Paris, je t'aime: La version finale
“Jitna bhi try karo Bunny, life me kuch na kuch toh choothega hi” -- Naina, Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, 2013
This line was going around in my head as we went pillar to post trying to explore as much of Paris as possible. The inevitable last day in “mon chéri Pah-ree” had arrived, and we were making the most of it before we boarded the evening train to our next destination (yes,we ain’t done yet 😜).
Since our last day in Paris was a Sunday, it was fitting to head out to church. And what better church to visit than Paris’ very own Taj Mahal, the Sacré Cœur, atop the hill of Montmartre?
A metro ride to Abbesses not only transports one to Montmartre but also into the early 18th century. Montmartre has charming little lanes, cosy cafes and long flights of staircases with wonderful views of finely manicured terrace gardens. Everything here - from the cutlery at cafes to the metro sign board - is vintage. It is no wonder that this area was home to some of the finest artists, composers and architects in the world, such as Picasso and Le Corbusier.
The Montmartre Funicular (inclined cable elevator) takes you to the top of the hill, where the Sacré Cœur stands, a pristine vision in white. The travertine church is flanked by bronze statues of Joan D’Arc and King Saint Louis, and is also known for housing one of Europe’s biggest pipe organs and heaviest church bells. But Sunday isn’t one of the best days to go to a very famous church for sightseeing (long queues!)
The area around Sacré Cœur is mostly steps lined with trees and shrubs on either side, and is filled with people. Always. There are people sitting and talking, clicking pictures, or simply drinking coffee and looking out at the city. The sheer number of people here reminds one of Dadar station at rush hour, sans the live classical music. Mind you, my comparison with Dadar station isn’t an exaggeration or a literary device - it’s the truth, for the Sacré Cœur area is also home to drug dealers and pickpockets. However, all the above factors pale in front of the spectacular bird's eye view of the city from the church, so....no pain no gain, I guess?
Tips:
Galeries Lafayette
In one of the last scenes in ‘The Devil Wears Prada’, Andrea Sachs (Anne Hathaway) flings her phone into the fountain at the Place De La Concorde (henceforth referred to as ' Concorde'). As a diehard fan of the film and the starcast, it was absolutely sacrosanct for me to visit the Concorde.
Of course, the history of the Concorde goes way beyond the film. The square was built to honour King Louis XV, and also had a statue of him on a horse in the middle of it. The buildings around the square are built in his architectural style as well. Thirty years later, the French revolution started, the statue was torn down and huge guillotines became the main attraction of the square. King Louis XV’s successor, King Louis XVI and his wife, the cake queen Marie Antoinette were both executed on this very square. Life certainly comes full circle, doesn’t it?
Anywho, the square today has two beautifully sculptured fountains and surprisingly, one gold-tipped Egyptian obelisk . The obelisk, supposed to be one of a pair, was gifted to King Louis Philippe by an Egyptian viceroy and was placed in the Concorde in 1833-ish. The second obelisk couldn’t be transported due to its weight, and was re-gifted to Egypt by France in the 1990s. The fountains, one representing the oceans and the other rivers, were also built during the time of King Louis Philippe.
Two unexpected things happened to us at the plaza - one, I was almost robbed, and two, we spotted a small crepe cart bang in the middle of the empty plaza, where we had the best crepes of our lives.
Tips:
Champs Élysées and Arc De Triomphe
The easiest (and IMHO best) way to get to the Arc De Triomphe from Concorde is by walking through Paris' glitziest avenue, the Champs Élysées. Just walking on this 2-kilometre long tree-lined road amid a rain of dried autumn leaves with one's feet crunching the gravel is nothing short of therapeutic.
But nature's therapy is not the major attraction of Champs Élysées - retail therapy is. The avenue is home to some of the biggest brands in the world such as Louis Vuitton, Tiffany and Cartier, in addition to high-end boutique coffee shops, patisseries and theaters.
The Champs Élysées ends at the Arc de Triomphe, a structure that was built to honour those who died in the French Revolution and Napoleanic wars. Its resemblance to Delhi’s India Gate comes as no surprise, considering the Arc served as an inspiration for war memorials around the world. Like India Gate, it also has names of the fallen generals and soldiers inscribed on the walls, as well as a tomb to the unknown soldier. Unlike India Gate, it is not cordoned off to the traffic and hence getting a clear picture of the monument involves waiting for the right combination of an empty footpath and a red traffic light!
