Day 1: Paris
Our departing flight from Mumbai landed at Frankfurt early in the morning (we choose Frankfurt as there were cheap direct flights and car rentals easily available), and having rented out a Ford Focus station wagon, we drove straight onto Paris (about 6 hours), taking us past gorgeous German and French countryside dotted with tiny villages and grand Chateaus and Castles. We check in at about lunch time at our hotel at Ivry Sur Seine on the outskirts of Paris, changed quickly and took the train straight to Montmarte, the nucleus of the art scene in Paris.
Our first stop was the Sacre Cour Basilica, about a 100 years old. It was located at the highest point in Paris. The day was clear and we had a fantastic bird's eye view of the city from there. We then walked around the Montmarte area, filled with chic Parisian cafes and art galleries. We passed by the Salvador Dali museum, containing 300 masterpieces of the Surrealist painter, but didnt quite have the time to venture in. It would have been great to have someone with us who could tell us that Monet visited this tavern, and Renoir lived here, but nevertheless the vibrancy of the place indicated its importance in the history or art. We knew one of Picasso's homes was around, but could not quite locate it.
Walking through the narrow, cobblestoned streets, we ended up at the Moulin Rouge, inarguably the world's most famous and opulent cabaret show. Visiting this one too wasnt on the plan. It was located on the Boulevard de Clichy, a gigantic tourist trap, full or pornographers and hustlers trying to lure customers into sex joints.
After having a mid afternoon snack at guess what Burger King of all places, we headed to the Place de la Bastille, the birthplace of the French Revolution when a mob attacked the Bastille prison here more than 200 years back. A short walk from there was the Place Du Vosges, Paris' oldest square, around 400 years old and once its most fashonable. It was around dusk by then and there were many locals there, indulging in the quintessential Parisian pastime: reading a book over a glass of wine in the lawns.
Towards sundown, we walked up at the magnificent Notre Dame Cathedral, whose exterior and facade can probably be considered the crowning glory of Gothic architecture. The more you look at it, the more it grows on you.
The rest of the evening we spent walking along the Quays of the Seine, dotted with buildings each prettier than the previous one. There were probably a dozen small bridges spanning the river, and romantic couples were enjoying cruises on the river. One of the bridges was Pont Neuf, probably the most romantic spot in the city, with awesome views of the river on both sides, and magnificent buildings all around bathed in artificial light.
Day 2: Louvre, Champs Elysses, Eiffel
We spend the first half of the day at the Louvre: I got in line early for the tickets while the gang has a lazy Parisian breakfast. Never have I seen (not even the Met in NYC), nor do I expect to, see more treasures under one roof, spanning the history of humankind. There was so much to see it would have taken days just to even glance through all the exhibits, so we focussed only on the Masterpieces mentioned in the brochure: the Mona Lisa, the Dutch masters Rembrandt and Vermeer, the Venus of Lido, the masterpieces of Corot, Poussin and Gericault. We had taken the audio guide: I would highly recommend it. Before the trip, I had reread (and Jyoti read for the first time) "The Story of Art". It provided us great context with which we could appreciate the greatness of the works that lay before us.
After a sumptuous meal at the Louvre, we walked past the Place de la Concorde on the Champs Elysses towards the Arc du Triomphe. The first half of the stretch was lined with gardens, overflowing with tourists walking and locals chilling out. The second half was full of shopping: every well known brand seemed to have a showroom here, and why not!
Towards dusk, we headed to the Eiffel Tower. Since we had timed tickets, we did not have to be in queue. Once dark, the view was simply breathtaking. On one side was the Seine, on another a garden where a live show was going on. All the great monuments could be seen in the distance: the Basilica of Sacre Cour, the Notre Dame etc. Paris certainly is one of the prettiest, if not THE prettiest, cities in the world.
