Wisps of Fancy: February 2010

A European Sojourn

It was the best of times, a summer in UK rife with joy, excitement and expectation. However we were looking forward for something that is better than the best and that was the mega event of our UK vacation ,the European Sojourn scheduled to commence on July1,2009.

A cab was arranged to pick us up on the dawn of the D-day and at the chime of six there was the driver at our door. Bag and baggage, cameras, tripods and all other paraphernalia were checked into the boot of the car and off we sped to Eastham .The white man exchanged pleasantries with us all along the way and made the first lap an enjoyable one. We reached Eastham at seven thirty and Star Tours our white coach was already waiting for us in the bus bay. There were a few other families ,all Indians, But not a smile was exchanged. The crowd swelled by eight o’clock and in the meantime two Englishmen and another Indian joined the group, obviously the crew. By now the unfriendly askance looks softened among the members of the group and there ensued a buzz of stilted conversations. It was time…..things had to be loaded into the bus and passengers had to find their seats. I must say we had the best seats for we were right in front and seated behind the driver in an elevated position and therefore could enjoy the front and the side views But we had to wait because there were one or two families yet to come and even in the UK they wanted to indulge in the luxury of IST(Indian Stretchable Time). When the bus was to its capacity, the Indian who came with the two whites introduced himself as Khusroo the manager, and then turned to a very genial white man whom he referred to as Lawrence, entrusted with the task of steering us up and down the hills ,dales and meadows of Europe. The third person in the group ,Steve, was not one of the crew of our bus but he was an employee of the Star Tours and was getting down en route. Khusroo took the roll call……confirmed the bookings, checked for passports and off we left at the dot of eight thirty with a prayer in our hearts……..

Day 1 of our tour itself was a new experience.......Our tour manager told us that we were crossing the Dover Straits by train and some among us who watched less of the Discovery Channel were not very enthusiastic. Anyway our coach reached Folkstone from where the train starts .Atop a mount, cut out on a grassy patch was the picture of a white horse which we were told is the logo of the Euro Tunnel or the Channel Tunnel. The coach and passengers waited in a long queue and when we had our turn Lawrence drove in through some place like a vestibule .To our surprise we were told that we were entering the train. Question marks were writ large on our faces. Now, this is a train that whizzes through the Channel Tunnel built under the sea bed. This was indeed the first of Khusroo’s surprises. So here we were all agog to go across the sea in a train under the sea bed.......The train has the height and width of three ordinary trains put together. The space along the length of the train is compartmentalized by huge shutters which come down when that particular area gets occupied. After two buses and their passengers drove in the shutters came down ,one in front of the first bus and the other behind the second bus.Thus two buses and their passengers were compartmentalized.On either side of each shutter are doors which can be opened at the hard press of a button and through these doors we can move from one compartment to the other, throughout the length of the train. It was as if the train was stationary but we were moving at a very high speed. In about 35 -40 minutes we were at Calais.....coach and all moved out through the vestibule once again. Yes, next was the immigration check by the French.....we were told to keep our passports ready .But with a quick search of the coach ,we were sent off and we thought that things were very simple( we realised it was a mistake on our return)..

