Not really. But this Europe junket was only so gorgeous and surreal I am mentally still there even as I clear disputed transactions with my bank and fight with my neighbour who thought it was his due right to usurp my parking space while I was away.
So, after a healthy debate in which my wife dictated commands and I quietly acceded, we planned a rather fluid holiday, choosing to plan most of our schedule on the go. For most parts, this approach works - except when a Thai tourist takes so long to frame a question at the information center that you end up missing an important train. But the sheer beauty of the continent will help you overlook the glitches.
Take London for instance. We were warned of unprecedented chaos owing to the mad rush at the Games. But the city showed no signs whatsoever of traffic snarls, chants of "Sir, you made lakhs" or congestion in the tubes. God, can't stop raving about the London tubes. I took a day off only to hop on and off them with no destination in mind. The passion Brits showed towards the Olympics, and towards sporting in general, kind of embarrassed me. I joined them on the open lawns at the Thames to watch a game of Fencing. Couldn't figure out for the life of me why Fencing must excite them so much. But then, these guys are generally passionate about everything. You need to see the tour guide at the Tower of London, for instance, to know what I mean. They will take jibes at everything that is not British, in particular Americans, to sufficiently emphasize they have the grandest empire and the richest history in the world. Four days in London, and you can almost certainly agree with them.
People who think Parisians are snobbish and refuse to help tourists have clearly not been to Malaysia. But seriously, this isn't true. The poor chaps just don't know "Hello" is a commonly used term for exchanging pleasantries. Try "Bon jour", and they turn so friendly they are almost ready to hop on along with you on to the tour bus. Do hop on to the tour bus. It shows you around the stunning architecture of the city and allows you to take postcard-worthy photographs of its countless admirable monuments and institutions. Photographing them is very important, because the pictures are all that will remain with you - you are not likely to be able to spell or pronounce their names by the time you return home. That doesn't include the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre, of course, for these sites need separate tours of their own. Among the scores of other breathtaking paintings and sculptures at the Louvre, there is obviously the Mona Lisa, which justifies all the hype around it when you step close enough to it to see the crazy genius that Da Vinci was. Take a walk around the Mona Lisa, observe it from every angle possible, but those eyes never seem to leave you. Spooky, but lovely.
Built in 1887, over a period of two years, the Eiffel Tower stands over a thousand feet tall and is one of the most intimidating structures you are likely to ever see. Only, you marvel at it a lot more standing at the base than you would by getting to the top for an aerial view. Spend plenty of time at the base. Once you reach the top, all you are going to say is, "But Sears Tower is so much better! And it has a glass floor too."
You need lesser time in Switzerland than you think. Of course, it's the kind of country you can't get enough of. But it also bears the kind of tranquility that gets on your nerves if you are not used to seeing more cows than motorists. Also, its cities follow some sort of a template in structure and layout. Jungfraujoch, the highest peak in Europe, is no doubt a place you must visit so you can slyly throw snowballs at ill-behaved and queue-jumping Chinese tourists. The Swiss rail has its charm, but if you like the occasional stopover, don't hesitate to rent a car.
The beauty of Amsterdam lies in, apart from its charming city centre, in the easy access to some pretty towns in Belgium and Germany. A day each at the town square of Bruuge and leisure kayaking along the river in Durbuy provide the quaint flavour Belgium is known for. The famed Red Light District in Amsterdam needs little introduction. You can take a walk around it, or visit its coffee shops for your dose of marijuana, or...you know, or whatever rocks your boat, really.
But at no cost must you miss a visit to the Anne Frank museum. Regardless of whether you have read the book, the house gives a painful insight of the dark times the Frank family had seen during World War II. A look at the closed windows and curtains of the house, the dingy rooms, and the glimmer of hope seen in Anne's writings, and you know what it is to take one's freedom for granted.
Europe is every tourist's grand buffet. Take your pick and have your fill.
Travel light. Except, of course, if you are a married man.
So, after a healthy debate in which my wife dictated commands and I quietly acceded, we planned a rather fluid holiday, choosing to plan most of our schedule on the go. For most parts, this approach works - except when a Thai tourist takes so long to frame a question at the information center that you end up missing an important train. But the sheer beauty of the continent will help you overlook the glitches.
Take London for instance. We were warned of unprecedented chaos owing to the mad rush at the Games. But the city showed no signs whatsoever of traffic snarls, chants of "Sir, you made lakhs" or congestion in the tubes. God, can't stop raving about the London tubes. I took a day off only to hop on and off them with no destination in mind. The passion Brits showed towards the Olympics, and towards sporting in general, kind of embarrassed me. I joined them on the open lawns at the Thames to watch a game of Fencing. Couldn't figure out for the life of me why Fencing must excite them so much. But then, these guys are generally passionate about everything. You need to see the tour guide at the Tower of London, for instance, to know what I mean. They will take jibes at everything that is not British, in particular Americans, to sufficiently emphasize they have the grandest empire and the richest history in the world. Four days in London, and you can almost certainly agree with them.
Built in 1887, over a period of two years, the Eiffel Tower stands over a thousand feet tall and is one of the most intimidating structures you are likely to ever see. Only, you marvel at it a lot more standing at the base than you would by getting to the top for an aerial view. Spend plenty of time at the base. Once you reach the top, all you are going to say is, "But Sears Tower is so much better! And it has a glass floor too."
You need lesser time in Switzerland than you think. Of course, it's the kind of country you can't get enough of. But it also bears the kind of tranquility that gets on your nerves if you are not used to seeing more cows than motorists. Also, its cities follow some sort of a template in structure and layout. Jungfraujoch, the highest peak in Europe, is no doubt a place you must visit so you can slyly throw snowballs at ill-behaved and queue-jumping Chinese tourists. The Swiss rail has its charm, but if you like the occasional stopover, don't hesitate to rent a car.
But at no cost must you miss a visit to the Anne Frank museum. Regardless of whether you have read the book, the house gives a painful insight of the dark times the Frank family had seen during World War II. A look at the closed windows and curtains of the house, the dingy rooms, and the glimmer of hope seen in Anne's writings, and you know what it is to take one's freedom for granted.
Europe is every tourist's grand buffet. Take your pick and have your fill.
Travel light. Except, of course, if you are a married man.
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