Start of the Final Lap...

11th Nov: We take off for our last lap [or so I thought], it was the biggest of ‘em all…just like they keep the best for the finals. This particular trip taught us more in planning than 1387193 lessons in the same had even come close to. We also came to know the actual meaning and the relevance of the term itiniery which is a word highly abused by all…u had to see ours…n then you would agree with me….whole heartedly and sympathetically. 15 days with pin point timelines and around 7 countries to be covered…..from the Mediterranean beauty to the Scandinavian beauties…aha wata plan….after all we were pursuin an Mba, we woudnt dare let the educational system of India down like this.

We leave Marseille on the 11th and comfortably take our plush seats. After switching trains at Lyon en route to Geneva and spending time switching seats for an hour or two everything is and goes as per planned which we were not quite used to….something’s gotta give way…damn it, it’s a Euro-Trip and we were obliged. Such spectacular scenes pass by that we were more than certain that Switzerland couldn’t be far off now thanks to the image we carried in our minds thanks to Mr. Yash Chopra and his brethren. The arrival time passes by and we haven’t reached our destination of Geneva. Well either the train’s late which is next to impossible [as impossible as trains are on time in India] or we are in for something unplanned for. The latter sounds better…only in a story though. After much deliberation of nonsense amongst us we found out that we were sitting in the wrong compartment and the train had split in two in midway at one of the stations. We were still very much in France and had mistaken its beauty for Swiss lands. We got off at the next station and somehow managed to reach Geneva at the earliest. Oh wata start to the final course….we were oozing of confidence….lol….wateva.

We obviously were delighted at being in Swiss land mainly for two important reasons: firstly, we were in SWITZERLAND!!! And secondly we had reached there without visas and free of cost which was a point of achievement especially for Jajoo. As we could not betray our past we decided again to travel without buying tickets. We strongly advocate that travel must be made free to Man…one n ALL!!!....and we practice this religiously. We roamed the whole of Switzerland professing this concept and lived the Swiss dream munching on Swiss dark chocolate which btw we had to buy as shoplifting comes with a high fine package along with it. We crossed right through the country and finally reached Innsbruck in the middle of the night to chance upon our first meal at Burger King and to Jajoo delight a yum V-E-G-etarian burger on the menu…officially. To add bring in some amount of craziness we decided to switch plans and leave for Vienna the same night as we were way too lazy and tired to find a place to crash.

Vienna : chilly winds greeted us to the land of Amadeus Wolfgang Mozart and the seat of Western Classical music in the world. We saw the infamous Opera and other popular tourist sites after which as fate would have it we got divided in two groups of two each losing our way. Jajoo and myself in one and Tapan and STD aka Sashi in the other. Both of us decided that we just had to visit the United Nations headquarters at the UN Centre in Vienna. There are only 4 UN headquarters in the world and we were lucky enough to be too close to one of them to ignore it. We again made a risky trip via multiple trams, trains and subways to finally reach the tall and commanding structures. This is where we met our 4th or 5th angel…am losing count now…As the timings for tours and visits had just gotten over we got into the Bollywood acting mode and gave a Filmfare winning performance with lines such as “We have come all the way from India just for this” and other such preposterous and horrendous stuff. We finally got the best deal, not only did we get to enter the area but also a free guide just for the two us…I mean next stop’s gotta be Mumbai for both of us. The tour was quite nice and we felt qite important for no obvious reason as such apart from clicking away millions of snaps amidst the flags of the member-nations of UN. Luckily we met the other two at the station and made our trip to Salzburg.

Salzburg: Reaching in the middle of the night we somehow managed to find our hostel and the next morning made our way to certain gardens parks and museums in the light shower. This is was the land of Sound of Music and scenic landscapes and this is where we met an Indian lady selling interesting flavored and creamish alcoholic drinks. We then made our way to Hangar 7, a display section for Red Bull the energy drink manufacturers. That’s all we knew and we headed out again via free transport mediums. We reached the last bus stop but coudnt find the Hangar. We were stuck in the middle of a highway with rain and wind blowing on our faces. Finally after a stopover at McD we decided to carry on our search and finally chanced upon the place. The Hangar 7 was tastefully done showcasing everything Red Bull was associated with especially the sports and its sponsorships. Various models of planes, bikes and other automotive works were exhibited. The ride back was known this time around…thankfully so.

