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It has been umpteen number of times that I dreamt of visiting Europe. When my plans of visiting Europe in Nov 1999 went haywire, I resolved to make Europe my honeymoon destination. And fortunately, so it was. But making this trip a reality was no mean task.
Well, I got married in February and an immediate visit to Europe was obviously desirable. That was not to be, because most of the travel companies never conducted Europe tours till the beginning of April, when winter would be bearable for Indians. Indians were never known to have a liking for extreme winters and accompanying winter sports! Come April and the newspapers had Europe tour advertisements strewn liberally. The big names of the travel/vacation industry bent double, to cash in on the tourist spending boom with enticing promotions, installment plans to pay off the vacation costs, and offers of free vacations in the future. Noticeable among these were Thomas Cook, SOTC and Cox&Kings. I was not fazed by these promotions and set about comparing the tour costs by the letter. As expected, there was a lot of fine print that required reading between the lines. After deliberations with my wife Vidya, our verdict was Thomas Cook. We decided on the ‘European Extravaganza’ tour, that journeyed eight countries over a span of 14 days.
I wasted no time in setting the ball rolling, as this trip required three visas – UK, Switzerland and the Chengen countries. We made a personal appearance at the UK consulate in Madras to obtain the visa. The other visas were arranged by Thomas Cook. I paid Thomas Cook several visits to buy travelers checks and currency, submit documents for the visas and obtain information on the travel. The tour would originate from Bombay and I had to make the travel arrangements from Bangalore to Bombay. We decided to leave for Europe on April 26 th and accordingly, planned to fly out of Bangalore late evening on the April 25 th . The agent at Thomas Cook was very reassuring in our interactions and promised to give us all the travel documents on the day of the departure to Bombay. As the red letter day drew nearer, I kept on reconfirming with Thomas Cook about the passports, visas and travel insurance. Packing our bags proved to be an artful exercise, given the measly limit of 20 kgs per passenger on Europe-bound flights. Things were happening on schedule. Or so it seemed till the travel agents informed me on April 24 th that a state-wide bandh was to be observed in Bombay the following day. The repercussions immediately dawned on me – flights could be cancelled or postponed, traffic in Bombay would come to a standstill and possibly much worse scenarios like arson. Acting on the advise of the agent, I decided to prepone the Bombay-bound flight to the following afternoon. However, my worst fears were confirmed when Thomas Cook expressed their inability to provide my travel documents in Bangalore. They asked me to collect the documents at Bombay, when they would be brought in person by the pilot of a flight from Delhi. Even as we boarded the Bombay flight on April 25 th , my apprehensions persisted. Another series of phone calls followed and I was advised to pick up the document packet from the cargo section of the domestic terminal at Bombay. Tension mounted as we left for the airport at 7.30pm in search of the elusive documents. After running around to creepy corners of the airport, we finally got hold of the passports. I heaved a sigh of relief as we proceeded to the international airport. The remaining procedures on the international travel were incident free. We headed for Amsterdam by the NorthWest flight at 1am on the April 26 th .
April 26th :
Amsterdam welcomed us with a nippy breeze and murky skies. I was surprised when Vidya exulted at the cold weather. She usually cuddles under the blanket wraps even in summer. After a brief stopover at the airport, we resumed our journey to Frankfurt. We made some friends on this flight, who were also on the same tour. Frankfurt was less colder but windy. After collecting our bags and clearing customs, we were met by the tour manager Mr.Mehernosh Mehta and his assistant Mr.Joseph. While we waited for the remaining entourage to collect their bags, we were advised by Mehta to get some Deutsche Marks at the foreign exchange counter. We quickly pooled in our money to reduce the commission charges, in the process making some more acquaintances.
At about noon, we were led to the bus that was to be a major part of our tour. The bus is commonly called a coach and indeed so. The coach had an amazingly huge luggage compartment, air conditioning, video, public address system and other facilities. The driver gently hauled and stacked our luggage in the compartment and we headed for Heidelberg. The drive was to be over an hour and Mehta lost no time in making the introductions. The German driver was called Lothar and Mehta quickly gave us a memory tip that this name took after the famous captain of the German soccer team. Mehta himself had conducted such tours close to fifty times and Joseph (Joe) was to get trained during this tour to be able to handle it by himself in the future. Joe’s responsibility among other things was to verify the count of the persons on board every time the coach departed for a new destination. He was to be pulled up by almost everyone throughout the tour for his innate ability to count ;>) Mehta summarized the tour itinerary and stressed the importance of punctuality.
Mehta also gave a running commentary on Germany that invariably had to include a reference to the famous Autobahn. Autobahn is the famous motorway of Germany that specifies no speed limits for cars and bikes. The American freeway is rumored to have been designed after the Autobahn. The liberty on speeds was evident as cars whizzed past our coach into oblivion in fractions of a second. The speed can very well be imagined if our coach itself was coasting at a steady 110kmph. We were informed that coaches and trucks did have a speed limit for safety reasons. The German way of ensuring adherence to speed limits is by having a disk that is attached to the odometer that records the speed whenever the threshold is exceeded. And it is required for the vehicles to turn in the disc for inspection at periodic intervals. As we approached Heidelberg, everyone in the bus underwent pangs of hunger and forced Mehta to stop over at McDonalds for lunch. Most of the taxis plying in this old city were Mercedes Benz and this was indeed a strange sight. We started putting our cameras and camcorders to work. Vidya felt the first anguish of obtaining a decent vegetarian food in Europe. With Joe’s help, we hit upon a burger that closely resembled a vegetable cutlet. Of course, the milk shakes came to our rescue. We reached the hilltop of Heidelberg at about 2pm.
The Heidelberg castle on this hill is one of the most important historical landmarks of Germany, that encapsulates the medieval and renaissance periods. As we stepped out, it was very chilly aided favorably with strong winds and dark clouds. Soon after, it started raining. We were visibly upset that foul weather intervened in our tour. But then European weather is notorious for being unpredictable. We walked among the ruins of this majestic castle towards the huge wine vat inside. The story goes that the ruler of this city was so obsessed with liquor that he insisted his subjects to fill the vat with wine in lieu of taxes. The monstrous wooden vat has a capacity of 58000 gallons! We walked around and over the cylindrical vat and then saw the infamous ruler cast in metal at one corner of the vat – appropriately holding a glass of wine. As we stepped out to the castle parapet, the sun shone down upon us amidst clear blue skies. The view was awesome, with the old town of Altstadt way below in the valley set against the river Neckar and the lush green mountains. On our way back to the coach, we stepped inside the museum of medicine that showcased the progress of German medicine and pharmaceuticals over the centuries.
