Architecture, India, Restaurants, Sightseeing

More Delhi and the Road to Jaipur

March 24, 2016 Rosemary Kneipp 8 Comments

We arrive in Delhi at 7 pm, one and a half hours late due to an electrical problem on our plane which kept us sitting on the tarmac in Melbourne but I sent a quick email to Trinetra Tours to let them know and our coordinator is waiting for us. When we arrive at the hotel – Justa Residence – we have a shower and go straight to bed so we can be ready for an 8 am start next morning. The irksome things I complained about a month ago at the same hotel have been fixed up. We have been given a different room which has two tea cups (and not one), complimentary biscuits and fruit, a bathmat and correct drainage in the shower.

Our chauffeur for the next four days, Rajender Negi, arrives a half an hour late at 8.30 am, along with our French guide, Singh. They were held up by a road accident in which a truck was lying across the road. Considering the traffic here I’m surprised there are not more accidents! However, they had phoned the hotel to tell us they would be late so we weren’t worried.

Humayan's tomb — Humayan’s tomb made of red sandstone and marble

The first stop is the tomb of the Mughal Emperor, Humayun, commissioned by his son Akbar in 1569-70. The site is quite majestic and we practically have it to ourselves. It was the first garden-tomb in India and also the first structure to use red sandstone on such a large scale.

The tomb of Isa Khan Niyazi currently being restored

The tomb is a UNESCO World Heritage site and has been extensively restored. In addition to the main tomb, there are several smaller monuments, one of which, the tomb of Isa Khan Niyazi, was built twenty years earlier. It is wonderful to think that such a large garden exists right in the middle of Delhi.

A tuk-tuk in front of the presidential palace

Our next stop is the presidential palace built in 1929 and other government buildings. Yet another side to Delhi that we didn’t see the first time. It also provides the occasion for Singh to explain more about the country’s government bodies. Although I have a little trouble understanding him initially, his French is quite good and he is a willing and knowledgeable communicator, unlike our French guide the first time round.

The 72-metre Qtub Minar is next on the list and surprises us by both its size and beauty. Like Humayon’s tomb, there are also several other monuments. Our guide points out the original pillars from the Hindu temple which was partly destroyed to turn it into a Muslim site.

Pillars from the original Hindu temple at Qtub Minar. Depictions of animals in particular have been removed.

More tourists have arrived and everyone is taking photos of themselves, family and friends. I move out of the way for an Indian man to snap his wife and Singh tells me that they want me in the photo. I am surprised. We then have a group photo and they are delighted.

An Indian family at Minar. I find the little boy's black eyes very worrying. — An Indian family at Minar. I find the little boy’s black eyes very worrying.

In the middle of the complex is a 7 metre high column called the Iron Pillar weighing 6,000 kg and thought to have been originally erected in Udayagiri by one of the Gupta monarchs in about 400 CE and transported to its current location in 1233 CE. Its surprising corrosion resistance is due to an even layer of crystalline iron hydrogen phosphate forming on the high phosphorus content iron, which serves to protect it from the effects of the local Delhi climate.

It is now nearly 11 am and Singh takes his leave as we are close to a metro stop and he lives quite a long way away. He has asked us the usual questions about our family situation, children, where we live, etc. and told us about himself. He lives in a village near Jaipur with his wife, two small children (2 and 4) and his mother. As a tourist guide, he only works for 6 months a year, mainly in Delhi, where he shares a flat with other male friends during the season. The rest of the time, he lives in the village and doesn’t work. He is the only breadwinner.

The unfinished minar at Qtub Minar — The unfinished Alai Minar at Qtub Minar designed by Alauddin Khilji to be twice as high as the first but abandoned after his death in 1316

We give him the prescribed tip and off he goes. Now, our driver, Rajender, takes over and asks all the same questions again in English. He comes from Himalaya, as most drivers do, he explains. Because they have a hard life as children, walking 10 km to and from school and carrying heavy loads, they have strong heads and are able to deal with the horrendous traffic. I didn’t think Delhi was very busy the first time but it seems as though the traffic has increased tenfold! Fortunately, Rajender is a good driver.

A sacred cow in the middle of the highway

We set off for Jaipur, which is 5 ½ hours away, which seems very strange as there is a new 2 x 3 lane toll road and the distance is only 270 km. We soon discover why. Although trucks are not theoretically supposed to be in the fast lane, they invariably hug the middle of the road, moving into the middle lane if they are forced to do so. They often have a sign saying Blow Horn written on them, sometimes Please blow horn and even No horn. Rajinder says it’s because they listen to loud music so will only move over if you blow the horn.

