Finding my way with Lonely Planet’s Europe on a Shoestring

My review: 

When I was planning my trip I bought Lonely Planet’s Europe on a Shoestring. I must say that it has been immensely helpful in picking the right destinations to stay and visit.

On our trip, documented on this blog, we used to get lost in any new city or rather look about blankly figuring out which direction should we head. Luckily at this time Lonely Planet's Europe on a shoestring came to our rescue. It helped us find the tourism offices with ease and also pointed us in the right directions to our hotels and lanes we had to explore.

A little bulky for a backpacker, but very helpful. Do refer to this guide if you want explore the European cities without burning a hole in your pocket.

Lyons

I met Lyons, the seagull, at Marseilles at Chateau d'If. He kept posing for me as we awaited our ride back to the mainland. I so loved this bird, that he became inspiration for my quilling artwork.

Oh and Tanaya, my travel buddy was so jealous of this bird that she kept rolling her eyes at us - our conversations and the photo shoot. Well we finally got to her and she clicked a picture of Lyons and me together. Well guess Tanaya, this post is dedicated to you and the wonderful patient person who were with me on our trip. To Tanaya!

From Lyons

From Lyons

From Lyons

Day 23: Au revoir Paris!

After almost 23 days into our trip, it was time to say goodbye to yet another amazing city. I love Paris. I really do.

The day started with a quick breakfast before we had to make our way to Gare du Nord to catch the Eurostar to London St Pancras International. We had to hurry as we were got a bit late trying to find the right terminal and then had to go through customs before we board the train.

We made it just in time. And soon we realised the air conditioning in our carriage was not working. Shouldn't be that big a deal in Europe you say? Well you are wrong, the route to London is under the sea and with 100+ people seated it tends to got pretty stuffy.

The entire trip it was just Tan and me. I was glad to finally meet family. My cousin Ryan came to receive us at  St Pancras International and he was a blessing. Or else we would have been lost a new city as usual. He introduced us to the Oyster card, it's a blue plastic card used for public transport - tubes and buses which you need to put credit on in order to travel. Wow! I loved it.

We then rode the tube, OMG this too is awesome, to his home which was at Clapham Common. We switched different lines on the tube to get there (more about the tube later) and the famous red bus to finally reach his home.There's a fabulous meal cooked. Chicken Xacuti, mashed potatoes and salad. Oh man am stuffed. Finally I ate a full meal.

Time-out! Will be back after my siesta...phew what a lunch.

Day 22: Disneyland Paris… Wooohoooo!

I was so excited today. Super duper excited. We took the local train to Marne-la-Vallée. The moment you get off the train you land in Disneyland. The park has two theme parks - Disneyland Paris and Walt Disney Studios Park. 

Now when at Disneyland, it's hard not to become a kid again. Tan officially disowned me, as I was a excited as a 5-year old, but OMG the place has sleeping beauty, Prince Charming, Dumbo, the Castle and loads of things more that you previously seen only in fairy tales. Wow! This was a dream worth not waking from.

Determined to have a blast, we rode almost all the rides before it was time for the Disney Parade. While at Disneyland you CANNOT miss this. Involving a spectacular display of music with all your favourite animated characters live in action, it really a dream coming true. We had to climb over fences to catch a glimpse of the parade and huge crowds.

As soon as the parade got over, we made a quick dash to watch the Lion King musical. And man was it magical!

Time flew by so fast we just had two hours to explore Walt Disney Studio Park. Just one thrilling ride here in the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror

Check out these park maps to plan your time better.

I was sad sad sad to leave Disneyland. But I will come back. Oh I also realized it was our last day in Paris or France for that matter. And I really sad to go. Bye Disneyland. Bye Dumbo. Bye Marie. Bye Mickey Mouse.

Day 21: Louvre in the day, Lido by Night

Today we decide to take the blue and green line to get to the Louvre. Big mistake. It took us almost two hours to get there.

Well the Louvre. I was very excited to get there, especially after all the hype the movie Da Vinci Code created and as an art student I was hopping like crazy desperate to get to the Mona Lisa.

