PARIS : An Experience – Part IV

From a previous day, After a good night sleep and good morning wake up – I start it all again.
So far so good, Good morning to you all from the morning in Paris. It’s been raining and wet enough to keep discouraging me to step out in this rain. Chances fairly are, I wont like to step out but knowing its my second and last day of this weekend trip – I don’t really have a choice of sitting in one place and telling myself – I can stay dry and cozy insides.. No ways. Being a brit for a matter of fact : I shall be used to living this wet weather.
All said, here I go to my first train hop to carry me into the Dungeons of Paris via these fast paced monstrous mega-trons trains. RER & Metro of Paris city.

So through the rain and dryness of Metro, I was fairly dry until the rain sparkled the livelihood of the nature around me. It does seem I was going to Luxembourg in Paris which at once rings a bells – “Luxembourg in Paris” it just sounds like “Vienna in London” – I was just keen on getting out and about to see this rainy sparkling day.

So welcome you all to the city, lets pay our due respect to Professeur AL’ECOLE DE PHARMACIE 🙂

& now, I welcome you all to Luxembourg in Paris.  As I head into the Luxembourg, I am met by this architectural confusion which at times reminds me of NYC sign boards and at same time London city architecture standing in front of “Libararie Armand Colin”.

I love viewing the change in architecture of the cities. In Europe you will notice most cities have common themes with classic architectures especially with the way there outside stone walls, the window domes and balconies are designed. Somewhere you still feel that those older times before the WW era if preserved would just have been amazing in this world. Not, that I expect the common tourists to take a note of. I just enjoy noticing how little things really shift from city to city and what makes these cities a pull apart character from others.

Seamless lines of straight architecture and arc sounds really good to impress the ones who may have an interest in noticing these structures. Now, I welcome you to Luxembourg as the name says so. The lovely gardens of Luxembourg in Paris but please forgive me for the not offering you a stunning shining day instead a rainy view of what I got offered along with that – I am getting wet.

Keep following, I will see how wet this rain is going to be 🙂

I got no words except I am ready to be soaked now 🙂 in Luxembourg :))

Not much left out to say but simply, enjoy the wet Autumn 🙂

Meet my new friend, they love camera attention a lot. So make sure you take your camera and ask them to come and pose for you, they surely will enlighten you with some nice poses.

& then are more active friends who prefer to give us their views of the world. I wonder is that an act to stay warm or is it just a pose for the camera.. I suppose not 🙂

Going back to humans, we do love to shoot ourselves but I prefer I to shoot people 🙂 too.

Well, thanks to rain that I am pretty much left without much to capture and much to enjoy this architecture or the natural beauty. Autumn seems more like a winter this year.

I suppose I just shared a live example of posing and here we have another example – pretty interesting : they both look so similar from the standing stance of human eyes. If only She had a mobile phone in her hand – I think it as a exemplary view of our imagination.

Ever imagined what this world would have been without mobile phones – At least when I know how it was before the mobile phones stripped our lives from our real life. There was always a reason to go out and step out and now it is always a reason for not going out but to doing everything sitting in at one place. Seriously, some of these statues makes me wonder what would this world be without mobile phones again. If I was given a day – I would say – “One day without mobile phones” shall show you if you can survive or not. I know I certainly can and will at all chances 🙂

I do not expect us to have same thoughts but I wonder again this world has overly killed the value of human emotions as I step away from technology to look again at the human perspective of life. A lot of it did help but now a lot has been stolen from us in the value of how we become and see ourselves.
We humans have become the dancers of the modern life – our master is our little gadget in our hands and in our minds.

I would hop out of this Luxembourg for now since it really has a beautiful architecture, statues and nature but I am cold and need a place to dry up my camera and my head. It is not generally what you would do on a rainy beautiful day.

I will be back, continuing this journey in next part. For now I thank you all for following me, coming along and listening to some of my rants :))
Next stop – more rain, no rants and Notre Dame – before I get to take a shelter in my dry shelter under the Paris, Automobile show.

Continue the experience of rainy Paris

Paris : An experience : Part II

So after two weeks of being away from my typical PC corner I knew there was lot waiting for me. I was out in the meanwhile snapping and shooting my friend with his daredevil skills but that shall follow a little bit later. I know I kept you all waiting for more to be followed on from where we left with Paris : Part I

Starting from where we left – the falling rain and the skyscape of the evening was making every moment interesting and very colorful. Let’s go back to Paris in the night world.

Night in Paris

Though it was good enough for couple of shots as there was more to be capture so here we go go ..

Eiffel in the distance with its evening Sparkle all over it.

It does not deter people to be out even though the weather is really amazing but the pretty thing about Paris is its architecture. I do love seeing the lines, the curves and the shapes but it is not all about the statues. Even the living statues adds to the value of the tourism in Paris.

