London and its surroundings over, our next destination was Europe, across the Channel.
Our first stop was Amsterdam in Netherlands on a guided tour. We reached Dover and were put on a ferry. Crossing the English Channel took half an hour. From Calais on the other side, we went by coach. Amsterdam is a very beautiful city with people roaming around freely. Late in the night we went on a cruise in the canals of Amsterdam a candlelit cruise with cheese and wine served. The cruise passed through the red light area which is legalised but no photography is allowed. We were taken to Volendam where we tasted the famous delicacy of Netherlands - apple pie with really yummy cream. The next stop was the famous Tulip garden - Kokenhof garden, an immensely breathtaking vista, with rows and rows of colourful tulips just like we see in the movies. We also visited a farm where cheese making process was shown to us. Netherlands is a country of canals and windmills. We came across many of them on the way. Another thing which caught our fancy was the airport. There, the runway for the planes is above the motorway - like an overbridge. So when we were passing under it, a plane taxied over our heads.
Next, we visited Delft, where the royal family used to stay and then onto Brugges in Belgium. It is a medieval city and care is taken to retain the medieval appearance of all the buildings. For example, we saw a bridge which was built 400 years ago and is still in use. Then after one more canal cruise we headed for home with wonderful memories of the beautiful tulips.
Our next trip was to Paris but the weather unfortunately, was a big let down. It was raining throughout. We went by the Eurostar, the train which goes through the famous Channel Tunnel under the English Channel. The journey took three hours. First we went to the Euro Disney, an amusement park on the lines of Disneyland with a number of fun rides - like the Space Mountain where all the rides were in the dark. Then there is the Fantasyland - with the Palace of the Sleeping Beauty, Alice’s Wonderland, Alladin’s Wonder Lamp and lots of other things. There is also a “It’s a Small World” which had the dolls in the outfits of almost all the countries. It looked really like a fantasyland - straight out of my childhood fantasies. We climbed the Eiffel Tower and had a boat cruise along the Seine river. Next day, we went to Versailles, the royal palace. We had a trip around the palace and visited the gardens attached to it. They are beautiful but nothing when compared to our Brindavan Gardens. Our visit to the Louvre Museum to see the famous Mona Lisa however turned out to be a non-starter, the museum was closed on that particular day. We walked down from Louvre to Arc de Triumph along the famous Champ de Elysees, a wide road bristling with shops and shoppers. The thing we remember most about Paris are the long queues everywhere. Also, it seemed to be full of tourists everywhere and no one else. We could not find any person who looked as if he lived there. So that was Paris!
Our first stop was Amsterdam in Netherlands on a guided tour. We reached Dover and were put on a ferry. Crossing the English Channel took half an hour. From Calais on the other side, we went by coach. Amsterdam is a very beautiful city with people roaming around freely. Late in the night we went on a cruise in the canals of Amsterdam a candlelit cruise with cheese and wine served. The cruise passed through the red light area which is legalised but no photography is allowed. We were taken to Volendam where we tasted the famous delicacy of Netherlands - apple pie with really yummy cream. The next stop was the famous Tulip garden - Kokenhof garden, an immensely breathtaking vista, with rows and rows of colourful tulips just like we see in the movies. We also visited a farm where cheese making process was shown to us. Netherlands is a country of canals and windmills. We came across many of them on the way. Another thing which caught our fancy was the airport. There, the runway for the planes is above the motorway - like an overbridge. So when we were passing under it, a plane taxied over our heads.
Next, we visited Delft, where the royal family used to stay and then onto Brugges in Belgium. It is a medieval city and care is taken to retain the medieval appearance of all the buildings. For example, we saw a bridge which was built 400 years ago and is still in use. Then after one more canal cruise we headed for home with wonderful memories of the beautiful tulips.
Our next trip was to Paris but the weather unfortunately, was a big let down. It was raining throughout. We went by the Eurostar, the train which goes through the famous Channel Tunnel under the English Channel. The journey took three hours. First we went to the Euro Disney, an amusement park on the lines of Disneyland with a number of fun rides - like the Space Mountain where all the rides were in the dark. Then there is the Fantasyland - with the Palace of the Sleeping Beauty, Alice’s Wonderland, Alladin’s Wonder Lamp and lots of other things. There is also a “It’s a Small World” which had the dolls in the outfits of almost all the countries. It looked really like a fantasyland - straight out of my childhood fantasies. We climbed the Eiffel Tower and had a boat cruise along the Seine river. Next day, we went to Versailles, the royal palace. We had a trip around the palace and visited the gardens attached to it. They are beautiful but nothing when compared to our Brindavan Gardens. Our visit to the Louvre Museum to see the famous Mona Lisa however turned out to be a non-starter, the museum was closed on that particular day. We walked down from Louvre to Arc de Triumph along the famous Champ de Elysees, a wide road bristling with shops and shoppers. The thing we remember most about Paris are the long queues everywhere. Also, it seemed to be full of tourists everywhere and no one else. We could not find any person who looked as if he lived there. So that was Paris!
Very good narration Manju reminding a narater in Telugu of a weekly in old times.We expect Paris details shortly
ReplyDeleteThank You, Pedda Mamayya
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