ON OUR RETURN TRIP

View of Seine near Eiffel Tower

Statue of Seine at  Pont du Carrousal

 

View of Ile de la Cite

    The Seine, the life-breath of France, gives her inhabitants not only crops but also a busy flourishing trade and electricity as well. During her 777-kms long journey from Source-Seine at Langres Plateau, she flows through the regions of Normandy and Roven and joins the English channel at Le Havre. This river was linked by canals to the rivers Loire, Rhine and Rhone. This is the second largest river in France after the river Loire. The name of the river "Seine" comes from the Gaulish word "Sicauna" which means "sacred" (in Latin 'Sicauna'). The banks of the Seine were declared as a World Heritage Site in 1991. There are two beautiful islands on this river which attract many tourists from various parts of the world. The "Ile de La Cite" is the place where the first inhabitants called "Parisii" settled in the third century A.D. The second island is "Saint Louis" once called as "ile Aux Vaches" (Island of cows). It has many beautiful 16th and 17th century mansions built by the famous French architect, Louis Le Vau. The Ile Saint Louis is connected to Paris by four bridges to both banks of the river Seine, and to the Ile de la Cite by the Pont Saint Louis. So much about this beautiful river which flowing through the heart of Paris adds grace and charm to this historic city with her traditional as well as latest fashion trends.

Ile Saint Louis

The Mansion built by Louis Le Vah at Saint Louis

Artistic Facade of Hotel Chenizot

 After this refreshing ride, we had to conclude our European trip though  we missed seeing many must-see  tourist attractions in Paris. The Concergerie built in the heart of the "Ile de La Cite" was the palace built in 14th century with magnificent Gothic halls. The Saint-Chapelle was a 13th century Gothic church built by Louis IX who later became St.Louis. Notre Dame Cathedral started in 1165 by Louis VII and  completed in 1250 was another glorious gem of Gothic architecture providing a panoramic view of Paris from the top of its towers. " The Basilica of St.Denis " was the burial site of many French kings. More than seventy tombs with sculpted architecture are seen in this historic church. "The Conde Museum" housed in the mansion of Henri d'Orleans, Duke of Aumale and son of King Louis-Phillipe, contains the richest collection of paintings in France, next to that of the Louvre. There is also a library with precious works dating from the Middle Ages. Besides this there is also the  "Horse Museum " and the "Grand Stable" with horses of supreme breed which perform marvelous feats in the live show. And finally the most fascinating tourist shopping destination, Champs-Elysee, a 1.9 km long boulevard, located just opposite to the Place de La Concorde, attracts so many people with her fabulous theaters, cafes, luxury shops and hotels. Yet one can not see all the places in the world.  To see and appreciate Paris it needs a longer period of stay and some acquaintance with her glorious history and culture.

Concergerie at Ile de la Cite

                       

Conde Museum

                           

Basilica of St. Denis

Avenue Champs-Elysee

  Our tour manager plodded us to hurry up as there was a heavy rush for return journey from Calais to Dover. After downing our customary Indian meal at the same Indian hotel, we caught the ferry which was already crowded with so many passengers. After two hours we landed at Dover and from there by our bus back to our starting point in Wembley. It was almost 9.00 p.m. Our tour manager in his concluding farewell remarks spoke favorably about our patience, good company and strict adherence to time schedule without which we could not have covered so many tourist places within the time given. A wave of thankful smiles and laughter with farewell greetings rose from the departing tourists. Our tour manager gave a hearty dinner in the nearby hotel. For those who had to go to far away colonies he provided food packets as a gesture of courtesy. A very generous and sensible act indeed ! Before embarking on this trip we doubted our physical stamina whether we would be able to withstand the changes of climate in various parts of Europe. But we felt far more healthy by the salubrious effect of pollution-free regions of Switzerland and neighboring regions.  

 Note :  We owe much to our beloved daughter, Saujanya and our Son-in-law, Ananth, without whose encouragement and support, we would not have seen all these fascinating places. Their company during our trip made us feel quite happy and enjoyable. Our grateful thanks to them with best wishes.