Geometric compositions

Paris is not all about the shapes but also about the fashion. At least for the female population this is one city on their ever loving list of the shopping diary. Paris is much to do with the ode of spending and making you fill all your shopping dreams.

 So I am going to take you shopping now, even more shopping with Apple store – ah just in dreams 🙂 Dream on….

Mac Shopping in MiniPad 😉

Ah forget all this, there is something more interesting for women, I am sure they love it to be at the best of their wits. The makeup I mean, the world goes round the mirror. The magical “Mirror” that is ….

That magical “makeup” mirror.

But this was not the end of my evening, I had plenty more coming my way. Although the weather was getting quite cold and chilly but that did not stop me here. I had lot more to see, travel and capture. It was about time to hop hop hop the stations to find somewhere I can see this city from the top.

Paris Metro – Tuileries

This brings me to take you to a little extreme Paris as well – the walls of Paris dominated by Bloody warriors. Some cool and some scarry but this one surely was an eye catcher.

City warrior

Till I can find my next stop, I take your leave for today. I shall carry the Paris hunt in next installment. Can’t give myself a status of the machine 🙂 so more in next part. Watch out for Paris : An experience – Part III . Thank you all for dropping by and viewing the Paris from different perspective.

Paris : An experience : Part I

For travelers, Paris is just another historic exotic city that has its own charm attached to it. It for no matter should not be confused with anything else you see or come across in other cities. Life is vivid all across from architecture, history, colours and people that make this city. Lot of changes in the last century has changed the way this place actually must have been one time. For a minute – let’s give it a polished note before I write more about it in further details.

London to Paris

Paris – A city of love, A city of attraction, A city of architecture, A city of unending long queues, A city full of tourists, A city with crazy traffic, A city with oldest Metro in the world, A city with most expensive shopping stores, A city with youth kissing, A city with couples looking for excuse to uncork their wine bottle, A city with pebble streets, A city with oldest Renault cars, A city with endless list to do things, A city with history and the list is endless.

There are things which do not tell what else this city has which I shall also not tell but should offer enough for you all to figure it out yourself. My journey was smooth and to say it this way that Eurostar operates on precise minute to minute service in terms of both arrivals and departures so do not expect anything less than a great service from Eurostar. Nothing on this front to offer besides you may get a good neighbor or a couple sitting opposite your seat who will either be indulged in their phone screens or two hours of cuddle sessions to keep you either shy or totally entertained – the choice is yours to make. I had a reason to choose the middle seat with the table so I can play a movie to keep myself engaged. Found that I had a boring selection of the movie with Scarlett Johansson playing in Girl with a Pearl Earring

Almost with darkness surrounding there was nothing to view out of the window. Getting off at Gare Du Nord, Paris was quite rush like everyone trying to leave and run away but why not – it is  Friday evening. Everyone had a reason as the train seem to be full with usual weekly commuters doing London – Paris regular weekly routine dressed in their business casuals. I had to take a RER E (Pink – girly line) to get into Zone5 where I was to spend my next few days(/nights).  Gare du Nord had a old classic look which somewhere reminds me of the renaissance roof from Frankfurt railway station. A bit of modern extension but still quite classic in its own way. I managed to get my ticket for RER on the counter after a long queue where some Japanese students had a bulk tickets to buy. The guy on the counter understood my english quite clearly and without any delays I was on my way to find RER E line. For my dismal shock it smelled like a smell of piss as soon as I crossed some of these blocks and alleys going down to the platform 53. I couldn’t believe for my sake that it can be anywhere like this outside India and somewhere in Europe – that too it in a capital city of France. Well, that was my first shock to be surprised with – how can Paris especially Gare du Nord be so stinky and carelessly un-kept. Anyways, it was the first time in Paris via train so I was bit in a surprise. Last time I visited Paris was on  a motorcycle so it does appear to be a shock. Getting down to the Magenta station where I can take the Pink line the train was in general words quite the same I would come across in England. Not much of a difference except it was the first time on a double decker train which is not so common or rather I have not at all seen in UK at all.

Interesting enough it is Friday evening and the city seems so quiet and all dull. Am I sure this is still Paris or am I just too lost in this illusion of comparison or expectations. Ignore my words if you cannot take the criticism but this is how it all is – may be you should read Lonely Planet guide for polished words. Train was largely empty at 2100hrs more like a ghost train running from Paris. I reached Émerainville – Pontault-Combault and just another two minutes walk from there I was in friend’s house.

The significance of religion.