A typical "blow horn" truck — A typical “blow horn” truck

He weaves his way in and out the traffic, which includes every imaginable vehicle, both large and small – cars, buses, tractors, bicycles, tricycles, rickshaws, tuk-tuks, family scooters (older child in front, father, younger child, mother sitting side-saddle), camel and horse-drawn carts and sacred cows which have a special affinity with the middle of the road. We don’t see a single accident, which is really quite extraordinary. We don’t see any women drivers either. If I don’t watch the traffic, I’m not afraid, which is also amazing especially as we often see traffic coming in the wrong direction, but since no one can go very fast, I feel quite safe! I should mention that we have seen a number trucks nose-down in the gutter.

The "family scooter" - you can just see the second child peeking out behind his father — The “family scooter” – you can just see the second child peeking out behind his father

On the way to Jaipur, we go past Cyber City, an enormous complex in Gurgaon, linked to the Delhi metro system. Now we see the skyscrapers we didn’t see in Delhi. They house international companies such as IBM, Samsung, American Express, Deloitte and Google. Residential complexes, often gated, follow one another and we see many advertisements for “green” apartment buildings and public schools which are actually private, saying things such as “if you love your child, send them to our school”.

Our roadside restaurant, the Moti Mahal, in Behror

At 1.30 pm, we have covered half the distance to Jaipur, so Rajender suggests we stop for lunch at the Moti Mahal Restaurant in Behror. When we get inside we see it’s a tourist restaurant but at least it’s not a cocktail bar. We choose dal (lentils), a mixed vegetable dish, naan (that delicious oven-baked leavened flat bread), rice and curds. The meal is tasty and not too spicy and only costs 1200 rupees (16 euro) including a bottle of water. We realise that we won’t be having any local experience restaurants but decide it’s just as well – less hassle and no gut problems!

The Water Palace in Jaipur — Jal Mahal, the Water Palace, in Jaipur

As we approach Jaipur two hours later, we see Amber Fort with its 9 kilometers of ramparts. Rajender then points out the Jal Mahal (meaning “Water Palace”) in the middle of the Man Sagar Lake. It is in total contrast with anything we have seen up until now. I ask to stop for a photo but Rajender tells me it’s scheduled for the next day. I insist, explaining that the light will be no good in the morning. He pulls over with good grace and we clamber over the low stone wall. He gets a nearby vendor to take a photo of the three of us together to put on Facebook!

With Rajindar, our guide, in front of the water palace in Jaipur — With Rajendar, our guide, in front of the water palace in Jaipur

We continue on to our hotel and are delighted with our first glimpse of Jaipur despite the incredibly dense traffic. The capital of Rajasthan, which currently has a population of over 6 million people, was founded on 18th November 1727 by Maharaja Jai Singh II, the ruler of Amer (Amber) after whom the city is named. He was something of a town planner and consulted several books on architecture and architects while planning the city’s layout. It took four years to complete the major roads, offices and palaces. The city was divided into nine blocks, two of which contained the state buildings and palaces, with the remaining seven allotted to the public. Huge ramparts were built, with access provided by seven fortified gates.

Typical pink sandstone architecture of Jaipur

During the rule of Sawai Ram Singh, Jaipur was painted pink to welcome Prince Edward VII and Queen Victoria and it became known as the Pink City of India. We love the result but the traffic is so chaotic that it’s difficult to take any decent photos. A video proves to be the answer.

We arrive at Shahpura House Hotel at 5.30 and it is every bit as lovely as the photos on its website. I later try to understand its history, but to no avail. All I can tell you is that the current owner is Maharaj Surendra Singh, a descendant of the royal family of Shahpura, and that the fusion of historical influences has been preserved in the décor and design: Indo-Saracenic architecture, opulent Mughal interiors, European furniture, and Rajasthani fabrics and design.

One of the common areas at Shahpura House Hotel

After a refreshing shower, we have a tonic water and crisps on the terrace in front of our bedroom then escape from the mosquitos into our beautifully furnished air-conditioned room. Even the live Indian music in the outdoor restaurant on the terrace below cannot kept us awake once we go to bed.

India

The Elephant Ride

March 19, 2016 Rosemary Kneipp 12 Comments

We have been in India for two full days and have done so much and seen so many wonderful places that I am exhausted by the end of the day and incapable of writing a blog post. But I had to post this photo of my first (and last!) elephant ride, at Amber Fort in Jaipur.

Ours was a fairly small elephant so Jean Michel had to sit back as far as he could for balance, which explains why his feet are sticking out in front of him. The elephant swayed from side to side, which is a bit unnerving when you’re not used to it. Jean Michel said it was like being at sea. Sometimes the elephant went quite close to the side of the stone wall so I would pull my feet back although the driver reassured me that I didn’t have to worry.

Taking photos was difficult as well as there was a considerable risk of dropping my iPhone. The first photo was taken with Jean Michel’s camera by one of the many young Indians running alongside the elephants to offer their photographic services. It was easier to take a video than photos, though it’s a little wobbly! The second photo is taken from the Amber Fort showing the elephants winding their way up the hill. The last photo is our very personable elephant driver whose name I asked but now can’t remember.