Paris ki Pari: We were in Paris, for the second round which again would prove to be inadequate, pleasantly enough. Paris woah!!!.....one of the power capitals of the world and we were here….for he 2nd time. Taking off from the first one the metro/tube reminded us of the Cal metro in terms of the number of people thronging the place but the frequency sure delighted us. It was a convenient mode of transport which was what it had meant to be. Some of the compartments also sported hot looks.

Paris is a unique and fabulous tourist destination and hence marketed and maintained in an even graceful manner. There are myriad places to visit and is a vast city. Paris is so famous from a tourists point of view was confirmed by the tourist information office at the Gare du Nord [station]. He was flabbergasted when asked for where to visit apart from the Eiffel and Louvre and other few known to us. From his look it seemed as to how we could arrive in Paris without knowing A-Z of the city.

Our first destination was the beautiful St. Marguerite Basilica. The weather really was depressing in all its elements with the cold breeze and occasional rain which splattered on our faces. We speculated as to how clear and enjoyable the weather would eventually be once we reached the mighty Eiffel. We made our way to the Grande Arche. This seemed like the corporate part of the city. To welcome us was this massive gate or arche from which I believe it got its name from. Wherever the eye moved from there on in terms of direction or distance one could see only steel structures jutting out of the ground as an attempt for the sky. All kinds of MNC’s names led signage to these sky scrapers and hence lend its equity with poise. We then moved onto the renowned and well-recognized Champs Elysees which also seemed to be the major artery of the capital. This was erected in commemoration to the French soldiers who had lost their lives. Right bang in the middle of the multi-point crossing it lent the place the expected sense of elegance. On both sides of the road were brands of every category and any name one could imagine and more importantly afford. One actually felt and sensed a power while walking on this street. I remembered this spot from the various celebrations the French carry out especially the glorious World Cup wining gala festival in 1998.

Our next and ultimately final stop or more appropriately termed destination was the Tower de Eiffel or popularly known as the Eiffel Tower. Made by Gustavo Eiffel this structure and world wonder have always fascinated me especially after viewing the documentary on Discovery. It had become a dream to watch it in person after attaining the facts about this construction. The Tower was supposed to be constructed in Barcelona by Gustavo Eiffel but was eventually done so at this spot as an entrance to a fair. It was also supposed to be dismantled after a year. But the French fell in love with it and hence to our delight and fate it still stands at the very same place. It has on it three coats of color currently a reddish brown at its three levels so that from afar it looks like just one shade. Bunk the facts and history let’s get down to the place….for real…live!!!

The first sight of the Eiffel Tower left me yes in wonder…..I mean isn’t that what a Wonder of the World supposed to do….according to me if it doesn’t then it’s not one. The first picture or thought which came to my mind was that of walking through that gate at the Taj Mahal…..another masterpiece. There sure was a connect between these two attractions and historic spots, both also left me motionless and staring at them for approx 7 minutes, no blinking involved. To read about it and be amazed is one thing and to witness the spectacle and monument is another experience altogether. From every angle and with every step it seemed more attractive than the previous moment. After clicking around a million pictures at every possible and impossible angle we made our way to the base and joined the snaky line for tickets or Billets. My i-pod comes out….it had to. Had to be one with one of the most important things in the world to me….if I could I would have taken a football too. World Hold On…plays on…and it sure is on my command at least that was what it felt like while moving up the lift to the 1st floor. Deciding on to move to the second level straightaway it gets colder and makes way for Limp Bizkit, my all time favorite and an inspiration to other forms of music was the obvious choice. It was like Fred paving the way for me. The music just cut out all forms of human efforts which tried very hard to spoil this special moment via intervention and affirmed the fact that at times its always better to be one with the nature or excellence delivered by man. This was quite an irony on my part as it was built by the vision of one such individual. The work and talent of many such workers who believed in the vision and the architecture is exemplary especially considering the time at which it was thought of, planned and built. We moved onto the second floor and Limp moves onto Lakshya which seemed apt for the situation and view….oh wata sight….the city of Paris right beneath you and one sight captured thousands of people and numerous man made houses and cars, along with the river and lined up trees. I changed the song to Swades and put on my favourite song which I purposely had not heard on this entire trip and had kept it for a exceptional moment like this…which truly deserved the value of this song.

