|
Then we took another cruise, this time in a rather smaller one but beautiful - beautiful - all the houses alongside
the river and all those smaller boats and gondolas. At night we went to the musical "Cats" - yes and this
was something really unimaginable - all these cats they were dancing and performing so nicely - we were lucky enough
to take the autograph of the oldest cat - yes.
Oh my god - if I start to explain everything like this then - it will be too long for anyone to read - so I must
cut short!
We Like Smaller Towns and Homemade Food
Then we went to Solingen - which is also one of the most beautiful places we saw in Germany - Michael's parents
invited us for lunch which was one of the best meals we had in Germany - yes homemade food always tastes great.
We also saw many Forts around there and it was really nice to see how well were they maintained - this is the
only thing lacking in India - otherwise we also have many beautiful things but slowly they are being destroyed
because of no maintenance - it's a pity.
For Desert People More Than 3 Trees is a JUNGLE!
I still remember that long walk which we took to go to Burg Eltz - it was so beautiful to walk in the jungle
still being so safe - Michael said they are not jungles - but for us they were even more than jungles as we had
never seen so many trees - and rivers and he also said that if you really want to see jungle then you must go to
Kerala - but one thing which really amazed us was that there was almost no wildlife in there and there were these
nice paths where you could walk so easily - so Michael said Germans have made everything to their convenience and
Vikram said "I think you ate all the wild animals that's why there is none left"
I would like if the forts in India could be preserved in the same way - yes this is something what we must learn
from you - to preserve our past.
Longest Hiking of My Whole Life
I would never forget the long walks we took and I am sure that I walked more in these two weeks then I had walked
in my whole life - yes but now when I am back home where I have no place to walk -..I really miss it./p>
But my most favourite place in Germany until now is the area near Mosel - which is so green and this small town
Cochem - oh, this was for me the most beautiful place and I think heaven cannot be in anyway better than this and
now I dream of bringing my mother once to this place - because she loves greenery so much and I am sure that if once
she comes here - she would not like to go back, ya!
Mosel Area and Cochem - My Ultimate Highlights!
When I showed her the pictures she said it is like a dreamland - yes I completely agree to her. I think because of
the fact that we have always lived in such a small place like
Jaisalmer - so my fascination is always towards smaller places -
because you kind of get a sense of belonging there whereas this feeling is completely missing in big cities - you are
so much more relaxed in a smaller place and also the area near river Rhine was amazingly beautiful.
Paris, Versailles and Disneyland
Then we went to Paris - but first to Versailles - oh I had seen many, many forts and castles and palaces in my life
but when I saw this one - I think I don't even have words to explain it's beauty and grandeur - this is something
really grand and majestic - oh those big halls, bed chambers, crystal room and the huge gardens and the swimming pools
- almost like lakes and those beautifully carved pillars and statues and those wonderful paintings and carpets and oh
I think the list will go on and on .....
Then we proceeded to Paris - and believe me - I had never seen a big city as beautiful as Paris - I think Paris
must have been a dream of an artist which actually came true - the whole city seems to be decorated and the beautiful
churches and the number of museums and even the roads and all the statues - I think they have countless statues in Paris.
Now I understand why all the artists go and settle in Paris - there cannot be anything better than this place for an
artist - I would also like to go and join an art school to learn painting and sketching - - maybe it just remains
another dream of mine.
We also went all the way on the top of the Eiffel-Tower - no sight can be better than this - yes the whole city
looks so clean nice and systematic and I think we have some really nice pictures from there of the city. We travelled
in Paris in this famous Metro - the underground train - wow! It was I think a very convenient way to travel in such a
big city - because otherwise it would had been so difficult to move around in Paris. It was really fast.
Then the other day we went to Disneyland - I think it was like a fairyland - what we imagine when we read a
fairytale and people have actually made this place - wonderful - it was - we tried I think all the trains and even
the most difficult one - this space mountain - but Michael was intelligent as the first train he took us to was
this space mountain otherwise if I had even the slightest idea how dangerous it is - then I would have never sat in it
- - Oh I was screaming in it and when we came out I got the most horrible picture of my life - which says
"I survived" I think no word can explain my situation at that time than this - and I also have a picture
with Mickey Mouse - yes it was a fun day altogether and then we started again to our way back to Frankfurt.