Our coach then drove us past the countryside passing through pretty little towns and beautiful scenery, to the Hotel Mercure in Heppenheim. This drive took us about 2 hours, leading us to question the sanity of going back to Heidelberg again in the evening for dinner. Mehta comforted us by saying we would need a break to be fresh again. Lothar downloaded our luggage for us to check into the hotel. Everyone was very eager to stretch their bodies after an eventful day, and soon realized the worth of Mehta’s advise. But Mehta gently warned us of the strict penalties by the hotel for overloading of the elevator. (50000 Deutsche Marks for incapacitating the lift) We refreshed and then boarded the coach to the old town of Altstadt. This time around, the drive was on the super-fast Autobahn and we reached there in thirty minutes flat. Mehta led us to the market square and asked us to assemble there after two hours for dinner. The crowd scattered and we started shopping for souvenirs and walked down the narrow alleys and cobble-stoned streets of this old town. We braved the cold wind and visited the banks of the Neckar and the church of the Holy Spirit, and assembled at the Hercules fountain, in time for dinner. It was 7pm and there were no signs of darkness, as we walked up to India Palace for a buffet dinner. The restaurant was tastefully decorated with antiques depicting the richness of Indian art and culture. The food was tasty along with the warm comfort of the interiors. When we stepped out at 8.30pm, it was still twilight. This was to be a common phenomenon all across Europe. As the sun descended, the chill increased and we were warned to wear better woolen clothing for the remaining part of the tour. The coach drove us back to Heppenheim and Mehta gave a briefing of the schedule for the next day. In Mehta’s own words – “There will be a wake up call at 6am, check out of the hotel and bring down your bags by 7am and finish breakfast by 8am”. This was so often repeated that most of us still abide by the instructions entrenched in our minds ;>) We concluded an exciting day, with visions of a wonderful holiday ahead.
Souvenirs: Wooden engraving of Heidelberg
Exchange: 1 USD ~ 2 Deutsche Marks
April 27th:
We religiously followed Mehta’s schedule and were ready on the coach by 8.15am. In spite of Mehta’s reminders, some people on the tour forgot to turn in their keys at the hotel front desk. This lapse of memory diminished by the day and after a week, no such incidents recurred. What a relief to Mehta! No wonder he complimented our group on being such a nice crowd ;>) The breakfast was continental and Vidya got used to eating bread and cereal with pure orange juice. We headed for Titissee set amidst the black pine forest of Germany. Mehta collected the money for the optional tours after a brief introduction of each tour. We subscribed for ‘Mt.Titlis’ and ‘Paris by night’, at a cost of USD 115 per head. To overcome the monotonous long drive, each of the group members introduced themselves. After the introductions, it was time for the most popular game – ‘Antakshari’, jokes and funny anecdotes. One of the members on the tour Brian, who worked in a resort in Goa had a great sense of humor, recalling some hilarious incidents in his profession, coupled with mimicry and good-natured jokes. He was undoubtedly the most loved person on the tour. I contributed some Sardar and blonde jokes.
As we drove into the mountains, thick dark green vegetation surrounded us. This dark green fauna presents a black color from a distance, dubbing it as the ‘Black Forest’. After a pleasant drive of about 4 hours, we arrived at the famous Drubba clock shop in the Titissee valley. Titissee is a small town around a lake by the same name. Drubba is known for producing the world-famous cuckoo clocks, and the shop itself is designed like a cuckoo clock. We were led to the basement for a demonstration of the cuckoo clock. The demonstration included the production of the cuckoo sound, the external grandeur of the woodwork and the clockwork. We were persuaded to buy a cuckoo clock with enticing discount coupons for Thomas Cook. The range of clocks on display was mind-boggling. We hit upon a decently priced clock and a doll of a witch. We exercised extreme caution in packing this clock as this would very likely be the most valued and fragile souvenir on the tour. Then, we tasted the worst lunch on the tour, as we lunched on a baked vegetable spaghetti and mineral water, that bit our tongues with it’s fiery soda. Though this place is also renowned for the Black Forest cake, we desisted from the unpleasant smell of the cake that emanated from the liquor in it. This is a pretty vindictive statement against alcoholics, and I apologize. To fill some time, Vidya also ventured to set her bare foot in the cold waters of the lake.
We crossed into northern Switzerland, passing green landscapes and headed to Schaffhausen. Schaffhausen is home to the spectacular Rheinfall of the Rhine river. We had a fleeting glance through the woods as our bus turned into the parking lot. This was a scaled down version of the Niagara though the rapids were evident. We waited for about fifteen minutes, for the boat ride that would take us near the falls. The boat took us to the foot of a steep rock that overlooked the falls. The boat rocked as we neared the gushing waters. The ascent to the top of the rock was in a single file as the summit was overcrowded. Once atop, we had an amazing view of the white froth generated by the waters vertically below. The roaring waters in mind, we headed for Zurich. But not after some tense moments, when one of the families on the tour misplaced their camera and miraculously recovered it from the ‘Lost and Found’ office.
Zurich, the largest city and the commercial capital of Switzerland, was very picturesque with a tall stepped fountain in the middle of Lake Zurich, surrounded by the city dotting the green hillside and the white Alps in the distance. We stopped a brief while for photographs while absorbing the natural beauty abounding in the region.
As we headed upwards to Engelberg, the lake of Zurich accompanied us and the white Alps moved closer. With every passing kilometer, the crowd in the bus edged near the windows to have a glimpse of the famous Swiss Alps. We were excited at the prospect of staying put in the middle of the ice-covered mountains for the next two days.
We arrived at Hotel Bellevue Terminus in Engelberg at 7pm. As we alighted, we sighted huge chunks of ice alongside the road, and wasted no time in digging at it with our bare hands. It had snowed the previous day! We were given a room on the third floor, with fabulous views of the Alps on two sides. For the first time (which was also to be the last), we used the tripod to capture ourselves on camera with the white background of the
ice-covered peaks.
As dusk descended, the peaks assumed an eerie blue color and we walked to Hotel Treff for dinner. Thomas Cook had arranged for an Indian chef to prepare some wonderful North Indian buffet. We feasted on the tasty hot food with sparkling water, in dire contrast to the awful lunch.
We turned off the heaters in our room and let in the fresh, cold air as we retired for the night.
Souvenirs: Cuckoo clock, Witch doll
April 28th:
After a modest breakfast, we went across the road to get Swiss Francs. Then, we had a short drive to the base of Mount Titlis. Titlis is the tallest peak in Central Switzerland famous for winter pastime. Engelberg serves as the ideal winter resort at stone’s throw from the base of Titlis. The ascent to the top of Titlis is by a series of cable cars. It was amazing to see how the Swiss leveraged the Alps for tourist revenue. We assembled at the ticket counter for the cable cars as Mehta completed the formalities. It was then I noticed that there were very few ladies on the tour who were ill-prepared for the extreme temperatures that existed at the top. The skiing report on the television indicated –8 degrees centigrade. Several enthusiastic skiers braced themselves for the icy conditions by donning thick spiked shoes, leather and fur jackets and woolen gloves. My worries were reinforced when Mehta and Joe also expressed concern about the lack of shoes for Vidya and our poor woolen clothing. We only had sweaters, a scarf and a shawl. After a desperate attempt in vain to buy shoes for Vidya, we got solace when one of the skiers informed us of shoe rentals at the top.