                        
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        15th July, 2016                                                               Somaseshu Gutala                                                                               

A PLEASURE RIDE ON SEINE

Pont Neuf (1607)

  Throughout our period of stay in Paris, two things or fascinating sights captured our attention, wherever we went by their prominent position -- the river Seine flowing through the heart of Paris with floating boats and bridges spanned across her length with beautiful statues and designs : the second one, undoubtedly the lofty tower of Eiffel with her unique style of construction overlooking the city. On the last day of our trip we had the pleasure of sailing in a luxurious cruise boat on Seine which has many historic monuments and buildings located on both sides. The trip on the cruise affords a bird's eye view of the city of Paris besides providing the pleasure of viewing the graceful movement of the rippling Seine which ids eight meters deep. We got into the most luxurious glass-walled white-colored cruise at Pont d'Alma near the Eiffel Tower. This boat is one of the nine boats maintained by Bateaux Mouches, the most well-known Parisian tour operator serving tourists since 1949. The boat looked very trim and tidy with orange-colored cushioned seats on two tiers. As we were entering in a line, a photographer clicked photos to capture this lively moment. As the boat moved through brown waters, we listened to the audio-commentary in three languages-- English, French and German-- describing the buildings and monuments that came into our view as our boat chugged along. We passed under many bridges which were built across Seine. Nearly thirty-seven bridges exist across this river. The Pont Neuf is the oldest bridge built in 1607. It connects Ile de la cite and another natural island, Ile St.Louis. Pont Charles de Gaulle is the latest construction completed in 1996. The Pont Alexander III is the most spectacular construction built between 1896 and 1900. It was named after Tsar Alexander III who concluded the Franco-Russian alliance in 1892. This bridge connects the area of Champs-Elysses with those of Les Invalides and Eiffel Tower. Outside Paris Pont de Normandie is one of the longest cable-stayed bridges in the world linking Le Havre with Honfleur in Normandy, the northern part of Paris. It was started in 1988 and completed in 1995.  
         

Pont  Charles de Gaulle (1996)

Pont de Alexandre (1900)

                     

Pont de Alexandre 

Sculpture of nymphs on Alexander Bridge

  As we sailed, the lofty Eiffel Tower was seen even from distance dominating the other monuments around. This made us realize how this great city is represented by this Tower symbolically in many aspects. On the right side of the bank (North Bank or Rive Droit-- means right bank in French) is seen the Grand Palaice or the National Gallery of Art built in 1900 to house the major Exhibition. Concorde Square with her artistic fountains greeted our sight as if bidding farewell to us. The Triumphal Arch (Arc de Triomphe) commemorating Napoleonic Wars was seen with her grand arches and stout bastions. On the Left or South Bank (Rive Gauche= left bank in French) the Military Hospital and Shelter for war veterans "Les Invalides" was visible with her long retinue of chambers. The Grand Louvre Palace, now turned into a museum, with her imposing structure stood on the right side.  The Notre Dame Cathedral, the most ancient church of Paris of medieval times, with her twin towers and Gothic construction, shone like a crest jewel with pious radiance. In a brief span of time we were able to look at these magnificent monuments from a distance and appreciate their contribution to this city's charm and tradition. 

Pont Normandie (1995)

View of Seine from Pont Normandie

View of Eiffel Tower from the ferry boat

View of Notre Dame from Bateaux Mouches Ferry Boat

  Our boat took a u-turn and we were sailing back. Many tourists climbed up to the upper deck to feel the cool breeze wafting from the flowing river and to click photos of the panoramic view of Paris with her glorious towers, arches and the row of palatial mansions stretching far and wide. Some others went down to the cafe on the lower deck to feed their children with french candies and cookies availing themselves a chance to sip a hot cup of coffee or some drink. It took nearly one hour and fifteen minutes to have a brief view of Paris  from all sides sitting comfortably in our cruise. As soon as we got down we saw rows of photos displayed on the board. Tourists chose to buy them as cherished keepsakes of this happy trip. The ever flowing broad Seine blew a cool and refreshing whiff of breeze, a sort of flying kiss to bid farewell to her leaving guests. 