The glass pyramid is cool, the rest is OK I guess. Even the Mona Lisa is so overrated. I was really dissapointed after seeing her. The rest of Michelangelo's artworks were amazing. We then made our way to Napoleon's chambers, and oh my the rooms were dripping in gold and royalty. From the grand piano to the chandeliers to the tapestry, everything screamed royalty.

Our trip to the Louvre was really short. Tan & I both did not find it exciting. Soon we headed back to the hotel to rest and dress up for the exciting night ahead.

Tonight we party. Tonight we sip on champagne in Paris. Tonight we see Paris by night. All dressed up we hurry to the night bus tour pick up on the other side of town, and... we are late. We miss the bus! Two pretty Indians girls stranded. There's where a kind French man helps us and gets the bus to come pick us up.

We soon make our way to catch the illumination of the Eiffel Tower. It happens every hour and involves a spectacular display of lights. 336 light projectors and 20,000 sparkling strobe lights make the tower come alive. It was a sight to behold.

From here we then are driven to the Lido show at the Champs-Elysee. We booked ourselves for 'Bonheur' and as they said it was a dream. For an hour and 45 minutes I sat glued to the performance and in awe. Everything was exorbitant, elegant, rich and classy. And we also got champagne to drink. The spectacular cabaret infused a lot of dance and pantomime touching different cultures and arts. They even had a cats performance. All in all the night ended on a high note. And in true Paris style. C'est la vive Paris.

Day 20: Paris Calling

After a hearty breakfast, we head out to Gare du Nord to find the Tourist Office. Like any other city, we decide to take the city pass and the sightseeing package. You can find your tickets at the local tourism office. For more info, click here.


Collecting our passes we then made our way to the blue line bus stop. As usual we missed the one closest to us and walked quite a while down to the Place de la Bastille. The Place de la Bastille is a square in Paris, where the Bastille prison stood until the 'Storming of the Bastille' in 1879-80 and its subsequent destruction. Today at the centre of the square stands the Colonne de Juillet (July Column) which is dedicated to the 1930 revolution.

Across the road is an impressive structure. A huge block in the city and modern in every way, we later learned that this place is the opera house or known as L'Opéra de la Bastille, and is the home base of the Opéra National de Paris.

Observing all this we waited here for almost an hour and half before we called up information only to gather the fact that today there was a bus strike and the blue line was not plying. Grr! Lucky for us there was a Metro station right there. By now having got the hang of public transport in Europe we make use of it just right. We rode the metro to the Notre Dame stop. And from here we followed road signs to get to the Cathedral.

The Cathédrale de Notre Dame de Paris or commonly known as the Notre Dame is an amazing and beautiful cathedral. Built in Gothic architecture this catherdral caters to the Roman Catholic population of Paris. Well there were hordes of tourist waiting to enter and one needs to be reminded that this is a place of worship. The architecture is amazing inside and out. One has an option to climb to the top of the cathedral but we decided to skip it. We spent some time in the cathedral praying as well as admiring the architecture and stained glass windows. Situated on the  banks of the Sienne, one must visit the Notre Dame when in Pars.

From here we hoped back onto the bus and rode to the Place de la Concorde, Musée d'Orsay , Champs-Élysées and the Arc de Triomphe.

The Place de la Concorde is one of the largest public squares in Paris. 86,400 square metres, it is situated along the Seine and separates the Tuilerie Gardens from the beginning of the Champs Elysées. We got down at the square, admired it beautiful fountains and the obelisk. The Fontaines de la Concorde are two monumental fountains located in the Place de la Concorde, the south fountain commemorating the maritime commerce and industry of France, while the north fountain c navigation and commerce on the rivers of France. These fountains are a must view for the sculptors and attention to detail. And it feels wonderful to be sprayed by the waters in the Paris sun.
 
The center of  Place de la Concorde you will find a giant Egyptian obelisk 'Luxor Obelisk' decorated with hieroglyphics from the time of Ramses II. It is said to have been gifted to the French in the nineteenth century by the Egyptian government.

After a brief stopover at the place de la concorde, we get back on Paris L'Open Tour bus before we proceed to the Champs-Élysées. The Avenue des Champs-Élysées as it is known in France, is truly the most beautiful avenue i have ever seen in my life. Lined with cinemas, coffee shops and shopping boutiques, this drive confirms that you are in the heart of Paris. What you will also come to love are the beaitufully shaped tress and gardens.