There is nothing very exciting about the French motorway. We drove through France to Belgium where we had our first halt at a Chocolate Factory located beside vast barley, wheat and corn fields. Our kitchen caravan laid out the picnic style buffet prepared by chefs from India…. The break was a very short one and we were advised not to indulge in any kind of purchases.My daughter-in –law and I casually and hastily checked the cost of curiously shaped chocolates and lace and hey ho we made a dash for the coach. Belgium has vast areas of wheat ,barley and corn fields and notable are their glassmaking industries, brewery, chocolates and lace making units. We reached Brussels, the capital of Belgium, at about 3.30pm.But for the usual crowd of tourists there is absolutely no congestion in Brussels. The streets are narrow and cobbled and their architecture is mainly Gothic. The alleys open into a large square known as the Grand Place surrounded by ornate guild houses.The square is a 17th century reconstruction site. There is a very imposing building here now converted into a hotel, The Hotel de Ville topped with the copper statue of St Michael. The St Michaels Cathedral in the vicinity is an eye catching Gothic structure. There are a number of museums dedicated to topics like beer, chocolate and lace making. Their Town Hall is also quite grand. Cartoon characters especially Tintin ,are a favourite among the people..The Manneken-Pis is a very popular statue of a urinating boy, the flow of urine being the fountain. The boy is dressed daily with clothes stored in one of the Museums. But we saw him stark naked on that day...........We were taken to the statue of Everard de Serclaes(it is said that prayers said while touching the statue will be answered) and St Gilles.We left this place and headed for the Atomium.The Atomium was designed by an engineer, Andre Waterkeyn, in 1958.It carries 9 spheres and represents an Iron crystalline molecule enlarged 165 billion times.We left the Atomium at about 5pm and headed for the French –Geman border. We were taken to Holiday Inn at Starsburg situated very close to the Starsburg Airport. Starsburg is a township located at the France- German border.......

Our caravan had already reached the Holiday Inn and a space was allowed in the dining hall of the hotel to spread our dinner,also a buffet.......... I had my very fill of the complementary breakfast served in the hotel the next morning as I was anxious to taste the French fare. At 8.30am,July 2, we assembled at the coach and began our second day of the tour(already regretting that the first day was a thing of the past).Well, Germany was just round the corner from where we were in France. Our destination was The Black Forest region. As we proceed uphill the roads become narrower and narrower and on top of one of the mountains is the fabled statue of an injured deer. The region, also known as Schwarzwald ,was once an impenetrable forest region ,very, very dark ,comprising firs and pines, and believed to have been haunted. However the forests are a rich source of wood, silver and ores. Clock making is a successful industry in these parts since the 17th century. They excelled in hand crafted clocks, made of wood from the forest and this tradition they sustain to this day ,of course incorporating modern mechanics . We bought a cuckoo clock from the factory( a very ordinary one) and my husband realised in a flash that there was a B B....I I I ....G G G........hole in his pocket..The factory itself is designed in the model of a cuckoo clock and there was a crowd to see the clock chime at 12 o'clock. The Blackforest cake takes its name from the Black Forest region, the icing being the snow in the winter and the black colour representing the black colour of the forest itself.Our caravan laid the spread in the cool space behind the cuckoo clock factory .Lunch over we were making ahead towards the Rhine Falls. Germany has a very beautiful and romantic country side. The timbered houses have roofs with steep slopes, almost touching the ground. There are vast areas of vineyards and beds of asparagus .

The Rhine falls are located at Schaffhausen in Switzerland. What a sight! It is the largest falls in Europe. It makes a plunge of more than 23meters and is 150m wide. On payment motor boats take visitors across the whirlpools to the central rocky precipice from the top of which the cataclysm can be viewed in all its ferocity. Vivek just wont lose an opportunity despite his father being a wet blanket. I was of course in the vanguard and off we went.....It was great....the waters are unbelievably blue(as you will see in a swimming pool).But for the sight of the falls from the land ,my husband missed it all(he repented .....that was what I judged from his face when he heard our excitement and narrations afterwards). We had some delay for departure because of the rains ......but when it abated we all made a dash for the coach where Mr Lawrence(our happy -go-lucky driver, an Englishman to the core with that generations-down -the-line -dislike for the French)was waiting for us wearing his genial smile. Kusroo ,our team manager ,had his hard task of herding the whole group and confirming that all seats were full.

Our next destination was Lucerne where there is the carving of a lion on a steep rocky precipice...The expression of utter grief on the lion's face is fantastic(Thorvaldren is the sculptor).The lion symbolises the Swiss soldier who fights tooth and nail to protect his country and the king. Swiss soldiers were slaughtered by King Louis xv either in battle or the guillotine. There is a broken spear sunk on the back of the lion and a shield beneath its paw signifying its zest to protect the master and the country. There is another shield carved on one side to suggest the Swiss soldier to the viewers. Thorvaldren (1844)was not paid as promised ,so he carved around the lion the outline of a pig making the whole thing look as if the lion is in the womb of the pig!!!!!!