On the way back to the hotel, we had a bit of excitement as we boarded an express train, which skipped our station and took us to the outer zones of Paris, while we had tickets only for the inner zones. We got a lot of help from one of the locals, who took a lot of pain to ensure that we figured out the right train to take us back home. No trip is memorable until something goes wrong and you are helped by your fellow commuter.
This would be all that we could see in Paris. There was so much more to do: visit the museums (Musee Rodin, Museum of Modern Art and plenty plenty more), see the Moulin Rouge, dine by the Seine, and generally walk around. But that would have to wait for another trip!
Day 3: Versailles, Lausanne
In the morning we headed to the Chateau de Versailles, probably the most magnificent royal residences I have ever seen. It was earlier a hunting lodge, expanded into its current magnificence during the reign of Louis XIV in the 17th century. The weather wasnt the best, so we bought tickets only for the Palace: on a clear day, a visit to the gardens is also a must. There was room after room, all meant for the King and Queen, full of beautiful paintings, ceiling frescoes, chandeliers, busts of Roman legends and to provide a striking balance, every room had an installation of contemporary art by the Japanese master Murakami.
Thereafter, we headed towards Switzerland. It was our first tryst with the Alps and its little hamlets as we crossed over from the French side to the Swiss. It is amazing how easy it is to cross over from one Eurozone country to another. It reminded me of the strained relationship India has with a couple of its neighbors.
We were running a little earlier than expected, and instead of heading straight to Fribourg (a lesser known but bustling student town) for our night halt, we took a small detour towards Lausanne, located on Lake Geneva. It was a Sunday and the town was completely deserted. We thus headed straight to the Lausanne Cathedral, built in the 13th Century and one of the finest examples of the Gothic style. Right round the corner was the edge of the Lake, though with the weather quite cloudy, we couldnt see much.
Day 4: Bern, Pilatus, Lucerne
One place that not too many Indians visit, but I highly recommend for its architecture, would be the capital city of Bern,a UNESCO World Heritage site
and one of the oldest cities in Switzerland. The weather was clear as we strolled through the city, admiring the hotels, Government buildings, breweries and bank offices, all decked up with flowers. At the town square, we ran into a festive farmer's market. The setting was perfect: the sun was out, there were gorgeous buildings all around and the market, overflowing with cheeses, fruits, bread, drinks and ice creams and women dressed in Dirndls and men in Lederhousens, was a feast for the senses.
We then headed Southeast bypassing Lucerne and onto Alpnachstad, which according to Jyoti, was the prettiest little village she has seen. From there, we took the Pilatus Railway, the world's steepest cogwheel railway with a gradient as high as 48 degrees) to the top of Mount Pilatus, about 2,100 meters above sea level. The scenery and weather seemed to change every minute as we ascended, leaving the rolling countryside behind to enter rocky terrain. I'd say there are many mountain ranges in the world that are as breathtaking, if not more, as the Swiss Alps. But the Swiss make it more accessible by building these railways and funiculars right to the top. If you are adventurous, have time and are fit, I'd say head to the Himalayas. Else not much beats the combination of mountainous beauty and convenience of the Swiss Alps.
After descending from Pilatus, we headed back to Lucerne (situated on, no prizes for guessing, Lake Lucerne) and spent the evening at visiting its churches, the Lion monument, the Chapel Bridge (one of the oldest in Europe, and the most photographed place in Switzerland). We then drove through some quintessential Swiss countryside as the sun was going down, along narrow winding roads to the picturesque village of Interlaken (also referred by some as "India"-laken for the predominance of Indian tourists)
Our cosy Rugenpark BandB, run had a splendid view of the Jungfrau mountain. Ursula, who owned and ran the place, was extremely efficient and fit: carrying heavy luggage, making breakfast, cleaning rooms, guiding guests, she did it all. We had planned to go to Jungfrau the next day, but she suggested we go to Schilhorn instead as it had better views (Jungfrau would have a lot more snow)
Day 5: Schilthorn
Early in the morning, we took the funicular to the top of Mt. Schilthorn, about 3000 meters high. we had to take a series of cable cars which put together make it one of the longest cable car journeys in the world. The mountain shot to fame when the James Bond movie, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, was shot there. It was a clear day, and we got a panoramic view of the surrounding Bernese Oberland, the central part of the country containing some of its tallest peaks, including the Jungfrau mountain which is over 4000 meters. It had snowed the day before so the observatory was covered in a sheet of spotless white.