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10th July, 2016                                                               Somaseshu Gutala

MUSEE DU PARFUM (Fragonard)

Fragonard Museum Entrance

Perfume Museum upstairs

Perfume Boutique Counter

France is well-known for her latest fashions, culinary arts and perfumes all over the world. In spite of our brief stay in Paris, we had the chance of visiting the famous Fragonard Perfume Museum located near the Opera Station of Paris. The museum does not appear as spacious as we generally presume, but looks more like a boutique in the  two-story building of Napoleon III built in 1860. This musuem was named after the famous French Rocco painter, Jean Honore Fragonard (1732-1806) who hailed from Grasse, the world's capital of perfumes. This museum was first set up in  Grasse in 1926. The southern region of France and Provence region have abundant lavender fields, rose gardens and floral and fruit sources for manufacturing a variety of perfumes and fragrant products.

  If we go back and look into the history of perfumes, we know that they had been in use since 3,300 B.C. during the Indus Valley Civilization and Vedic period both for religious and decorative purposes. In Egypt perfumes were used by priests and royal persons both for rituals and for embalming the bodies of dead persons. Floral perfumes were brought to Europe in 11th and 12th centuries through Arabian traders. France became the center of perfume trade since 14th century. In 16th century Catherine De Medici from Italy married King Henry II of France and she brought her perfumer Rene Le Florentine to the French court. Thus France became a flourishing center for perfumes as she has many floral and fruit resources. During Renaissance Period and 17th century perfumes became very popular throughout Europe. It is said that Europeans used perfumes on their bodies and gloves to ward off bad smell since they bathed very rarely due to cold climate of their countries. Our tour manager jovially remarked that some kings used to take bath only on their birthday. The court of Louis XV at Versailles was known as "La Cour Perfumee" (the perfumed court) for their lavish use of rich perfumes and fragrances. 

Perfume Boutique in Grasse

Perfume vials at the counter

Lavender Fields in Provence

 The Fragonard Perfume Industry has centers in Grass, Eze and in Paris. Our tour manager arranged a guided tour of the museum and an English-speaking young French lady was engaged for this purpose. She welcomed us with a beaming smile and took us upstairs after a few introductory remarks to show us the museum comprising antique perfume containers, steam distillation apparatus and bottles. She explained briefly about the procedures of distillation and extraction of perfumes and various methods of packaging. She told us that Perfumes are used not only for giving a pleasant smell to our bodies but also to create a soothing and cooling effect on our minds and feelings. She informed us that nearly 200 kgs of lavender flowers are crushed to produce one k.g. of lavender perfume. She spoke on the purity and standard quality of the Fragonard  perfumes which are extracted from the flowers, fruits and barks of plants and trees cultivated in the fertile fields of Grasse such as lavender, rose, lily, lilac, violet, vanilla, orange, cedar wood, geranium etc. They are not mixed with artificial chemicals and are stored in gilded aluminium bottles or in colored glass vials so that their purity and quality are preserved for five to ten years. As Fragonard products are sold directly through their own boutiques, the expenses on intermediary agencies and advertisements are saved. So one can get best deals in addition to 10% discount on purchase of perfumes and other products from Fragonard with assurance of quality and benefit in quantity as well.  Some extra empty bottles are given free of charge so that one may share a little portion of their perfume to their friends or relatives as a gift. Fragonard products are available in twenty countries with a wide choice of perfumes like Bergamot, Magnolia, Sandal Wood, Cedar, Rose, Lavender, and Orange Blossom. 