We were next moving towards the Chapel Bridge and Water Tower situated on Lake Lucerne. From where we stood and across the Lake stood the mighty mountain, Mount Pilatus…. a beautiful and imposing spectacle at eventide. The Chapel Bridge is at the upper end where Lake Lucerne flows into River Reuss. The Chapel Bridge is the oldest wooden bridge in Switzerland and dates back to the 14th century. It was a part of St Peter's Chapel in the vicinity but now a promenade separates it. It is a covered bridge with paintings suspended under the roof. There were about 110 paintings but 85 of them were destroyed in a fire in 1993.A portion of the bridge was also damaged but they have rebuilt that portion in the same line. The water tower which is also a part of the bridge was a dungeon, an archive and a treasury vault till the 19th century .Now a club room ,it is not open to tourists. We crossed Luxemburg and entered Engleburg where they have figures of angels everywhere because they believe they bring in good luck. At Engleburg we were given a small break.....

The tour destinations for the day being over we were driven to a restaurant , also called the Holiday Inn, for our dinner. It was a long drive and the sights we beheld held us spellbound!! We were in the Alps mountains, and Holiday Inn was in one of the valleys. What greeted us in the restaurant in the Alps was the carved portrait of Maha Ganapthy. Our caravan had already driven in and the buffet was ready..After dinner ,despite the biting chill, we stepped out to draw in the beauty of the landscape(unforgettable and awe inspiring ,God Is Great!!!!!).We were reluctant to leave the place and Kusroo had a tough time to put us all in the coach. He had to tell us we had to go a long way to the hotel........it was a necessary lie . The Hotel was just a stone's throw from where we were!!!!A figure of a large glittering angel greeted us .Our room was very comfortable and very romantic, nestled in the lap of the snow covered Alps. Alps ,Alps and Alps all around .I thanked God repeatedly, with tears in my eyes, for giving us this opportunity through my children .I thought of all of you whom I love and silently wished you were all with me to share my ecstasy.........The hectic day ended in a deep, deep sleep......I still wonder whether my experiences are real or virtual. Am I dreaming??????

