(This article first appeared online on 8th November 2023 on Live Mint, India https://lifestyle.livemint.com/food/discover/best-indian-restaurants-in-the-world-111699413754781.html)
Showing posts with label PARIS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label PARIS. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 8, 2023
Sunday, February 12, 2023
5 Love Lock Bridges
(This article first appeared in the 12th February 2023 issue of Deccan Herald newspaper's Sunday Herald section both in print and online here...
Thursday, November 1, 2018
Around the World in Six Christmas Trees!
As the most beautiful harbinger of the Yuletide season, the Christmas tree is more than just a mere festive ornament and one that has come to be recognised as the de facto symbol of all things Christmas. We bring you a few iconic interpretations of the Christmas tree from around the world, each with its own story to tell…
By Raul Dias
The Galeries Lafayette Christmas Tree, Paris
It is safe to say that come early December one of the main reasons people visit Paris’s hallowed Galeries Lafayette department store—that sits pretty along the city’s chic Boulevard Haussmann—is not only for the rather expensive Christmas gifts one can pick up there. It is to get an eyeful of the legendary themed Christmas tree that rises 43 metres up the store’s Art Nouveau wrought iron and glass dome. One of the most memorable themes of this annual tree hosting tradition is the ‘Frozen’ one of 2016. That year, artist Lorenzo Papace came up with a tree that was made entirely of recycled paper with a tableau representation of bears and cubs that showed them abandoning their crib on the North Pole in search of a new ice pack that has not melted yet. But it was the 2017 tree last year themed ‘Spectacular, Spectacular’ that literally took the cake. What with it being created entirely from giant candy pieces and other edible goodies!
The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree, New York City
Images of people bundled up in woollies, ice skating under a giant Christmas tree, sipping hot chocolate and eating roasted chestnuts (though not all at the same time!) are montages that come to mind when one thinks of this iconic tree that has featured in countless movies over the years. Usually a Norway spruce tree ranging from 21 to 30 meters in height, this one has been a national tradition in the US for almost a century. Interestingly, the tree is older than the building it is housed in! It was way back in 1931, when a group of demolition workers working during the holidays put up their own Christmas tree on the construction site of the Rockefeller Center with a 20-foot tall balsam fir that saw tradition take shape. And ever since then, both locals and tourists alike have been staring up in gob-smacked wonder at one of the most beautiful Christmas trees of all time.
The Pope’s Christmas Tree, Vatican City
At advent every year a majestic spruce or fir Christmas tree is the chosen one to grace the very heart of St. Peter’s Square with themes that reflect important social messages ranging from migration to the refugee issue. Interestingly, this Christmas tree hosting tradition is a rather recent one. It was only in 1982 during the pontificate of Pope John Paul II that the tree as well as the life-size Nativity Scene was started. There is also one other tradition that is followed religiously (do pardon the pun!). Ever since the first tree in 1982 came from Italy, every year the Vatican accepts a tree donated by a different European country or region. Ironically the tree last year in 2017 was a 21-meter spruce tree donated by Masuria, Poland in honour of the Polish-born late Pope John Paul II. Considered one of the most beautiful Pope’s Christmas Tree ever, the 2016 one was illuminated by 18,000 LED lights and decorated with the ceramic ornaments, made by children in hospitals across Italy who were receiving treatment for cancer and other illnesses.
The Palace Square Christmas Tree, St. Petersburg
As one of the world’s most beautiful cities, stunning St Petersburg ups the ante with the wondrous spectacle that the Palace Square Christmas Tree affords all who visit it. Set against the backdrop of the baroque Winter Palace, the former official residence of Russian monarchs on the banks of the Neva River, this Christmas tree comprises green boughs attached to a wire frame. Decorated with traditional Russian Christmas ornaments including large replica Fabergé eggs, floral wreaths and other baubles, it truly mirrors the former imperial Russian grandeur at its finest. So magical and historical is this one that one can almost expect an Anna Karenina-esque character to come whirling by in a haze of powdery snow, riding a troika of silver white horses!
