Paris : the city of love and romance
It is recommended that everyone visits Paris atleast once in a lifetime...For the city is unique in its style and the restaurents with tents overhead are a treat to watch and relax...and if you have a good companion with you that will add to the fun ..one will definately fall in love with the city with its charm and romantic feeling. There is certainly love in the air of this famous city.
To start with Paris being the capitol of fashion is indeed a neat and tidy city. To understand its fashion and glamour one needs to take a walk around Champe Elyees where all the big daddies of fashion and glamour world - giovanni, ....are lined up.
But if you are a down to earth person on a budget travel i guess you need to be careful and visit places near Saint demis et la halle which islikesome of our indian markets. here you can also meet some indians and they have shops too in the area.
There are many hotels starting from 50 euros to the top end 200, 300 euros a day...however if you serach the net you will be able to find some hotels and dormitories at 30 euros or less a day...Paris is more or less safe and is well connected ny its metro network so if u find a good budget hotel - may be far from city center - go get it.
Paris has lot of things to visit,,the louvre museum and the eiffel tower are the two most visited places...But there are other chuch (notre damne) and gardens and things also..
Paris has one of the best metro system in the world....one can go to any part of the city in maximum 30 minutes with propr knowledge of metro...
it is recommended that one purchases metro season tickt to travel which will be cheaper..metro tickets are availbale for full day, one week, 10 days, one month and so on..
a seperate book can be written on Paris...
vegeterian should be prepared to see things which they dont like as most of the europe and particulary france etc are predominantly non vegeterians..hence it will be difficult to find a vegeteria hotel and the definition of vegeterain also differs in this part of the world so you must say very clearly what all you eat or what all you dont.However if u go to passade de bardy you will find many indian pakistanis hotel lined up which will give you every sabji and bhaji, riti and chawal and achar and papad,,idli and dosa..stranegley and amusingly many of the hotels owned by pakistanis have an indian name so take the names with a pinch of salt. For example one hotel with a rajputana or somthing is owned by a pakistani.
There are other hotels too that serve veg dishes..One hotel that is also refered in th alonely planet book on paris is worth trying and is in this locality. Then there is one simple south idian who will serve idli for 3 euros and dosa for arnd -7 euros. If you ask politely that u are on a sjprt budget he may also give some small concession to you. The chap is nice to talk and is from south india i think from pondicherry. there is a small Kirana shop just opposite this souh indian restuarent and so if you are feeling home sick you can visit this good kirana shop in Paris..voila...
Euro being 56 rupees france and paris in particular are very expensive places to visit..
Make sure you carry enough money and book your hotel beforehand..
you will also finding indians at some junction , in a metro or at eiffel tower...but only at times...
People are friendly but keep to themselves and will not take the initiative to talk like indians..
Discrimination can be there but is very less and in general one will not encounter as paris has one of the highesr number of tourists and so people are professionals.
if one visits in summer and wintr one may find lot of dicount sales which is the best way to do purchasing otherwise buying anything in europe is a costky affair and does not make sense..as ususal one finds chinese goods spread at many poeple and dont be foolish to buy cheap chinese goods at higher prices
Laffayate is a famous mall offering everything ..and can be visited...There are many other malls near ville de citi which offers sales..
Chalres de gaulle is the international airport and one can reach in 50-70 euros to a hotel from the airport. the airport is in the north most direction of the city.
Taxies wallah are honest by and large but all type of people reside in all type of places..
be also prepared to protect from pick poketters especially in the metros and crowded places.
Paris is well connected to all part of Europe and one can get trains and flights right from the airport CDG. staions are called as 'Gare' in frenh and gare de nord is the big station for taking trains to london or other part of france. similarly Gare de Lyon is also another mahor station. besides the metro station at CDG airport is also good if you dont plan to enter the city. CDG airport is also called as Roissy and one should know that.
One can visit he city safely till 11 pm after that it is a bit risky ..(in general..)
what else....let me know when you are visiting France or Paris next time for information...
Overall a nice place and to visit...atleast once
Asheesh शाह
asheesh.shah@gmail.com
Showing posts with label france. Show all posts
Showing posts with label france. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
understanding france - from travellers diary
France is a lovely country, with large meadows and greenery all around. Surrounded by the pacific and the meditareanean in the west and south, alps in the east and the countries like brussels and UK in the north it has everyting that one would like to see and live with. Cities like Paris, Lyon, Grenoble are the business centres of the country while places like NICe present something unique.
To understand France one must understand that it is one of the most liberal and yet very closely tied country. One wil get all the liberty in the world that one likes to, and yet there is a deeply knited social fabric that is hard to miss.Another interesting feature is that people are very friendly and would like to help for a genuine cause and yet there is some selfishness in the country's basic structure.