Then, we started the ascent in the first cable car towards Trubsee. This was a closed cable car but we opened the windows nevertheless, to absorb the beauty of the surroundings and the changing temperature. As we climbed the gradient to about 3000 ft, we could see the perfect picture-postcard town of Engelberg down below, complete with a well-defined rectangular lake, green meadows, brown and white mountains and the small buildings dotting the landscape. This photo has come out rather nicely and will be a treasure for my lifetime. We made another transit at Trubsee and dismounted at an altitude of about 7000 ft. The mountains were no longer green and most of the houses and trees on the slopes were covered in white flakes of ice. We could see the snaking ski trails down below, well marked in the white snow. Then, we boarded the world’s first revolving cable car – aptly called ‘RotAir’ that would take us up to Mt.Titlis at a height of 10,000 ft. The views were breathtaking as RotAir gave everyone a glimpse of the splendor of the Alps. There was hardly anything other than white all around. As the sun peeped out, the sparkling ice was a sight to cherish. Not surprisingly, RotAir did not have windows that could be opened. As we reached the Terrace at Titlis, we could sense the extreme weather prevailing outside. We headed for the shoe rentals. Another hitch – they couldn’t rent out shoes without socks. So, I offered my socks and Vidya was able to get into the snow boots.
We first walked gingerly into the ‘Ice-Cave’ –a nice looking, white cave carved out of the ice. As expected, it was dark, slippery and eerily cold. As we walked out of the cave to the open, nippy weather greeted us. It was a paradise of paradoxes as we shivered but at the same time, enjoyed the extreme dip in the mercury. We paused for photographs of the panorama and simply loved getting frozen. Then, we had the most ‘chilling’ experience of our lives! As we grabbed the sand-like snow with our bare hands with childish delight and threw it at one another, we realized almost instantly that our hands were frozen in time and space. We dropped the ice and rubbed our palms vigorously to rekindle the sensation in the dead limbs.
As the sun peeped out, the ice-covered peaks glistened magnifying the brightness of the Alpine scenery. We saw enthusiastic skiers racing down the cliffs with gay abandon. We could hear the constant hum of a giant bulldozer clearing away the snow for the tourists. How the Swiss managed to get a bulldozer up there is anyone’s guess. It was baffling to see many people using their mobile phones at such heights.
Ice-Flyer was one of the recent attractions atop Mt Titlis, where we could descend to the Titlis glacier in an open vehicle that resembled a roller-coaster. After throwing our inhibitions to the air, we boarded the cable car on the Ice Flyer ride. We strapped our hands and feet and rapidly moved towards the glacier, with cold winds blowing snow on our faces. The glacier offered unparalleled views of the mountains. We carved our names in the white mounds of snow that resembled giant scoops of vanilla ice cream, and savored the purity of the ice. I also enjoyed a fall when I tried chasing Vidya and ended up with frozen bottoms. Time seemed an eternity as we frolicked in the snow for more than an hour.
Finally, it was time to return to the warm reality of the Terrace and end our reverie reluctantly. This was one unforgettable experience!
The white hillsides bid us farewell as we boarded the coach to Lucerne. We reached Lucerne in about an hour and walked to the Lion Monument. The monument is a statue of a wounded lion in tears, in memory of the brave Swiss soldiers who fought in the French revolution. The monument is hewn on a limestone cliff.
We approached Bucherer, our one-stop shop for all Swiss purchases. ‘Thomas Cook gets special discounts’ – we were told by Mehta. On our way to Bucherer, I set my sight on an Indian restaurant Kanchi. With no other volunteers for Indian lunch (Strangely enough, all the others seemed content grazing on fresh vegetables, pizza and other Western atrocities that they call food ;>), me and Vidya walked to Kanchi and feasted (!!!) on Basmati rice and Dal.
Bucherer comprised of three floors of exquisite Swiss watches, jewelry, knives, chocolates and rich metal artwork. We passed the Rolex and Tissot watch sections without much ado. My dream of buying a Swiss watch in Switzerland was fulfilled as we agreed on a good looking gray Swatch. Picking a Swiss knife from the cornucopia was a challenge and took us some time before we struck a balance between utility and price. Chocolates was easy as we sampled liberally from all the sections into our basket. One particular packaging that caught our attention was a milk can hosting the delectable chocolates, that surprisingly looked like the rural Indian aluminium milk containers that hang precariously on either side of the milkman’s bicycle. Bucherer offered to engrave our names on the Swiss knife within an hour. Giving them the details, we walked to Kappelbrucke, the oldest covered wooden bridge in the world. Lucerne was decorated with the vibrant colors of little children teeming the bridge and joyous music rendered by various bands. We learnt later that this was Lucerne’s unique way of welcoming the first day of summer. When we returned to Bucherer, the knife was ready but with Vidya’s name elongated by another letter as ‘Vidaya’. As we brought it to their attention, we were impressed with the speed at which the engraved knife was disposed off and replaced by another knife with the right lettering. We then spent some time munching hot popcorn at the lakeside. It was dusk when we returned to Engelberg with lasting memories of a lifetime.