The night's stay at Ramada Hotel guarded by a glittering angel was refreshing. Our breakfast at 7.30 am was the traditional Swiss breakfast. Our itinerary for the day included the much awaited ascent up Mount Titilis. We had to leave early,the earlier the better, because of the unpredictable weather conditions on the Alps and also to be up there before the usual crowd of tourists. By about 8.15am we entered the coach all geared in accoutrements required to brave the biting chill. Our spirits were dampened by the light showers......Kusroo told us to pray.......We reached the cable car station or the base station which is located nearby. We were each given an entry card and we gain access to the cable car by the swipe of this card. We saw to it that we always remained together because we had to board and alight different cable cars at 3 levels during the ascent and the descent.The weather was very fine now and we were the early birds. Our excitement knew no bounds!!!!!Mount Titilis, the highest look out point, is the second highest mountain in Europe(10,600feet) ,next to Jungfrau(13,642').The mountain is covered with snow throughout the year. The first and second cable cars took us over green meadows where cattle adorned with the famous swiss cowbells graze, their heads never raising. Their bells make a continuous mellifluous chime.As we go higher and higher the tops of firs ,pines and larches slip further down and we get to see rivulets ,waterfalls and beautiful blue and white lakes .The third ascent to the top of the Titilis is by the Rotair.The Rotair is the world's first revolving aerial cable car and going up the rotary way gives you a breathtaking 360 degree panoramic view of the snow covered valleys and glaciers. The 45 minute cable car ride was as enjoyable as it was thrilling or whatever you can describe it. From the top station what we first saw was a snow covered formation of Buddha in meditation on an inaccessible rock. We could see as far as the Black Forest Region in Germany. We decided to indulge in some snow games(this time my husband was all for it)He was the first person to experience snow tubing(you sit in an inflated tube and you are made to slide down a glacier,500feet). We followed him one after the other. From where you have fallen ,you drag the snow tube and make an ascent via a conveyor belt. Getting onto the conveyor belt is quite difficult because there is a chance of slipping. This sport is also called fun lift.. The glacier park has a large number of snow toys shared by the young and old alike. Vivek and Chinnu enjoyed scooter rides on the glacier. I refrained from that exercise for fear of my bad knee. We next got into what is known as the ice flyer or the chair lift. It is a long seat for six , but as a family we got one for ourselves. It transports you to a height above the Mountain and takes you across the vast span of glacier crevasses.It passes through the lower and upper station at a very slow speed......My what an experience!!!!! There is an ice cave which we forgot to see because Vivek and Chinnu were distracted by a photo studio. There was a big rush there and Vivek insisted we take the photos. So the old couple, like their younger counterparts, did not lose the chance of taking a photograph dressed in traditional Swiss outfits complete with the Alphorn etc. It was time for us to come to the base station and when we reached there what caught my eye was a photograph of the four of us in the ice flyer....we do not know how ,who or when it was taken.....I think it is part of their business because we had to pay to get a copy of it .We had lunch from the Holiday Inn, the same restaurant in the valley where we had our dinner the previous night (remember the portrait of Mahaganapathy).We stood outside and gazed and gazed at the mesmerizing spectacle of the Alps, the beams of sunshine falling on the snow.We left for our next destination , the Interlaken by 2.30pm.
Interlaken is a small strip of land between Lake Thunersee and Lake Brienzsee in a long valley up in the Alps. Infact Interlaken, Europe's original ski resort, is at the foot of Jungfrau(which is eight miles away).There are only about 5000 permanent residents there and the rest of the crowd comprises the regular flow of tourists. There are some monastic buildings, chalets ,woods, snow covered hills and green meadows , not to mention the abundance of flowers. There is absolute gaiety here, a sort of busy idleness, an air of perpetual festivity.........a musical concert was going on on one side, exhibition on another ,eating and merrymaking in the food courts in another nook.It is an ideal place for shopping for people like Sharuk Khan, Salman Khan, the Big B and other such folks.......Anyway thank God, Kusroo always spares us that embarrassment for he gives us little or no time for shopping.We were leaving for Geneva next. The Swiss motorway is very narrow and invariably we have to pass through a large number of long tunnels. Some of their houses have at least twenty windows facing the road and each is decorated with a trough of flowers. We went through the city of Berne to Geneva. The UN buildings , the Red Cross Society, The Finance House, the Meteorological Society which gathers world wide weather reports, the Flower clock etc are the popular sights in the city where we halted for photography. I cannot forgot our visit to the site of the Broken Chair at the UN Square(Place des Nation) in Geneva. It is a piece of protest art by Daniel Berset, to commemorate the Mine- Ban Treaty. The Handicap International unveiled the Broken Chair, a 12 meter high wooden sculpture in support of the global movement against land mines in which thousands of people were maimed for life. Lake Geneva is a beautiful tourist site. It is on the River Rhone and is the largest fresh water lake in Western Europe. The unspoilt beauty of the lakeside has been a source of attraction and it is said poets like Byron and writers like Victor Hugo and Rousseau drew their inspiration from this area. From the lakeside you can see the Savoy Alps and Dents du Midi(on the French side).There is a fountain in the lake called the Jet d'Eau which is one of the largest in the world(spurting to a height of 435feet) and is the city's landmark.A famous cathedral dedicated to St Pierre is on the shore of the lake far away from where we were. That being the last tour destination for the day we set off for The Hotelience where we were to stay for the night .......Our caravan was ready with their service in the dining hall of the Hotel and as usual I had my fill .With my mind full of the day's adventures and looking over and over again at our photos in the Swiss attire we went to bed........... Breakfast at the Hotelience was typically Swiss……….. Never mind the scowls carved on the faces of those whose taste buds crave for idli sambhar because those are creases that do not age. Moreover we were all looking forward to something very exciting. We were leaving for Paris ,a full five hours driving time for a distance of 540 km or so. We left by about 9.30am.......intermittent breaks at service stations to stretch limbs and to answer the calls of nature. Our caravan was ready with our