Tips:
Latin Quarter
The Latin Quarter is the student district of Paris, due to its proximity to Sorbonne and the presence of many educational institutes in the district. The biggest highlights of the Latin Quarter, however are the Pantheon and the library, Bibliothèque Sainte Geneviève The Pantheon, initially built as a church, currently serves as the resting place for greats like Victor Hugo, Louis Braille and Marie Curie.
Our day had begun with a church and it seemed befitting to end it with a church as well. The Saint Étienne du Mont, located right in front of the Pantheon, is famous for two things - one, being the shrine of Paris’ patron saint, St Geneviève, and two, transporting Gil Pender (Owen Wilson) into Paris of the 1920s in Midnight To Paris (2011) :-p. To be truthful, we sat outside the steps for a good five minutes, hoping to get to 1920 too, but sadly, nothing came out of it, so we decided to go inside.
As luck would have it, we did attend a bit of the evening Mass, but instead of trying to understand what the Father was speaking (it was in French) we gaped at the beautiful curved stairways and the rood screen, a large wooden screen with the sculptures of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
Three days in Paris had ended, and all we had done was just tick the essentials off our list. There were many museums we skipped (like the Musee D’Orsay), many gardens we just glanced at from the outside (Jardin du Luxembourg) and many panoramic views of the city we gave a miss (Montparnasse). But Paris isn’t a city to be conquered, as history tells. It’s a city to be romanced with. And romance needs time, care and patience. For this trip just take our affection, Paris. We will be back to fall in love with you sometime.
Next week, a small yet grand digression - Versailles :-)
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| The old Metro sign at Abbesses station |
The Montmartre Funicular (inclined cable elevator) takes you to the top of the hill, where the Sacré Cœur stands, a pristine vision in white. The travertine church is flanked by bronze statues of Joan D’Arc and King Saint Louis, and is also known for housing one of Europe’s biggest pipe organs and heaviest church bells. But Sunday isn’t one of the best days to go to a very famous church for sightseeing (long queues!)
 |
| The Sacre Coeur |
The area around Sacré Cœur is mostly steps lined with trees and shrubs on either side, and is filled with people. Always. There are people sitting and talking, clicking pictures, or simply drinking coffee and looking out at the city. The sheer number of people here reminds one of Dadar station at rush hour, sans the live classical music. Mind you, my comparison with Dadar station isn’t an exaggeration or a literary device - it’s the truth, for the Sacré Cœur area is also home to drug dealers and pickpockets. However, all the above factors pale in front of the spectacular bird's eye view of the city from the church, so....no pain no gain, I guess?
 |
| A partial view of the city from the church |
Tips:
- While photography inside the church is forbidden, you are free to climb up to the dome and take pictures of the city from there.
- The higher the steps, the safer they are. If you plan to walk down the hill, beware the men who approach you to tie a wristband (and later demand 10 euros!). Don’t fall for their ‘namaste’ either - there is no ‘nama’ about the way they talk to ‘ te’
- If travelling in a group, stick to your group. If travelling solo, feel free to use the word no as vehemently, loudly and frequently as possible with the drug sellers.
- Do not sit near dustbins - the bins generally double up as drug hideouts
Galeries Lafayette
Why go to Paris and visit a mall, when you have so many of them in India? I second that thought, but we weren’t going to Galeries Lafayette for shopping; we were going for sightseeing.
From the outside, Galeries Lafayette is like any other modern building, all concrete and white walls. Inside it is an art deco marvel, with its glass dome and ornate metal railings. But the most impressive part about Galeries Lafayette isn't even its architecture - it is its terrace, where one can not only enjoy a meal, but also get a wonderful view of the Eiffel Tower and the Royal Opera house. Best of all - the entrance is free!
La Place De La Concorde
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| Galeries Lafayette |
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| The dome of Galeries Lafayette |
From the outside, Galeries Lafayette is like any other modern building, all concrete and white walls. Inside it is an art deco marvel, with its glass dome and ornate metal railings. But the most impressive part about Galeries Lafayette isn't even its architecture - it is its terrace, where one can not only enjoy a meal, but also get a wonderful view of the Eiffel Tower and the Royal Opera house. Best of all - the entrance is free!
La Place De La Concorde
In one of the last scenes in ‘The Devil Wears Prada’, Andrea Sachs (Anne Hathaway) flings her phone into the fountain at the Place De La Concorde (henceforth referred to as ' Concorde'). As a diehard fan of the film and the starcast, it was absolutely sacrosanct for me to visit the Concorde.