The Floating Christmas Tree, Rio de Janeiro
Though loathe to pick a favourite from a list such as this, we simply have got to give the crown to Rio’s Floating Christmas Tree, which interestingly is the newest of the lot having been started a little over two decades ago in 1996. Floating on a barge in the city’s Rodrigo de Freitas lagoon, this stunning, 279-foot high mammoth tree is bedecked with 3.3 million micro light bulbs, each reflecting brilliantly in the waters of the South American lagoon. In order to view it from close quarters families hire out small boats shaped like geese for a spin on the lagoon. As the world’s largest floating Christmas tree, as certified by The Guinness World Records, this one is a big draw in Brazil with the lighting ceremony nationally televised and packed with celebrities. It is so big that it ranks only behind New Year’s Eve and Carnival on the city’s list of most-watched events.
The Trafalgar Square Christmas Tree, London
Besides all its myriad year-round attractions, come winter and London plays host to one of the world’s most celebrated Christmas trees. Standing mighty next to the statue of the rather diminutive Lord Nelson in Trafalgar Square, the 20-meter tall spruce tree has been an annual gift from the Norwegian capital city of Oslo since 1947. All this as a gesture of the Norwegian people’s gratitude for Britain’s support during World War II. And as with most icons, the tree comes with its own set of traditions. Chief among them being the tree lighting ceremony that takes place on the first Thursday in December and is attended by thousands of people. Led by the Lord Mayor of Westminster, the ceremony includes a blessing of the crib ceremony, which features a torchlit procession and music from St Martin-in-the-Fields church followed by the switching on of the Christmas lights. And the rest? Pure, undiluted wonder!
By Raul Dias
The Galeries Lafayette Christmas Tree, Paris
It is safe to say that come early December one of the main reasons people visit Paris’s hallowed Galeries Lafayette department store—that sits pretty along the city’s chic Boulevard Haussmann—is not only for the rather expensive Christmas gifts one can pick up there. It is to get an eyeful of the legendary themed Christmas tree that rises 43 metres up the store’s Art Nouveau wrought iron and glass dome. One of the most memorable themes of this annual tree hosting tradition is the ‘Frozen’ one of 2016. That year, artist Lorenzo Papace came up with a tree that was made entirely of recycled paper with a tableau representation of bears and cubs that showed them abandoning their crib on the North Pole in search of a new ice pack that has not melted yet. But it was the 2017 tree last year themed ‘Spectacular, Spectacular’ that literally took the cake. What with it being created entirely from giant candy pieces and other edible goodies!
The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree, New York City
Images of people bundled up in woollies, ice skating under a giant Christmas tree, sipping hot chocolate and eating roasted chestnuts (though not all at the same time!) are montages that come to mind when one thinks of this iconic tree that has featured in countless movies over the years. Usually a Norway spruce tree ranging from 21 to 30 meters in height, this one has been a national tradition in the US for almost a century. Interestingly, the tree is older than the building it is housed in! It was way back in 1931, when a group of demolition workers working during the holidays put up their own Christmas tree on the construction site of the Rockefeller Center with a 20-foot tall balsam fir that saw tradition take shape. And ever since then, both locals and tourists alike have been staring up in gob-smacked wonder at one of the most beautiful Christmas trees of all time.
The Pope’s Christmas Tree, Vatican City
At advent every year a majestic spruce or fir Christmas tree is the chosen one to grace the very heart of St. Peter’s Square with themes that reflect important social messages ranging from migration to the refugee issue. Interestingly, this Christmas tree hosting tradition is a rather recent one. It was only in 1982 during the pontificate of Pope John Paul II that the tree as well as the life-size Nativity Scene was started. There is also one other tradition that is followed religiously (do pardon the pun!). Ever since the first tree in 1982 came from Italy, every year the Vatican accepts a tree donated by a different European country or region. Ironically the tree last year in 2017 was a 21-meter spruce tree donated by Masuria, Poland in honour of the Polish-born late Pope John Paul II. Considered one of the most beautiful Pope’s Christmas Tree ever, the 2016 one was illuminated by 18,000 LED lights and decorated with the ceramic ornaments, made by children in hospitals across Italy who were receiving treatment for cancer and other illnesses.
The Palace Square Christmas Tree, St. Petersburg
As one of the world’s most beautiful cities, stunning St Petersburg ups the ante with the wondrous spectacle that the Palace Square Christmas Tree affords all who visit it. Set against the backdrop of the baroque Winter Palace, the former official residence of Russian monarchs on the banks of the Neva River, this Christmas tree comprises green boughs attached to a wire frame. Decorated with traditional Russian Christmas ornaments including large replica Fabergé eggs, floral wreaths and other baubles, it truly mirrors the former imperial Russian grandeur at its finest. So magical and historical is this one that one can almost expect an Anna Karenina-esque character to come whirling by in a haze of powdery snow, riding a troika of silver white horses!