We couldn’t hide our excitement and wanted to at once to move onto the final or 3rd floor. As soon as we move onto the 3rd floor there was this really chilly breeze which greeted us. “Kuch paane ke liye kuch khona padta hai”… I took out the i-pod and finally toggled to Pink Floyd as I knew taking it out another time in this wind would be physically impossible. From here it just seemed like the city of blinding lights…unaware of the height at which we stood we sure were at a high and with Gilmour singing it seemed an out of world experience. We noticed this small window and found a man selling champagne for 10 Euros. We had been quite very thrifty in our spending on our Euro Trip….so far. At the price quotation we didn’t even think twice or exchanged any kind of acceptance looks. We just had to have it for the appropriate cherry on the top adorning this momentous occasion. As per Jajoo a very deserving scene took place after this. A French individual came and asked for the price and at hearing it slowly turned away dejected finding it too expensive. For us it seemed like a moment for further celebration and a few laughs. “Learning to fly”….”High Hopes”…”Comfortably Numb”…”Wish you were here”…each one sounded so apt and fitted in perfectly….insanity….too good to be true and real. The weather was challenging to say the least and the champagne kept spilling over as I was literally shivering. We also did the inevitable and yet surprising. We peed on the 3rd floor of the Eiffel….obviously in the WC facility. One had to after the guzzling of coke cans which were not allowed at the security check. Every tourist was enjoying this special moment and romance was definitely in the air, the cold one. It is said that a large number of proposals are made at the Eiffel which did not a come as a surprise to me. I ended up with random talk with many of them and happiness and achievement seemed contagious. I asked myself what else could one ask for, what else could one see more pretty and gorgeous than this, how higher could man go from here.

Simply a dream comes true…simply…

Reluctantly, once we came down from a distance we could see the Eiffel to our amazement sparkling and glittering in blue… incredulously.

Shine on you Crazy Diamond…

Troughs and Crests...of the XP....

Dreams!!!...The Unbeatables

1) a:Nou Camp Barcelona vs Valencia
b:DJ Tiesto live at Stockholm
2) Champagne on Eiffel Tower 3rd level
3) Getting sloshed in train post Berlin match with soccer fans en route to Hamburg
4) Norway in a Nutshell
5) My first omlette/ and delicious Chola sabji


The Piss offs

1) Lack of the thing called sense of humour
2) Non- party and music people who prefer sitting at home and watchin a movie rather than go for a killer European party.
3) Mediocrity
4) Irresponsibility and immaturity
5) Inactive and lazy even for 3 months in a foreign land which surely is a life time opportunity.

Lyon

Well sometimes when you’re really pissed and can’t take anymore of some people or the surroundings, or people’s disrespect for time and more pathetically other people’s time, or the mediocrity or any such likewise stuff what do you do??? You take a trip alone. That’s what I did and went to Lyon. You start respecting solitude much more when you realize what you were missing out on, diluting your best part with others and not making the most of it.

Lyon is different in character to Marseille, is a more busy and on the move town professionally. It also is the city which has a branch of my beloved school La Martiniere. Its main attraction though is that of the Basilica on the top of a hill which overlooks the entire city more as if its always looking after it. The Basilica in itself is beautiful and the scene from the top is breath taking. One can see the city with its houses as toys and trees, seemed like this is God’s view of us, the people too. The path which went down from the Basilica was definitely one of a fantasy world. Narrow path, curving, trees with golden, orangish and yellowish leaves, scattered on the ground. A sight of an old couple walking down that road in front of the statue of Jesus surely caught my sight and is something I wont be forgetting for a long time to come. It as they say was a picture worth a thousand words….with a few more zeroes added to it.

