We
were still lost in the lingering memories of Disneyland, which had rejuvenated
one and all. The memories will stay with everyone for a very long time. It was
not only a tour of childhood, but a beautiful experience, reviving our minds
which had gone a bit dull in the hustle and bustle of professional and personal
commitments. Our revitalised looks were apparent as we boarded our coach for a
city tour of Paris. The traffic was moving slowly. The number of visitors
seemed more, like the previous day. The traffic was diverted in many places as
Paris was preparing itself for the Olympics. Some locations were barricaded, and we had to be satisfied by only glimpses. The stairs leading to the front
gallery of the National Assembly were decked with colourful dummies of
athletes. Makeshift stadiums were being erected in suitable open areas. The
entire city was getting a festive look for the grand sporting event. The Arc de
Triomphe posed elegantly. It looked as splendid during the day, as it looked in
the sober shimmer during the night. The streets which we saw at night looked equally
beautiful in the bright sun. We could see the iconic tower from a distance as
the coach moved towards Champ de Mars park. We got down from the coach in the
parking and walked towards the Pont Alexandre bridge. A lady on the bridge was taking pictures of various tourists and
printing them on a dummy front page of a retro newspaper. She did not charge
any price for that and told us we could pay any amount we wished to. Many of us
got our pictures in black & white and paid happily. It was fun and a lovely
souvenir. We walked down the bridge and crossed the Place de la Concorde square. The amazing giant
won our hearts right at the introductory glimpse. The Eiffel Tower stood grand
and greeted us graciously. The Eiffel Tower is a wrought-iron structure in
the Champ de Mars park area. It is named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel,
whose company designed and built the tower in 1889. It is a freestanding vertical
framework tower. It’s a construction technique which is widely used in making
electric transmission towers, radio towers or observation towers. The
technique helps in building a stronger structure, at a much lower weight,
with more wind resistance than that of a tower of solid construction. It is nicknamed
‘La dame de Fer’ (French: Iron Lady). It was constructed as the centrepiece of
the 1889 World’s Fair, and to crown the centennial anniversary of
the French Revolution. The tower is 330 meters tall, as high as an 81-storey building, and is the tallest structure in Paris. The tower has three
levels for visitors, with restaurants and amenities on the first and second
levels. The top level is the highest observation deck accessible to the community in the European Union. Although there is a staircase, most visitors
use a lift to reach various levels. The top level has a radio broadcasting
aerial and an apartment built for Gustave Eiffel’s private use.
There was a deluge of visitors. The queue
was very long and tested our patience. It started raining, and we faced strong
and chilly winds, making us feel the wait even longer. But the long wait gave
me a chance to study the tower. The design was majestic, and the resources
seemed to be of very high standards. Be it a hand-railing of a staircase or a
large bolt of a beam of the tower, each component was of a very high caliber. In
this tour so far, I observed that there was no compromise anywhere in terms of
quality, standards or safety. All the structures and the edifices appeared
technically sound, irrespective of the era in which they were built. The zeal, the
passion and the hard work were noticeable and commendable. The tower was an
engineering marvel, born out of a genius’s mind. A gush of cool wind welcomed
us as we stepped out of the lift and reached the gallery on the first level. The
queue for the lift to reach the second level was long again. I decided to stay
at the first level and enjoy the sights of gorgeous Paris. The neatness was obvious,
and the green cover appeared ample. The makeshift stadium which we saw from the
coach looked graceful. The Trocadero platform looked calm, from where we had
viewed the glittering Eiffel two nights ago. The panoramic view of Paris was
simply majestic and spoke volumes about the prosperity of the place. The level
had all the amenities, with uninterrupted wi-fi and the cleanliness was extraordinary.
The Eiffel Tower faced controversy during the initial period. It was criticised
by some of France’s leading artists and intellectuals for its design, who did
not believe it was feasible and objected on artistic grounds. However, it soon became
a global cultural icon of France and one of the most recognisable
structures in the world. The Eiffel Tower is the most visited monument with an entrance fee in the world and receives visitors in huge numbers every year.
Post lunch, we boarded a cruise on the
river Seine for an orientation tour of Paris. The cruise glided under the bridges of Paris and gave a breathtaking view of a succession of beautiful monuments along the waterway as we listened to commentary about Paris. The lady commentator spoke in English, Spanish and French, providing live commentary
about Paris and its history, monuments, and architecture.
The cruise ride marked the end of our tour. We were going to board a flight to our home country the next morning. As we bid adieu to Europe, all of us had mixed feelings. On one hand, we were immersed in the exquisiteness of Europe, but on the other, we felt sad about departing with the group members, who had become almost a family. Europe has gifted us lovely memories which will stay with us for life. While I enjoyed viewing magnificent places, I also felt a striking absence of many virtues in my home country, which were predominant in Europe almost like a culture. Every city we visited showed the highest regard for human life and a deep concern for children. The neatness was palpable everywhere, and the traffic was exceptionally disciplined. The cleanliness was praiseworthy. The infrastructure was of an outstanding technical grade and was user-friendly too. There were no banners, placards, posters or any kind of audiovisual display exhibiting religious, political or social matters. Billboards were almost non-existent. We did not see pushing and shoving anywhere. Even the most packed places showed quietness and tranquillity. Many prominent edifices were beautified, but did not pose gaudy. There was no lack of glitter, yet it never appeared ostentatious. I believe the progress, the prosperity and the serenity Europe or similar places demonstrate can only be attained by following a path of honesty, hard work and commitment. I wish to see more of Europe in the future.
Adios Europe, until we meet again!
(Roissy-en-France-
02 May, 2024)
No comments:
Post a Comment