It was a memorable experience but I don’t really think I need to do it again. I should also add that I was very pleased that I was not alone. I am not very good with heights and an elephant is very very big!

Art, Australia, Sightseeing

Meet the Bollards in Geelong

March 16, 2016 Rosemary Kneipp 6 Comments

As we drive along the waterfront at Geelong on the way to our home exchange in Drysdale, our host Jill mentions something called “bollards” which, she says, are a reflection of the town’s history. When we return to Geelong for a longer visit, we discover them in greater detail and find them most endearing. To quote the Bollard trail walk brochure, “Over 100 bollards are installed right around the Waterfront from Limeburner’s Point to Rippleside Park. Artist Jan Mitchell was commissioned by the City of Greater Geelong in 1995 to transform reclaimed timber pier pylons into these remarkable works of art.” We don’t get to see them all, but here are the ones we did meet.

Australia, Home exchange, Travelling

Lost in Australia

March 8, 2016 Rosemary Kneipp 10 Comments

I can’t believe that we left Blois nearly a month ago! After our first brief stay in Delhi, we have been in Sydney, Armidale, Coffs Harbour, Adelaide and Melbourne. We are now in Kennet River on the Great Ocean Road on the southern coast of Victoria. We have been constantly on the go, visiting family and old friends and having to say goodbye, and making new friends whom we hope to see again. Although I have not been posting in Aussie in France, I have been posting every day (well, practically!) on my other blog, Loire Daily Photo, in the form of “postcards from Australia”. Sydney and Armidale, where I held a family reunion three years ago, are the only places I have been before.

Sydney with its stunning harbour and laid-back style, remains, for me, one of the most beautiful cities in the world. We stayed with good friends in Redfern, caught up with my brother, wife and three lovely sons in Parramatta, had an unforgettable dinner with Brainy Pianist whom you may remember from 2012, and discovered Cockatoo Island with one of my many cousins.

My grandmother's wedding bed — My grandmother’s wedding bed

Although I had been to Armidale before, I was able to better appreciate this lovely country town in the New England tableland, where buildings can’t be more than two storeys high. I stayed with my hospitable cousins and caught up with others, slept in my grandmother’s beautiful brass and ceramic bed, saw my elderly aunt who is still living in her own home every day, was invited to dinner, morning and afternoon tea with new and old friends alike and walked several kilometers every morning before breakfast with my fast-paced cousin.

A typical view from the ocean walk between Korora and Coffs Harbour

Coffs Harbour was a little too built up for me, although we enjoyed some lovely walks along the ocean front near our home exchange in Korora, but Sawtell, Nambucca Heads and the country towns of Dorrigo and Bellingen, had a different charm. I caught up with another elderly aunt and her son and was invited to dinner by friends of Armidale friends who have a stunning house overlooking the harbour.

The amazing botanical gardens in Adelaide

Adelaide, where we stayed in a lovely home exchange in the very attractive suburb of Toorak Gardens, has the most beautiful botanical gardens we have ever seen, but we found the city itself somewhat dry and dusty. The mythical Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale vineyards were sadly scorched due to an ongoing drought. but we tasted some fine wines and met up with retired friends from Brisbane who are making their way around the country in a mobile home. We loved the seafront suburb of Glenelg which we visited with my nephew. We met up with three Australian couples who have bought a house in the south of France and Jean Michel was delighted to be able to talk to them in French. I also had a wonderful visit with some old school friends whom I had not seen for 35 years!

The Yarra River in Melbourne looking with Southgate on the left

But whenever we said we were going to Melbourne for the first time, we were told “You’ll love Melbourne!” And they were perfectly right. We loved it from the minute we saw it. We loved the atmosphere, the buildings and the people, but I won’t say anything more here, because our visit deserves to be described in detail. So, keep tuned!

India, Travelling

Delhi Delights

February 22, 2016 Rosemary Kneipp 13 Comments

We’ve arrived in Delhi, met up with the coordinator, driver and French-speaking guide from Trinetra Tours, checked into our hotel and are about to have lunch. I’m surprised to see that the restaurant is called Lutyens Cocktail Bar, opposite the Meridien Hotel. When we enter the half-filled room, the only people I can see certainly not Indian. There are only tourists here, I say to Summer, our guide for the afternoon. “No, no”, he says, “there are Indians as well”.

Inside Luytens Cocktail House — Inside Lutyens Cocktail House

When we visit another country, we like to eat like locals and this does not correspond to what we are looking for but we don’t have much choice. We have decided to become temporary vegetarians in India for two reasons: first there is less chance of having food poisoning and second we are certain of getting vegetables that way. We choose a mixed vegetable dish and naan and hope for the best.

