It was just a few minutes to midnight and we were walking along La Seine in the historic center of Paris. On the right side was the beautifully lit Louvre. Looming ahead of us was the Cathedral of Notre Dame casting its beautiful reflection in the river. Far away at a distance, the twinkling lights show had started and the iconic Eiffel Tower was sparkling in brilliant light. The restaurants and coffee shops of the left bank were buzzing with activity.
We heard loud noises from Pont des Arts and as we hurried to it, we saw the pedestrian bridge filled with people. They were sitting in groups and drinking wine and beer and dancing and singing. All of a sudden we hear a commotion. A guy starts to take off his clothes and everybody rushes to one side of the bridge. We rush just in time to see the young man jump into the river. Another guy follows suit and the crowd erupts in cheers and claps.
Is that a bare butt? Oh My GOD – Is that guy naked” I ask Saru in an incredulous tone.
“Yup…he is! We saw so many naked statues and paintings today – It is only fair that we see one in flesh and blood. We are in Paris baby!
Saru and I went to Paris first in 1999 for our honeymoon, and for a second time this June to celebrate our 10th wedding Anniversary. It is for that reason, this place is very special to us.
This being our second trip to Paris, you won’t see me gushing about the Louvre or raving about the stain glass windows of Notre Dame. The bucket list was checked off in 1999, places sufficiently ‘wow’-ed and the awesomeness captured in a camera, so there was no pressure to visit every single attraction. Given that, I did not have a long list of things to do. I did however have a long list of things to eat (how can you not?). Think of the delicious buttery, flaky, crispy croissants and the soft, delicate, decadent, molten chocolate cake floating in a sauce of Crème Anglaise.
Our Paris trip started with a sandwich. YES, a SANDWICH and not just any sandwich, it was a Tomate et Mozzarella sandwich on pain olive (Olive Bread). We were hurrying to the airport train station when I was drawn to a cool looking cafe. “I am not hungry, you go ahead and buy yourself something” said Saru. Walking towards the train terminal, balancing the bag on one hand, my sandwich on the other while lamenting the fact that the tiny bottle of water cost me 3.5 Euro, I took one bite of the sandwich and came to a sudden halt. I screamed – HOLY MOTHER OF GOD, THIS SANDWICH IS FANTASTIC! I ran along to catch up with Saru while yelling “this sandwich is amazing”!!
Saru “Vam….we are in a public place….lower your voice”.
I stopped talking and was intently eating my sandwich. Saru waited for a few minutes, lost patience and asked “Are you going to share it with me or not?”
“Absolutely not! You said you were not hungry”
“I am not, but I want to taste the sandwich. Eat whatever you want and leave me the rest”
I kept eating my sandwich while Saru was watching with a disgusted look. Half over…..three quarters over… and he saw no signs of stopping. Saru lost it and pulled it from me.
“That’s enough!! It is my turn now”. I would have fought for it, but the train came and we boarded it.
“Oh Man!! This is awesome!” said Saru turning away as I was trying to grab the last piece.
To discover the real Paris, we skipped the usual attractions and walked in popular neighborhoods. Our mornings almost always began in the Latin Quartier, where locals lined up to buy their daily dose of bread and pastries every morning. I would baffle the shopkeepers with my utterly ridiculous French accent to order breakfast- “Un Croissant, un pain au chocolat et deux cafés”
While we loved the quaint shops on Ile Saint-Louis, the restaurants on Rue Cler, and the night life of the Left bank, our favorite district in Paris was Montmartre. Up on a hill, with panoramic views of the city, this locality is quintessential Paris. Pots of flowers spilling over the terraces, colorfully painted alleys, old windmills and outdoor art galleries make this neighborhood absolutely delightful. The walk from the Sacre Coeur to Moulin Rouge has everything from patisseries to porn stores and visiting each of those is a must for a complete Parisian experience.
Pantheon
Mostly ignored by tourists, Pantheon is one of my favorite monuments in Paris. It was initially built as a place of worship, but converted into a memorial for illustrious Frenchmen during the French Revolution. Many great men including Voltaire, Rousseau, Victor Hugo, and Mirabeau were buried in the crypt. The monument had an amalgamation of religious, political and scientific values from different periods in time. Some walls had frescoes depicting the life of St.Genevieve the patron saint, while some had paintings of political beliefs and dangling down from the dome was the scientific demonstration of Earth’s rotation using a Focault’s Pendulum.
The Louvre was overcrowded and not fun, but we loved the Musee D’Orsay. What a brilliant idea it was to convert the grand old station into a museum that showcases the progress art from the 10th to 21st century. . Moving from room to room, we saw how themes, styles and techniques changed over the years. While religious subjects dominated the early centuries, portraits and events from the lives of royalty were popular in the 14-16th centuries, followed by paintings of common man and peasant life to art nouveau paintings paving way to mordern art of 21st century. In Saru’s simplistic world, the paintings went from creative, elaborate to simple to ‘are you kidding me’!!
No trip to Paris can be complete without walking the Champs Elysees – La plus belle avenue du monde (The most beautiful avenue in the world). The two km stretch of road between the Arc De Triumph and the Obelisk has the most glitzy shops, fashionable boutiques and departmental stores. Sitting in the cafe, watching Paris walk by, I realize that this is one city where the past and present blend seamlessly to create a delightful experience. Beautiful women sashayed around the street flaunting their designer clothes and accessories while we indulged in our favorite activity – ‘People watching’. A few minutes after we sat down, I noticed that Saru was grinning from ear to ear.
Vam: What is so amusing?
Saru: Look around you, 80% of the women are showing their cleavage.
He was right. It was a beautiful summer day and Parisian women were dressed in pleated skirts and blouses with plunging necklines. Unlike America where summer attire is dominated by boring shorts and t-shirts, this place was like a parade of designer labels.
For dinner, we went to a Cafe on Rue Cler. Sounds of lively conversation, laughter and clinkling of cutlery filled the air. The savory crepes we ordered were smooth, soft and delicious.For dessert, I ordered a crepe with strawberry confiture. Food in Paris is edible art and every chef tries to create a masterpiece. I sipped the last of my Beaujolais while watching the cook pour the batter and deftly spread it around into a perfect circle. He poured a gigantic spoon of intensely aromatic butter and let the crepe sizzle in a pool of butter until it became brown and crispy. He then spread a generous amount of strawberry confiture, folded it, sprinkled powdered sugar and served it hot. The aroma of butter made my mouth water to indecent proportions, so I took a quick bite. “How is it”, asked Saru to which I replied “Tres bon”, “Excellente”. We walked back to the hotel, thoroughly satisfied with the food and the trip.
Looking back to our 1999 trip, we realized that we loved our 2009 Paris trip for completely different reasons. There is some parallel to be drawn about this and happiness in our lives over the years.
