Like last year’s tour to Far East, this year we went for the conducted tour to Europe and UK, encompassing several countries viz. France, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Holland, England and Scotland. The first leg of our European experience started with France, where we flown in early morning from Dubai. At Paris airport, our coach with young Dutch coach captain picked us up with all our luggage.
First day at Paris, we went on Seine river cruise that took us through old heritages of large buildings with sculptures that remind us of its history as narrated throughout the journey. Seine River like our own Ganges, Yamuna needs face lift through cleaning; still it was better than Venice water ways, which are not only dirty but stinking at places! Evening in Paris was spent on sight seeing from Eiffel Tower, where sudden shower was spoilt sport. Champ-se-Elise and Arc the Triumph in their grandeur are splendid. We spent second day at Euro Disneyland, close to Holiday Inn hotel where we stayed, but quite distant from down town of Paris. Third morning we went to Louver Museum (Da Vinci Code fame now) and threading through pouring visitors, we saw great paintings and statues and finally Mona Lisa (rather small for the ambience and its great popularity). In the afternoon, we went to local railway station with hand luggage (as our coach with large suitcases and other luggage left for Nice a day earlier) to catch famous TGV (fastest train) to Nice, which is at Mediterranean coast, nearly 1000 Kms away. We reached in about 5-1/2 hours while watching the landscape country side with towns fast passing by and met some visitors like us but from other countries to exchange pleasantries and have small talks. Strangely enough, this journey itself was an experience, which can not be conceived in our country with unbridled population and consequent hurdles.
After spending the night at Hotel Comfort at Antibes, next day we left early morning for Monte Carlo after orientation of Nice and spent some time at Marine Land with sea horse and dolphin shows like that in Thailand Safari Park. The travel on road by coach was most appropriate to see and enjoy the beautiful sights of Mediterranean and its hilly terrains with houses in their lap right through serpentine coastal road. We had a break on the way to visit a Perfume House that demonstrates actual perfume making with its process, which signifies why the cost of the product is so high. On the way we went through Monte Carlo and Monaco and spent some time going through the palace apart from our lunch. Rightly it is the play ground for rich and famous as the leisure can be enjoyed with ample provisions in the form of night clubs, casinos, racing tracks, mountain and beaches. Here, time also rests as it seems!