The Floating Christmas Tree, Rio de Janeiro
Though loathe to pick a favourite from a list such as this, we simply have got to give the crown to Rio’s Floating Christmas Tree, which interestingly is the newest of the lot having been started a little over two decades ago in 1996. Floating on a barge in the city’s Rodrigo de Freitas lagoon, this stunning, 279-foot high mammoth tree is bedecked with 3.3 million micro light bulbs, each reflecting brilliantly in the waters of the South American lagoon. In order to view it from close quarters families hire out small boats shaped like geese for a spin on the lagoon. As the world’s largest floating Christmas tree, as certified by The Guinness World Records, this one is a big draw in Brazil with the lighting ceremony nationally televised and packed with celebrities. It is so big that it ranks only behind New Year’s Eve and Carnival on the city’s list of most-watched events.
The Trafalgar Square Christmas Tree, London
Besides all its myriad year-round attractions, come winter and London plays host to one of the world’s most celebrated Christmas trees. Standing mighty next to the statue of the rather diminutive Lord Nelson in Trafalgar Square, the 20-meter tall spruce tree has been an annual gift from the Norwegian capital city of Oslo since 1947. All this as a gesture of the Norwegian people’s gratitude for Britain’s support during World War II. And as with most icons, the tree comes with its own set of traditions. Chief among them being the tree lighting ceremony that takes place on the first Thursday in December and is attended by thousands of people. Led by the Lord Mayor of Westminster, the ceremony includes a blessing of the crib ceremony, which features a torchlit procession and music from St Martin-in-the-Fields church followed by the switching on of the Christmas lights. And the rest? Pure, undiluted wonder!
(An edited version of this article first appeared in the October-November- December 2018 issue of HDFC Imperia magazine)
Friday, September 1, 2017
Paris Version 2.0
While clichés may not be bad things, it’s time to rid Paris of its touristy tropes and see it from a whole new perspective by partaking in a few rather outré activities and immersive experiences that will redefine the ‘City of Lights’ for you forever!
By Raul Dias
Almost every trip to Paris comes with an invisible checklist of sights and activities that
requires… nay, demands to be shamelessly ticked off. A photo op with Paris’ number one calling
card—the Eiffel Tower—somehow always tops the charts. While a saunter down the très chic
Champs-Élysées comes in a close second. Oh! And let’s not forget sitting down at a curb-side
café literally inhaling a scrumptious pain au chocolat while washing it down with a café au lait.
And while there is certainly nothing wrong with a bit of clichéd indulgence, it would be
sacrilegious to go to Paris and not take a bite of its outré, rather alternative side. From a tour of
the hallowed Louvre with a stand-up comedian to a personalised perfume creating session, we’ve
curated a list of a few off-the- beaten-path activities that will show you a whole other facet to the
gleaming City of Lights:
Laugh Your Way Through the Louvre
Though the words ‘laugh’ and ‘Louvre’ may seem a tad incongruous when used in the same
sentence, Paris-based stand-up comedian Cedrik makes them work very effectively indeed! The
stand-up comic, known only by his mononym, does a very unique tour called ‘Laugh Your Way
Through the Louvre’ that is a part of the newly launched Airbnb Trips initiative. The two-hour
long tour is a laugh-a- minute riot with Cedrik casting a humorous net over the rather somber
exhibits of the world’s greatest museum. Being an art historian and stand-up comic, he will truly
have you cracking up (pun unintended!) in front of the Mona Lisa and giggling in front of Greek
relics. The tour, that includes the museum’s entry fee, ends with a debriefing session over a
steaming mug of hot chocolate in the museum’s café.
Cost: $91 or Rs.5,416 (approx.) per person
Duration: 2 hours
Contact: www.airbnb.co.in
Create Your Own Bespoke French Perfume
Le Studio des Parfums is a modest little perfumery that is housed on a quiet street in Le Marais.