France is known as the capitol of luxury and there are luxury everywhere , yet there is also deep poverty within the society that does not comes to the surface before the public eye. Life is easy and yet very difficult.
The main economy is cenetered around tourism, besides, wine, dairy products and strong R and D base in sectors like agriculture and pharmaceuticals. IT and automation are also high.
To live in France one must have good money and or a good job at hand. Labour laws are tough and immigartion is not promoted. To get job in France one must have a french degree and should knoe french well. However that does not mean that one will get job easily. Finally it is the comptenece of the individual that matters. cerain sectors like IT and computer sc. may make life easy if one is really good in these domains.
French people are very proud of their culture and country. However they are also very fun loving and passionate. It is common to have two - twenty affairs in ones life (men women alike) and is not considered a crime or loose personality feature. It is rather easy to find love in France if you are looking for love (men or women) but the relatuonship can be very temporraily depending upon the individuals and what they are looking for.
Like all European countries French people beleive in independent behaviors and will not take obligation. If you are going for a tea or coffee you can pay for yourself and the other person pays for himself/herself...nothing great about it. Finances are tight and so no would pay for you and one should not feel sad about it.
To be continued......
Asheesh Shah
asheesh.shah@gmail.com
n.delhi
india
.
To understand France one must understand that it is one of the most liberal and yet very closely tied country. One wil get all the liberty in the world that one likes to, and yet there is a deeply knited social fabric that is hard to miss.Another interesting feature is that people are very friendly and would like to help for a genuine cause and yet there is some selfishness in the country's basic structure.
France is known as the capitol of luxury and there are luxury everywhere , yet there is also deep poverty within the society that does not comes to the surface before the public eye. Life is easy and yet very difficult.
The main economy is cenetered around tourism, besides, wine, dairy products and strong R and D base in sectors like agriculture and pharmaceuticals. IT and automation are also high.
To live in France one must have good money and or a good job at hand. Labour laws are tough and immigartion is not promoted. To get job in France one must have a french degree and should knoe french well. However that does not mean that one will get job easily. Finally it is the comptenece of the individual that matters. cerain sectors like IT and computer sc. may make life easy if one is really good in these domains.
French people are very proud of their culture and country. However they are also very fun loving and passionate. It is common to have two - twenty affairs in ones life (men women alike) and is not considered a crime or loose personality feature. It is rather easy to find love in France if you are looking for love (men or women) but the relatuonship can be very temporraily depending upon the individuals and what they are looking for.
Like all European countries French people beleive in independent behaviors and will not take obligation. If you are going for a tea or coffee you can pay for yourself and the other person pays for himself/herself...nothing great about it. Finances are tight and so no would pay for you and one should not feel sad about it.
To be continued......
Asheesh Shah
asheesh.shah@gmail.com
n.delhi
india
.
Monday, February 4, 2008
India and France
Let us display the finest Indian tradition to the French President.
Asheesh Shah
Understanding local customs and culture is paramount in building relationship with any country – more so if the country happens to be France, which has a distinctive style of running its international affairs and a vibrant social environment. The French are fiercely independent and are known to take a line completely separate from the United States and its influenced groups. Therefore, while Tony Blair toed the US line to the hilt during the Iraq crisis, the French policymakers decided on prudence to the extent of upsetting the US.
France's terms with India, on the other hand, have been marked by cooperation and kinship – it was one of the first countries to lift sanctions US-led worldwide against India after the 1998 Pokhran nuclear test…
France along with Germany is the undisputed leader of the European Union and represents a powerful international lobby. It has excellent relationship with China and the Arab world, which has been an eyesore to many. The combination of Sarkozy and Bernard Kouchner, the French minister of foreign affairs, is looking towards taking diplomacy to new levels. Both these leaders are different in their approach and can bring radical changes to the way world leaders think and act.
Sarkozy and Kouchner have visited several troubled areas that include a surprise visit to Afghanistan in December 2007. The recent visit by Colonel Gaddafi of France is also a case in point. The French have taken the initiative to bring respectability to Libya, which was largely shunned by the West. In fact, France has promised investment in Libya thus placing more trust in Gaddafi than any other western world leader.
Similarly, the French foreign minister visited Iraq and created ripples in many world capitals. The visit was engineered to bridge differences between the Arab and the western worlds. The French minister expressed solidarity with Iraqis and promised them support. Such high stake diplomatic missions are not seen often and underscore the new thinking in the French government.
As for India's national interest, the French regard India as an important ally. Sarkozy's visit will be the third in a series, after French higher education minister Valerie Pecresse and the benevolent foreign minister Kouchner came calling in the last six months. Recently, the Indian government cancelled a multi-billion dollar defence deal with France. However, taking the loss in his stride, Kouchner said, "We are definitely hurt but there is no use complaining. We shall bid again."
Loss of such a deal could have frozen bilateral ties with any other country but the French have showed remarkable diplomacy and their problem solving approach.