In the Museum we  saw the Perfume Organ -- tiered rows of ingredient bottles arranged in the pattern of an Organ around a balance used by perfumers for mixing and testing fragrances-- a very ingenious idea indicating the intimate connection between Flora and Music, the food of Love. On the ground floor we saw rows of shining vials of perfume arranged neatly in racks and cupboards. Some bottles are neatly packaged in attractive covers- a worthy gift to any one. We also saw Botanical soaps wrapped in transparent covers-- egg-shaped, rose-shaped and heart-shaped transparent soaps. There are body oils and facial creams to add and nourish more smooth glow and shine to one's face. The prices of perfume vary from 50 to 120 euros depending on the volume and the ingredients used.

                  

Perfume Organ

Our guide also gave us some information about the proper use of perfumes and the proper way of storing them without causing any loss of quality. Perfumes should not be indiscriminately sprayed on the body. They should be applied on pulse points - the spots where perfume is easily absorbed such as the nape of the neck, behind ear lobes, and insides of wrists, elbows and knees. Cologne fragrance is released rapidly and lasts for two hours whereas Eau De toilette lasts up to four hours. Generally the fragrance of a perfume lasts from six to ten hours. Another astonishing fact is that  in perfume industry only ladies younger than 25 years are preferred as workers as they age very quickly due to the fact that they inhale the vapors emanating from various perfumes during preparation. In one way these pretty ladies are giving away their charms of youth for enriching the beauty and glow of others. Our guide gave us paper strips dipped in various perfumes and briefed us about their quality and their suitable use for both sexes. Many people bought perfumes of their choice as a lovely gift to their partners. Besides these perfumes will always be preserved in the caskets of their hearts as fragrant memories of Paris they have visited.

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      2 nd July, 2016                                                                    Somaseshu Gutala                                 

LA TOUR EIFFEL (THE EIFFEL TOWER) PART--II

    

View of Eiffel at Night

View of Eiffel Tower from Champ de Mars

Eiffel's marble bust at the Tower

View from the first floor

  

Throughout our tour in Paris, two objects made their appearance wherever we traveled. The broad flowing Seine with ferries, and the tall Eiffel Tower with its typical latticed iron-grey girders and crisscross net work of trusses.Whenever we think of Paris, the picture of the Eiffel Tower and that of Notre Dame Cathedral flash before our eyes, an epitome of the city's  historic and cultural glory. In Paris most of the worth-seeing monuments, palaces, gardens and churches are within the city's range. So we need not go long distance to see these lofty constructions. Our tour manager repeatedly warned us about the incidents of theft and cheating in the busy areas of Paris. Especially Romanian gypsies approach tourists with slips asking us to read their slips just to divert our attention and pick our pockets. The groups of street vendors following us and cajoling us to buy some souvenirs made us jittery as if we were going to be robbed . The long line of people near the ticket counter made us think that we had to wait for hours to get admission. But to our surprise our tour manager procured tickets within minutes using his clout and of course, his inborn talent of mixing with people. 

View from the restaurant Jules Verne (2nd Platform)

Top viewing platform at third level

                  

Bar on the third platform

There are three platforms built on this tower. The first platform is 190 feet high above the ground, the second platform 376 feet, and the third one 900 feet above the ground level. The visitors are allowed to climb 300 steps  to reach the first level only. We can also use the lift. The first lift took us up to the second level. From there we had to show the second ticket to allow us to get up to the topmost third level by another lift. At first sight in broad day light, this  tower made of latticed iron, weighing about 1,000 tons, in dark  brown color with so many rivets and bolts appeared just like a huge, rusty brown piece of smoke stack. But at night while going by that route, this dark brown grey-colored tower dazzled with multiple colors as if we beheld a heavenly tower where angels reside. Though this tower was built for scientific purpose, it became a rendezvous for married couples and lovers to feel elated with thrill of joy and shout with cheer as soon as they view this magnificent tower of Love, standing steadfast and touching the starry skies with effulgent spectrum of colors symbolizing Love, Hope and Joy. We could not but appreciate and admire this citadel of engineering skill which represents the ideals of Liberty, Innovative Spirit and Sacrifice. Above all it is a fascinating symbol of  Love before which all lovers and couples express and pledge their deep-felt emotions of affection and intimacy.