Souvenirs: Titlis Cowbell, Swiss knife, Swiss chocolates, Swatch
Exchange: 1 USD ~ 1.65 Swiss Francs
April 29th:
The day started with a briefing of Italy, where we would spend the next four days of our tour. “Beware of pickpockets and bag snatchers” – Mehta warned us. “And always stay with the group”. Some more instructions followed, reminding us of tourist guides on Indian tours. We passed through the Italian speaking region of Switzerland, where the road signage immediately changed into Italian, akin to the language transition on Indian roads. The drive was pleasant in the mountainous terrain, with the lesser white Italian Alps in the horizon. We raced through two long tunnels, one 14 kms long and the other St Gotthard, being a miserly 17 kms long! At about noon, we reached the Italian border and converted our money into Italian Liras. It was overwhelming to deal with thousands of Liras. We felt like millionaires but it was humbling to shell out ten thousand Liras for coffee and tea. Most Italian words end in vowels, a strange contrast to the English language. We moved into Italy and had a quick lunch at Bouli along the Italian highway. The weather was humid and dry. We reached Venice at 4pm. “Venice is comprised of several islands and is one of the major ports on the Adriatic Sea” we were told. The coach parked at Trunchetto, along the Adriatic Sea. We then basked in the hot sun while we waited for the boat that would take us to Venice. I observed that most people in Venice including boat operators, tourist guides and shopkeepers communicated by mobile phones. Later in the tour, I could extrapolate this observation throughout Italy. The ubiquitous mobiles were there to stay! The boat cut through the dirty waters and dropped us off at the pier in Venice. “Venice doesn’t allow motorists inside, the bridges are meant for pedestrians alone and the most common means of transport within Venice is by gondolas” – Mehta informed us. As we alighted, the huge crowds thronging the city justified Mehta’s warning not to stray from our party. Mehta led us to the most popular and photographed square in the world – St Marks square, holding up the red and black Thomas Cook cap for directions. We paused at the entrance of the Basilica to gain entry into Murano’s Glass Factory. Venice is also famous for glass work. After Mehta indicated the time and venue for assembling, we walked up into Murano’s where an experienced glass blower demonstrated his skills by quickly producing a decorative flower vase out of molten glass. Naturally, we were directed to the glass shop soon after. Despite the sales charm of the guide, most of us were held back by the prohibitive prices of the glass items on display. Vidya bought a pair of attractive crystal earrings, that fit in our budget. Meanwhile Mehta explored the possibility of taking us on a Gondola ride. Gondola is a long, narrow, flat-bottomed boat navigated by oar-wielding men that moves through the canals of Venice. As we walked out of Murano’s, we were asked to abort the gondola rides, as the boatmen were too greedy on that day. Mehta quoted them as asking for an astronomical 300000 Liras for 6 people. The gondola ride being abandoned, we were left planning how to spend the next couple of hours. Me and Vidya reluctantly walked through the narrow lanes and bridges, lined with shops on either side. For an unexplained reason, most of them exhibited an assortment of masks. All avenues for passing time dwindled – the Basilica was closed, we couldn’t locate the entrance to the Doge’s palace and there was a long winding queue to the Bell Tower. The Bell Tower was purported to offer a superb view of Venice. But the sea of humanity ensured otherwise. We spent the remaining time photographing the square and chatting
over a cup of coffee. As we headed back to the mainland at 6.30pm, Mehta indicated the Bridge of Sighs on the left. “Prisoners who walked to their death sighed at the last glance of Venice through the windows as they crossed this bridge” – we were told. This was definitely a very uninteresting day. Our mood continued to plummet, when we encountered a severe traffic jam on the highway. After an agonizing crawl for two hours, we finally reached the Europa Hotel in time for an Italian dinner. The lack of
air-conditioning in the rooms completed a lackluster day.
Souvenirs: Crystal earrings
Exchange: 1 USD ~ 2000 Italian Lira
April 30th:
Most of the day was spent in the coach traveling to Florence. We stopped for lunch and leather shopping at Florence Fashion Center. Once again, we were content with window shopping after one glance at the exorbitant prices. After much contemplation, we desisted from buying a model of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. We had a decent lunch comprising of well-cooked spinach at the Kanguro, near the Fashion Center.
Towards mid afternoon, we drove up to Piazza Michelangelo. From here, we had a bird’s eye view of the beautiful city of Florence with the majestic red dome of the Cathedral, set in the lap of the Appennines mountains along the Arno river. The most important attraction in this square was the naked Statue of David, sculpted in marble by the peerless Michelangelo. Despite protests from perverted minds, we still posed in front of the statue and bought a souvenir of the alert David waiting for his enemy Goliath. Vidya also lapped up another pair of earrings. “Florence Nightingale was not from Florence…she was from England” Mehta answered our inquisitive query, recalling our historical memory with a jolt.
We headed for our hotel early in anticipation of a long day ahead in Rome. However, it was not to be. Our hotel ‘Marco Simone Golf Club’, was a new venture for Thomas Cook and we located the place after a long hunt. Lothar was kind enough to keep us occupied by screening the Hindi movie “Mission Kashmir”. The resort was very cozy and roomy. A home-made Indian dinner completed the day.
Souvenirs: Earrings, Statue of David
May 1st:
We started the day at 8am after a decent breakfast. Public transport was prohibited inside the city of Rome. We got out of the coach and waited for the city tour guide. Soon after, a flashy woman sporting red dyed hair and thick hard shoes introduced herself as the guide – “My name is Luisa and I welcome you to our country”. She warned us of getting lost in Rome very easily unless we kept pace with our group. To this effect, she raised a folded flag up above her head claiming it to be her insignia. “Always look for this flag…and you will never get lost” she instructed in an Italian accent. She started the guided tour at a fast pace, walking past stone pavements towards Vatican City. We walked into a circular opening, surrounded by tall pillars on all sides. “We have just now entered the Vatican City, the smallest independent country in the world with an area of 0.5 sq kms” Luisa explained. Her Italian accent was very comprehensible, as we huddled around her to listen to her stories. The entire area was covered by neat stacks of chairs. Luisa pointed out the Pope’s residence and the window at which he appears for public blessing. Then, we gazed at the colossal structure of St Peter’s Basilica, that took 128 years to build. Luisa briefed us on the history of the Church and gave us twenty minutes to reassemble after visiting the Basilica. We hurried inside and gaped at the architectural beauty designed by Michelangelo. The Christians in our group offered their prayers while we appreciated the sculptures adorning the walls. The Statue of Mother Mary carrying the dying Jesus was a great work of art. As we walked out, we noticed two colorful Swiss guards at the entrance to the Vatican. “The Pope entrusts his personal security only to the Swiss guards, to acknowledge their selfless efforts in protecting one of the first Popes in history” Luisa justified. We began to like Luisa for her friendly answers to our immature questions.
Then, we waited for the bus J5 to the Colosseum. As we walked to the Colosseum through the Arch of Constantine, Luisa pointed out the ruins of the first Roman civilization on the Palatine Hill. Luisa demonstrated a great awareness of the cultural history of Rome and nicely related the purpose of the Colosseum with references to the recent Hollywood blockbuster “The Gladiator”. She indicated the broken walls of the amphitheater and cleared our understanding – “The Roman citizens were solely responsible for ruining this ancient architectural wonder. During the not-so-prosperous era of Roman history, the metal nails and concrete used in the Colosseum were extracted for building churches and houses. This explains why most of the walls are broken and why those innumerable holes exist”. We walked into the playing field of the erstwhile gladiatorial combats and the sheer cruelty of the Roman empire sent chills down my spine. This structure was capable of holding 50,000 people who cheered and booed the do-or-die battle between humans or human and animal. As we walked out, we saw many Romans dressed in gladiatorial attire, complete with a feathered metal cap. For two dollars, me and Vidya enjoyed being attacked by the swords and captured on film.
We began the long walk towards the Trevi fountain. We passed through archeological sites, the Roman Forum ruins – the ancient seats of commerce and religion, Venice Square and the gigantic Victor Emmanuel Monument. “In spite of it’s grandeur, the Victor Emmanuel monument is an eyesore to the Romans, who love ridiculing it as the wedding cake structure” said Luisa.