Next stop the Arc de Triomphe. We got off the bus here and it started raining. Had to cross a really busy intersection to get some shelter and also reach the monument. The structure is impressive and was built in honour of all those who fought in the Napoleonic Wars. On the inside and the top of the arc, one can find the names of all the generals and wars fought. Underneath the monument is the tomb of the unknown soldier from World War I. A flame continually burns here in memory of all those who sacrificed their lives.

From here's, though we can see it rising up above, is the next stop that will get us to the Eiffel Tower. Woohoo. As the bus snakes through the lanes, getting closer all the while, you can get to see the Eiffel Tower from different angles. What wouldn't I have given to live in one of those homes that open up to this majestic beauty everyday.


We get off at the Trocadéro and walk towards the tower. I honestly cannot put into words how awesome, magnificent, breathtaking the Eiffel Tower is. I stood in awe and must have clicked a 100 pictures of this beauty. Standing underneath the tower you cannot but marvel at the way this structure had been built. It's an engineering perfection. We decided a trip right up the tower is a must. We walk to the first level are some 300 steps. A lift takes us up the second level, you also have the option of climbing up here. The third level however and the highest is accessible only by lift. So we rode up to the 3rd floor some 137 meter high. The ride in the open elevators can be freaky but it's a must do. The view from the top is simply mind-blowing. You can see the whole of Paris and as far as the eye can see. Also on this level is the office of the master genius designer and engineer Gustave Eiffel. It has been reconstructed to show him at work in his office. I wish I could stay here forever but I had to go. Bye bye Eiffel... I love you!

Back on the ground I purchased mementos for my family and self. I still have that key chain which brings back fond memories.

We get back on board the bus and indulge in some sightseeing. We pass the Musée Rodin and catch a glimpse of 'The Thinker' in the museums extensive gardens. Also on our route is the Musée d'Orsay, the tuilleries and the Jardin des Tuileries.

We get off at the Notre Dame stop and make our way to the metro station to get back to our hotel. I love the public transport system in this country.

Now back at Gare du Nord, we grab our lunch cum dinner and call it a night. What a day it was. Will remember it till I die.
Everybody wants to be a cat
Because a cat's the only cat
Who knows were it's at
Oh yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh......zzzzzz

OMG the Eiffel Tower...we are in Paris!

On all my train journeys I invariably fall asleep. However this journey was different I stayed awake out of excitement simply because I had to catch a glimpse of the Eiffel Tower as we entered Paris. You could say I was bouncing in my seat like a little child, singing 'Everybody wants to be a cat' (Tanaya rolls her eyes here and pretends not to know me). Well that's a song from the animated movie 'The Aristocats' and it's from this cartoon lie my first ever memories of Paris. O'Malley romancing Dutchess on the roofs of the houses with the Eiffel Tower in the background.... Oh how romantic!

As we approached the city, you could see the Eiffel Tower rising in distance. I was so overcome by emotion. Now this was a dream coming true!

It's quite late when we enter the city, but it looks like early evening. We disembark at the Gare du Nord, Paris and to our surprise the Hotel is next door. Awesome. No getting lost in the first few hours. After checking in and realizing how late it was decide to keep the sight-seeing for tomorrow. Goodnight Paris!

Day 19: Exploring the waters in Marseilles

Had breakfast, packed our bags, left them at the reception and off we went to explore the seas. Woohoo a boat ride out to If-Castle. Departures are from Quai des Belges to If-Castle. Take the first boat out as this will give you more time on the island. The cruise was a fantastic experience. You get to see the marina and various boating activities ay the bay. 

25 minutes later we are at the docks of the island and make our way to the castle. If-Castle is said to be built by Francois I in 1524 and became legendary for the prisoners held hostage here and a rhinoceros immortalized by Durer, or its imaginary prisoner, the Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas.Roaming the corridors, you just can't help but feel spooky.

Clicked some pictures and then we went back to the dock to await our return back. Had to wait a while and guess what I made an interesting friend here. His name is Lyons, and he is a seagull. He posed for me and all I can say is that we connected. 

On the journey back we spotted jelly fish in the water. Lots and lots of them. Once back at Point Vieux, we got our bags from the hotel and made our way to the train station Gare de Marseille Saint-Charles. We board the TGV at just 3 Euros and head to Paris! Paris baby Paris.