Best Wines & Beers of the World
On the whole - Vikram and Reggie really enjoyed drinking the much famous German beer and I enjoyed my favourite
- white wine which is so difficult to find in India and I also bought a bottle of white wine for my sister in law - the
Her Highness of Jaisalmer from Mosel and she really liked it very much
- she said this is one of the best wines she has ever had. We also visited many supermarkets - which are really nice
and so much more convenient than to go to many shops for small - small things - you can find everything at one place.
We learnt many things from this travel and I think it will go a long way with us in providing best of services to
our European guests - There are so many impressions in my mind that I am so confused - but I think we really loved the
cleanliness, the systematic way of doing things, the greenery, the perfect traffic on roads, no bargain - no cheating,
and these small small gadgets what you guys use which makes life so much more easier.
And No Aggressions Against Foreigners !!
When we were coming to Germany everybody said that Germans are really very cold towards Indians and they don't like
them so nobody will smile at you and so on - but the best part of our travel was that we met always people who were nice
and were smiling to us - be it anyone - from shopkeepers to even people walking on the road - many times we got gifts
from the shopkeepers and even sometimes people walking on the road just stood by to say that you are very beautiful -
yes I got many compliments and I could see that even people who were looking at us were looking with praise in their
eyes.
It was the same with people in France - and as I could speak some French so they were all the more happier. The only
problem I had was with the food - I am very - very conventional in eating - I don't try many things - that's why only
otherwise Vikram and Reggie really enjoyed the food as Vikram doesn't likes to eat much chilly but for me food without
chilly is a nightmare - but anyway I managed.
Good Food
Talking of food, I would like to mention some of the nice dinners we had - First of all I would like to say many
thanks to Raju, his sister Mercy and her husband - for providing us such a great Indian meal - how much I liked it,
oh I just can't say - it was really like at home and we could actually eat real Indian food in Germany - Can you
please send us the email or the postal address of Mercy so that we can convey our thanks message to them.
Then the next day only we went to this wonderful Chinese Restaurant with you and really that was the best
Chinese food we ate in Germany - yes, Bernd many thanks for it as it was really a great evening - and I have
some beautiful pictures from that day which will always remind us of that and the best picture is of you with
the rose - do you remember? I will send it to you as well very soon.
One Drunken Guy Can't Spoil My Impressions
Then one day we went with Esther - yes, and that too was a great evening - we walked around in Dusseldorf - did
some more shopping and we also called Marion from a public booth just nearby and one very strange thing happened that
day - because otherwise I had always felt very safe in Germany but when I was talking to Marion this very strange
looking man came and stood just not very far from me and he was staring continuously at me and started speaking
something in German - I got really scared and Esther and Reggie and Vikram, all came and stood beside me as if
they were protecting me - but I think he was completely drunk - so I finished my talk early and started to walk
really fast - but this guy didn't leave us there, he came behind us and even Esther was panicked at this - I couldn't
understand why did he came behind me only as there were many people on the street - but sometimes it happens and we
got away with it anyway without anymore trouble - then we joined Esther's boyfriend who was already waiting for us in
a bar with his cousin and everybody drank to his heart that day and Esther and her boyfriend were so nice that even
when it was so late at night when we finished, they came all the way to Kaarst to drop us back home and we all will
surely remember this evening as well.
Thanks to Michael
All of us are really obliged and I think nothing can pay back your love and warmth which we received so far away
from home but never felt outside it. Many thanks to Michael because of whom it actually happened - and he really made
such a nice plan for us that we could see many things in a very short time - and he was such a nice guide. It was all
possible because of Michael -..he sponsored our whole trip and even paid for the Air tickets - he also took a 2 weeks
leave just to take us around and we went everywhere in his car - he drove us and it would never have been possible
without him as we cannot even think of travelling on our own and that too in a country completely unknown to us and
also it is so expensive that at this moment we could not even afford it - nothing can repay his kindness, love and
care and also we felt very safe with him - and the travelling became so much more easier coz he had already arranged
everything - ..Many thanks to you Michael!!
|
