To begin with, I must say that I am really sorry that I do not want to cut this experience short due to lack of time and lack of unavailability. I know I will have my cappuccino waiting for me somewhere once I finish this Paris experience. It sure is a little bit of a work but I hope this justifies to keep you coming back. I promise to finish it quickly once I have more time to myself.
Special thanks to a special friend, for the Cappuccino and the chocolate 🙂 experience.
Continuing from where we left in our last experience of Paris – Part II
Back in Paris from one station to next – the journey is a bit of fun in Metro. Just like other cities in Europe the fastest connection between the two ends is Tube(underground) and being a non speaking french person – my ability to pronounce any of the names is just about crap. Don’t either expect it to be anything else other than crap because I cannot – just cannot say the french names correctly – blame it all on the default language (english). So from the last hop on the train I was about to do few more hops.
- Concorde – Not a plane, just a destination.
This journey is a beginning to the underworld of Paris – the world which has its own pace, defined through the past years in the way it takes people from A to B and B to D or anywhere of those destinations. So my journey from Concorde has started and finished in a corner called Abbesses. Sounds like a pretty horror place. Apologies but I cant stop thinking of darkness – as is Abyss.
- Metro in Paris – Underworld
And, to notice it is not very different to any other huge technological garage – people stuck on their screens – the slaves of modern age and life. There is no doubt we the humans are slaves of technology and it is not far that we will soon be idiots without our little screens as we pledge to lose our knowledge and identity in being virtualised – may be all should be codes on the Virtual clouds, jumping from one to another program. Who knows, but I am very angry to see how our lives are shaped by technology – becoming too much finger’y all the time.
- Dark Abyss in ABBESSES
Not that is all but even the walls of our modern day existence reflects the mode of our moods. All tarnished and abandoned by the masterpieces of modern day advertisements. Ah, seriously who needs billboards or posters these days – we enjoy the visual experiences. Hence, to prove it all we frame to frame them for seriously nothing in it.
- Frames of modern day framing.
Not all is lost yet, the age old architecture and hundred years old staircases still survives away from the technology. At least there are few things untouched and still preserved which make you feel like – may be there is a hope that something will be left for future generations to observe. I think I am too old in this body to complaint so much but this all that I see – I can’t stop writing about it. Some of it does seems like parody but it actually isn’t – it is my heart felt apologies to say – we will soon be lost in our existence.
- Sortie
On choosing my “Sortie” / Exit – I landed to find something quite interesting. The wall art of Paris. Something I really admired to see – that someone was creative here to explicitly agree to display something very interesting and artsy.
- Walls of Spiral staircases
It does take more than few seconds to really see and understand art. It may sometimes be as simple as it seems and simply meaningless – you just need to enjoy it.
- Takes time to see it with an artist eye.
It does becomes interesting but you need to put more than a quick look. It has something behind it – the feel of Paris – that rush and the busy streets and the same staircase which has no place to stand or shoot once it is in full rush.
- For all is not lost yet.
I noticed a lot in this last one than other two but it is indeed very creative of someone. Unaware that more than half of city dwellers never have an eye on what lies in the city just like what happens with me when I am so engrossed in my daily routine of life. I still try sometimes 😉 there are even hidden corners in my City too 🙂 that I notice now.
- Montmarte
Out of this little underworld, the life outside suddenly springs to life. It seems like a little ghost town down under. Have you really noticed how quiet it is indeed – wow – quite unlike any other rush and work day. I do love this silence and quiet feeling but then it does not fits for Paris. I was bit lost for the direction of where I was headed but I know the human radar of my real navigation is quite good with directions. The sense of direction and outside crowd makes me quickly figure out my directions. I was headed to the Basilic of Sacred Heart, Paris.
Before I reach there I have a direction hunt to do. Well, it is quite interesting that life is still active – mostly tourists and mostly couples.
- Windows of Paris.
I like to see these windows, which are almost outdated but still stay in use across most older cities and towns of Europe. Observing how our life has little things we don’t notice.
- Lonely Heart
Someone lonely left his or her heart here for me to capture and bring it to all of you. Enjoy the night life with the colours and Purple and greens. It is all that is there to life – little things that we miss as we grow old … or older or.. simply busier.
- Hangout lane
If only I had spare time but I was on a mission with a timeline before it starts raining again and gets too late that I have no train left to go back – I must hunt Basilic. Something with a very special value to christianity -the firm belief of all those who live by its authority.
- Pole Hugging
Atleast there is always something interesting to see from a different perspective “Pole Hugging” for motorheads. It is a good obsession to have keen interest in motorcycles otherwise you won’t know what a “Pole Hugging” would mean. My one generally doesn’t do it because she is kept away from poles.
- Stairs to Basilic
It suddenly becomes quite crazy this place is full of people and lots of them “Americans” – The french suddenly disappears and no one really is keen on speaking french. All the way the stairs to the Basilic is uphill steep climb. As I walk along the stairs, the conversations of people become quite interesting around me. Most of the women – generally girls in groups – hmm… I better not wanna share it all. For some of the things must be left for diary notes only.
- Night view of Basilic, Paris
After all this uphill climb and interesting conversations – the life springs back to England (Just joking), it springs to America – there is no one french up here. The rain is still falling in drizzle but the crowd up here is seriously in party mode. It is a first day of Wine tasting on the Basilic. A huge party and celebration feeling which I was completely unaware of till I climbed all the stairs. It appears now – where all the Paris is hidden. Busy Busy Busy… wow…. and it has started to rain as we enjoy the views.
- City views in night from the top of Basilic
It does makes it all looks so different from the top. Indeed, I am starting to enjoy it but not for long as the rain drops starts to come down heavy and the I must not forget to check in the times for my last train. But before, I go – there is a time for a night pano stitch shot still.
- Busy night at Basilic, Paris
Something I quite like – making huge, huge stitch shots. Love it in the full resolution but for all this is just an idea of what it looks with your vision of eyes. I had to make my way down back to the train station and it won’t be easy since the rain started to push most of the crowd down from here.
- A night view of Basilic from streets
This was seriously quite a challenge to make my way through the streets full of crowd. Something that happened for the first time since I have been in Paris. Also, not to forget that please take caution with your wallets, expensive phones and shining jewellery. In such places things don’t take long for them to disappear. Most of it was quite interesting and I was finally in a german speaking crowd where I could use my 2bits of basic understanding. Feels more like a known turf down here.
- METRO in Paris
Time never really stops and I must also not stop unless I want to end myself on the streets of cold, wet and rainy Paris. I have found myself a train station and trains to tread back into my night shelter. Citylife wears a totally different colour in night as we can see it now.
- Magenta – RER E line – Station.
Ah, I am not really going to stop this huge big wide views of Magenta. I am tired, bit cold and want to go get some sleep. Waiting for trains is really annoying ….
- Finally, Train is here.. Pink Line.
Finally, the train is here and I am heading to my bed. This brings an end of my first day(washed out in rain), and remaining evening in selected above few shots.
With much anxious return, I shall bring you the “Sunday” experience of Paris too. A very dull, rainy, cold and dark day washed in rain. I still managed to step out, shoot Notre Dame, capture the girls of Paris, the Paris Autoshow and finally the last of the goodbyes from Paris.
More in next part….Part IV
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