Although a little spicy, the food is good, but not very copious. When the bill comes, we discover that we were only given one serving of each and not two. The total is 1120 rupees (16 euro) – hardly good value for money in Delhi and we could have been anywhere in the world. We later learn that the guide chooses where we eat so it’s best to explain early in the day that we would like a localn, authentic experience.

The Great Mosque façade — The face of Jama Masjid, the Great Mosque

Our first visit is to the Jama Masjid (The Great Mosque), the largest in India. Summer explains that the entrance to the mosque is free but that we have to pay 400 rupees to use our camera, have our shoes looked after and don suitable attire, which means a wrap-around skirt for Jean Michel (he’s wearing ¾ pants) and a sort of throwover for me (I’m wearing 7/8 pants and a long-sleeved shirt). All the non-Muslim women are given the same garb.

I realise of course that I should have brought socks or cloth scuffs with me – I’ll remember next time. The ground is not particularly clean and is strewn with litter from sweets and biscuits. A lot of families come and picnic in the main square and under the galleries enclosing the mosque. It gets busier as time goes on.

Built in 1650 in the middle of Old Delhi, it can welcome 25,000 people in the enclosed area although the building itself is not very big. The three domes made of white marble striated with black offer a striking contrast with the pink sandstone of the rest of the mosque.

From the galleries there is a sweeping view of Delhi with all its contrasts.

Next on the programme is a rickshaw ride through the main bazaar. We go through a maze of very narrow alleyways and I am continually surprised that the rickshaw doesn’t overturn but our wallah is obviously a champion. The amount of muscle power required to keep us going in some parts is impressive. Also, since we have said we’re not interested in shopping, he doesn’t even get a break.

We return to our starting point where Summer is waiting for us. Anand soon arrives and we set off for the last part of our visit – Akshardham Swaminarayan Temple, which we have added to the original itinerary. This amazing Hindu temple displays millennia of tradition Hindu and Indian culture. We can’t take cameras, phones or electronic equipment of any kind so all I can do is to describe my impressions and take a couple of photos of the brochure we received. But I invite you to explore the site more on the official website.

The Temple (photo from a brochure) — Akshardham Swaminarayan Temple (photo from a brochure)

This extraordinary complex covering 40 hectares was opened in 2006. It was inspired and developed by Pramukh Swami Maharaj, the spiritual head of the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha, whose 3,000 volunteers helped 7,000 artisans construct the temple. The first impression is one of serenity.

Summer does not come in as guides are not allowed. He suggests we meet him at the entrance in 45 minutes but we don’t come out for 1 ½ hours!

The elephant frieze (photo from a brochure)

We wander around, visiting the inside of the temple with its intricate carvings and many statues. I am a little surprised that despite its recent construction, it’s very traditional but the workmanship is exceptional.

What I like best, however, is the elephant show, Gajendra Peeth, on which the temple is based. It is 326 metres long and comprises 148 elephants carved out of stone telling various stories with the help of numerous other sculptures of men, animals and birds, paying hommage to the role of elephants and nature in Indian culture. It is most definitely the highlight of our tour. We’ll be visiting the more modern part of Delhi on our way back from Australia in a month’s time.

Accommodation, India, Travelling

Getting to Delhi and First Impressions

February 16, 2016 Rosemary Kneipp 17 Comments

The big day has arrived at last for our 6-week holiday in Australia via India. As you know, we now have our hard-won visas. We leave Blois at 1.30 pm by car. Our flight is at 9.30 pm. We’ve checked out the trains and discovered that, since we arrive back at 6 pm at Charles de Gaulle airport we’ll be too late to take the last train back to Blois which means an overnight stay in Paris. We check out the long-term parking around the airport and secure, underground parking at the Mariott Hotel turns out to be the cheapest. At 164 euro for 41 days, it’s cheaper than taking the train to Blois then to the airport and paying for a hotel and it’s certainly much easier !

We arrive at the Mariott at 4.30 pm and enter the parking lot with our code (we’ve reserved and paid on-line). We take the lift up to the lobby of the hotel where we wait for about 15 minutes until the free shuttle arrives. It leaves us at the hotel shuttle drop-off point near the train station at the airport. That’s where we’ll pick it up on the way back. Very smooth.

After checking in our luggage at the Air India counter, we go through passport control and security and look for somewhere to have a drink as we have another two hours to kill before boarding. There is now free wifi throughout the airport BTW. We reject MacDonalds despite its luxurious looking sofas but can’t seem to find an alternative. Just when we’ve despaired of finding anything better, we see that Fauchon has a bar. We are practically the only people there. You wonder how they can even survive although admittedly February is not peak season.

