Bonjour - A word that can change a city's perception of you :)
What Paris has to offer
In a bakery, when Baguettes and croissants are more common than English white or milk bread, you know you are in France. Crepes are quite widely found too and most cafes can quickly whip up a crepe for your child, with their favorite Nutella or strawberries or cheese.
If you are asked to name one of the most connected cities in the world, Paris should be on your mind. The metro allows you to reach any nook and corner of the city with ease.
Auchan or Carrefour are the go-to supermarkets in the city. However, we felt that it is incomparable to the Carrefour in Dubai, which is 10 times better!
Hospitality, compassion and good service has a different meaning in this part of the world. If you don't speak French, they won't even pretend to like you.
I must confess having developed a liking for French martini, instead of the popular Champagne. And Alas! Desperados became our new favorite beer.
A few of our experiences jotted down
Charles De Gaulle airport deserves a mention. "Re-inventing" airport experience would be an apt motto line for them. And if your luck is running good, you might even plan to fly Air-France. They make sure you have a memorable journey for life, by ensuring you have the most inconvenient travel experience ever! Right from checking-in to submitting your luggage to printing out your boarding pass, it is completely your responsibility and their staff can't be bothered with such degraded tasks. And lo behold, if you have a baggage that is 24 kgs instead of the allowed 23 kgs, be ready to move to the side, unpack and take out that extra kg from the bag, so that the automatic baggage belts can accept your bags.
Depending on how lucky you are, you will land a ride in a taxi with a good driver or not-so-good driver. Some of them refuse to take 4 adults and a child in one car (ONLY if it is a short distance ride) as it is against the rules apparently. While some others don't bother with such laws, as long as they get a customer.
One of the surprises when we landed in Paris and reached the hotel was the way we were welcomed. The hotel front desk was in the first floor of a mall and they believed in guests going through a security check at the gate and then carrying their own luggage to the first floor. This was indeed a cultural shock for someone who had stayed in Hilton, Dubai for a year and was treated like a king and part of their family. But i must say, it certainly helped to ease out the stress for the upcoming days in Paris, where people were allergic to smiling or showing compassion to tourists.
We stayed in one of the most recently developed part of the city called La-defense. It is a major business district of Paris with many tall high-rise buildings and the famous Grande Arch. Our stay was in Hilton La Defense and it is situated inside a mall, close to shops and a metro station. There was a huge outdoor area between two malls, where loads of people were taking a walk or skating and children were chasing pigeons.
Our favorite walk in Paris was along the Champs De Elysee, with a lot of restaurants and shops and beautiful walkways. It was summer and the waiters in restaurants were trying to lure customers by showing them the best table in the outdoor seating area. This is where customers could sit facing the outdoors and watch people and cars go by, as they eat. Yeah, the Parisians love to face the outside while eating.
A touristy spot that stayed in our minds
One good thing you can be proud of doing while touring Paris is strike off one wonder of the world from your bucket list, and yeah, am talking about the tall and metallic "Eiffel tower". I must confess it is a slightly over-rated tower, as it did not look too fancy from the bottom. We reached around 5.30 pm and sat by the park surrounding the Eiffel, waiting to get a glance of it lit in the night. However, staying there for a good 4 hours did not give us the chance to get our favorite view, as the sun was shining brightly at 9.30 pm and refused to set. Since we were super exhausted and hungry at the same time, we decided to return back. We made sure we returned back another day (was apparently on my birthday) to see it lit and I must say it looked absolutely gorgeous and was worth the trouble!
Finally, we spend a day at the world's largest art museum, Louvre, where the Mona Lisa lived. You need more than a day or two or even 3, to cover the entire museum. Just standing outside watching the lovely glass pyramid shaped building itself was overwhelming. And of course, just like every other tourist spot in Paris, be prepared to wait in long queues (even if you have purchased tickets in advance). It will be a good idea to get a map and shortlist the sections of Louvre that you want to see, as you won't be able to cover the entire museum in a few hours. Mona Lisa is a disappointment, if you expect to see a huge canvas of the lady, as she was one of the tiniest painting in the entire building and people always flock around to get a glimpse of the most famous painting in the world. Don't bother eating inside, as there are plenty of options outside that are lighter on the pocket.
A big surprise when we returned back home was the news that a version of Louvre museum was planned to open in Abu Dhabi, which is apparently a 30 year agreement between the French govt and the city of AD. Abu Dhabi has indeed taken a remarkable step in bridging global cultures- Way to go, AD!
Trust me, I can't wait to hear from you about how good Paris has been to you.
I have decided not to return to France, unless there is a reason good enough :)
I am the biggest fan of the Eiffel ;)
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