Life is a Journey

Zetlands

After a while, I return to the ramblings of the royal pleasure and the ones closest to my heart. Travels.
I travel not for a reason or a season but it is just a part of my existence that belongs to me and my soul. Of course, it is not that I am so stiff like being in a holiday with a five star hotel or a luxury beach resorts but rather a kind of a different more adventurous kinds. The long solo travels where the road becomes your partner and you enjoy everything that comes along.

My lust keeps me moving – the lust to be at places where others don’t so often go or think going. Most masses plan on destinations – the world does it but I choose my own places where I know world won’t be. So here living on an Island what better way to find some remote islands to explore. Timing was right and so are the days weather may not be right but once I am on the move everything becomes part of me.
Here is the brief road play on the map before I hit the road.

Wait till you get to see or hear more. My Fb album shall fill this up space very soon or just be on my fb page to keep checking where I am 🙂

Time to hit the road.

4 0 0 0 0 miles

Life goes on..
Journeys too
&
Everything that is there keeps going on too

A big thanks to her for taking me everywhere .. been a great joy and partnership in this life.. during the 40000miles  bringing me close to  annual counter of 200000miles

I wonder how many round of earth would that be !!

Paris : Finale

All the hype and wait, It is about time that we moved on – finish this french business. It has taken me a lot longer while there has been plenty more to add from the recent life. World has moved on, I have had two more trips in between – the next one is already coming along in less than 3 weeks – where in the world is Mani lost ? Good question, but I can only answer once I know because I do not know where the time goes and how quick it goes. It just flies past me and leaves me in lot more questions.

So from the last point we left, Carried on my journey to the Paris Automobile show, which for certain reasons can’t be added into this post or else I will never end this chapter but would conclude the girls of Paris in another post sometime in future. For now, I must head back to Paris in night gathering my last few hours in this city.

Moments of joy and celebrations – Life is to live.

Colorful people, lovely music and journeys to bring these memories.

Walking out from the last station, the drizzling water spots of the rain disappears into the chilly weather.

Night “Instagram” style in Paris.

The weary night of Paris in the cold and chilly conditions wears an empty look. Nothing really compared to this when you talk of cities and how impressively they show that they are meant for businesses only. By the day – they run, they soak you in and fall the night – nothing, not even a bird wants to flock its wings in this emptiness.

Spot the traffic and the alienated emptiness.

The invisible little water drops from the drizzling rain form an impressive view at this moment. The little light above the fountain makes it look it an Alien zone.  It just shows, the cold and empty Paris to you.

Love Love Love… in Paris

Humans always seek a reason to run away from the crowded affairs of life. Somewhere in the world, someone is kissing someone away from the busy crowds and someone like me is surely waiting for it to caught. It is funny how life looks when you are on the other side of the camera. You see life from a perspective other than being a cameraman – it becomes like a part of your life – something you cannot miss – something you cannot live without.

Paris, sure wears different colours in the night. A view from the end of Champs Elysees – Considered to be the most expensive high street of the world under The Arc of Triomphe.

The momentary pause in the middle of the road does shows that life is moving, the time ticking and shutter clicking. Not the best way to do the night shots of the city with a hand that is frozen and trying reasons to be steady at all.

While walking away from the emptiness towards the most expensive Champs Elysees I come across this house decorated in the colours from outside ready to welcome its visitors. The inside roof of the house looks even more amazing than outside. The night brings its own colours.

Somewhere down the Elysees – the busy scene displaces the calmness with sirens and noise from the police cars. Someone tonight is not going to be happy to know that their car was not parked by the roadside but in the no parking zone that soon shall be causing them the despair for their parking. Colourful night in its own tones.

Doesn’t really have that need of words to give the justice to what your eyes can already see. Better words stay away for next few minutes while you browse through.

“Pomme de Pain” – Something which is only for my desi counterparts (Anyone knowing Hindi would relate to the words – “Pomme di pain”) ha ha haa .. Just a joke for those but this is what Paris, France and French life is all about “Pomme de Pain”.

The busy Circle of life, the Galleries of paris with shops, sellers, food stalls – it all  happens in here if you are one of those looking for shopping in Paris.

Does it not show ! Pace of this place even when it is empty, like any other cities from the world. I relate the Arc de Triomphe to “India Gate” similar architecture standing in the memory of lost lives during the WW1 &2 in India. Interesting but these all architectures have such a huge importance in the life of cities. These are all that make the real cities to remember – give them a character – give them their essence of recognition.

Closer and Closer

I, the Freebird welcome you to Arc de Triomphe in the night.

Exits and entrances !! Does get bit exciting when you have so many directions to choose from and you don’t know where you are going because it all is in French. Experiencing France in a French way is one way of seeing it, other way is to get lost without knowing where you  may end up.

The last bits of underground existence on a Sunday night – All of the tourists, mostly Americans, mostly mid-aged – you do get to see the way and know who travels where in which part of their lives. I may be wrong here but getting to sit, stand and listen to someone for 5 seconds does give you a good idea of where, what and how they have been travelling.

Cutest shot in the city.

A curious little friend 🙂 I am sure he was more eager to see what this silly guy is doing digging into the floor with his black little round thing in the front – I find this the cutest shot but I knew there was one more which was going to come along. I am sure this was about to make me feel so happy.

Give or take, the emotions of life does not only relate to humans – even the pets sometimes show the emotions of their families where they belong. I simply could not stop enjoying this picture and not sharing this one will be injustice to the moment.