lunch at one such service station. The French countryside is not so much to rave about, but of course their sunflower fields and vineyards win our attention. Some Hindi videos entertained us. By around 4 o'clock we reached Paris.Our first tour destination was the River Seine where we were going for the Seine Cruise. En route we halted at the tunnel where Princess Dianna met her tragic end .She died just where the subway enters the tunnel.....the broken tiles have been replaced with tiles of a different colour to pin point that area where she died.Above the entrance to the Pont de L'Alma tunnel there is the sculpture of the Flame of Liberty (the same that you see on the Statue of Liberty and of the same size).It was given to the city as a return gift in honour of the centennial celebration of the dedication of the statue .It is also reckoned as being an unofficial memorial to the Princess. Arrangements were being made near the La Bastille to celebrate 220 years of their independance on July 14,2009 and the chief guest was Dr Manmohan Singh.On our way towards the Seine we saw the Eiffel Tower which is no monument to be missed......We were all,ALL EYES.....The River Seine Cruise offers a very good view of the urban landscape of France.We boarded the Bateaux Mouches........ The Bateaux Mouches Company is the oldest boat tour operator in Paris and their boat offers a very relaxing and expedient way to view Paris .There are thirty seven bridges across the river of which only three are for pedestrians(the Passerelle des Arts is a romantic pedestrian bridge) and two are railway bridges.The first one is called Pont Amont Peripherique where the river enters the city and the thirty seventh one is called Pont Aval where she exits from the city.The oldest one , the Pont Neuf was built in 1607.The cruise begins at the Orsay Museum(a building with blue roof),passes along the Tuileries Gardens.There are some islands on the Seine and The Notre Dame is on an island called Ile de la Cite.Near the Grenelle Bridge,there is a replica of the Statue of Liberty also located on an island known as Ile des Cygnes. Other monuments to the right and left of the Seine include The Louvre Palace which is the present day Louvre Museum, the statue of Genevieve,Eiffel Tower, University of Sorbonne etc etc. etc etc.Our Cruise ended by around6.30 and we were once again herded to the coach........next was the city night tour but as it was optional we were first taken to dining hall of the hotel......Yes we were going for the night tour as decided by our captain,Vivek.We had to leave by 9pm and we had to hurry......Paris is enchanting by night and so the name City Of Lights.Even at nine o'clock(pm) it was very bright and the street lights were not switched on. So we were able to see other sights as well.....The Parisian roads are not tarred ,they were made out of granite pieces by the Romans and it stays in that manner in many parts to this day. The tree lined boulevards of Paris lend a romantic charm to the place. The Vendome Square with its famous column , houses the most famous jewellery shops and is a name to be remembered in the fashion world. The Place de la Concorde is the largest square and separates the Tuilliere Gardens from the Champs Elysee. Though referred to as a square it is actually octagonal. Later this place got to be called Place de la Revolution because it had at its center the guillotine which killed Louis xvi, Marie Antoinette, Danton, Robespierre etc. The smell of blood was so intense that it is said cattle refused to go by that area. The obelisk of Luxor given by the viceroy of Egypt to Louis Phillipe is a conspicuous monument in the square. There are two very beautiful fountains on either side of the obelisk and the statues at each corner of the octagon represent each of the large cities of France. The Napoleon Bonaparte Tomb or the Les Invalides is as stunning a building as their National Assembly a marvel of Greek architecture. The tomb , which has a dome bearing twelve gold coated helmets is a sight indeed.........so also is the ornate green portal of the main tomb.Darkness was setting in.........and the city was beginning to don the garb of lights.......Kusroo hurried us into the coach and announced that we were going to veer towards the Champes Elysees....the world’s most beautiful avenue(I saw the painting of this avenue ,by some modern painter in the National Gallery in UK).The Champs Elysees stretches from the Concorde Square to the Arc de Triomphe and is 1910m long and70m wide. Lining the road are granite side walks, plane trees, hundreds of fashion stores, theatres, pubs and restaurants that keep the area animated day in and day out. There were some preparations going on and on enquiry we were told that the avenue was gearing up for the annual Tour de France cycling race scheduled for the end of July. We were heading for the Arc de Triomphe( a structure that will remind you of the Delhi Gate but very much bigger and more ornate. The Arc stands at the highest point in Paris, The Place Charles de Gaulle, and is the link between Old Paris and New Paris It was completed in 1836 and it is from here that 12 roads radiate, so you can just imagine the area and the expertise of all those drivers who frequent this roundabout. The Arc houses the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the Eternal Flame is rekindled at 6.30pm everyday. The stories of Napoleon’s war adventures and his death are all engraved on the Arc and is also a tribute to the great soldier. It is said Napoleon’s body was taken under this arc while being shifted from St Helena to the Invalides. Our coach took one of the roads here and went towards the Louvre Museum. At the entrance to the museum is seen the Pei glass pyramid, a large glass and metal pyramid surrounded by three smaller ones, a unique structure more so because of its reference in the Da vinci code.....Sorry we did not get a chance to see the inside of the Louvre Museum and I was very sorry about it. By now it was very dark and we were going towards the Wall for Peace and Eiffel Tower. The two monuments are close by in the Champ de Mars and situated across a vast tree lined and lover lined expanse.....this area is opposite the Ecole Militaire..... and the expanse was once the field from which the first hydrogen balloon was launched. The Wall was inaugurated in the year 2000.The wall seems to serve as a quiet defiance of the Ecole Militaire on the opposite side and the word “peace” is engraved in 49 languages including Hindi. The whole area was a thick throng of people as if there was a festivity...but it is an every day affair......The Eiffel Tower was lit up with a thousand lights and was resplendant .....but something happens at the dot of 11pm and we were all waiting to see that. Yes and exactly at eleven o’clock the whole tower was lit up by diamond sparkling lights for five minutes. Every day at every hour from dusk till about 2am the tower has this display of illumination for five minutes.The crowd clapped their hands and whistled......It was time to leave and by the time we reached Novotel it was one o’clock We were so exhausted and just plopped down on the bed even without a wash.