On our descent from Schilthorn, we stopped at the car-free town of Murren, one of the most scenic hamlets I have seen. We then proceeded to the Trummelbach falls, a series of 9 cascades. Since this is Switzerland, there was an elevator which took us to the top from where one can walk down through each cascade. We got back to Interlaken around lunchtime, and we had a hearty meal of the best cheese fondue and rosti I've had. This was our first lazy, elaborate meal as so far we had been picking up sandwiches and salads, or gorging on some of the packed food we have brought from home. The main street in Interlaken lay before us, a meadow beyond and snow capped mountains in the distance!! A little tired after all the driving and the early morning starts for the past few days, Atit and I had a nice afternoon nap while the girls went for some shopping.
Day 6: San Bernardino Pass, Via Mala, Pisa
Time to say goodbye to the incomparable Swiss countryside to head to Italy. We took the scenic San Bernardino pass, rated by some as the best drive in Switzerland: curving roads, meadows, chalets perched on cliffs, shimmering lakes. En route, we stopped at the Via Mala, a deep gorge through which a centuries old footpath meandered across the pass. As we headed out of the Alps and into Tuscany, there was a stark change in the scenery change from Alpine to Mediterranean. And so was the difference in driving styles, with tailgating and occasional honking being the norm.
We arrived at the leaning tower by the evening. Built in the 13th and 14th century, the tower is 55 meters tall, and has a tilt of 4 degrees (it was 5.5 degrees before some restoration a decade ago). While its claim to fame is its tilt, nevertheless it is a magnificent building, and so is the adjacent cathedral, whose bell tower it is.
There was quite a wait to climb the tower, so we couldnt make it to the top. From Pisa, an hour's drive took us to Florence, the birthplace of the Renaissance. Our cosy hotel Locanda dei Poeti, was situated in the heart of the old town, each room having its unique flavor. The manager, a gregarious local, told us of all the places to see and the local places to eat. We had a sumptuous Italian dinner at one of the recommended places situated on the curb of a small square full of restaurants.
Day 7: Firenze!!
A day of cultural overload as we walk and walk and walk through the cobblestone roads of Florence. To kick off, I made the ascent up the 500 odd steps of the
Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, better known as the the Florence Cathedral, or simply the "Duomo". The work of the dome was completed in the 15th century by Brunelleschi, the pioneer of Renaissance architecture. A panoramic view of all of Florence could be enjoyed from the top. We then visited about half a basilicas, such as Santissima Annunziata, Santa Croce, Santa Maria Novella and San Lorenzo. All of these housed masterpieces of immortal artists such as Donatello and Giotto. We visited a vibrant street market surrounding the San Lorenzo, and picked up a leather bag for Jyoti. Close to the basilica of Santa Maria Novella was the namesake pharmacy, which was housed in a museum. We came across many notable buildings, the most well known being Palazzo Medici, the erstwhile residence of the House of Medici family, the greatest patrons of the Renaissance.
For lunch, we headed for a sandwich at Fratellini (meaning little brothers), with one brother serving the wine and collecting the money, and the other making the sandwich. The goat cheese and sundried tomato sandwich was the best I've ever had (and I am not one to use superlatives easily! but such were the places we were visiting). Post lunch, we headed to the Uffizi Gallery (timed tickets, skipped the queue again!!), the mecca for Renaissance art lovers. Its not as well organized as the Louvre, and its collection restricted only to the Renaissance period, this one was for the Connoisseur and not the laypeople like us, but nevertheless an experience not to be missed.
