An Indian in Paris

[Sourav]

An Indian in Paris

At the end of October 2006, France would have recorded 76 million tourists in 10 months, with two months to go in 2006, taking its tourism industry to a new high. Compare that with India’s 3.8 million tourists and you know how we are doing. There is no question that people like Amitabh Kant have done amazing things for Indian tourism. In their own way, hotel chains like the Taj are taking their footprints globally to create awareness of the Indian brand of hospitality which will hopefully result in greater travel to our incredible country, but it’s not for nothing that France is where it is despite easily having the most discourteous race anywhere in the world.

For those with an unhurried view of life, I would urge you to visit Paris at this time of the year: the weather is charming, the flowers are in full bloom and there’s a certain magic about the city which only Paris exudes. It is not about visiting shopping malls, because that you can do in Chandigarh or for that matter Gurgaon, but if it is solitude that you seek, then visit Paris. There is still no place like this on this planet. I have always favoured the Four Seasons George V, but this time round decided to switch hotels and stay at The Ritz instead, which, by the way, was not a very good decision. The Ritz is truly a destination hotel, but is not the property it once was. Though nothing can beat its location — in the heart of Place Vendôme — there is a lot that needs to be done with the hotel, which I guess happens when good properties are allowed to run into the ground.

My journey to Paris was however charming, since I decided to take the Eurostar: a champagne service all the way makes for a memorable trip and add to that the fact that you only take two and a half hours. It is indeed a very civilised way to travel. You don’t have to go through the madness at Heathrow, you can dodge the tired M4 and instead make your way to Waterloo station and then hop onto the magnificent train. What makes life easier is that your mobile phone and Blackberry will work through the journey, for those inclined to work! You arrive at Gare du Nord, the Paris station and it is a 15-minute drive to your hotel. So why on earth would you ever fly between London and Paris? But here’s the thing: the trains run on time, they are marvellously maintained and IIM Ahmedabad has still not called the French railway minister to deliver a lecture; some consolation. Compare that to your trains and you know what we are talking about.

I spent hours walking in Paris. There’s a lot to see if you keep your eyes open in Paris, and obviously away from the stores, though only the brave-hearted can resist staying away from legendary stores such as Charvet (wear ties from here, they are the world’s finest by far) and Berluti (the makers of the most amazing shoes and bags). I took off on one evening to catch glimpses of a Mozart workshop at the Academie Musique, but the highlight of my trip was the half-day I spent at Père Lachaise.

Père Lachaise is a cemetery; it sounds macabre, but the truth is that even a cemetery has been converted by the French into a tourist attraction. For me, it was an article of faith: I was very keen to see the tombs of J.R.D. Tata and Oscar Wilde and Chopin and Jim Morrison, all of whom are buried at Père Lachaise. The walk around the cemetery was blissful: the silence told a story quite its own. There were two other Indians buried there: one from the Dubash family and then there was the Mulla grave.

So perish the thought of visiting just the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower and instead spend some sobering moments at Père Lachaise to see the dignity of death and it is not as macabre as it seems.

The icing on the cake was the hours I spent at what must easily be the world’s finest café: Ladurée. This is a café like no other in the world and is known for its delectable macaroons, so the next time you go to Paris, have some splendid breakfast at Ladurée. Order a Spanish omelette with some freshly baked bread, wash them down with a double espresso and then round off with a citron and melon macaroon.

Trust me, it is far better than getting bogged down by the travails of the real world and by silly issues such as market capitalisation and net-worth. For I am a great believer that you only live once: so go ahead and live it well. Paris is one city in the world, which, despite the French, allows you glimpses into a life we all should live but are in such a hurry not to.

[aswinjames]

Good work
_________________
Aswin James

[arpan57]

Dear Sourav,
Thanks a lot for sharing your thoughts.
Want to reach such more articles. It gives more credibility than reading some one unknown authors words
Do write more.

Regards,
-Arpan

[Shishir]

nice work Sourav

Keep posting
Shishir