The last day of our European Tour dawned in no time……We hardly enjoyed the comforts of the lovely room in the Novotel where we were accommodated for the night. The room was a very large one and besides the usual furniture, TV, electric kettle and fridge, there was a complete sofa set on the right side of the room , a two seater and two single seaters, and chairs in the balcony. We had to leave early and if I am not mistaken 8.30 am was the time. Yes , our breakfast was a portion of the French cuisine and off we went leaving behind echoes of Bonjour ,Au revoir and merci beaucoup. Our destination was the Eiffel Tower and although The Novotel is located closeby we had to make it early so that we could lead the regular serpentining queue(Kusroo insists on being first everywhere)!!!!We were not exactly the first to reach ,but we could be dubbed as the early birds…..Our tickets were pre-booked and so we only had to wait at the elevator which starts functioning at 9am.Even as we waited at the Pilier Nord or the Northern Pillar we saw the queue grow in length by the minute. In a jiffy we saw a sea of people at the periphery forming deltas first and meandering tributaries towards the ticket counters.

The Eiffel Tower is located at Champ de Mars, on the southern banks of the River Seine. Just across is a large field from where the first Hydrogen balloon was sent.The tower was designed by the engineer Gustave Eiffel and built for the International Exhibition of Paris in 1889.After the fair they did not pull it down much to the dismay of a segment of the people who called it “ a truly tragic street lamp”.The tower is 1000 feet or 324meters high and is equal to the height of an 81 storied building or the height of 6 statues of Liberty stacked one on top of the other!!!It is made from 18,000 pieces of metal and has 2.5 million rivets.It is painted every 7 years(maintenance was going on at one flank when we were there) and requires 60 tonnes of paint.The whole tower weighs about7,000tonnes.May be the height of the structure saved it from demolition because it is now thought to be ideal for communication and they have a TV antenna uppermost. There are four elevators and also stairs at the southern flank for those who have faith and trust in their legs!!! The first lift is a double lift and accommodates a large number of people…but it goes only as high as the second level.We were going right to the top and so at the second level we had to form another queue to get to the top .Even as we were forming the file I noticed the luxury of the Jules Verne Restaurant in there!! The second lift is a much smaller one but very fast. The thrill of the ascent is not so much the frightening height but the fact that we move at an inclination and can get a view of the inner workings and technicalities of the construction ………..oooooooooooo the bird’s eye view of Paris is exhilarating!!!!! Once at the top there is an indoor viewing area with photographs, maps and other details so that you can see and know what exactly you are viewing at. You only have to look at the photograph and then look out for the physical structure, the verbal details are provided along with the photo ,what more information do you need !!!By now the crowd had swelled and the four of us by our own choice decided to go down and yes taking the same old routes……There are unaffordable souvenir shops, restaurants and studios which we decided it was best to avoid . Fixing cheesy smiles and striking poses at vantage locations for photographs were all that mattered.