Of course, the history of the Concorde goes way beyond the film. The square was built to honour King Louis XV, and also had a statue of him on a horse in the middle of it. The buildings around the square are built in his architectural style as well. Thirty years later, the French revolution started, the statue was torn down and huge guillotines became the main attraction of the square. King Louis XV’s successor, King Louis XVI and his wife, the cake queen Marie Antoinette were both executed on this very square. Life certainly comes full circle, doesn’t it?
 |
| The Concorde Obelisk |
Anywho, the square today has two beautifully sculptured fountains and surprisingly, one gold-tipped Egyptian obelisk . The obelisk, supposed to be one of a pair, was gifted to King Louis Philippe by an Egyptian viceroy and was placed in the Concorde in 1833-ish. The second obelisk couldn’t be transported due to its weight, and was re-gifted to Egypt by France in the 1990s. The fountains, one representing the oceans and the other rivers, were also built during the time of King Louis Philippe.
Two unexpected things happened to us at the plaza - one, I was almost robbed, and two, we spotted a small crepe cart bang in the middle of the empty plaza, where we had the best crepes of our lives.
 |
| The best crepes! |
Tips:
- Do not underestimate Paris’ pickpockets - I was nearly pickpocketed by a woman who had opened the zip of my bagpack and pulled out a pouch from it. My fellow traveler, who turned to look at me, noticed the woman and yelled at her, thus rescuing me !
Champs Élysées and Arc De Triomphe
The easiest (and IMHO best) way to get to the Arc De Triomphe from Concorde is by walking through Paris' glitziest avenue, the Champs Élysées. Just walking on this 2-kilometre long tree-lined road amid a rain of dried autumn leaves with one's feet crunching the gravel is nothing short of therapeutic.
 |
| View of the Arc De Triomphe from Concorde |
 |
| A small part of the Champs Elysees |
But nature's therapy is not the major attraction of Champs Élysées - retail therapy is. The avenue is home to some of the biggest brands in the world such as Louis Vuitton, Tiffany and Cartier, in addition to high-end boutique coffee shops, patisseries and theaters.
The Champs Élysées ends at the Arc de Triomphe, a structure that was built to honour those who died in the French Revolution and Napoleanic wars. Its resemblance to Delhi’s India Gate comes as no surprise, considering the Arc served as an inspiration for war memorials around the world. Like India Gate, it also has names of the fallen generals and soldiers inscribed on the walls, as well as a tomb to the unknown soldier. Unlike India Gate, it is not cordoned off to the traffic and hence getting a clear picture of the monument involves waiting for the right combination of an empty footpath and a red traffic light!
 |
| The Arc De Triomphe |
Tips:
- If you're a major history and architecture buff, stray slightly off the Champs Élysées (at the Concorde side) to visit the Grand Palais, Petit Palais and the Pont Alexander III.
- Fashion buffs, take a small detour through the Avenue Montaigne to be enveloped by Gucci, Chanel, Fendi and Dior. Thank me later, or even better, get me a vial of Chanel No. 5!
Latin Quarter
If the trip to Concorde was motivated by The Devil Wears Prada, our trip to the Latin Quarter was motivated by Woody Allen’s A Midnight in Paris.
The Latin Quarter is the student district of Paris, due to its proximity to Sorbonne and the presence of many educational institutes in the district. The biggest highlights of the Latin Quarter, however are the Pantheon and the library, Bibliothèque Sainte Geneviève The Pantheon, initially built as a church, currently serves as the resting place for greats like Victor Hugo, Louis Braille and Marie Curie.
 |
| The Pantheon |
Our day had begun with a church and it seemed befitting to end it with a church as well. The Saint Étienne du Mont, located right in front of the Pantheon, is famous for two things - one, being the shrine of Paris’ patron saint, St Geneviève, and two, transporting Gil Pender (Owen Wilson) into Paris of the 1920s in Midnight To Paris (2011) :-p. To be truthful, we sat outside the steps for a good five minutes, hoping to get to 1920 too, but sadly, nothing came out of it, so we decided to go inside.
As luck would have it, we did attend a bit of the evening Mass, but instead of trying to understand what the Father was speaking (it was in French) we gaped at the beautiful curved stairways and the rood screen, a large wooden screen with the sculptures of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
 |
| Saint Étienne du Mont |
Three days in Paris had ended, and all we had done was just tick the essentials off our list. There were many museums we skipped (like the Musee D’Orsay), many gardens we just glanced at from the outside (Jardin du Luxembourg) and many panoramic views of the city we gave a miss (Montparnasse). But Paris isn’t a city to be conquered, as history tells. It’s a city to be romanced with. And romance needs time, care and patience. For this trip just take our affection, Paris. We will be back to fall in love with you sometime.
Next week, a small yet grand digression - Versailles :-)
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