You almost don’t see the space, but the arresting aroma of bergamot, rose and lily of the valley is
enough to pull you into this charming perfumery where your olfactory senses will rejoice. Le
Studio des Parfums is that kind of place where you can treat yourself to the luxury of possessing
a personalised French perfume without burning a hole in your purse. The guys here take their
perfumes very seriously and you will see this the moment you meet your personal ‘scent
counselor’, who, after an initiation into the history of scent, will send you off two hours later
with a personalised fragrance composed from a mix of among 150 different notes. They will
even give the perfume a name.
Cost: EUR 140 or Rs.10,833 (approx.) for a 50ml bottle
Duration: 2 hours
Contact: 23, Rue du Bourg Tibourg, 75004 Paris, +33(0)140299084, info@sdp-paris.com,
www.studiodesparfums-paris.fr
Storm the Eateries of Bastille
As one of Paris’ most trendy areas for eating out, the Bastille is a warren of dive bars and hidden
restaurants that only an insider is privy too. Anto—short for Antonio—is one such person who
takes eating and drinking enthusiasts out on a ‘Storm the Eateries of Bastille’ three-hour tour that
zigzags through Paris’ streets of dives and speakeasies. All this, in the trendy Bastille area, a
short walk away from Le Marais. This restaurant crawl that includes all the food the drink costs
is also a part of the newly launched Airbnb Trips initiative and begins at a scruffy-chic dive bar
called Chez Habibi for drinks and appetizers, stopping at the all red Chinese restaurant Le China
for some lip-smacking cocktails and yummy dimsums. This is followed up with a hearty dinner
of confit duck and roast potatoes at Le Chat Bossu, a traditional French brassier. The crawl
finally ends at Anto’s favourite speakeasy Moonshiner on Rue Sedaine that is a total insider-only
place where you enter from the kitchen doors of a rather nondescript pizza parlour!
Cost: $66 or Rs. 4,000 (approx.) per person
Duration: 3 hours
Contact: www.airbnb.co.in
Secret Sunday Dinner at Jim Haynes’
Often regarded as Paris’ worst kept secret, the Secret Sunday Dinners at salonista and travel
guide book writer Jim Haynes’ home are the stuff legends are made of. Every week for the past
30 years, he has hosted a Sunday buffet-style dinner at his well-appointed atelier, which used to
be a sculpture studio. People can either call or e-mail him to book a spot. As he gets a large
number of requests, Jim operates on a first-come, first-served basis. That being said, he hosts as
many as 60 people per dinner and often twice that many when the weather is nice and the crowd
can overflow into his manicured garden. The food, each week is prepared by a different friend of
his and can be anything from a Macedonian meal to a traditional Ethiopian messob feast. And
yes, in keeping with serendipity, you won’t be told the theme of the dinner in advance!
Cost: Free
Duration: 3 hours (8pm to 11pm)
Contact: Atelier A-2, 83, Rue de la Tombe Issoire 75014 Paris, +33(0)143271767,
Jim_Haynes@wanadoo.fr, www.jim-haynes.com
Play Pétanque With The Locals
Making a dramatic comeback and garnering some serious street cred with les BoBos—as the
Parisian hipsters are called—pétanque or boules, the traditional French game of hitting shiny
silvery balls with each other is no longer a game played by beret-sporting old men. Sign up for a
special pétanque training session with the Localers. The two-hour coaching experience will give
you a crash course in the game’s rules, plus practical sessions. It also includes a free drink and a
brief walking tour of the historical Palais Royal area, that’s crammed with inspiring spaces.
‘Bouled’ over yet?
Cost: EUR 55 or Rs.4,076 (approx.) per person
Duration: 2 hours
Contact: +33(0)183649201, booking@localers.com, www.localers.com
Hang On! There’s More…
Bed up at Shakespeare and Company: Opened in 1951 by an eccentric American named
George Whitman, this bookstore in Paris’ Rue de la Bûcherie offers up 13 free beds to
sleep in at night that are concealed as book shelves during the day!
Visit the Museum of Vampires: The ghoulish collection of Jacques Sirgent that includes
everything from vampire coffins and killing kits to Hammer Film collectibles and
Dracula toys finds itself in this museum fashioned to look like a graveyard at 14 Rue
Jules David in the middle of the city’s eastern suburb of Les Lilas.
