s exertions, we sat together after yet another dinner comprising of Maggi, and planned our upcoming outings.

Next stop, Belgium.

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*Travel Tips

1. Train connectivity throughout Europe is excellent so purchase the Eurail Pass. It’s an excellent tool.
2. Use a combination of your passport, visa, ISIC card, and youthful charms(<25 years) to check out discounts. Most places offer some based on them.
3. Do not delay any activity. If you’re there and you can do it, do so. It’s hard to come back.

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Read the Previous Post on Reaching Europe here.