We crossed narrow alleys and bustling roads to the Trevi fountain. Luisa explained the reasoning behind her red hair – “My husband loves an Italian soccer team whose flag is red. I thought he might love me more if my hair was his favorite color!” Luisa and Joe cautioned us against pick pockets. Trevi Fountain is one of the most elaborate fountains in Rome, with beautiful carvings of Roman gods including Neptune, the god of the sea. It was difficult to capture the fountain in one frame. “Legend has it that tossing a coin into the fountain in a specific manner will bring you back to Rome some day” smiled Luisa. We tossed 200 Liras into the clear water, turning our backs to the fountain and crossing our right hand over the left shoulder.
We saw an interesting souvenir of a wooden alphabet train on the pavement. We knelt down to examine it and immediately set about buying. When we looked up, the group had vanished and we felt a pang of fear. After a few minutes of heartburn, we were relieved to see Luisa beckoning us with her flag. Luisa led us to India House for lunch after a thirty minute gallop. The entire group was famished and tired when we dragged our feet into the restaurant. The aroma of fresh poori, sambhar and soup-like hot rasam made it seem well worth the effort. Luisa was passionate about Italian food and consumed only a couple of pooris.
After lunch, Luisa got us aboard a tram to head back to our coach. She stole our affection in half a day and this was evident in our farewell. Our next destination was Pisa, estimated to be a four hour journey.
The sun started disappearing over the horizon as we neared Pisa. It was a blessing in disguise that dusk settles in very late in Europe. As we entered the ‘Field of Miracles’, the Cathedral, Baptistery and the Bell Tower, better known as the Leaning Tower of Pisa (another world wonder), presented a glowing look in the twilight. We observed how the Leaning Tower was resurrected with lead weights. It was unfortunate that the tower was closed to the public. It is scheduled to be thrown open to the crowds later this year. We bought a nice lighted souvenir of the Leaning Tower. It was funny to see all items in the shop having a tilt – inclined mugs, pen stands and dolls. Most of the restaurants in the area were closed on May Day. We settled for an Italian dinner at one of the few open eateries near the Leaning Tower, and moved into Hotel Granduca for the night.
Souvenirs: Colosseum, Leaning Tower of Pisa
May 2nd:
It was a day well spent in the bus! The eight hour journey to Geneva took us through a train of tunnels in quick succession. We passed through Genova and had a fleeting glance of the Mediterranean Sea in one of the small clearings between the tunnels. We crossed into Switzerland once again and the land of lakes welcomed us. We coaxed Mehta into making an unscheduled stop at a park beside the Lake Annecy. Annecy was a little town with unsurpassed natural wealth. We managed to borrow a fishing rod from a Swiss lady and took photos holding it.
It was evening when we entered the Rose Garden in Geneva. Geneva is home to most international organizations and is known for it’s watch and jewelry industry. The garden was colorful with tulips and daffodils, but the absence of roses was conspicuous. The garden opened out to Lake Geneva. We got down at the lakefront marked by two statues indicating the unification of Geneva with Switzerland. Lake Geneva, the largest lake in Central Europe, straddles Switzerland and France. It also hosts Jet d’Eau, the tallest fountain in Europe spurting water to a height of 400ft. We walked through the moist spray towards the symbol of Geneva –the Floral Clock. The sunlight and the fountain spray combined to produce a spectrum of colors. The Floral Clock was a letdown, paling in comparison to the home-grown clock in Bangalore’s Lalbagh.
The coach drove us through the commercial district of Geneva, pausing for photographs at the United Nations building and the Red Cross Society. One of the intersections exhibited a large wooden chair with broken legs, put up to disapprove the use of landmines by the bad elements of society. Mehta drew our attention to the Continental Hotel, where Gorbachev and Reagan signed a milestone agreement that ended the cold war.
Dinner was at Darshana in the heart of Geneva. Me and Vidya dashed to a nearby shop to buy a calling card. After a thirty minute drive, we checked into Hotel Tulip Inn.
May 3rd :
Since we had opted out of the Laussane tour, we were not disturbed by the early wake up call. We had a late breakfast, where we befriended a Srilankan waitress from Madras. After a great length of investigation, we decided to go to the airport and settle for a
non-Indian lunch. The hotel’s free shuttle dropped us at the Geneva airport in no time. As our eyes wandered in search of the restaurant sign, we chanced upon the foreign exchange counter. As the transaction was about to begin, the representative honestly disclosed the commission fee and politely advised us to use the vending machine nearby to avoid the fee. We approved of their work ethics with an inner feeling of euphoria. The next thirty minutes were spent in elaborate mathematics aimed at reducing the coins in my wallet. For the uninformed, it helps to keep the coins at a minimum, because the foreign exchange counters rarely if ever accept coins. Armed with a load of Swiss and French Francs, we walked into the airport terminal for lunch. After nearly a week, we had a gratifying Panini which was a grilled sandwich with spicy fried brinjal, tomato and some other unidentified vegetable. We spent the remainder of the afternoon waiting for the other folks to show up. Towards evening, we took the coach to a nearby town for dinner at ‘Lakshmi’. I can still recall the taste of the excellent kulfi served that night. The exploration of the vending machine capabilities at the airport proved to be my undoing, as several people on the tour requested my consulting services till late in the night.
Exchange: 1 Swiss Franc ~ 4 French Francs
May 4th:
We spent the better part of the day in the bus traveling to the land of fashion – Paris. It was late afternoon when we checked into the towering Novotel off the Bagnolet (pronounced Banyoley) exit. The hotel was located near Auckan, a departmental superstore. We relaxed while some spirited women explored the perfumes and outfits at Auckan. As we stepped out for dinner, the icy wind bit into our faces as we raced to the comfort of the bus. The coach took us through the busy roads of Paris to Hotel Arjuna. Mehta indicated landmarks as they passed by. We had a deliberate slow dinner at the cramped Arjuna, as we waited for nightfall to start the optional ‘Paris by night’ excursion.
At 9pm, we approached the banks of the river Seine for the night cruise. The smart Mehta set our expectations as he stepped out to the cruise office – “I’m very doubtful if the boats are operating tonight. I just found out the river is flowing above danger levels and most boats have docked. Keep your fingers crossed and I will see what best I can do” This was followed by moans of dismay. There was little Mehta could do by way of cruise, but he quickly offered to take us on the city tour by bus. The coach drove us uphill from where we could see the lighted Eiffel Tower in all its’ glory. Streams of sparkling white light flowed down the Tower enhancing the beauty of this 300m wrought-iron creation. We were oblivious of the freezing weather, as we gaped at the lit wonder. We passed through the tunnel where Princess Diana met a cruel tryst with destiny. The road above hosted a fire monument in her memory. We had a photo stop at the Arc de Triomphe with the continually burning flame, and at the illuminated giant wheel that mimicked the London Eye. From here, we could see the famous Champs Elysees (pronounced Shaaz Elisee) thoroughfare with bright rows of lights, against the backdrop of the Arc de Triomphe. We then circled around the Invalides which housed Napolean’s tomb and a military hospital. The tomb was discernible by a glittering gold figurine at the top. Then, we passed the newly constructed Opera House and into the red districts of Paris. The clock was nearing twelve when we retired for the night.