Monaco/ Monte Carlo

This time we were joined by our two flat mates from IIM B for this trip. Somehow all southern French coast cities look the same with the picturesque horizon and beaches, with the golden sand and the even more magical sunshine. Monaco also shares this commonality. There was a mini fair or mela on when we reached the famous place mainly because of two reasons. One, the Grand Prix which takes place every year and it happens right here on the city roads and has no special track as such!!! Secondly because of its Casino which draws the who’s who from all over the globe to show off and donate their wealth. Monaco as many do not know is a separate state altogether and is only supported by the French in some essential matters like military etc. It comprises of around 80% of businessmen and trust me their net worth is definitely sum long figures which explains the cars and the luxury yatches.

Talking about cars it was advised to us by a few Ximb friends from Lille whom we accidently ran into, that just a stop outside the Casino would give us a free road show of the top most luxury and sport cars in the world from the Ferrari’s to the Lamborghini’s. As we reached the place it sure was like a ramp show for cars whizzing past showing off their powerful engines n all. Cars were standing for customers who would dish out enough money for taking a ride in them either as pillion or in the hot seat itself and they totally worked on the human vice of temptation.

I am what I am…

Phase I

[I] AM the sun that shines, that shines on me,
Am the rain that soaks, that soaks with the sea,
Am the thought that blinks and it’s gone
Am the plant that grows, not withdrawn

Am the Time that returns, returns for more
Am the fire that glows in the light
Am the Hero that saves one and all
Am the Awakened while you sleep tonight

Am the air in search for space,
Am the pebble that shines in disgrace,
Am a tree on a hill, one of its kind,
Am a room; no windows, only blinds

Am the wave which makes its own way,
Am the cloud that bursts upon,
Am the ray which makes your day,
Am the rhyme that goes on n’ on

Am the wheels that keep on rolling,
Am the Emperor, whose Kingdom’s come
Am the crack that allows the night with light,
The mind and its might [The Pizza and its slice]

Am the crowd on sunset boulevard,
Am you and the person next to you,
Am a one-liner, not ignored
Am the last train and your thought of the day,

Am the size that fits all,
Am the dog and the bone,
Am a single…and counting more
I am a Rolling Stone

Am a player with infamous own goals,
Am the President and a beggar’s chores,
Am the headlines and a newspaper unsold,
The ink’s getting over…runnin out cold

Am the potter’s mould,
Am a font too bold,
The winning moment in sport,
I’m perfection…only untold

Am a tired bed and battery in red
Am a skirt too high, a superhero sans flight
The centre in a round table, a shadow in the dark
Popeye with spinach…am an invisible mark

I’m the No.1 on the charts,
Am without a Pulitzer, Nobel and Oscar awards,
I’m writing and you’re reading now
I’m thinking and you……disbelieving somehow

This rhyme I keep under wraps,
I trust the beat demanding to snap,
The words I trust, it’s you I fear,
To look through me….to read my words

Forza Italia...!!!

Yes so we were finally on our way to tour the country where soccer is the official religion, the land of Mafia’s and Al Pacino, of Julius Ceasar and Donatella Versace…of Pizza and pasta…..ah wata ‘perfect ending to the intro’….contrary in itself…???...Forza Italia!!!

It was there before we knew it….Vintimille was the first Italian territory we laid our tired, sleepy yet eager feet on. We went to the beautiful sea side and back in time for our ride to Genoa…one of the oldest Italian cities. It having a rich history of its own kept us on our feet….literally in our stop stay out there.
Pisa mein Pizza: Our next sojourn was at Pisa….yes it’s leaning all right…and that’s all there was to it….as per the information guide. So it was a nice “ice- creamy walk” to the tower. The first sight though was a wee bit unanticipated for my impatient set eyes. It really was not as tall and majestic in height as I remember ogling in those Encyclopedias at junior high. It just started off the ground….and finished….but yes what’s vital to all of us was that it sure was leaning….no tricks up there…

Since our pre determined quota of snaps had to be met….we decided to do it on the only leaning object in town….the tower. This started our Jeetendra antics and even the old man would have been proud of us then. We were literally jumping our asses off to get some nice “in the air” pics taken by a Swede, oh we sure got the looks and the pains on our landings. This was only after a myriad attempts at pushing and preventing the tower from falling and the miniscule differences in frame and vision which revealed the hoax and the rabbit outta da box…back to Gare….ahem Station…