Having a drink at Fauchon's bar at Charles de Gaulle — Having a drink at Fauchon’s bar at Charles de Gaulle

We are pleasantly surprised by the leg-room in Air India’s hi-tech Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner. The last time we went on a long-haul flight, we could hardly move our legs. The service is not very good nor very friendly, but we’ve chosen Air India this time because the prices are very competitive. My head phones are broken and not very comfortable. I’m given new ones and we watch the King’s Speech which I’ve already seen and enjoy again. We stop from time to time so that I can explain to Jean Michel the parts he hasn’t understood. I don’t get a wink’s sleep during the 7 ½ hour flight but at least I get some rest.

Good leg room in the new Boeing Dreamliner

Passport control on arrival at 9.30 am in Delhi is quick and easy and we have soon picked up our luggage (both suitcases are there to our relief – on our return trip from Australia 3 ½ years ago, Cathay Pacific permanently lost one of our cases). We change some euro into rupees (71 rupees for one euro which means we have to start thinking in thousands) and are met as we come out of customs by Shiva, from Trinetra Tours which we have chosen because it has one of the best ratings on Trip Advisor and the services seem to correspond to what we are looking for.

He greets us and takes us out to our airconditioned chauffered car driven by Anand. This beats having to fend for yourself in a country like India! Shiva outlines our Delhi Delights tour (we are leaving for Sydney the next day at 1.15 pm so it’s essentially an afternoon tour) and gives us our vouchers, information about tour etiquette including tips, and the itinerary for our 5-night Golden Triangle tour on our way back from Australia in mid-March. We will tip Shiva 500 rupees, Anand 300 rupees a day and our French-speaking tour guide who is joining us at our hotel at 12.30 pm, 500 rupees per day.

The drive from the airport to our hotel, Jüsta Residence Greater Kailash, is an eye opener for Jean Michel. He’s surprised there are no skyscrapers, considering that New Delhi has a population of 16 million people. Perhaps they are some further out but throughout the day we see only very moderate high-rise buildings.

We drop Shiva off halfway along and Anand, whose English is much more basic but still sufficient, takes over, telling us about the transport system – a metro, 4 types of buses and 4 types of taxis and rickshaws, if I remember correctly – and asks us information about ourselves. Where do we come from, how many children do we have, how old are they, etc. We inquire about his own family.

He and his wife are from the Himalayas and had an arranged marriage 22 years ago and are very happy. They have three children, 13, 15 and 17, and his 91-year old mother also lives with them. He tells us that 70% of marriages in India are arranged and 90% in the Himalayas. There are more love marriages in the big cities

The Justa Greater Kalesh Hotel — The Justa Residence Greater Kailash Hotel

He points out various buildings as well, showing us in particular where the civil servants and middle class live, many in enclosed residential areas. He tells us our hotel is in a chic area. It’s hard to really tell, but there aren’t any slums.

Our bedroom at the Justa GK Hotel — Our bedroom at the Justa Residence GK Hotel

We pull up outside the hotel which is not very pretentious from the outside and are swooped on by several young men who take our luggage. We arrange to meet with our French-speaking guide and Anand at 12.30 pm and go up to take a shower and get changed. It was 13°C when we arrived but it’s a cloudless sky and the temperatures will reach 26°C during the day.

The Meridien Hotel, one of the few high-rise buildings in the centre

I check the tipping instructions and we give 50 rupees to the bellboy who brings our cases in one at a time. The room is clean, pleasant and reasonably spacious. However, there is no bath mat, only two large towels (no small ones) and the shower takes a long time to drain. There is an electric jug but no tea and only one cup. Thank goodness I brought a couple of tea bags. The attractive silk curtains have a problem in the middle. It seems very noisy but at night it turns out to be fine.

The Lutyens Cocktail House, not exactly what we were expecting

I think it’s one of those hotels that was probably very nice when it first opened but suffers from a lack of maintenance as so often happens. We sort out what we need for the day and join our guide, Summer, and Anand to go to lunch at the Luytens Cocktail Hotel, not exactly what we are expecting …

India, Paris, Travelling

The Indian Visa

February 8, 2016 Rosemary Kneipp 16 Comments

We’re fairly seasoned travellers and have made a lot of stop overs between France and Australia in our time so aren’t too worried about getting our Indian visas for our forthcoming visit to Delhi on the way to and from Australia. We know that we have to apply within 30 days of our departure date. We leave on 11th February.

Jean Michel says he’ll look after it and soon discovers that as we live in France, we have to go through an agent call VFS.

With a lot of difficulty, he manages to log onto the correct site and start filling in an on-line form in English. He has a French pdf put out by VFS which explains what to do. He has a lot of questions so I decide to have a look at the form myself. The whole thing is so frustrating that we decide to go and have lunch.

When we come back, we discover the form has disappeared and Jean Michel forgot to copy down the temporary reference number immediately so has to start again. I manage to lose my form too before recording the reference number. After that, it’s the first thing we do!

