A Memorable Trip to Paris - Assignment Example

A Memorable Trip in Paris Fortunately the strike did not last long, and by the early morning they were accepting our old tickets for boarding, and at 10am we were landing in Paris. To our dismay our luggage had not made the trip with us. We did, however, receive continued assurances that it would eventually be delivered to our hotel. Determined to keep our spirits high, my mother and I continued on our journey. As we drove to our hotel, we were greeted by one of Paris's most characteristic landmarks, the Basilique du Sacre-Coer, sitting high above the city with its many white domes. Its beaming white color really stands out as you approach the city of lights. Paris is a very big, busy, crowded, and at times dirty but fascinating city. It was all we had dreamed of and more. We saw some of the most stunning and magical landmarks I have ever observed. We were able to climb the Arch de Triumph and go to the top of the Eiffell Tower. Although I am not expert, I think the view of Paris from the top of the Arche de Triumph is the grandest in the city, especially as you gaze up the Champs-Elysees and see the throngs of people walking along. I was feeling more pleasure visiting Paris especially because of the feeling that I would be able to visit Monet’s gardens and house. Monet’s garden and House are situated in Giverny which is about 75km from Paris. The excitement to visit that place and the startling beauty that I observed on the way to Giverny was remarkable. The reason for such affection with Monet is the fact that his paintings have a great influence on my artistic skills. My paintings reveal a powerful reflection of his work. The beautiful garden of Monet was divided in 2 parts. Wonderful flowers and plants employed one portion of the garden and the other was equipped with water and the eye-catching view of the famous Japanese bridge loaded with wisterias, other relatively small bridges, the enticing weeping willows, a conventional bamboo wood and especially the famous nympheas that were blooming to increase the elegance of the view. The pond, which was surrounded by the arrangement of different plants and trees, had a totally different view from the garden. The vegetation separated this portion from the linked countryside. The soothing and calm environment of that water garden made us release the stress of the journey and tiredness of continuous travelling. The calm environment brought us out of all the tensions and the greenery that surrounded us brought us out of that materialistic world that we live in. Enjoying the natural beauty and wonderful combination of beautiful flowers and trees, we started our journey back to Paris. One cannot visit Paris without visiting the Cathedral de Notre dame. This vast structure is the heart of Paris, even of the country itself because distances from the city to all parts of France are calculated from a spot in front of the church. Attending mass here was a memorable event, not just for the setting on the banks of the Seine River, but for the fact that we were still wearing shorts and tank tops and not the more traditional outfits we had planned for this event. After 5 glorious days in Paris, we were off to London and back to Heathrow airport where we hoped to be united with our luggage. After filling out more forms and receiving assurances that the baggage depart. was doing all it could to find our luggage we set off to London. The first thing was to find a place to stay. The building we chose to stay in was clean, safe and decorated in a traditional manner. That day was spent in visiting the malls and markets of the area. We bought some traditional jewelry, dresses and tried the traditional foodstuff that was offered there. The next morning we started up with the Tower Bridge and enjoyed the view of that place. We continued moving and visited many places including The Eye of London, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, and many others. London is so much different than Paris. First of all everyone speaks English and the people are much friendlier than Parisians. London is like a giant wheel with Picacadilly Circus in the center and lots of communities branching out form it. Most of our time was spent in the area known as the West End. England’s green hills, city life, quaint little cafes and Harrods department store are unforgettable. However for me the military tradition of the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace was spectacular. This was British pomp and circumstance at its finest, with their red uniforms, black hats, music and horses. Regardless of the difficulties we faced due to the absence of our luggage we enjoyed the London trip. The morning we left for a visit to Windsor Castle, Stonehenge and Bath, one of the best Georgian cities in England. We hired a tour guide to show us that ancient castle and places surrounding it. The guide told us about the history and we enjoyed the stories linked with it. It helped us enhancing our knowledge and we were kind of visualizing the ancient times and the occurrences he explained. The castle’s well decorated walls reveal the glorious history behind it. The beautifully decorated State Apartments and St. George’s Chapel were also giving the town a more delightful look. The guide took us towards Stonehenge and explained about the historical stones which were dragged together and organized near Salisbury approximately 5,000 years back. The mystery remains about the reasons of building it. Whatever was the reason behind gathering these huge stones together, Stonehenge still captivate the thoughts and feelings of all tourists. After that, we moved towards Bath, well known for the graceful structural design of Georgian cities. The most beautiful view was the marvelously designed streetscapes. The view of Bath Abbey and the magnificent Pulteney Bridge were eye-catching. In addition the ancient preserved Roman spa, The Roman Baths, was an interesting sight and we felt much like having an experience of living in the ancient times. The close interaction with the historical places was a great experience. We enjoyed every bit of that trip to the fullest. If I summarize my trip, it was a tremendous journey, added as a beautiful memory and it was soothing and refreshing enough to keep us spellbound till the next time we go on such a lovely trip. The memories will stay for long and we might not be able to experience such wonderful feelings again as the first experience of everything leaves the darkest impression on the memory. Read More