Rome/Roma: All roads lead to…our train went via tracks…or so it seemed…but it sure led us right. Greeted by an enthusiastic guy, middle aged trying to help us out with accommodation confirmed our location in this world. We were quite apprehensive at first but on no other options available we remembered God and took the chance. Well what the hell…..”When in Rome do as the Romans do”…

We seemed to have got ourselves a pretty nice deal with our own apartment kinds due to lack of other occupants. The morning after we found this Bangladeshi restaurant in the neighborhood and it seemed more like we sure were in Asia rather than Europe. Desi food at a more or less seemingly peanuts price and a look outside only caught glimpses of Asians walking past. 3 months over already…???

Our next stop was at the infamous and colossal Colosseum…[am so damn sure the word came from there and hence just put them together….brothers in Arms…]. After reaching the place I couldn’t be more sure that the word had to be related one way or another. The sight required is one of pan-vision. The Colloseum was just as I had imagined it to be……a massive historical stadium and one could still hear the crowd’s cheers at the Gladiators last swipe of its sword into the belly of the beast if one pressed their ears close enough. The entire area around the Colloseum is high on historic value and showcases truly why Roman Architecture is deemed to be one of the finest.

We made our way onto The Pantheon amidst building, museums and structures of conspicuous elements of notable and eye catching architecture, style and design. The streets made even more sense and the Time more valuable as I was in the middle of flipping Fountainhead pages and thoughts. My favorite site though was the visit to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The gigantic palatial kinds Roman administrative centre was a definitely a sight to behold not only for its size but also for its pristine beauty. Of white marble [Italian for sure], and a portrayal of the respect displayed to the soldiers who had lost their lives in the World War only added to the effect. And for once a beauty like that could be accessed without paying an abnormal fee of some double figure Euros.

Then we chanced upon streets where shops exhibited nothing but top of the line brands…..and we aware….Brand Awareness. All throughout our trips the onus of interpreting the map was on me and I sure did deliver, have turned into an ace Navigator ready to be hired for any race…as anyways placements seem a distant dream. Again a few free bus trips ended the touristic day for us.


Vatican: We finally arrived, more of an extension to the city but obviously given the special place [with no pun intended]. The first sight is met with the St. Peters Basilica dome and the vast expanse of concrete in front for services and ceremonies. We started the tour of the Vatican from the renowned Sistine Chapel. This structure is composed of innumerable rooms and hallways, balconies and galleries, all adorned by only the finest and most excellent of artifacts, paintings, sculpture and other such artistic objects. The ceilings had some mind blowing paintings on them and we argued as to the means of how that was made possible. The Sistine Chapel is brilliant in its own unique sense and with the strict security and no pictures allowed it only extends that feeling of specialty and respect. Only the Louvre could be listed as better if one was to rank…reluctantly.
The Sistine Chapel leads into the way to the St. Peters Basilica. On entering the only sentiment that eclipsed us was that of grandeur. It was huge under the dome and with a perfect and striking mix of opulence, magnificence and talent it was a sight to behold. As we walked inside the dome one could witness the history and also the artistic beauty which existed. The best part being that it didn’t matter which religion one was from. The Vatican to sum it up is definitely a must visit in a life time along with Rome.