Although India and France have increased bilateral trade, there is vast scope for more joint ventures. Many French companies have a presence in India, the latest being the auto giant Renault while the retail chain leader Carrefour may join soon. France is an acknowledged world leader in nuclear technology, besides traditional and upcoming sectors like aviation, railways and biotechnology. Many French citizens visit India every year and swear to return again. In fact, there is an emotional relationship between India and France, the potential of which has not been explored to the fullest.
Recently the French president appointed Dr Amartya Sen as one of his government's economic advisor. Sarkozy is known to take bold and surprising decisions that could change the dynamics of any relationship. It is therefore necessary that India is able to exploit the opportunity during his visit to the fullest.
India should seek increased French cooperation in joint research and scientific activities. Just like our CSIR, the French have CNRS and INRIA laboratories which are involved in advanced research works. Both the countries can benefit through active collaboration between these organizations, besides academic and student exchange programs. Presently French immigration and labour laws are not very conducive towards foreigners. India can ask for higher concessions in this direction to increase student mobility. France will be more than happy for any joint nuclear and defence cooperation. India can use the French connection as leverage against over- dependence on certain other blocks and can cement some concrete deals. France can help India in sorting issues related to WTO and other sticky issues with the European Union. Finally, to add some flavour, Indian wine makers can always ask for the secrets behind Moet and Chandon, Dom Perignon etc.
Asheesh Shah
Understanding local customs and culture is paramount in building relationship with any country – more so if the country happens to be France, which has a distinctive style of running its international affairs and a vibrant social environment. The French are fiercely independent and are known to take a line completely separate from the United States and its influenced groups. Therefore, while Tony Blair toed the US line to the hilt during the Iraq crisis, the French policymakers decided on prudence to the extent of upsetting the US.
France's terms with India, on the other hand, have been marked by cooperation and kinship – it was one of the first countries to lift sanctions US-led worldwide against India after the 1998 Pokhran nuclear test…
France along with Germany is the undisputed leader of the European Union and represents a powerful international lobby. It has excellent relationship with China and the Arab world, which has been an eyesore to many. The combination of Sarkozy and Bernard Kouchner, the French minister of foreign affairs, is looking towards taking diplomacy to new levels. Both these leaders are different in their approach and can bring radical changes to the way world leaders think and act.
Sarkozy and Kouchner have visited several troubled areas that include a surprise visit to Afghanistan in December 2007. The recent visit by Colonel Gaddafi of France is also a case in point. The French have taken the initiative to bring respectability to Libya, which was largely shunned by the West. In fact, France has promised investment in Libya thus placing more trust in Gaddafi than any other western world leader.
Similarly, the French foreign minister visited Iraq and created ripples in many world capitals. The visit was engineered to bridge differences between the Arab and the western worlds. The French minister expressed solidarity with Iraqis and promised them support. Such high stake diplomatic missions are not seen often and underscore the new thinking in the French government.
As for India's national interest, the French regard India as an important ally. Sarkozy's visit will be the third in a series, after French higher education minister Valerie Pecresse and the benevolent foreign minister Kouchner came calling in the last six months. Recently, the Indian government cancelled a multi-billion dollar defence deal with France. However, taking the loss in his stride, Kouchner said, "We are definitely hurt but there is no use complaining. We shall bid again."
Loss of such a deal could have frozen bilateral ties with any other country but the French have showed remarkable diplomacy and their problem solving approach.
Although India and France have increased bilateral trade, there is vast scope for more joint ventures. Many French companies have a presence in India, the latest being the auto giant Renault while the retail chain leader Carrefour may join soon. France is an acknowledged world leader in nuclear technology, besides traditional and upcoming sectors like aviation, railways and biotechnology. Many French citizens visit India every year and swear to return again. In fact, there is an emotional relationship between India and France, the potential of which has not been explored to the fullest.
Recently the French president appointed Dr Amartya Sen as one of his government's economic advisor. Sarkozy is known to take bold and surprising decisions that could change the dynamics of any relationship. It is therefore necessary that India is able to exploit the opportunity during his visit to the fullest.
India should seek increased French cooperation in joint research and scientific activities. Just like our CSIR, the French have CNRS and INRIA laboratories which are involved in advanced research works. Both the countries can benefit through active collaboration between these organizations, besides academic and student exchange programs. Presently French immigration and labour laws are not very conducive towards foreigners. India can ask for higher concessions in this direction to increase student mobility. France will be more than happy for any joint nuclear and defence cooperation. India can use the French connection as leverage against over- dependence on certain other blocks and can cement some concrete deals. France can help India in sorting issues related to WTO and other sticky issues with the European Union. Finally, to add some flavour, Indian wine makers can always ask for the secrets behind Moet and Chandon, Dom Perignon etc.
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