Pin drop silence to the effect that you can hear every single footstep – sounds bit creepy – That’s Paris my friend for you.

We are just seeing the last busy bits of this place before it all settles down and kicks again with the morning rush hour for which I will be on my way to London. So with this I say good night to the last night in Paris and I shall finish my last few shots back into the Life of London again.

Next morning, I am heading back to where I belong – the so called heart/home experience. There are rarely places that makes you feel so close to how you feel at home. I can’t say where my home but I can certainly relate to where my heart wants to go – A place which no cities offer me.

This journey of photos, memories, work, shoot and friends must come to an end so I commence my return with the final goodbye to the Paris stations early in the morning @ Haussmann Hazare to switch for my London Return Eurostar.

To say my experience in the double decker train has been quite interesting as we do not get to see them anywhere in the UK  – it is something more French that I have been introduced to on my this trip.

To all that we have seen so far, the next destination awaits me – The journey of return begins, early in the morning at 0630 through the crowds of people who rush to catch their return via Eurostar train. It was interesting to notice how many people commence their weekend journeys working in London,  living in Paris and family somewhere farther out in France.

Although Eurostar is one of the fastest trains with plenty of facts around it.  Eurostar train connecting London to Paris has the longest sea tunnel anywhere in the world – the facts are plenty to read and see. But I must find my way to get into one of these fast speed carriers.

The early morning rush is just getting to build up while I still struggle to find which way is the check-in. I was seriously confused with how there was no direction markers until I asked someone who pointed out me to the right direction above the stairs.

Its true, the higher you get the lonelier and better it becomes. Whether you talk of your status or of heights – there is only one risk – if you fall you may not survive 😀 – Just a joke but enjoy the views of the old Paris, Gare du Nord station.

The final immigration security check for the Schengen visa and formalities before you board the train – the funny thing was I can seriously see there was a need for more window counters to be opened. Same story as any other UK airport – Not enough officers for the duty.

I make my way to the platform and to the right door to reach my seat. The good part is it is not like a cheap ryanair/aerlingus/easyjet flight where you do not have seat numbers assigned and you tend to be treated like sheeps in the end. Ha ha haa – I guess that is the gift of cheap travelling. Although even cheap travelling was never the same 2years back. These transporters wanna suck every bit of money they can out of your wallets.

The royal way back – it surely is a world of difference when you leave London expecting a great same way back into Paris but that is not the way it welcomes you.  Through the smell of piss, beggars, sellers and lot more dodgy scenes – it appears to be a third world for a while. It is not a travel magazine but rather my blog where I can express what I feel like, I see and I experience.  My journey back to London does bring me through lot of wonderful memories so I take my seat in the very plush large seat and doze off for the next 2hours till I wake up in London just like a dream.

Ah, but before I can settle in – my opposite seat businessman has spilled his coffee – had a cross with his neighbour and invited himself to some wild corner on the pair of seats. I preferred to say none as the arrogance people reflect is really a great way to piss off others. I am not even out of Paris yet but this shows me the last taste of the wonderful business minded crowd. Minding my own business, I am falling asleep for I need to get back into the studios.

Suddenly, the world changes as I open my eyes under the roof that offers the light, the air that is not stinky anymore ! The St. Pancras international station has something to offer that sure not many stations around Europe do. It has that bit to it which separates itself from the rest of European counterparts.

Collecting my last bits of the morning pick pack shots, I enjoyed this weekend.

Welcome to the bit, THe LONDON ! Its 0939hrs on Monday morning.

This is when life returns to the normalcy of daily life.

To the world with bags, packs and morning stress.

I say goodbye to all you lovely readers. People whom I know &  I don’t. Life is a journey – which we all do but depends what we want out of it. My next adventure shall take you away into the nature of England Countryside away from the cities. I have already finished two more journeys but I am always a tad behind with pace of blogs. Life is different when you have multiple jobs, endless journeys and plethora of shots.

Keep coming back.

London to Paris – Preparation

With almost a week in hand as in exact 7days at this hour I will be heading into my journey to take on the traditional train line connecting UK to the EU mainland. Not the first time in Paris but the first time by Euro rail and that too without a french speaking partner. Oh Yeah, it is going to be some journey for a change. My initial thoughts were quite good but when I look at some of the more recent news it shocks me to see the changes. I am not afraid when it comes to travelling but knowing the air of in-hospitability knowing that you don’t speak french is bit hard to appreciate. I am impressed to see as how one country be so socially uptight to not open their thoughts to the bigger vision of the world.

Is France, digging its own grave of saying we do not want anyone who cannot speak our language or is just that social behaviour of not entertaining anyone who does not speaks French ! what so ever we may think, we say this does not stop here or change. I am not intimidated besides I do not believe in these nationalistic ideas of restricting oneself.

Before people start to feel that this something I am creating on my own, I came across this article yesterday on the BBC which reveals for the facts and for the reasons why France is where it was and why it is not far from the past. For whatever we may say and feel, all I know is to go travel and capture. Rest is all “that doesn’t count for me”.

We will see what shall come out of this trip but here are some of the shots  from the past visit.

Paris

Here is a set of few more pictures if you are keen on visiting France.

I will do a brush up on things with planning as I approach the weekend since it is just a two days trip to see a friend’s daughter birthday and to meet an old Flickr friend who spotted me in India without have spoken or known me before. Incredible to see from where all people can see and find me 🙂