In the evening, we walked towards Ponte Vecchio, probably the most famous bridge in Italy after the Rialto in Venice (more about that later). The play of colors as "the Tuscan Sun" illuminated the reds, oranges and yellows, and all shades in between, was quintessential Florence.. Dinner and wine (and wine was cheaper than water in Italy!) again at one of the neighborhood favorites to end a rewarding day.
Day 8: Chianti, Amalfi Coast
We left Florence in the am and drove south on the SR222, into the heart of the Chianti wine country. There were some wine shops and tasting rooms on the way, but it was too early. We stopped for breakfast in the pretty town of Greve in Chianti, where we were recommended by an Italian lady (lives in the US, spends weeks every year in Tuscany enjoying the wine!! what a life!!) to head to the nearby town of Greti, and visit the Santo Stefano vineyards. It was such a small place no one spoke English. I somehow managed to eke out a few Spanish words (a little like Italian, gets the broad message across) to convey our desire to visit the vineyards and factory, and taste some wine..
We then headed South, past Rome and Naples onto Salerno, where the famed Amalfi Coast Drive starts. As Rick Steve states on his website, "The Amalfi Coast offers one of the world's great bus rides: The coastal trip from Sorrento to Salerno will leave your mouth open and your film exposed. You'll gain respect for the Italian engineers who built the road — and even more respect for the bus drivers who drive it. As you hyperventilate, notice how the Mediterranean, a sheer 500-foot drop below, twinkles". The drive certainly was one of the most scenic ones I have taken (that is, when I managed to take my eyes off the road and look at the Mediterranean) and also the most dangerous (quite a few close shaves with oncoming buses). We drove past the pretty sea side town of Amalfi, then drove up a steep incline to Ravello, and then headed to Positano, perched on the edge of a cliff. We had a memorable dinner by a curbside restaurant, enjoying a beautiful sunset, and then drove to our hotel in the nearby town of Sorrento, the gateway to Capri.
Day 9: Capri
We took a day trip by boat to the famous island of Capri. And no, we didnt go to see the Blue Grotto there as we were told by quite a few that it is a tourist trap and even if one is lucky enough to be there on a sunny day (which it quite wasnt), the experience is marred by troublesome boatmen.
Our boat dropped us off at the Marina Grande, from where we took a funicular to the top of Capri town. It afforded gorgerous views of the entire island, the Mediterranean beyond, and the mainland in the distance. The cobblestoned streets were lined with chic boutique hotels, designer villas and fancy shops. We visited a 14 century monastery, Certosa di San Giacomo. Not the most interesting building you would see in Italy, but worth a walkthrough. We were back in Sorrento by lunchtime and then drove off to Rome. For dinner we visited a local restaurant offering great fish, but we ordered our usual fare of margarita and some pasta. For me this was the best pizza I had on this trip (and came back for it the next day too!)
Day 10. Rome
Surely, all roads ought to lead to Rome. You have to see this place once in your life. Every nook and corner of the city begs you to stop and admire the magnificent architecture all around. Our first stop in the am was, as would be the case with most visitors, the Colosseum. I doubt that modern stadium, be it any sport, could provide the atmosphere and thrill like this place. This was the largest amphitheater of the Empire and probably its greatest piece of architecture and engineering, capable of seating 50,000 spectators. We then headed to the Palatine Hill, the centermost of the seven hills of Rome where the rich and powerful in the Empire had their homes. Adjacent is the Roman Forum, a maze of buildings of all kinds, where as the name suggests, public meetings were held and famous orators would speak. The place looks like a bit of a mess, but a little imagination can give one a glimpse of the grandeur that was Rome.