We were quite thirsty and parched and longed for something to drink , and oh yea there it was a small tea stall run by a few Indians…..Uuuugh what a tea!!!!!Worse the hospitality!!!! Chinnu and I made for the park located at one side .We also saw the campus of the American University of Paris to the left of the Eiffel Tower.

In the distance we saw Kusroo running helter skelter…. It was 12.20 and time for departure .Jolly old soul Lawrence was comfortably perched in his seat in the bus. We made for our seats without further ado and woefully bid adieu to one of the wonders of the world(thanking God and my children for having given us this opportunity).

On this the last day of our tour programme, we had no caravan to provide us food.We were taken to a service station and could buy the food of our choice…..Ho ho Balettan (my better half)had a difficult time and a few more agonising hungry hours to go…….After lunch we were proceeding towards Calais. It was a long drive and almost 4.15 when we reached there. I thought of Matthew Arnold and his Dover Beach……on the French coast the evening light gleams and the cliffs of England stand ,glimmering and vast. At that point of time the world seems “to lie before us like a land of dreams, so various, so beautiful, so new!”

Photography is prohibited for security reasons. We alighted the bus and there was a rigorous security check, passports were scrutinized and stamped. And then there was the wait at the harbour for the large ferry to take us across the Dover Straits to UK.At 5 o’clock we embarked(and what we called a ferry is really a mini ship, what with restaurants, cabins, duty free shops, playing areas, library etc).We went straight to the deck first. Exactly at 5.45 the siren sounded and we left the French shore. Camera shutters were busy. Vivek appeared restless and disappeared in a flash. When we traced him he confessed that he had lost his way into one of the restaurants ……… and of course there was his concern for his hungry father!!!The latter thought provoked a positive response from me(because of the dread of a hungry man metamorphosing into an angry man) and our Captain Vivek took us to where his nose had led him. Anyway we had some good food there, sufficient to appease hunger and thirst.We roamed around the duty free shops, walked the length and breadth, larboard and starboard……At 7.30pm(even at that hour it was as bright as a sunny four o’clock evening) we anchored at Dover.The usual formalities were through and we disembarked to board the bus which Lawrance drove out from the ship.The white hill sides along the coast of Dover looked very striking and the grating roar of pebbles brought with it the eternal note of sadness.

Next was the drive, with occasional halts, to Eastham from where we had boarded the bus on the first day of our trip.It was about 8.30pm and there was a biting cold wind blowing, almost drilling holes through the bones………somehow,I do not know for what reason I had the feeling of being back in Trivandrum on that day. We had made prior arrangements with a cab driver but a black substitute who was sent was very late to reach the point .Anyway while we waited, we exchanged telephone numbers and addresses with our travelling companions and bid good byes after goodbyes….

By the time we reached Croydon it was 10 o’clock and the street lights were switched on. Leaving bag and baggage in the rooms we made a dash to Chennai Dosa for our own favourite spicy fare………..And there ends the story of our European Tour…….

Wisps of Fancy

Saturday, 20 February 2010

Friday, 19 February 2010

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