May 5th:
The guided city tour started at 9am after a mediocre breakfast. The guide’s English had a French accent that was too overwhelming. We crossed the Seine over the Alexander bridge and went up the left bank to the University of Paris. Students were meticulously lining up outside the closed library. We hovered lazily for a while before the chill wind caught up with us. We resumed the tour with a brighter view of the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Opera House, the giant wheel and the Champs Elysees. The commentary was redundant as Mehta had done a good job the previous night. We observed that most buildings were surprisingly new because of a government regulation to keep them clean.
The guide then led us by walk to the imposing Notre Dame Cathedral. The architecture was reminiscent of Roman churches with little sculptures adorning the arches above the doors. We managed to gain entry despite the large tourist gathering. Large colored windows threw a crisscross of multihued sun rays on the pedestal. The colored paintings on the walls glittered even in the dull interiors. A metallic voice suddenly announced “Shhhhhhhh…Please keep silence. Merci” On our exit, we exchanged ten francs for a heavy, shining coin embossed with an image of the Notre Dame Cathedral.
We cut across the Louvre Museum and the famous glass pyramid at it’s entrance. Louvre, originally a grand French palace was later converted to an art museum and boasts of the finest collection of art and sculpture, including the Mona Lisa. I had harbored a secret desire to see Leonardo’s greatest work but Mehta dismissed it quickly, saying it was not on the itinerary.
We reached the northern foot of the Eiffel Tower to begin our ascent. The resourceful Mehta compensated for missing the cruise on Seine, with a surprise ticket to the very top of the Eiffel Tower. We had to put up with hostile weather for about an hour before we boarded the elevator to the first level. As I walked out to the balcony on the first level, my hands froze while I consumed the breathtaking views of Paris down below. The resplendent golden domes served rich reminders of Parisian history. The elevator to the second level landed us in a circular viewing area covered by glass. This brought back nostalgic memories of New York’s World Trade Center. The view here was not noticeably different from the first level. We greedily bargained with the many Pakistanis at the foot of the Tower for souvenirs.
Lunch was at McDonalds near the Louvre. Mehta then led us to Benlux, a duty free perfume shop just opposite the Louvre. The store guide baited us by offering a free perfume bottle for guessing the right answer to a question on an old Hindi movie. As expected, we were out of sorts. The lucky winner was Mrs.Palkiwala. We spent two hours sniffing like police dogs and finally settled for two exotic French perfumes, one for either gender. I made good of the remaining time by dashing across the street to the Louvre museum and buying a large portrait of Mona Lisa. I consoled myself with this purchase from the museum that hosted the original. We went back to the Novotel at four in the evening.
Me and Vidya spent the next hour at Auckan. It was Vidya’s first experience of a shopping mall and she was excited at the multiplicity of items on display. Dinner was delayed and we quickly packed one suitcase for our return to India.
Most of the tour members were dressed formally for the Lido show later in the night. We had dinner again at Arjuna. On our way back, the bus dropped off the ‘Lido’ people at the famous cabaret show of Paris and moved on to the hotel.
A very tiring day came to an end.
Souvenirs: Coin with Notre Dame engraving, Eiffel Tower, Perfumes, Champagne fridge magnet
May 6th:
Another dull breakfast and we hit the road to Amsterdam. Mehta started his commentary about Holland with an unpleasant reminder “We have only 3 more days left of this tour”
And he continued “Holland is known for it’s cows and diary products, notably the Dutch cheese. It is also famous for it’s canals and windmills, though the windmills have seen a steady decline in numbers over the years. Prostitution is legalized in this country. Because this country is below sea-level (and thus the name Netherlands), people rely heavily on boats and the canals for transportation. Holland is also one of the most densely populated countries in the world”
We stopped over at a roadside exchange counter to buy Dutch Guldens. All along the countryside, we saw obese cows and sheep happily grazing on the lush green fields with liberal water ducts on all sides. As the roads passed under chequered bridges, Mehta explained “These patterns on the bridges denote canals”
We lunched on fries and fruits and reached Amsterdam at 3pm. Our first stop was at a cheese and wooden shoe factory on the outskirts of the city. One of the factory employees welcomed us and was only too happy to show off his wares. “I shall first show you the cheese making process. You mix 1000 liters of milk with this special chemical and mix it in this machine and …” he rattled… “to get 1kg of cheese. With special paraffin, it’s possible to preserve cheese for ten years or more. The older the cheese gets, the better it tastes” And he proceeded to offer some of the cheese blocks for sniffing. He had a good sense of humor “The formula for the special chemical to prepare cheese is a well guarded family secret. The family will reveal the secret only if I consent to marry the daughter, and fortunately she isn’t around. One look at her and you will realize why I don’t care for the secret!” We walked along the shelves boasting of varying sizes of age-old cheese. We weren’t too keen to buy the smelly slabs and followed the employee to the wooden shoe demonstration.
We had a few anxious moments when the camcorder tape got cut and I sprinted to the bus to replace it with a new one. The wooden shoe abounded in folklore. “Traditionally, the Dutch farmers use wooden shoes to protect their feet from the mire and cattle trample. The shoes are designed to be lightweight and last for a good two years before wearing out” We picked up a few big shoes and saw the testimonial to his statement. “The worn out shoes are never disposed off but decorate the walls of the farmers’ houses. It is also customary for a married couple to exchange finely-carved wooden shoes as a wedding keepsake” The factory had a large collection of wooden shoes for any budget – wedding shoes, plain shoes at different sizes, shoes with a print of the Dutch cow and blue ‘designer’ shoes. Porcelain shoes, windmills and tulips were also positioned strategically in the showroom. We settled for a blue porcelain windmill and the Dutch cow wooden shoe.
Mehta hurried us to a huge windmill along a road bend. The moss covered windmill was a perfect setting in our photographs, as intended.