 On the first platform there are two shops, a restaurant called Le 58 Tour Eiffel and a Souvenir stall. The first platform is 190 feet above ground and visitors are allowed to climb 300 steps to reach up to this level. On the second platform which is about 376 feet high from ground level. there is another restaurant called Le Jules Verne and a gift shop. The third platform is 900 feet high with a provision  for a banquet hall, a champagne bar and a gift shop. From this topmost level one can enjoy a panoramic view of Paris up to 42 miles if the sky is clear. The distant monuments and towers of cathedrals and palaces look like tiny models with thin lines of roads and spanning bridges intersecting the surrounding space. A telescope is fixed at  the second level to get a clearer view of these distant monuments and towers.


           

The Mannequins of Gustav Eiffel and Thomas Edison in Eiffel's apartment (1889)

 At the third level there are various labs for conducting experiments on Meteorology and other scientific themes. Gustav Eiffel (1832-1923), the main founder of this gigantic project, had his private apartments here to conduct scientific experiments. He was the prime designer of the famous "Statue of Liberty "(1883) seen in New York. He invited the famous American scientist Thomas Alva Edison to his apartment on August 14, 1889. Edison gifted him one of his phonographs and complimented Eiffel as "the engineer, the brave builder of so gigantic and original specimen of modern engineering." The wax effigies of Eiffel with his daughter, Claire and Edison are seen in the apartment. We saw many couples clicking photos from such a height and enjoying the grand view of the conglomeration of the distant buildings and lofty spires. To them the Eiffel Tower does not seem to be just a vantage spot to conduct scientific experiments, but as the very romantic pinnacle of vibrant joy and love, a kind of Olympus, where gods make love to each other, with their crowns touching the silver stars. Some hugged each other or sat in amorous postures gazing into each other's eyes and smiling with a sense of beaming satisfaction as they are lucky enough to express their love from such a heavenly height.

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  24th June, 2016                                                              Somaseshu Gutala

LA TOUR EIFFEL (THE EIFFEL TOWER) PART--I

Eiffel Tower

Eiffel Tower at night

Eiffel Tower, a close view

Gustav Eiffel (1832-1923)

  Just like The statue of Liberty is the prominent symbol of U.S., the Eiffel Tower represents Paris and the odd coincidence is that both these constructions were designed by the same famous Engineer , Gustav Eiffel. This tower is seen on the left bank of the river seine at the far end of the Champ de Mars ( a green plain where many couples stand and take photographs of the tower). This tower with 1665 steps and 1063 feet in height remained as the tallest man-made structure till 1930 when Chrysler Building was constructed in New York. In 1957 by the addition of the aerial top, it surpassed the height of the Chrysler Building by 17 feet. This iron-latticed tower in Champ de Mars was designed by Gustav Eiffel, a French Civil Engineer, in 1889 as an entrance to Exposition Universelle (World Fair), an exhibition organised to commemorate the 100-year anniversary of the fall of the Bastille and the launch of the French Revolution.

 In Gustav Eiffel's words, this pylon of four lattice girders standing apart at base and coming together at the top, is a kind of tribute and expression of gratitude to symbolize the art of modern engineering, the scientific spirit of eighteenth century (age of industry and science) and the noble ideals of 1789 French Revolution. Two senior engineers, Maurice Koechlin and Emile Nouguier along with the architect of Companie des Establissements Eiffel worked together to produce this grand architectural masterpiece. Though the estimated cost was 6.5 million Francs, Eiffel got only 1.5 million Francs from the President, Jules Grevy. Eiffel spent from his own resources and collected money from donors and visiting tourists during the next twenty years to make up the requisite amount. 

