Amu Gyaan

Alrite..its been a blissful 7 weeks in Europe...think i will list out things I like/dislike blah blah...

List of my fave places in the 4 countries I have been to

1. France --> Paris - * Champs Elysses/Arc De Triomph * Eiffel Tower * Louvre by Night * Grande Arch/La Defense * Tour MontParnasse * Invalides

2. Belgium --> Brussels * Grand Place * St. Michel's Cathedral
--> Antwerpen * Antwerpen Central..teh prettiest Railway station ever! * GroenPlaats Square * The banks of the Scheldes River
--> Brugge * Markt Square

3. Holland --> Amsterdam * Madam Tussaud's * Daam Straat * Schipol Airport

4. Italy --> Rome * The Vatican * the Colosseum * Piazza Navona * Pantheon
--> Pisa * Leaning Tower
--> Venice * The water taxi stand just opp the Venezia St. Lucia station

Best Walks I have had in Europe..rated from best to good!

1. With JP...from La Defense to Porte De St.Cloud...through Pont De Neuilly, Argentine, Arc De Triomph, Champs Elysses, Concorde, Royal Palais, Trocadero..and the bridges..
2. With JP...from our hotel to the Javel bridge at 12 in the night! saw the Eiffel twinkling for the first time..stunning sight..
3. With Mom...through St. Peter's Square on Via Vatican all teh way upto St. Peter's basilica..
4. With Sachin..Walk from Grand Place to Palace of Justice in Brussels

Things I loved most during my stay

1. French Women..the way they smell and the way they dress..Ooo la la...
2. Hot Chocolate...well..all Hot Chocolate is good Hot chocolate..but the Italians make it the best..second would be the Belgian ones..the Dutch and the French are on equal footing...
3. Walking back home after a long day at the office and seeing the Eiffel twinkle!
4. Shopping!! granted I am not doing much ( read any!) shopping...but still..window shoppnig is an activity even the most disinterested shopper will cultivate in Paris...
5. Walking along Champs Elysses..I will miss this the most, I guess
6. Watching the Eiffel twinkle...
7. Eating the yummiest breads and pizzas here...
8. Galleries Lafayette....aaaaaaaaah! paradise

Will update this list...I know I am missing out something..

Murphy is God!

1. Murphy's Law of Mc Donalds : You can never find one when you need one! Otherwise, they are everywhere..all over the place!
2. When you're at a metro station waiting for your train, the train at the opposite platform will always arrive before yours!
3. The best laid plans always go wrong!
4. The time required to wait for ur train/the distance to walk in a metro is directly proportional to how tired you actually are!!
5. You miss a bus by a whisker and dont care coz the next one will come along in 4 mins..well..the next one comes after 25 mins...
6. When you know how to ask a particular question in French, chances are you will stumble upon that rare specimen in France that speaks English..you pray for an English speaking person and you get a person who will look at you blankly and say non anglais!

General observations on people and places in Europe

1. Paris is one of the dirtiest places here..there is dog do all over the place!!
2. Frenchmen are extremely polite and courteous..Gallic chivalry runs in their veins I guess...
3. French are also very polite drivers..will stop for you even when the pedestrian light is red..and all they expect is a smile and a Merci
4. Italians are a lazy lot in general..never rely on Italian local bus/train schedules..
5. Italian men are super hot!and super flirts too...nice combo to have..
6. European languages (except maybe German) have a very endearing sing song way of pronouncement.
7. A photo of the Arc De Triomph...and Champs Elysses..can never go wrong..no matter how redundant your camera may be or how unskilled a photographer you are..

More to come in this list as well…