We managed to get on board the canal cruise in Amsterdam at 5pm. This time around, the canal waters did not swell. The glass covered cruise started from the Heineken Brewery. We waved past cozy boat houses and ferried through the network of canals. The guide had to switch between French and English narrations to entertain the two groups in the boat. “We are now facing Hotel Amstel, one of the famous star hotels in Holland – which played host to Clinton, Michael Jackson and the like. Some cigar butts were traced in Clinton’s room during his stay here. It’s anyone’s guess if he was staying with Hillary or Monica!” We passed through an opening bridge called the ‘Skinny bridge’ and glanced at the “Seven Kisses” canal. “The seven-kisses canal has only seven arched bridges. Legend has it that couples who kiss under all the bridges while passing beneath, will have a happy lifetime ahead” The guide pointed out narrow townhouses with even narrower entrances and she explained “In Amsterdam, there is a severe space crunch. Bigger entrances to buildings entail more tax. Hence the miserly design. All houses have strong iron fixtures on the outer walls near the windows, to hoist furniture inside.” She went on to show ancient buildings that leaned forward and the more recent banks, opera house and commercial structures. We headed out to the open sea and returned to the canal after a short cold session. We observed how the canals were below sea level.
Mehta followed up the cruise with a bus tour of Amsterdam that culminated in the central Market Square. Along the way, we jerked our necks to peep at the ‘grand old ladies’ of the city –the scantily dressed prostitutes outside the myriad brothels lining the canals on either side.
After a short walk around the Square, we retreated to the warmth of the gift shops as a continuous cold breeze haunted us outside.
As dusk fell, we approached Rotterdam, the biggest seaport in the world. This city was more modern and clean, with glittering glass skyscrapers and a state-of-the-art tram station. Dinner was at the Taj Mahal, where I was initiated into differentiating a champagne bottle from the others (Courtesy Anil, who seemed to be a connoisseur at wines and liquors) We again used our persuasion skills to convince Mehta to take us also to Madurodam the next day. He relented but with our assurance of adherence to his timings and an additional cost of twenty dollars per head.
We endured the chilly night for about thirty minutes waiting outside the EuroHotel Centrum, that had no lobby. It didn’t come as a surprise that the room was very cramped, with barely enough legroom. The warmth of the blankets and the restricted room size however warded off the low night temperature.
Exchange: 1 USD ~ 2 Dutch Gulden (also known as Guilder)
Souvenirs: Blue porcelain windmill, Wooden shoe
May 7th:
The continental breakfast more than compensated for the night’s experience. We drove through the rich neighborhood of Wassenaar, passing by the grand mansion of the owner of the blue porcelain works. Llamas along the roadside were a rare sight. We hit the highway through Den Haag (also known as The Hague, the political capital of Holland) and proceeded to Madurodam.
Madurodam was a miniaturized version of Holland, with important Dutch landmarks built on a 1:25 scale. With the exception of a few, most were working models. Notable among these were the Madurodam Airport with whirring aircrafts on the runway, the Rotterdam port with huge ships spewing smoke and an oil rig that periodically made it’s presence felt by belching fire. Then, there was the busy market square with the inevitable brouhaha, the army barrack with military parades and a convoy of tanks, swaying windmills and the canal cruise. It was strange to feel like Gulliver amidst the lilliputs. Several dolls carved out of ice were beginning to melt in the unusual sunshine. Vidya still got her picture sitting on the ice bench. Though we felt an acute shortage of time for Madurodam, we had to admire Mehta’s accommodation of our request by straying off the itinerary.
Huge fields of colorful tulips bedecked either side of the village roads, as we approached Keukenhof. It seemed Holland enjoyed playing Holi with nature, as we stared wide-eyed at the infinite stretches of crimson, yellow, orange and pink all around.
Keukenhof comprises of about thirty five hectares of gardens that will be any photographer’s delight. It was a kaleidoscope of beautifully maintained lawns hosting a stunning array of vivid tulips, daffodils and other foliage in full blossom. A serene stream with plump white swans snaked it’s way through the flowers. Professional photographers pitched their high precision gear on tripods with eyes glued on each individual tulip. We quickly paced through the green houses that spawned many of the dual-colored tulips outside. I clicked away to glory, consuming two film rolls at Keukenhof alone. After a hurried lunch in the garden, we had just enough time to circle the musical fountain at the far end of the park. We retraced our steps to the bus half-heartedly.
The bus crossed the border into Belgium and moved towards Brussels, the capital of the European Union. Most road underpasses were actually airport runways, and I had a chance view of a plane speeding over the bridge after landing.
At four in the evening, we reached the Atomium. This was a blown up model of an atom enlarged 150 billion times, to commemorate a science fair at Brussels several decades ago. Today, this is one of the few landmarks of the country to attract tourists. After a vain attempt to buy a model, we walked under the atomic structure and felt dwarfed by the sheer size of the monument. This was one perfect locale for the Thomas Cook group photo.
Mehta introduced the city tour guide, whose broken English immediately drew a distinction against the fluent Luisa.
The guide shamelessly admitted that there was not much to be shown. We drove by the Palace, the royal residence, the big green house and downtown Brussels. The city appeared to be in a fiercely constructive mood with dug up roads and debris everywhere. The guide walked with us to the Grand Place square (it took us quite some time to decipher her “Grand Plaas”), that was surrounded by souvenir and chocolate shops and a graying Church with a golden steeple. After a brisk walk on a by-lane, we stopped at the puny Mannekan Pis statue, the pride and symbol of Brussels. The guide and Mehta chipped in with different versions of the Mannekan Pis story. The little boy set in bronze at one obscure corner of the road attracted visitors by the dozen. The adjoining shops had a varied collection of the Mannekan statue, some of them obscene. Equally obscene were the prices of the famed Belgian lacework and diamonds. We settled for some souvenirs and plenty of window shopping. And the box of Belgian chocolates…There was no need for a currency exchange as most shops accepted Dutch money.
Lothar dropped us off at Salaam Bombay for a refreshing Indian dinner served with true Indian hospitality. We met another Thomas Cook party that kicked off their tour from Brussels. They had plenty of apprehensions that were put to rest by our reassuring words. It was an early check in to the Forum Hotel…and an emotional farewell to dear Lothar and his wonderful coach that was our home for the last thirteen days. Mr. Ahuja, the most elderly gentleman on the tour thanked Lothar with a few grateful words and handed over the tips collected from all of us.
Exchange: 1 USD ~ 40 Belgian Francs
Souvenirs: Mannekan Pis statue, Atomium model and Chocolates
May 8th:
We deviated from the regular routine by having an early breakfast at 6.30am. A different coach driven by an apparently irked driver took us to the Brussels Railway Station, the start of our EuroStar journey to London. We seemed to have plenty of time at hand for the EuroStar at 8.55am. However, the poorly marked station coupled with inefficient trolley arrangements and immigration delays led to last minute worries as we boarded the train by a whisker.
As the anxiety faded and we settled down, we began to sense the phenomenal speed of the train with it’s silent march through the countryside. The electric poles and bridges hurtled past at an average 300kmph. The public address system announced the arrival of the English Channel tunnel. The tunnel tube lights zipped past, as we crossed it in about twenty minutes. After a pleasant two hours, we roared into London’s Waterloo station.
