For starters, how did I land up in Paris? Naah its no hangover story!
My internship application at Leibniz University of Hannover was accepted. So here I am, working on criminal law at a German university. So hence the Paris trip from Germany. Living in a foreign country can be a pain in the ass. But then I do not know much about it. I am staying with my sister. How convenient, aye?
Anyway, so the entire Paris trip is with my sister and her flat mate. Yeah, he agreed to accommodate me too. What luck!
This is where it all goes downhill and hence this is where all the fun begins. Germans are known for their manners and hospitality. No, they are not. The one thing they are known for is efficiency. So if you cant get to the airport in time then they arent going to make 100 other people wait on your behalf and they dont care, if your cat/ dog died and hence the delay. So it was all set up according to time. It can be a little difficult to get ready in time when there are three people and only one washroom in the house. So we have to take slots to get up and get ready. Now I do not know who gets up when, as being a 19 year old has its advantages. You generally get to take the last slot. So our flight was at 1330, hence we decided to take the 1108 tram as it would get us to the airport by 1130 which would be good enough. The only problem was that we didnt make it into the 1108 tram. Reasons are easy to understand, having a girl on-board. Enough said.
So we had to run all the way to the next tram station where we could get a bus which would take us to the airport. Only once we ran half way did someone bother rechecking what time the flight was. Voila! Turns out the luck has switched. No not for better, for worse. Yeah, the flight was at 1300 not 1330. So the running continues with renewed desperation. So we caught the bus, still made it to the airport in good enough time. Makes you see the whole "check in before a couple of hours" procedure under new light.
This was the point after all the hurrying and thumping hearts that I finally rested. The journey could only get better. After all I had the emergency exit window! Huge leg-space and in case of emergency I could say choos (which is the German for goodbye) to the rest of them and be on my way. So I was happy. Even the metal detector let me pass, so one more positive! No guy putting his hands on me today!
We would be staying in an apartment and not hotel. Seems like a popular concept in Europe. You get a much bigger house as compared to the hotels with kitchen and washing machine. Great! The only problem was we would be getting it only at 7. And we were there by 3. So four hours of Paris on foot with luggage.
Now for people who thought Bangalore airport was far from the city, well Paris airport (Charles De Gaulle) is a city in itself. You need to spend 10 Euros to just go from the airport to the city. So things started going downhill again. 30 bucks spent just to get to Paris, where we would be with our luggage for 4 hours, and no place to go to.
But it had to be done, so 30 bucks were spent and we reached Paris. We got down at some station in the centre of Paris. Well guess what! The 10 bucks you just spent cant be of use anymore. You need to spend further 6.60 if you want to travel in the Paris subway. So its 10 bucks just to go from airport to the city. So with great astonishment we decided that it had to be done. There was an information desk cum ticket counter for which the line was huge. So Jaspreet gets the job of standing in the line as we decide to give the auto-ticket counters a go, still trying to find cheaper ways to travel Paris.
And we go to the ticket counter, try to figure out a way to get the machine running in English when suddenly an Asian guy, about 50-55 comes to us and says, "Can I Helup you?"
No I didnt misspell it. Thats how he said it. So we asked him if the tickets we already purchased were of any good or how and where to get the 1-day tickets from. He told us to go stand in the line and it dawned upon us that he wasnt trying to help/helup us, but wanted to use the machine to get a ticket for himself. So we just left. The French guy standing behind him called us and took us to another machine some half a kilometer away which would give us the info and tickets. We thanked him and walked towards the machine when two men in green jumpsuits came running and right in front of us opened up the machine. Yeah, the machine was being repaired. Just as we were about to use it! Fabulous luck. So we head back, our only hope was Jaspreet had moved forward in the line. And as we make the 500 meter hike back suddenly its the Sri Lankan guy again! He looks at us and speaks angrily, "I told you go stand in that line! You is Asian People! Poeple will try to thieve you! Why you follow that guy!"
I could barely keep myself from laughing so we excused ourselves and went towards the line. Finally the ticket was ours after 20 minutes and 20 Euros. So we now visited the famous Notre Dame. Gargoyles are beautiful or ugly depending upon whether you are a crazy history freak or a realist. But no hunch backs. What a disappointment!
A closer view of the Gargoyles for the literature freaks
Next up was food, one part of life that can not be screwed up. So we went to a falafel place. It makes the biggest falafels in the world. I mean if they make it any bigger.. Well, i would love that!
Finally it was time to dump the luggage at home. So we pore through the map of Paris Underground and made it to our station. Our building it seems was built before Paris was named Paris. Its that kind of stair case where you put half a foot outside the line and boom the enitre staircase will not exist anymore. The house was decent and we ended the day with a visit to the sacre-coeur.
Dinner was at a fast food joint named as Quality Burgers with by the company Quick. What Irony. It took us 20 minutes to get our food and all we ordered was a burger and 3 fries. How long can that take! Its a burger, and a few French Fries! The only time I ate French Fires in France and it took 25 minutes, And the only time I ate at a restaurant named Quick! Should have been named Incredibly Slow!
What was coming the next day is unbelievable as the small blips turned into major craters in out Paris trip. Stay tuned for more as coming up, is "getting thieved", Eiffel Tower, the lost Indians and much more! It just keeps getting better!
Signing Off
Buckchod
Lock and Load
P.S. If you do not agree with me, and know of a place that serves bigger falafels then please lemme know where.
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