Post lunch (yet another roadside local favorite serving yummy pizzas), we headed to the Piazza Navona, Rome's liveliest square and one of the most famous in the world. It has three fountains, two close to the sides and the biggest and most impressive one, called the Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi, in the center. Our next stop was the Pantheon, built as a Roman temple and then consecrated as a church. Trevi fountain was next on the list, surely the prettiest fountain in Rome, arguably one of the finest in the world. Many films have featured it, as well as the next place we visited, the Scalinata di Spagna (Spanish Steps). These steps join the Piazza di Spagna with the church of Trinita dei Monti. Needless to say, every place we visited was overflowing with people, though they were all so impressive I couldnt say that detracted in any way from the beauty. The only thing that could have made Rome any more magnificent than it already is (if at all it is possible) would be a riverfront (there is the Tiber, but not much water to speak of) or the seashore. This is one of the rare great cities of the world which has neither. At the end of it all, we were tired, really tired.
Day 11. The Vatican and its museums
Today would be dedicated to the Vatican. We began our visit with the Vatican museums (after the Louvre, this one would be the second I would recommend). There was plenty to see, but Michalengelo's Sistine Chapel is alone worth the trip. The greatest achievement of one of the greatest painter and sculptor the world has seen, it is impossible to understand the scale and impact of this work of art in a picture. My personal favorite was one of the paintings in one of the Raphael rooms, where the Greek philosophers (Aristotle, Plato etc) and Renaissance masters (Da Vinci, Michelangelo) are portrayed in the same setting, and is a celebration of the respect that classical Greek philosophers, and in fact all things Greek were held during the Renaissance.
After the Museum tour, we visited St Paul's Cathedral, the epicenter of Roman Catholicism in the world. A 500 step ascent took me to the top of the cupola, providing one of the finest views in all of Rome. When you go inside the Cathedral, you feel so humbled at the size and scope of this magnificent building. It was useless taking pictures in there: few camera lenses could do this place justice.
Early evening was reserved for shopping. No intention of visiting any of the designer stores, but we picked up handbags and shoes from some of the local stores.
Be careful: check if it is Made in Italy and not China!
Day 12. Venezia
Our GPS conked off on the way to Venice. Thankfully, as a backup, we were carrying printouts of google maps. Never depend too much on technology! After checking into our hotel in Venice Mestre (a dull industrial town, works as a gateway to the real Venice)on the mainland, we took a bus to Piazzale Roma, the last point upto where cars and buses can go. I had last visited Venice in Feb 2007 during the Carnival: it was loud and boisterous and extremely crowded then. Now Venice is never really quiet, but this time around, it was much more sedate. We took the vaporetto (the Venetian public boat) which meandered through the length Grand Canal (the coronary artery of the city), surrounded by beautiful buildings on both sides. We got off at the Piazza San Marco stop, the most visited part of Venice. The area consists of the Basilica di San Marco, its "Campanile" (the bell tower, the tallest structure in Venice), the huge Saint Marks Square (i.e. "Piazza San Marco") and the magnificent Doges Palace, one of the most important buildings of the post Renaissance area.
After having a pizza by the slice lunch, we visited a couple of churches in the area, the Chiesa San Zaccaria and the Chiesa della Salute. They had a lot of Renaissance art works, including masterpieces by Titian and Giorgione, who were next only to Raphael, da Vinci and Michelangelo during that time.
In the evening, we took a Gondola right through the canals, passing under the bridge of sighs (when you are right under the bridge, you should kiss your sweetheart and wish something) and passing through celebrity homes, including Casanova. After that we walked around, window shopping a little and ended up at the Rialto bridge for dinner, surely one of the most romantic settings in the world.
Day 13. More Venezia, Murano
We had taken a two day vaporetto pass. This morning we headed to the Jewish quarter of Cannaregio. I am unable to describe it, but the place had a different feel and charm than the rest of Venice. We then headed to the island of Murano, famous for its glass artifacts. Time to get the credit card out. Jyoti bought a few necklaces, for herself, her mom and aunt. If you hate shopping (and close to half of the world does), you can just walk around the town, check out some churches, admire the canals and photograph the numerous small bridges.