Day18: Making the most in Marseilles

The most important thing to do when you are new in any city is to visit the Tourism Office and ask for a city pass. In Marseille, a city pass will bring you discounts on entries to museums, cultural services, transportation and much more. You can opt for a day pass or 2 day pass, which will come at a cost of around 25 Euros. Click here for the latest rates.

After sorting our passes out we head to take  the tourist train to Notre Dame De La Garde. The trains cute, like a toy train and the ride is super fun. You can catch it at Quai des Belges old port, opposite the La Samaritine cafe. Quite an interesting ride up hill, the route has a 45 degree angle slope at one point. 

Having reached the Notre Dame De La Garde, you cant help but feel so serene. The place is so peacful compared to the rest of Marseilles, and the view from the top is spectacular. What's amazing about this Basilica is the gold statue of the Virgin Mary overlooking the entire city. Entering the basilica, you notice the interiors having an overpowering Romanesque-Byzantine influence. The domes, multicoloured stones, mosaics and ships in gold fit perfectly in this Basilica which was build by Napoléon III. 

After spending a good half day here, we waited for our ride back to the bayside. I was not particularly hungry but we had decided to savour the local cuisine once at every place. The local specialty here is Bouillabaisse.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bouillabaisse., a fish soup containing various kinds of cooked fish and shellfish and vegetables, flavored with a variety of herbs and spices. I personally hated it, the smell is overpowering but Tan says it's yummy. 

Having stuffed ourselves, we then decided to make our way to the Musee De La Moto. However this place is on the outskirts of the city and getting there involved taking a super crowded local bus. Fun, but it reminded me of the buses back home. Good thing was we could poke fun in Hindi. A long walk from the bus stop brought us to the door steps of the museum. And voila the entrance is free! Anything free while you are on a budget trip is good.

The Musee De La Moto houses a unique and historic collection of motorcycles since 1885. Spread over four floors and with over 300 cycles, bikes and scooters, you can find the likes of the Harley Davidson's, Ducati's, Vespa's and much more. All in all it was an awesome experience. Check out my pictures and the fun time I had with the motorcycles.

We had to wait almost an hour to get back into town and the place is pretty deserted. I can honestly say I was totally freaking out but trying not to show it. I was so releived when the bus finally arrived.

Back in town, we decided to grab a hamburger at the bus depot and something weird happened. Someone paid for my meal. I insisted on paying the vendor but he absolutely refused. Psychos. Anyway from here we proceeded to the Fashion Museum, which we then learned was closed till July! Damn. So we decided to take a new route back to the hotel and guess what? We got lost. hahahahaa. After roaming around in circles, we back tracked to the Tourism office and stuck to the route we knew.

Day 17: Marseille

Time to say bye to Lyons and head to Marseille. After breakfast we head out to Gare de Lyons Part Dieu to book ourselves on a train to Marseilles. There’s some time to pass so it’s time for Haagen-Daas ice-cream. I opted for a strawberry sorbet and oh my… the portions are humongous. It took me like forever to finish it.

We take the TGV and it’s a mere 3 Euros, thanks to the Eurail pass. Soon we were at Gare de Marseille Saint-Charles, and using the metro jumped off next to our Hotel.

Our stay was booked at the Mercure Eurostar on Rue Neuve Saint Martin. My first impression? Where is the French romance! This building is so boxy and rather sterile. After settling in, a small walk to the supermarket saw us picking up our lunch and dinner. It’s a way cheaper option than dining out. The owner of the supermarket was glad to meet Indian girls from Bombay, and then came the classic question “Do you know Shah Rukh Khan? Bollywood?” Duh! And the followed a proclamation of his love for Bollywood.

Early evening we walked about trying to locate the Tourism Office, unfortunately it was closed by the time we reached there. However the bay side is lovely. Boats docked, sea gulls and the Notre Dame on the hill. Beautiful. We simply took in our surroundings for today and people watched. So much fun.

Dinner was in the hotel with the little snacks we prepared before snuggling in to watch a movie called ‘Trade.’ Bon Nuit.