Potter around Gustave Eiffel’s secret apartment: Oh, well! One really can’t seem to
escape the Eiffel Tower after all when in Paris. Located on the third level of the tower,
Eiffel’s private apartment is where you can see the famed phonograph machine that
Thomas Edison had himself gifted to Eiffel among other antiques.
Le Mur des Je t’aime: Also known as the ‘I Love You Wall’, this wall spanning 416
square feet and located at the Jehan-Rictus Square is a tribute to love (well, Paris is the
world’s most romantic city!). Created by artists Frédéric Baron and Claire Kito, the wall
is covered in 612 lava tiles, and features the worlds “I love you” inscribed in 311 different
languages, including all 192 languages of the United Nations.
(An edited version of this article first appeared in the September 2017 issue of Jetwings Domestic in-flight magazine of Jet Airways https://www.jetairways.com/EN/DE/JetExperience/magazines.aspx)
By Raul Dias
Almost every trip to Paris comes with an invisible checklist of sights and activities that
requires… nay, demands to be shamelessly ticked off. A photo op with Paris’ number one calling
card—the Eiffel Tower—somehow always tops the charts. While a saunter down the très chic
Champs-Élysées comes in a close second. Oh! And let’s not forget sitting down at a curb-side
café literally inhaling a scrumptious pain au chocolat while washing it down with a café au lait.
And while there is certainly nothing wrong with a bit of clichéd indulgence, it would be
sacrilegious to go to Paris and not take a bite of its outré, rather alternative side. From a tour of
the hallowed Louvre with a stand-up comedian to a personalised perfume creating session, we’ve
curated a list of a few off-the- beaten-path activities that will show you a whole other facet to the
gleaming City of Lights:
Laugh Your Way Through the Louvre
Though the words ‘laugh’ and ‘Louvre’ may seem a tad incongruous when used in the same
sentence, Paris-based stand-up comedian Cedrik makes them work very effectively indeed! The
stand-up comic, known only by his mononym, does a very unique tour called ‘Laugh Your Way
Through the Louvre’ that is a part of the newly launched Airbnb Trips initiative. The two-hour
long tour is a laugh-a- minute riot with Cedrik casting a humorous net over the rather somber
exhibits of the world’s greatest museum. Being an art historian and stand-up comic, he will truly
have you cracking up (pun unintended!) in front of the Mona Lisa and giggling in front of Greek
relics. The tour, that includes the museum’s entry fee, ends with a debriefing session over a
steaming mug of hot chocolate in the museum’s café.
Cost: $91 or Rs.5,416 (approx.) per person
Duration: 2 hours
Contact: www.airbnb.co.in
Create Your Own Bespoke French Perfume
Le Studio des Parfums is a modest little perfumery that is housed on a quiet street in Le Marais.
You almost don’t see the space, but the arresting aroma of bergamot, rose and lily of the valley is
enough to pull you into this charming perfumery where your olfactory senses will rejoice. Le
Studio des Parfums is that kind of place where you can treat yourself to the luxury of possessing
a personalised French perfume without burning a hole in your purse. The guys here take their
perfumes very seriously and you will see this the moment you meet your personal ‘scent
counselor’, who, after an initiation into the history of scent, will send you off two hours later
with a personalised fragrance composed from a mix of among 150 different notes. They will
even give the perfume a name.
Cost: EUR 140 or Rs.10,833 (approx.) for a 50ml bottle
Duration: 2 hours
Contact: 23, Rue du Bourg Tibourg, 75004 Paris, +33(0)140299084, info@sdp-paris.com,
www.studiodesparfums-paris.fr
Storm the Eateries of Bastille
As one of Paris’ most trendy areas for eating out, the Bastille is a warren of dive bars and hidden
restaurants that only an insider is privy too. Anto—short for Antonio—is one such person who
takes eating and drinking enthusiasts out on a ‘Storm the Eateries of Bastille’ three-hour tour that
zigzags through Paris’ streets of dives and speakeasies. All this, in the trendy Bastille area, a
short walk away from Le Marais. This restaurant crawl that includes all the food the drink costs
is also a part of the newly launched Airbnb Trips initiative and begins at a scruffy-chic dive bar
called Chez Habibi for drinks and appetizers, stopping at the all red Chinese restaurant Le China
for some lip-smacking cocktails and yummy dimsums. This is followed up with a hearty dinner
of confit duck and roast potatoes at Le Chat Bossu, a traditional French brassier. The crawl
finally ends at Anto’s favourite speakeasy Moonshiner on Rue Sedaine that is a total insider-only
place where you enter from the kitchen doors of a rather nondescript pizza parlour!
