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We landed at Heathrow, London, Terminal 4 at 2.30 pm London time. By the time we left the airport, it was six. The group arrived at the Holiday Inn Express Terminal 5 hotel at 7:00. Our check-in was followed by a continental dinner. The daylight in London lasted till nine. As a result, one felt one had eaten lunch instead of dinner.
The following day, we departed for London sightseeing after an English breakfast. We travelled to London City Centre, crossing zones 3, 2 and 1. Our travel guide was Sari, and the coach driver was Sam. We first visited the Natural History Museum, followed by the Victoria and Albert Museum. There were brick-laden houses on the way. We passed through the Piccadilly Circus, Hyde Park, Hyde Park Corner, the statue of the Duke of Wellington on his horse, the Fountain of Opera, Trafalgar Square—Nelson’s Column and its four lions, considered zero miles for London, where Bollywood movies are shot. We attended the ‘Change of Guard’ ceremony at Buckingham Palace, held every other day. It’s a royal ceremony that we were able to shoot. The royal guards change shifts in a formal ceremony, accompanied by the marching band. Next was the Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Parliament Square and 10 Downing Street.
We crossed the Thames riverfront humming an old classic, ‘Scarborough Fair’. The symbol of the two dragons, indicating you’re in London, was superb. The city of London is colloquially known as the Square Mile.
The ‘London Eye’ (Ferris Wheel) gave a panoramic view of the city of London. It has 32 capsules. It takes 32 minutes for a circle with 32 people, reminding you of the 32 boroughs of London. One capsule represents one borough.
The next was the Phantom of the Opera, the Tower Bridge on the left of the London Bridge. We drove past the London Bridge and the fire monument of the 16th century. We also had a bite and a stroll on Oxford Street, followed by dinner at the Hot Plate Restaurant.
The following morning, we were up at three to board the famous Eurostar train to Paris from St. Pancras International Station, London. The train was at 7.01 am. We left the hotel at 4.30 in a coach to reach the station by five. The security check at the railway station was tedious because of the luggage. After security, one technically leaves the territory of the U.K. and enters Europe on a Schengen visa after immigration. Twenty minutes before departure, we were informed of our gate number. We sat in bogies 12 and 13 after walking past gate 10. Soon, the Eurostar train 9004 to Paris left platform 10 from St Pancras Railway Station. After a point, it entered Europe, leaving behind the U.K. It took 2 hours and 20 minutes to reach Paris. We were there at 10.20 am, exactly two hours and twenty minutes of travel time, but by the clock, it was three hours and twenty minutes because the continent of Europe is one hour ahead of the U.K. time. There are breathtaking tunnels under the English Channel. The train crosses them in about 35 minutes on the way to Paris-Gare-du-Nord railway station. The local tour guide in Paris was Senthil, an Indian expat. He began with a Vannakam—Tamil Namaste. The tour commenced with the Opera House and the Greek Church, rich in Greek architecture. Next was the Golden Flame and the bridge where Lady Diana died in a car accident. Then followed the Place De La Concorde, Macaline, Shawn Elizey, and the famous Eiffel Tower.
Later, we visited Napoleon Bonaparte’s tomb in Les Invalides. At 2 pm, after lunch at ‘Welcome India’, we left for the Eiffel Tower. It was jam-packed with umpteen souvenir shops. The names of French authors Jules Verne and Victor Hugo graced many shops and public spaces in Paris. It reminded me of the statue of Sherlock Holmes in Baker Street. It took an hour to get across the security gate and reach the summit level of the Eiffel Tower. The aerial view of Paris from there was splendid. The summit level was earlier closed. Later, they opened it. We were lucky to get the tickets. We had a drink in the Champagne bar. The Eiffel Tower has three floors: the first, the second, and the summit level. The pillar elevators and the stairs take you to the first and second levels. To reach the top of the Tower from the second level, one needs to locate a separate elevator meant for it. In the same sequence, one can come down. After beholding the Eiffel Tower, we undertook a river cruise on the Seine River.
We reached our hotel at eight. After some free time, we drove down to ‘The Champs-Élysées’, the main street of Paris. We had a photo session there under the glittering lights. Thereafter, we went to the Eiffel Tower again. It was an amazing sight to see it lit up Eiffel Tower at eleven at night. It was the longest day of our tour—from 3 am to midnight and from London to Paris.
Written and posted by Kamlesh Tripathi
Author, Poet, & Columnist
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https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com
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