The railway station resembled an airport with customs and immigration counters. A hasty decision to exchange Pounds at the counter within the terminal cost me dear, with a greedy commission of five Pounds. London greeted us with a bright sunshine contrary to our expectations. We mounted our bags in a coach similar to Lothar’s.
As the coach drove towards the London Tower, Mehta pointed out “We know we are in London because the traffic drives on the left” This was a sweet reminder of home, minus the chaos on Indian roads.
Mehta gave us two hours to spend at the London Tower including lunch. The Tower contained the museum of imperial jewelry but the lack of time restrained us. We hovered around the fort that lay beside the famed Thames river. The Tower Bridge presented an excellent view. We walked around the Tower to the waterfront and had a great lunch of onion rings, basmati rice and vegetable stir fry at wwwater.café. I fulfilled my promise of treating Vidya to a cone of Haagen Daaz ice cream.
The city guided tour began with a stopover at a public park where we had a complete picture of the London Tower across the river. People, cutting across professions, lay basking in the afternoon sun on the lawns. The guide acknowledged “I must thank you all for bringing this wonderful weather to London. For quite some time now, we almost forgot what was that shining object in the sky!” The bus crossed the lesser known narrower London Bridge into the heart of London. The guide answered “London Bridge is falling down – the oft-quoted nursery rhyme was actually good for the erstwhile British because it’s fall prevented intruders from entering the city”
“Look on your left and you will see a monument with a golden flame. This is in memory of the Great Fire of London that engulfed about eighty percent of the populace then” he announced “Today, Tony Blair has approached her majesty, the Queen to dissolve the parliament. The press and media has flocked the palace. So, I will take you there towards the evening when most of the buzz would have died down”
We stopped at the imposing St. Paul’s Cathedral. He pointed out the round slab of stone in the backyard, erected in memory of the World War II bombing. We also observed the steps leading to the entrance of the church. “Here’s where Prince Charles and Diana walked up to their marriage” It was an irony that this tour covered the happy and sad moments of Diana’s life.
We inched through the busy Fleet Street lined with newspaper offices, notably the Reuters. The guide pointed out the glass cluster of Lloyds with it’s unique design of exterior piping and lifts, Piccadilly Circus, the Scotland Yard, the British treasury, the reconstructed Globe Theater where Shakespeare put on his famous plays, and the Trafalgar Square. The statue of Nelson adorned the square, beleaguered by flocks of pigeons. Red double-decker buses and open roofed tourist coaches inundated the busy roads of the city. The bus turned past Westminster Abbey, the home of royal coronations and funerals and a giant mausoleum boasting of over three thousand burials. We had a close-up view of the Big Ben and then crossed the Thames yet again. From here, the guide pointed out the Houses of Parliament, the giant London Eye and the more distant Big Ben.
As we were preparing to board the bus, some of the younger members on the tour raced down the steps in great enthusiasm. We followed suit and soon found out the reason behind the excitement. Two Bollywood heartthrobs Shahrukh Khan and Hrithik Roshan were in a shooting sequence for an unknown movie. Our entire tour members swarmed the sets sooner than the director anticipated. His pleas to refrain from flash photography and videotaping fell on deaf ears. A sense of sadistic achievement prevailed on forcing the director to pack up with curses.
The Buckingham Palace was all quiet when we walked to the entrance. “The royal emblem on the flag flying above the palace is the sole privilege of the monarchy. It is not allowed to be hoisted on any other buildings in the United Kingdom. The flag flying high denotes the presence of the Queen in the palace while lowering it indicates the Queen is out of office.” Brightly dressed in red, the famous palace guards with oversized hats marched past the entrance with an artificial military rigidity, drawing more ridicule than praise. We photographed this mock parade behind the gold embellished gates and spent some time around the Victoria monument opposite the palace.
We drove by the green 139-hectare Hyde Park towards Marble Arch. Very soon, we reached the Cumberland Hotel, located on Oxford Street. I was disappointed at having missed out on Madame Tussauds, the world renowned wax museum. After gathering dinner instructions, we refreshed and then set out on Oxford Street rather quickly.
Oxford Street played true to it’s name of being one of London’s most expensive shopping areas. We again comforted ourselves in buying souvenirs and peeping in windows. One particular store ‘Cascade Shop’ scared us out of our wits with it’s innovative petrifying items like the spider that jumped at me, the nervous hand, the croc that snapped it’s mouth shut all of a sudden and the creepy noise of a witch that appeared from nowhere.
The coach dropped us at the Mela Restaurant for the last dinner on the tour. Emotions ran high as we realized we may never meet again. Addresses and contact phone numbers were exchanged on the dirty scribble pads of the restaurant waiter. It was time for final farewells as many on the tour had opted for an extended stay in London. Mehta expressed his appreciation for the way we conducted ourselves while we reciprocated by applauding his management skills. He seemed to be blessed with a saintly detachment from the group, as he should. We wished everyone good luck and got back warnings of the post-honeymoon bliss or the lack of it! Brian expressed apologies for hurting anyone unintentionally – particularly the ‘counting’ Joe. There was yet another group photo session in the fading light behind the Marble Arch. We posed with Mehta, Joe and Brian inside the lobby of the hotel and wished goodnight to all the others.
After the final packing was reviewed, we hit the bed with sad thoughts of an ended honeymoon.
Exchange: 1 USD ~ 0.65 Pounds
Souvenirs: Big Ben, Palace Guard, Tower Bridge and Keychain.
May 9th:
The shrill telephone startled us out of bed at 3am. The dozen families bound for India collected the boxed breakfast at the hotel reception and boarded the coach to London’s Heathrow Airport. We enjoyed the cold wind deliberately.
The Northwest staff arrived at the counters only at 6am, giving me enough time to guzzle the tidy breakfast. The climax mounted when the airlines politely denied our boarding passes on the pretext of non-confirmation of our tickets. After a lot of furor and red faces, the customer service manager got us confirmed tickets but only up to Amsterdam. On the flight, we noticed many vacant rows of seats and realized the airlines had tried to cover up their faux pas. We got our boarding passes with not much trouble at Amsterdam.
Bombay greeted us with an uncomfortable humidity and a summon to the airlines support desk. We were asked to expect a possible delay in baggage arrival due to transit problems. He however advised us to check out the conveyor belt before jumping to conclusions. Our agony was short-lived, as we saw our bags playfully jump on to the belt.
Grabbing our bags, we left the airport waving a last goodbye to our transient friends, entertaining little hopes of a reunion.
Conclusion:
After a brief sojourn in Bombay, we came back to Bangalore on May 12 th , with nostalgic reminiscences of the European extravaganza…the cuckoo clock, Mt. Titlis and the ice, Rome, lovely Switzerland, fashionable Paris, the tulips of Amsterdam and the historical London…and the tearful end of our honeymoon. I recollected the first ad of Thomas Cook in the Times of India – “You bring your honey…we will show you the moon”
How true!!!
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