Cost: $66 or Rs. 4,000 (approx.) per person
Duration: 3 hours
Contact: www.airbnb.co.in
Secret Sunday Dinner at Jim Haynes’
Often regarded as Paris’ worst kept secret, the Secret Sunday Dinners at salonista and travel
guide book writer Jim Haynes’ home are the stuff legends are made of. Every week for the past
30 years, he has hosted a Sunday buffet-style dinner at his well-appointed atelier, which used to
be a sculpture studio. People can either call or e-mail him to book a spot. As he gets a large
number of requests, Jim operates on a first-come, first-served basis. That being said, he hosts as
many as 60 people per dinner and often twice that many when the weather is nice and the crowd
can overflow into his manicured garden. The food, each week is prepared by a different friend of
his and can be anything from a Macedonian meal to a traditional Ethiopian messob feast. And
yes, in keeping with serendipity, you won’t be told the theme of the dinner in advance!
Cost: Free
Duration: 3 hours (8pm to 11pm)
Contact: Atelier A-2, 83, Rue de la Tombe Issoire 75014 Paris, +33(0)143271767,
Jim_Haynes@wanadoo.fr, www.jim-haynes.com
Play Pétanque With The Locals
Making a dramatic comeback and garnering some serious street cred with les BoBos—as the
Parisian hipsters are called—pétanque or boules, the traditional French game of hitting shiny
silvery balls with each other is no longer a game played by beret-sporting old men. Sign up for a
special pétanque training session with the Localers. The two-hour coaching experience will give
you a crash course in the game’s rules, plus practical sessions. It also includes a free drink and a
brief walking tour of the historical Palais Royal area, that’s crammed with inspiring spaces.
‘Bouled’ over yet?
Cost: EUR 55 or Rs.4,076 (approx.) per person
Duration: 2 hours
Contact: +33(0)183649201, booking@localers.com, www.localers.com
Hang On! There’s More…
Bed up at Shakespeare and Company: Opened in 1951 by an eccentric American named
George Whitman, this bookstore in Paris’ Rue de la Bûcherie offers up 13 free beds to
sleep in at night that are concealed as book shelves during the day!
Visit the Museum of Vampires: The ghoulish collection of Jacques Sirgent that includes
everything from vampire coffins and killing kits to Hammer Film collectibles and
Dracula toys finds itself in this museum fashioned to look like a graveyard at 14 Rue
Jules David in the middle of the city’s eastern suburb of Les Lilas.
Potter around Gustave Eiffel’s secret apartment: Oh, well! One really can’t seem to
escape the Eiffel Tower after all when in Paris. Located on the third level of the tower,
Eiffel’s private apartment is where you can see the famed phonograph machine that
Thomas Edison had himself gifted to Eiffel among other antiques.
Le Mur des Je t’aime: Also known as the ‘I Love You Wall’, this wall spanning 416
square feet and located at the Jehan-Rictus Square is a tribute to love (well, Paris is the
world’s most romantic city!). Created by artists Frédéric Baron and Claire Kito, the wall
is covered in 612 lava tiles, and features the worlds “I love you” inscribed in 311 different
languages, including all 192 languages of the United Nations.
(An edited version of this article first appeared in the September 2017 issue of Jetwings Domestic in-flight magazine of Jet Airways https://www.jetairways.com/EN/DE/JetExperience/magazines.aspx)
Saturday, June 10, 2017
Paris Version 2.0
Discarding Paris of its clichéd tropes and seeing it from a
whole new perspective is what Raul Dias did
recently on his whistle stop trip to the City of Lights.
Pics: Rebecca Marshall for Airbnb
First things first. I’d like to tender an
unconditional apology to those of you who are reading this travel piece
expecting it to be about all things Paris. Well, although it is about Paris,
oxymoronically it also isn’t. You won’t find lengthy prose on the “fecund
beauty” of the Jardin des Tuileries. Or find me going into hyperbolic overdrive
over the “luminescent magic” of the Eiffel Tower. I’ll probably save those for
a less discerning reader!