Post lunch, we were back in Venice. We then just aimlessly walked around town for a bit. Then we took a break at a cafe next to the Basilica de Santo Giovanni. Outside the basilica stood a sculpture of Colleoni astride his horse, made by Verocchio, who was Leonardo Da Vinci's master. A canal passed by, with a couple of bridges over it. It was a perfect setting to enjoy some house wine. For dinner we headed again to the Rialto bridge: for a different view, we chose a restaurant on the other side of the Grand Canal.
Day 14. Innsbruck
Bidding Adieu to Venice, we drove through the imposing Italian Dolomites mountain range and crossed into Austria and onto Patsch ( a small village some 10 kms away from Innsbruck) town with barely a few hundred inhabitants. Patsch was a quintessential Austrian hamlet: dotted with meadows full of grazing cattle, the church steeple, traditional chalets etc. Our B&B provided an expansive view of the meadows and snow clad mountains in the distance.
After checking into the B&B, we headed to Schloss Ambras (Schloss meaning castle) on the outskirts of Innsbruck town, perched atop a hill. We figured it was too expensive to visit after all that we saw in France and Italy,but the lunch we had at the garden cafe there was probably had the best of the trip. We then drove into the town center and took a walk around. The premier attraction was the Goldenes Dachl (Golden Roof), built in the 15th century comprising of about 2,500 fire-gilded copper tiles. Honestly, I couldnt figure what the fuss was all about. We gave the Swarovski museum, one of the other top attractions, a miss, but visited the the Swarowski store in town. We took a quiet stroll on the river Inn before heading back to the B&B for a delicious dinner of soup and a concoction of noodles and vegetables. We certainly had not planned on getting great veggie food in Austria.
Day 15. Salzburg
A couple of hours drive took us from Austria into Germany and then back in to Austria to Salzburg, which derives its name from the Salzach river it is situated on. Quite amazing how Salzburg has developed itself into a world famous tourist destination on the basis of its most famous sons: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Its other claim to fame is that the timeless classic, The Sound of Music, was shot here. The town center, with its baroque architecture, is one of the best preserved town centers in the German speaking world and is a UNESCO world heritage site. The best part of town is the "Getreidegasse", a long narrow street in the center of town, famous for its old style signs of professions outside each store. Located on this street is the birthplace of Mozart, a must visit, with the kitchen maintained in its original form, and the other rooms being converted to a museum.
At one end of the street was the Salzburg Cathedral, considered one of the finest in Europe, but it was closed due to an ongoing service. There was a local version of the Oktoberfest in full swing in its vicinity.
In the evening, we took a drive to the Salzkammergut Lake District, a world heritage site for its combination of scenic beauty and castles. A two lane, winding road from Salzburg takes you to area steeped in beauty and tradition. We first stopped at Fuschl Am See (See meaning Lake) and then drove on to the town of St Gilgen, where we found a nice hotel right on the bank of the WolfgangSee. Perfect place to enjoy a glass of wine! Little wonder this part of the world gave rise to the genius of Mozart.
Day 16: Oktoberfest
We begin our long drive back to Frankfurt for the last leg of the trip. But Munich is on the way and we are in time for the biggest party in the world: the Oktoberfest, which has about 5 million people attending every year. We park our car in the suburb of Messe Munchen, and from there take the train to Theresienwiese, the venue for the fest. Only beer brewed in the borders of the City of Munich is allowed at the fest. Servings are 1 liter mugs costing 9 Euros apiece.
We tried hard to get into one of the tents, but there was no chance without reservations. Beer however was freely flowing outside the tents as well, and in just a couple of mugs (though it probably contains alcohol equivalent to 8-10 pints of Heineken), I was in a happy mood, singing "Ein Prosit" (kind of the anthem for the fest) whenever it was being played at regular intervals
Day 17: Adieu
All of us are really depressed as we board the flight back to Mumbai. All of us had our favorite places, preferred country, but one thing all four of us agreed on: there aint no place like Europe to visit.
