Thursday, October 24, 2013

Romance in Venice, Kiss in Paris!


Ciao! In an era of 24x7 media, we’re constantly challenged to write articles that are in tune with what people are thinking and talking about. Vacations are not time sensitive. We all enjoy travelling –to exotic destinations, to our homelands, to the beaches. Especially, in the summer time, most of us take time off to get away from it all.
 We did exactly that, in the past week. Our group of 9(Indians love to travel in packs!) arrived in Italy when the temperature was almost 35-40 degree Celsius during the day. The train from Rome reached Venice at 8:30 in the morning, when the city was still waking up. From the railway station (there are 2 of them), you can walk to your hotel, take the water bus or, hire a water taxi. The walk from the railway station to our hotel was through a small market where we got our first taste of Venice.  The streets were lined with shops selling gelato, wine, souvenirs, T-shirts, bags and Venetian masks-mostly by vendors from India and Bangladesh.
When we crossed our first bridge, we got our first view of the Venice we’d only seen in pictures – a canal lined with houses and boats parked just outside the doors. The city has an old world charm and which has helped preserve its unique character.  The magnificent, ornate and stunningly beautiful marble buildings along the Grand Canal make you marvel at the engineering ability of the people who created them, so many centuries ago.
 Venice offers an endless assortment of fascinating landscapes, waterlines, cuisines, and peoples, with an exceptional cultural heritage. Early mornings were the best time for talking a walk.  Venice is the only pedestrian city in the world and that’s what lends the city its unique character. Perfect romantic setting for couples, youngsters, honeymooners and family-oriented as well!
 The glass museum and enchanting glass jewellery in Murano island, the gondola rides, San Marco Square and other beautiful places are a delight to experience. With the message that love transcends all,  and the language of love is supreme, no matter what the culture is, whatever the food habits are, we moved on to our next destination.
Paris. The most visited destination in the world. This country has been synonymous with romance for longer than you would care to remember. It is impossible to place France under any particular category for tourists.  Located on the banks of the River Seine, Paris offers a compact network of quaint streets scattered with trendy cafés, bars and restaurants. The transport facilities are excellent, and for those who prefer the Metro, it is an easy system to comprehend. Also, there are several tour operator-run buses that will take you around Paris with a pick-up and drop-off anywhere you like.
We were short of time, and had to include an excellent Indian meal at the Madras Sarvana Bhavan! The  Eiffel tower which that has become the symbol of Paris,  offers a panoramic view of the  city. Paris will remain a city close to our heart, and we would love to revisit this place again, at some point in future. For now, we kiss goodbye to the city of love.

Until next time, Au Revoir!

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