But yet, this article is still about Paris. It is the Paris I saw this May sans rose tinted glasses. The Paris that presented itself to me in all its naked, unabashed glory. The Paris that accepted me as one of its own and gave me an insider’s perspective on a hard-to-permeate society and culture.
But yet, this article is still about Paris. It is the Paris I saw this May sans rose tinted glasses. The Paris that presented itself to me in all its naked, unabashed glory. The Paris that accepted me as one of its own and gave me an insider’s perspective on a hard-to-permeate society and culture.
Accommodation
with a difference!
So, eschewing the creature comforts of an almost sterile, de rigueur chain hotel room, I booked myself in with an Airbnb apartment for the very first time in my life. Sitting on the busy Rue de Bretagne in Paris’ trendy Le Marais neighbourhood, my three-bedroom apartment was the perfect little nest. Done up in a mix of neo baroque and modern furniture and décor, the first-floor apartment was everything I was looking for. Intimate, personal and very, very Parisian.
With the apartment’s caretaker giving me a quick orientation of the place, like how to operate the washing machine/dishwasher etc and dropping off my keys, I was left on my own to enjoy its sumptuousness. But before that, the fridge needed some stocking up. So, I sauntered down for a walk around the neighbourhood that would be mine for the next two days.
So, eschewing the creature comforts of an almost sterile, de rigueur chain hotel room, I booked myself in with an Airbnb apartment for the very first time in my life. Sitting on the busy Rue de Bretagne in Paris’ trendy Le Marais neighbourhood, my three-bedroom apartment was the perfect little nest. Done up in a mix of neo baroque and modern furniture and décor, the first-floor apartment was everything I was looking for. Intimate, personal and very, very Parisian.
With the apartment’s caretaker giving me a quick orientation of the place, like how to operate the washing machine/dishwasher etc and dropping off my keys, I was left on my own to enjoy its sumptuousness. But before that, the fridge needed some stocking up. So, I sauntered down for a walk around the neighbourhood that would be mine for the next two days.
Being a Sunday, the weekend flea market was unfurling itself in all its glory on the street below the apartment. Bric-a-brac, vintage fur coats, mid-century modern style furniture—all on full display here. But it was the aroma of roasting chicken that was most alluring to me at that point of time. Stopping by a typically French rotisserie had always been something I had wanted to do, but had never had the opportunity thus far. Packing up a quarter roast chicken, a side of potatoes dauphinoise and buttered garlic carrots, a small baguette bread and a slice of pistachio-apricot pie, I made my way back ‘home’ for my first lunch in Paris that was all things a great lunch should be.
Bar
hopping and more…
A quick post prandial nap and off I was to join Anto—short for Antonio—on his organised ‘Storm the Bars of Bastille’ three-hour tour (around Rs 4,000) per person, including drinks and bites) that zigzags through Paris’ streets of wine dives and speakeasies—all in the trendy Bastille area, a short walk away from Le Marais. Part of the newly launched Airbnb Trips initiative, this bar crawl began at a scruffy-chic wine dive bar called Chez Habibi where our group of eight was toasted with a bottle of crisp chardonnay and introductions made.
A quick post prandial nap and off I was to join Anto—short for Antonio—on his organised ‘Storm the Bars of Bastille’ three-hour tour (around Rs 4,000) per person, including drinks and bites) that zigzags through Paris’ streets of wine dives and speakeasies—all in the trendy Bastille area, a short walk away from Le Marais. Part of the newly launched Airbnb Trips initiative, this bar crawl began at a scruffy-chic wine dive bar called Chez Habibi where our group of eight was toasted with a bottle of crisp chardonnay and introductions made.
Originally from Colombia, Anto moved to Paris for love and is now THE person to give travellers an insight into the city’s vibrant drinking scene. In fact, recently, a French newspaper called him “the guy who makes a living by biking and hitting the town.” Yes, Anto also leads biking trips around the city as part of another Airbnb Trips initiative.
But back to our bar crawl and our next stop was the all red Chinese restaurant Le China for some lip-smacking cocktails and yummy dimsums. This we followed up with a hearty dinner of confit duck, roast potatoes and a glass of kir royale (crème de cassis topped with Champagne) at Le Chat Bossu, a traditional French brassier.