Venice: As we reached the place where almost all romantics and definitely the entire female population of the world wants to visit and maybe even settle down our initiation was not quite something to remember. The issue was simple…..there was no place to put up. All hotels and hostels were fully booked thanks to an annual marathon which was to be held the next day…..I mean wat were the odds???.....1/365…crazy…..Hence after trotting almost the entire city looking for accommodation we were so sure that it’s gonna be us and the road tonight….now that would be really romantic right?Walking with our bags we used to attempt at deceiving any individual or group whom we found suspicious. By God’s Grace….and note the CAPS on that….we did get an address of some hostel in an alley [obviously intercepted by a water canal] which might have rooms. What’s the harm in knocking on another door and ringing a few bells? We took our chance and there was this old couple who rented out beds for travelers like us. It was really their benign nature which saved the night for us. They accommodated us even though all their rooms were full and somehow we arranged something in the living room and slept there. She definitely was an angel for us, [the 4th as per Jajoo’s calculations till now] not knowing how much that gesture of hers had meant for us. Not only did we get shelter but also an experience of staying in an authentic Italian household as our breakfast suggested.
But first lemme describe to you Venice at night, under the mystic stars and shining water thanks to the moon. Shelter taken care of now we had to fulfill our second basic physiological need of food and it seemed like the bad luck continued as everything closed on our second round of the city. But what we saw defined Venice to the hilt. Almost 93% of the people walking the streets were drunk or about to be in the near future. The rest 7% had just got off the station looking for accommodation like us. I had very high expectations of the romantic element in the city and it didn’t disappoint me on this beautiful night. Couples walked so close together and by together I mean literally together. Age no bar every individual seemed to be enjoying their time over here no matter where they came from and with whom…..lol. As my friend Seeteez would have said….”everyone was set and scene ban raha tha.”

After the filling Italian breakfast we started out on the morning tour of the city. As heard, it is a maze of narrow streets and alleys and on every nook and corner a canal with aquamarine water and artistic facades in the background emerged. We made our way to the famed Rialto Bridge and to the most popular tourist destination of St. Mark’s Piazza or place while clickin some hundred pictures on our way as every view was nothing less than spectacular. St. Mark’s place is well-known for one thing and this one figures out as soon as one steps foot there…..the pigeons. They are in huge numbers and maybe even surpassing the human count. Tourists trying to click pictures while feeding them makes their concentration look even more threatening. We tried too and I personally didn’t like the weird sensation on my shoulders and palms while feeding them. This is also where a lot of famous movies have been shot. 2 weeks after our trip this place was flooded with thigh high water.
We then went onto witness the marathon and a canal ride [which we had to take being in Venice]. Venice by the way is the largest non motorable part of Europe and every kind of transportation is through the water or on foot. While on our ride we saw some fantastic sights and also the world famous gondolas again with couples occupying and gracing them. Before we realized we were again running late for our train. Venice overall I think personally is a bit overrated, maybe because of my sky high expectations. Brugge I thought which seemed like a preview or mini Venice seemed a better choice.


Milan mein Milan: I had this image of Milan being a scary place horded by mafia’s of various families carrying guns in their long leather jackets. Fortunately we didn’t encounter with the latter but it sure was spooky and intimidating when we arrived late at night at Milan. As I had observed in many San Siro matches that there was a dense fog which hung quite low I could see that this extended to the entire span of the city as well. To make matters worse our destination hostel was quite far away which required us to tread via abandoned roads and districts. We walked remembering all Italian gods at once and people whom we loved and our courage increasing with every step we took in the hope that the hostel was constructed keeping in mind that petrified tourists could reach faster. We finally found the place and then had dinner outside with a weather which could easily be mistaken for a place on a hill station and reminded me of Darjeeling. Our first stop in the morning had to be the San Siro, the fortress, for the ignorant it is the football stadium, home to two of the most successful Italian and world clubs, AC Milan and Inter Milan. Many greats have exhibited their skills here and written history in this stadium. It’s like the Mecca for soccer fanatics like me and my pilgrimage was successful. The stadium looms large over its surroundings and commands respect just by the way it is built. It is majestic and definitely an apt home for two historic clubs and for a country so crazy over the sport.

Our next stop was a castle as per our tourist map which we thought was a waste of time and quickly moved to the Duomo region which was the main area of the city. We then pampered ourselves with Italian Pizza admiring both Italian fashion and beauty. This was like unreal…..we were sitting in a fashion capital munching on authentic Italian Pizza and observing a literal ramp show in progress. The temporary Duomo Rock fair was a pleasant surprise for me but as desperate as I was to get inside Jajoo very politely reminded me of our train timings and that we cannot afford to miss anymore of them. But we were quite a rich bunch and we did afford to miss a train from Nice to Marseille on our way back.