  At the beginning there was much opposition from people while the construction work was going on. A committee of three hundred artists voiced their protest saying that this tower looked like "a gigantic black smoke stack crushing under its barbaric bulk Notre Dame, the Tour Saint-Jacques, the Louvre, the dome of the Invalides, the Arc de Triomphe ; all of our humiliated monuments will disappear in this ghastly dream." But Eiffel boldly defended his stance and compared his dream-structure with the great Egyptian Pyramids. The famous writer, Guillaume Apollinaire, made a nationalist poem in the shape of a tower to express his feelings about the war against Germany. 

 The construction work started on 28th January, 1887 and was completed on 15th March, 1889 at a cost of nearly 77,99,401 Franks. Nearly 18,038 pieces were joined by 2.5 million rivets. Eiffel after climbing 1710 steps hoisted the French flag on 31st March, 1889. Lifts were installed on 26th May, 1989. Each car held 65 passengers. The tower was lit by hundreds of gas lamps and two search lights were mounted on a circular rail to illuminate and highlight the features of the tower. Eiffel was given a permit for 20 years to maintain the tower up to 1909. Afterwards it was decided to dismantle the tower . But as the tower proved valuable for communication purposes, it was allowed to remain. 

The Private Lab of Eiffel on top of the tower

 Eiffel made use of his apartment at  the top level of the tower to carry out his meteorological observations, and also to perform experiments on the impact of air resistance on falling objects. addition. He set up a laboratory to conduct experiments in astronomy, meteorology, aerodynamics and physiology. In 1900 modifications were made by providing lifts and giving more space for visitors on the second level. In 1910 Father Theodore discovered the cosmic rays while doing experiments to measure the radiant energy at the top and bottom of the Tower. In 1914 a radio transmitter located on the tower jammed the Germans' communication and hindered their advance into Paris and thus helped in procuring victory of Allied Forces at the First Battle of Marne. On May 2, 1929 a bust of Gustav Eiffel was unveiled at the base of the North leg of the Tower. In 1940 the lift cables were cut upon the German Occupation of Paris, and the lifts were not repaired until 1946. In 1964 the Eiffel Tower was declared as a historical monument. In 1982 the original lifts between second and third levels were replaced after 97 years of their service. In 1986 the motive power was shifted from the water-driven hydraulic system to a new electrically driven oil-filled hydraulic system. On 31st December, 1999 the Eiffel Tower was illuminated beautifully with 20,000 flashing bulbs and high-power search lights and with beacons sending out beams of red, white and blue light. On 6th December, 2014 a glass floor was installed on the first floor to create the illusion for tourists of walking in the air and providing a view of the landscape below through transparent floor. Still efforts are made to make this tower more enthralling and attractive to all tourists coming from various parts of the world. Every seven years sixty tons of paints in three shades are used to make this tower look glossy and shining. 

Skytree Tower, Tokyo

T.V. Tower at Kiev

 The Eiffel Tower stands not only as an archetype of engineering skill but also as a communication Tower to broadcast both radio and T.V.signals.Today more than one hundred antennae on the tower beam radio and T.V. broadcasts around the world.
 Variations in temperature alter the height of this tower up to six inches. Throughout the world nearly thirty replicas of this fabulous tower are seen. The Tokyo Tower in Japan was built with same dimensions. Models of smaller size are Black Pool Tower in London and the tower in Paris Las Vegas Hotel at Nevada in U.S. The Eiffel Tower in Paris measures 1063 feet in height with antenna at the top, and without antenna, its height is 984 feet. The Kiev Tower built in Ukraine in 1973 measuring 1263 feet in height is the tallest lattice tower in the world. The Tokyo Sky-tree Tower built in 2011 measuring about 2080 feet in height is the tallest tower in the world. But no other tower captures our attention so much as the Eiffel Tower with its romantic associations and scenic surroundings. More than seven million tourists come to see this marvelous Tower which symbolizes Liberty, Scientific innovation, Sacrifice and universal love. This Tower is affectionately called "The Iron Lady" (La dame De fer).

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 22nd June, 2016                                                                Somaseshu Gutala