The night was not over yet as Anto took us for after dinner drinks to his favourite speakeasy Moonshiner on Rue Sedaine. This one is a total insider-only place where you enter from the kitchen doors of a rather nondescript pizza parlour. It sure made us feel like we were back in the Prohibition Era!
Louvre
with a difference
Up bright and early the next morning, I continued my unusual Paris trip leitmotif with a museum visit with a twist. Now, before you think I succumbed to a Paris trip cliché like paying a visit to the Louvre, let me set the record straight. Yes, I am guilty of segueing it in to my ‘no tropes’ Paris itinerary. But to my defense, I did it with a big, big difference! Cedrik. The stand-up comic with a mononym does a very uniquely curated Airbnb Trips tour called ‘Laugh Your Way Through the Louvre’ (around Rs 5,416 per person, including the entry fee and a tea/coffee/hot chocolate).
Up bright and early the next morning, I continued my unusual Paris trip leitmotif with a museum visit with a twist. Now, before you think I succumbed to a Paris trip cliché like paying a visit to the Louvre, let me set the record straight. Yes, I am guilty of segueing it in to my ‘no tropes’ Paris itinerary. But to my defense, I did it with a big, big difference! Cedrik. The stand-up comic with a mononym does a very uniquely curated Airbnb Trips tour called ‘Laugh Your Way Through the Louvre’ (around Rs 5,416 per person, including the entry fee and a tea/coffee/hot chocolate).
The two-hour long tour was a laugh-a-minute riot with Cedrik casting a humorous net over the rather somber exhibits of the world’s greatest museum. Being an art historian and stand-up comic, he truly had us cracking up (pun unintended!) in front of the Mona Lisa and giggling in front of Greek relics.
And just like that my two days doing Paris off the beaten track drew to a dramatic close. And while I dare not suggest skipping the more touristy sights altogether, it’ll do us all a whole lot of good to not just ‘see’ or to ‘go’ to a city like Paris, but truly ‘experience’ and ‘live’ it!
FACT
FILE
Getting There
There are a number of daily direct flights from Mumbai to Paris on airlines such as Air France, and Jet Airways. The super-efficient Paris metro makes travelling within the city a piece of cake. We suggest buying a day pass for unlimited access. Indian passport holders need a Schengen visa to visit France and the same can be obtained at the French Consulate in Mumbai.
Getting There
There are a number of daily direct flights from Mumbai to Paris on airlines such as Air France, and Jet Airways. The super-efficient Paris metro makes travelling within the city a piece of cake. We suggest buying a day pass for unlimited access. Indian passport holders need a Schengen visa to visit France and the same can be obtained at the French Consulate in Mumbai.
When
To Visit
The spring and summer are the best times to visit Paris, with the months from May to September seeing plenty of free music concerts held in parks and other public places. But for a real taste of French national pride, make sure to orient your trip around the 14th of July which is the French National Day also called Bastille Day.
The spring and summer are the best times to visit Paris, with the months from May to September seeing plenty of free music concerts held in parks and other public places. But for a real taste of French national pride, make sure to orient your trip around the 14th of July which is the French National Day also called Bastille Day.
Accommodation
Paris has an excellent selection of hotels to choose from to suit all budgets and tastes. But in keeping with the ‘insider view’ of this piece, we recommend renting out an Airbnb apartment. This way, you not only get to stay in a true-blue Parisian apartment, but also stay at some of the most gorgeous addresses in the city. As Airbnb lists everything from a neo baroque-style apartment in Le Marais neighbourhood of Paris to a chic minimalistic home near the Notre Dame cathedral that’s owned by… get his, Bryan Adams!
(www.airbnb.co.in)
Paris has an excellent selection of hotels to choose from to suit all budgets and tastes. But in keeping with the ‘insider view’ of this piece, we recommend renting out an Airbnb apartment. This way, you not only get to stay in a true-blue Parisian apartment, but also stay at some of the most gorgeous addresses in the city. As Airbnb lists everything from a neo baroque-style apartment in Le Marais neighbourhood of Paris to a chic minimalistic home near the Notre Dame cathedral that’s owned by… get his, Bryan Adams!
(www.airbnb.co.in)
(A shorter, edited version of this article appeared in the 10th June 2017 issue of the Afternoon Despatch & Courier newspaper, India http://www.afternoondc.in/mumbai-mix/paris-in-a-new-light/article_196937)
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