We argue about whether he should put AVRIL Jean as his father’s name or Jean AVRIL. The French pdf says AVRIL Jean but I’m worried it might complicate matters if the names are reversed. Then we discover too major problems that are going to prevent us from applying on-line : I have two passports and the Indian government wants to see them both, and we are enter India twice at an interval of less than the stipulated two months.

There is a pay-for help line so we try phoning. I don’t understand what’s being said in English and the woman obviously doesn’t know what I’m asking so I hang up and Jean Michel tries to get a French help line. It’s much better.

The order of the names doesn’t matter, we are told. Yes, I have to submit both passports. The two-month interval may or may not be a problem. We’ll have to go to Paris to submit our applications.

Before we go, we pay a little visit to a local photography shop to have our special SQUARE photos taken. They don’t do them, of course, and send us off to another shop out on the other side of town. We pay 13 euro each to have 4 photos taken although we only need 2.

I suddenly realise that I will need to apply to have my visa in my Australian passport because I am not allowed to enter Australia on my French passport. I phone the help line again and they explain how to do it, though it takes a while for me to really understand what I’m supposed to do.

On an old VSF website it says I have to fill out a special form if I have two passports but the only form I can find is for people applying in France who aren’t French. I print it out anyway.

The Indian Consulate in the 10th arrondissement in Paris is only open in the morning so we get up at 6 am on Wednesday 27th February (it’s still nighttime here are that hour) and arrive at the Consulate just after nine in the rain. First we go to the nearby post office which is just next to a very suave pigeon house to buy the two Chronopost envelopes (26 euro a time) that we are told we will need.

By 10.30 am, our mission is accomplished. It turns out that I do indeed have to fill out the “non-French” form. Who am I to argue ? The 2-month interval between visits is no longer relevant. They’re changed the rules. We have to ask for a multiple-entry, 3 month-visa. Fortunately we are paying our 164 euro (gulp) by Visa Card because it shortens the queue considerably. There are, in fact, an amazing number of people in the room, but I guess India is very populated.

The man at the desk does not want our Chronopost envelopes (that goodness Jean Michel only filled out one of them) because they use their own. We are asked to put our name and address on an ordinary envelope instead. We are told that Jean Michel’s visa will take about 4 days and mine will take 6.

L'Atelier du Sourcil - The Eyebrow Workshop — L’Atelier du Sourcil – The Eyebrow Workshop

By the time we leave the consultate, we are feeling somewhat frazzled. We decide to walk around for awhile until lunchtime. I’m chasing after green hand towels green is not the fashionable colour at the moment (except lime green) so I don’t find any. We do see an Eyebrow Workshop though.

We then eat in a bougnat before driving back to Blois. I have never heard of a bougnat but Jean Michel explains it means coal merchant. It was traditional in Paris for coal and firewood merchants to run cafés as a sideline. They usually came from the Massif Central in the centre of France.

We both receive an SMS next day saying our visas are being processed. Well, that’s a relief. I receive an SMS and an email on the following Wednesday (whole week later) saying that VSF has received my visa and their postal service is looking after it. It should arrive in 2 to 3 days.

Jean Michel receives nothing. The next day, the Chronopost man delivers my two passports and visa. Jean Michel is getting increasingly worried about his so phones the VSF oay-for hotline again but is told that they can do nothing. It’s in the hands of the Indian consulate. Great!

The next day, Jean Michel finally gets an email to say that VFS has now received his visa too and it’s being processed by their postal department. The next day is Saturday of course so there is no sign of the Chronopost man.

On Monday, at 9.30 am, Jean Michel sees a van outside the gate and dashes out. The letter’s in the box, he’s told. And there it is. Exactly 12 days after we submitted the visa application we have both our visas with a whole 3 days to spare. Yay! Delhi and the Taj Mahal, here we come!

Art, France, History, Loire Valley

A Monumental Afternoon

January 30, 2016 Rosemary Kneipp 17 Comments

We’re in Amboise in front of the Church of Saint Denis, waiting for our friends Susan and Simon from Days on the Claise. We’re here for a purpose. Susan wants to see some artworks in the church that she has heard about. It’s extremely cold so we go inside and wander around. It’s quite dark and gloomy and I don’t notice anything very interesting.

Collegiate Church of Saint Denis, Amboise, 12th century

Susan and Simon arrive with Antoinette from Chez Charnizay who is also interested in art. Our mutual friends Janet and Antoine who live in Amboise also join up with us. Susan takes us over the other side of the church in front of a group of statues called a Mise au tombeau which means emtombment and refers to the emtombment of Christ. I wonder why I didn’t notice it the first time.

Susan and Antoinette start discussing the different people in the group. It was common practice for patrons of the art at the time – we’re talking about the 16th century here – to be depicted as historical and religious figures. A man called Philibert Babou, Treasurer to François I, commissioned the group of eight life-sized figures in painted limestone. It is believed that the figures are members of the Babou family.