Size-wise Paris is a bigger geography compared to that of London and its english counterparts. I let the rest of the evening watching TV and being a couch potato with my friend’s daughter. Kids really get me to nerves especially when all they wanna tell me is – “Patoush” – A word that went down my vocabulary list quiet well which means “Don’t Touch”.  Kids needs a lot of energy to deal with – one is 3 and the other one 6 – so both gave me hard time but it was fun besides there was another third one who was a part of the house crash party. Three kids and one soul to handle the hassles of three children. I am sure parenting would be a challenge when it happens but I hope that it would be in a language where I can deal better.

I was well sure I am going to be a bed crasher this night and will not be willing to wake up anytime soon. Beside the next morning it is one of the girl’s birthday so there was a certain feeling of happy birthday around this home. kids and Birthdays are I suppose the biggest thing for them in the year so.. a lot of Balloons filling and decoration and helping them set it up for the big thing. I am always at home when it comes celebrating with kids – just become one of them and forget the age of how time has made me grow older – time never stops.

Going back to my trip, the weather is really horrible. Heavy rain and it feels drastically chilly for this time. I had no mood stepping out but to wait till this rain would eventually settle down – would it settle or would it not – I think it possibly will not but I should still step out. For most of the way I would be in train (RER),  and Metro so it should be just about fine.

I decided I wanted the Louvre in this weather. Rain had settled down but not completely stopped. From Gare du Nord, I hopped onto Metro to get off at Palais Royal – Musee de Louvre. As the name suggest Louvre – it was good to point me in my direction. Metro has a very well connected like a web network across most of the major cities in the world. Stepping out at the Palais Royal – it lands you into this shopping mall where you see the inverse Louvre with the hanging base tip of it and people just do not want to leave it 🙂 something quite interesting for tourists to be at this spot.

A bit further as my excitement to shoot the louvre was getting a bit bigger. I step out to find myself on the right side of the mini Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel. Splendid views with Eiffel in a distance and a mild drizzle. At first I would think – oh come one, it is just a drizzle then I forgot it all very soon as I started to indulge myself in the pictures and made the rain soon a thing of the past. Wooh – rain is not a big pain 🙂 I have a weather sealed kit – what for – abuse it. Yeah so  here for your eye candy some of the louvre shots. I really feel sorry for people who think photography is everyman cuppa tea but how can you use a flash for something like louvre from 80mtrs away. I think I need to share some more on that account but on the next blog post may be.

& here comes my master piece of a picture.
I call it real emotions – for some it is just a shot but for those who have eyes will look into the details of this makes it to my faves of the shots. This shot has what it calls for – emotions, love, solitude, music, expressions, hugs, kisses and above all the views from beyond inside but even outside.

Paris by Mani Babbar Photography

Reverse or Inverse Louvre.

Finally.. all that I was waiting for !

Great Louvre of Paris

More shall follow in the Part II …

London to Paris – Preparation

Finally, the day has come and with less than 8hours to go – it is pretty hard sititng in front of my PC and blogging. Being a non EU citizen I had some preparation to do – Arrange the documents. I need a Schengen visa and my visa expires next weekend so I wanted to squeeze the last bits of it – make a journey. Paris being the best connectivity and knowing that this weekend is rain washout in both London and Paris – It seriously did not deter me from not going there.  I generally would have gone on a motorcycle but financially it seems I would turn out to be paying more than I would on a Eurostar. A return ticket costed me £165 for Friday evening out and Monday morning in.

I dialed in to a friend to ask her if she is good to take me in and here we go. She is happy to hitch me for a weekend and it happens to be her daughter’s birthday will mean I will be in a full time busy mode. Spend time with kids, play with them and then birthday buzz that will double the joy. Weekend seems set as rest of the time will be in rain walking around the city. I will possibly try taking time out to meet one of the old friend, Fred who I met in Varanasi before leaving India in 2008. Nice little journeys and adventures of all good times seem to merge in this city. I Personally love London when it comes to Architecture as it just has endless attraction in its streets with a mix of old and new. Something have not changed here but the same is what I want to search now in Paris. I do not know yet what I will and what I will not 🙂 is a challenge in itself.

I have got another friend taking me out for the rest of the evening on Sunday so god knows what areas we will go. I don’t know how to speak French but I am sure someone out there is keen to be with a non french speaker so makes my life bloody easy on this stressful point.
Few pre-checks:
– Passport
– Valid Visa
– Printed tickets / Boarding pass
– Cash (Converted in Euros)
– Couple of maps
– Important contact numbers
– Camera (Body, Lenses, Chargers, memory card, USB Cables)
– Two pair of lightest weekend clothes (water repellent)
– iPad(to kill the bloody cold surroundings while traveling).
– 45 mins to check-in.

Over and out.. couple more hours to go.  We will meet again next week .. with stories n pictures.
Have a lovely weekend ladies and gentleman.

Travel Tip :  “Travel light – the lighter you travel – the more you enjoy leave behind your luggage of worries, stress, tensions and relationships” M.B. 12.10.12

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 🙂