Day 16: A rainy day in Lyon

It started off as a rainy day, so after breakfast we decided to chill for a while and I went back to sleep. In Lyons we stayed at the Campanile Lyon Centre - Gare Part Dieu Hotel. Decent and cozy it provided the perfect room for a short stay. By mid morning we made our way to the Fouviere. By now we figured out how to use the Metro in France. The ride up to the Fouviere included a ride on the verticals. The reason they are called so is because the cables run vertically up the hill and at a crazy angle.


At the top of the hill sits the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière. The Fourvière is dedicated to the Virgin Mary, who is said to have saved the city of Lyon from the plague in 1643. Enter into the basilica and you will be amazed with the Byzantine influence in architecture. It also draws influences from Romanesque architecture. However the exteriors are more gothic in nature. In whole the glass painted windows, mosaics, the crypt of St. Joseph and candles offered, all add to a very serene atmosphere.


Stepping out we took in the view of the city. Beautiful! After spending a good hour here on a rainy day, we made our way to Bellacour and off we went for a river cruise on the Saône River. The cruise included a trip to the Ile Barbe island. This island, a quaint little thing is the only inhabited island in Lyon. In the 5th century, one of the first monasteries in Gaul was founded there. It later became a powerful Benedictine abbey. Today however only the Romanesque Notre-Dame remains with a few old buildings.

Back on solid ground, we then lazed around Place Bellacour taking in the musical activities, food stalls and people just generally having a good time. Bliss! We indulge in the local sandwiches before we hop aboard the bus to take us back to the hotel.

Day 15: Livin' it in Lyons

After a sumptuous breakfast, we decided to make our way first to the Tourist Information centre. Task! We needed to use the metro to get to the other side of town. From trying to break our way in to comprehending the complex instructions in French, we finally managed to get ourselves a ticket. Now we were faced with the daunting task of using the metro. How do we get to Place Bellecour? We asked someone around and finally figured how to use the metro system.

You come out of the metro station right into Place Bellecour. Bustling with activity – people dining, selling flowers, street artists and hordes of tourist, this place is a cultural hub. Spotting the Tourist Information Centre was not difficult. Check www.lyon-france.com for more information. Do buy a Lyon City Card. You can benefit from free admissions and reductions on various facilities. Some trips will also give you a free guide. We took the 2 day pass which amounted to 29 Euros.

Having opted for the walking tour around Lyon, we had to wait an hour for it start. In the meantime I being out of cash and desperately needing money decided to hunt for a foreign exchange. It was a typical case of lost in translation. People giving directions in French... it was a mess. I finally made use of sign language and it worked! Encashing my travelers cheques, got some much needed greens and went back to the square.

Our tour began at Place Bellecour. Here you can see an equestrian statue of King Louis XIV with two allegorical sculptures of Rhone and Saone on either side of the pedestal. From here we walked across the city, observing the numerous sculptures of lions in the streets. 69 of them across the city. Lions, we came to know is the symbol of Lyon. The international exhibition ‘La Biennale Des Lions, Lyon-Quebec’ saw some amazing entries. For more information on this do check www.biennaledeslions.fr.

Our route took us to Cathédrale St-Jean. A Roman Cathedral, it is the seat of the Archbishop of Lyon. Built from the late 11th to the early 16th centuries, it boasts of partly of Romanesque architecture. The portals of its Flamboyant Gothic façade the cathedral is decorated with 280 square stone medallions. What’s impressive in this cathedral is the astronomical clock which dates back to the 14th century. However this clock chimes only at noon, 14:00, 15:00 and 16:00. We witnessed this at 15:00 hours and it was amazing!

From here we continued to the old city and the labyrinth of secret passageways called the Traboule. The canut buildings which are the soul of the Croix-Rousse, were once used by the Resistance in the second world war, notably workers in the underground press. The Cour des Voraces stairway is one of the most famous and impressive traboules of Lyon. 
   
After spending a good two hours in the traboules we made our way to the Musee International de la Miniature. This museum houses masterpieces from miniaturist around the world. Know also for the film sets, this museums holds an amazing collection of realistically reproduced film sets, made from imitation objects and models used in films.

With that came an end to out sight-seeing for the day. We took a leisure walk back to Place Bellecour, where we grabbed a some local speciality before we boarded the local bus to take us back to Gare de Lyon Part Dieu and to our hotel.