For people who know their religious history, the identity of the original characters should not pose a problem : Joseph of Arimathea, St Veronica, St John the Evangelist, the Virgin Mary, St Mary Magdelene, Mary of Clopas and Nicodemus. However, Susan is very curious about the fact that Mary Magdelene seems to be wearing a crown. Surely the Virgin Mary should be wearing it? Mary is thought to be Marie Gaudin, Philibert’s wife, who would have been about 50 at the time and was considered in her youth to be one of the most beautiful women of her time. She even had an affair with François I some 30 years earlier.

Antoinette also points out the clothes they are wearing, such as the ornate turban and flowing garments with their liberal gold trimming. Large amounts of fabric indicate greater wealth. The oriental look is typical of the sixteenth century. The headgear in general is very indicative of status. Mary Magdelene, who has the finest features and most intricate garments of the people depicted, is in fact wearing a gilded headdress and not a crown. Susan finally comes to the conclusion that “the message might be that anyone can come to God and it need not interfere with you looking gorgeous or showing off your assets”.

Joseph of Arimathea, St Veronica, St John the Evangelist and the Virgin Mary

I’m really enjoying myself. Having specialists to point out all these different aspects is far better than a guide book which I soon get bored with ! The two written guides we find in church are not very useful and don’t answer any of our questions. I’m also amazed that they were able to move it to Saint Denis intact from Montlouis further along the river.

Saint John, the Virgin Mary, Mary Magdelene and Mary of Clopas

We take a closer look at the reclining figure on the right. It’s Mary Magdalen with a book in her hand and a box of perfume. The sculpture was originally in a chapel in Amboise that has now disappeared. I’m surprised to see MM with a book but Susan tells me this is a typical way of depicting women in the 16th century.

We then move onto the sculpture, known as la femme noyée or drowned woman. We all stand around while Susan explains that it is comes from Bon-Désir Chapel in Montlouis and thought to represent a member of the Babou family, perhaps Marie Gaudin who drowned in the Loire. She then says, “but I don’t agree with that”. It’s true that after we take a look at the smooth muscular thighs it’s seems unlikely that the effigy is that of a drowned woman. Susan adds that she thinks it is exactly contemporary with a similar effigy of Catherine de Medici in the Royal Mausoleum in the Basilica of Saint Denis, Paris. “Catherine rejected the first version of hers because it was too emaciated and gruesome, and I suspect a similar sentiment with this one in Amboise.”

What really surprises me is there should still be so much mystery surrounding two artistic works of such calibre. Susan tells me it’s actually quite common and that, if nothing is known about a work of art, it is just ignored in the local guide books! I go back to the Mise au Tombeau and look at more of the details which are quite amazing. Just the draperies could hold my interest for hours.

Susan then calls smy attention to another work of art which is part of the altar piece – what can only be a representation of god which, as Susan points out, is most unusual. Only Christ and the Holy Spirit are usually depicted. She later discovers that it is, in fact, the Eternal Father, which corresponds to the first person of the Holy Trinity.

The eternal father on the altarpiece — The eternal father on the altar piece

We end our wonderful afternoon a few kilometers outside Amboise at the Gaulish Oppidum where there is a mud rampart that dates from 400 to 50 BC and a mound called Caesar’s Hill overlooking the surrounding countryside. My only regret is that Susan and Simon live in the south of the Loire, an 90-minute drive from us!

The rampart from Gaulish times built from 400 to 50 BC

For more details about the Mise au Tombeau, I strongly recommend that you pop over to Susan’s blog Days on the Claise. She has written a very lively, yet very scholarly account in her usual inimitable fashion.

Eastern Europe, Paris, Restaurants

A Day in Paris with Lunch at Le Lobby

January 19, 2016 Rosemary Kneipp 11 Comments

It’s nearly 9 am and we’re about to go to Paris for the day which we don’t do very often. To our immense surprise, the ground is covered in snow! I run around taking photos and videos while Jean Michel makes sure all the bird feeders are well stocked. This is our first snowfall for the season and totally unexpected.

The roads aren’t too bad although they haven’t yet been sanded and we have to keep in the middle lane until Orléans. As we approach Paris, the sky is a brilliant blue but it’s only a few degrees so quite cold.

Driving past Notre Dame on our way to Au Vieux Campeur

Our first stop is Paris’ best-known sports store – Au Vieux Campeur near Saint Germain des Prés – because we need to replace our falling apart Meindl Capri walking sandals to go to Australia next month. We tried to buy the same ones on the Internet, to no avail. Buying sandals in winter is not a great idea.

Despite the churlish, know-it-all salesman – even Jean Michel thinks he is terrible – we manage to find a suitable pair of sandals before we each go our separate ways. I have to admit the new Teva ones are much more stylish. Jean Michel is having lunch with a former colleague and I am meeting up with my lovely friend Mary Kay from Out and About in Paris who is soon to go and live in Prague. I am not the only person who will miss her.

As I walk across the Seine to Notre Dame then past the Conciergerie and over the river again to the right bank and my metro at Hôtel de Ville, I can’t stop taking photos, the sky is so clear and sharp.

I emerge at the Arc of Triumph which is also looking good with so much blue sky around it and head for the 5-star Peninsula Hotel on Avenue Kléber where Mary Kay and I are having lunch in Le Lobby recommended by Janine Marsh in a recent post in her blog, The Good Life magazine, relayed by Susie Kelly on No Damn Blog.

After 5 years of renovation, the lobby of the Peninsula is, indeed, a splendiferous setting. The welcome and service, of course, are impeccable. I can even forget my iPhone on the table while I wash my hands and find it still waiting for me.

We choose the 60 euro set meal that includes a glass of wine and bottled water. A very tasty Jerusalem artichoke and foie gras soup is followed by beautifully cooked sword fish (which the waiter pronounces to rhyme with sworn) on a bed of vegetables. We finish with cheesecake on a strawberry crust which is somewhat disappointing especially as I’m not a big fan of France’s favourite fruit.

The Oiseau Bleu biplane on top of the Peninsula

Mary Kay, who has been to the L’Oiseau Bleu restaurant and bar several times then takes me up to the roof of the building. The view of the rooftops of Paris with Sacré Cœur in the distance is stunning. I make a vow to come back here for a drink in the summer.

The Oiseau Bleu summer terrace with Sacré Coeur in the background

L’Oiseau Bleu is named after the biplane that disappeared on 8th May 1927 with its two French pilots, Charles Nungesser and François Coli, during the first attempt to fly non-stop across the Atlantic from Paris to New York. Less than two weeks after their disappearance, Charles Lindbergh was the first to make the crossing, but in the other direction, on board the Spirit of St Louis. No trace of the Blue Bird has ever been found. There is a replica of the plane on the roof.

The main square in Paris alive with music — The main square in Prague alive with music

I am sad to leave to leave Mary Kay but hope to see her again before too long, perhaps in Boston or New York now that Leonardo and Black Cat are both living there. Much as I enjoyed the week I spent in Prague several years ago, it isn’t on the agenda again for the moment, but who knows?

French language

Friday’s French – Content, contented, satisfait, satisfied, heureux, happy

January 17, 2016 Rosemary Kneipp 10 Comments

Content is another one of those words that does not necessarily have the same meaning in French and in English.

Je suis contente de te voir = I am happy to see you. You can also say Je suis heureuse de te voir but I’d say it’s more emphatic. Heureux (heureuse) is usually reserved for expressing happiness: Je suis heureux d’être là = I’m happy to be here. Note that in this context, là means “here “and not “there”. I’ve written another post about here and there.

Content in French can also have the meaning of the English contented. Je suis contente de rester là = I am content to stay here or I am happy to stay here. Contentment can also be expressed by using satisfait. Je suis satisfait de mon choix – I am contented with my choice.

I just run not race, I am contented to just jog. – Je cours, je ne fais pas la course. Faire un jogging, ça me suffit.

The above sentence is a good illustration of how different French and English constructions can be be. Also, the English jog has been borrowed as jogging and not jog (like the old footing which doesn’t even exist in English!). J’ai mis un jogging actually means I put a track suit on!

Il a l’air content = He looks happy/pleased, but not “He looks content” which would be “Il a l’air satisfait” which can also mean “he looks satisfied”. 🙂 Are you confused? The trick is deciding when the meaning is the same. There is no real difference between “he looks happy/pleased”, is there? But “content” and “satisfied” in English have the added meaning of being quietly happy, of having achieved peace of mind which is not included in the French verb.

There is, however, an entirely different use of satisfied in English which needs a different verb in French i.e. to be free from doubt.

I’m satisfied that her death was accidental means that I’m convinced about it. You would not use satisfait in French but convaincu (from convaincre = to persuade) : je suis convaincu que sa mort a été accidentelle.

I’m satisfied that I’m right = je suis convaincue d’avoir raison. This is another example of a different construction. In English, we use the conjunction “that”. It’s possible to say Je suis convaincue que j’ai raison” but it wouldn’t really “sound” French. What do my French readers think?

Heureux and happy are fairly synonymous (isn’t that lucky?) except justement (in fact) when heureux means fortunate or lucky. Someone who is heureux au jeu or en amour is lucky at cards or in love. Heureusement qu’il est là = Lucky thing he’s here. A very popular expression in French is “Encore heureux” which means “Good thing” or “Luckily” and has nothing to do with being happy. An example would be “Encore heureux qu’il soit arrivé de bonne heure ou il aurait perdu sa place” which means “Luckily he arrived early or he would have lost his place”. Note the use of the subjunctive “soit” which is correct but you wouldn’t near many people using it.

from the Tropics to the City of Light