August 19th, 2010 | 
Author: To Be Or Not To Be In Paris?
To Be Or Not To Be in Paris?
That is the question. But its hardly possible that anyone could answer negatively as Paris is the kind of city where everyone can find something to his or her liking. At daytime Paris is exquisite decorous and refined. It offers eager travellers all kinds of sightseeings and museums possible: from the most celebrated Louvre with its huge collection of art to the Seita Museum which deals with the history manufacture and consuming of tobacco.
Guess its impossible not to say a few words about the Louvre. It has 8 departments: Near Eastern Antiquities; Egyptian Antiquities; Greek Etruscan and Roman Antiquities; Islamic Art; Sculptures; Decorative Arts; Paintings; Prints and Drawings. If you see a huge crowd of people looking at a small painting behind the bulletproof glass then youre certainly in the Italian Renaissance Painting Area and the woman looking at you is the famous Mona Lisa. Pride and joy of the museum. One should see the picture with his or her own eyes to understand what hides behind her smile. Some people say its a mockery the others believe the picture radiates tranquility and serenity. And dont be surprised by the sight of some people running up and down. They are trying to understand if the Woman really follows them with her eyes and in fact she definitely does!. But besides the fascinating La Giocondo theres much to be seen in the museum. The Louvre houses more than 35000 works of art from ancient times up to the present day.
Reserved Paris becomes quite different at night. As distinct from many other European cities which seem to become extinct at night Parisian life starts when the darkness covers the streets. All kinds of night entertainments are available: if you want luxury and pretence visit for instance the worldrenowned Paris Grand Opera or the Theatre du Chatelet; if youre looking for less decent entertainments go to the worlds most famous cabaret Moulin Rouge Crazy Horse Saloon or the Lido.
But thats for funlovers. What is an absolute must is the excursion to the famous Eiffel Tower. More than 200.000.000 people have visited the French miracle since its opening in 1889. At night the Tower spruces up and reminds of a doll in flared skirt. Millions of lights make her evening attire particularly smart. Unforgettable sight!!!
But the most fascinating views can be seen when going up. It has 3 levels. A personal piece of advice: dont take a lift go upstairs. The stairs are not crowded especially before closing time so being left teteatete you can make real friends with the French pride. Besides youll have interesting photos near the grating. Your friends will never guess where the pictures were taken until you tell them thats inside the Tower.
Another thing to do is to walk along the banks of the Seine River which was glorified by painters and poets. It flows through the whole Paris. Best of all is to take a boat tour and enjoy the night city. Fresh breeze in the face beautiful sights around and the magnificence of the night Can one dream of something else? Oh yes. One can if he or she is hungry. Take a tour with the dinner served then. You will be treated to the best food and exquisite French wine.
But if youre extremely squeamish go to the most famous Paris restaurant Maxim. Bear in mind that you should book the table and dont forget about the dresscode!
If thats too pretentious for you then go to bohemian Montmartre or the Latin Quarter. You really get the feeling that Hemingway or Fitzgerald are sitting in one of the cafes. The air is filled with mirth good humour and joy of life. And dont be surprised by the sight of people dancing right in the streets!
Numerous discoveries and miracles are waiting for you in Paris. Both at daytime and night. Culture history fun romance charm refinement dizzinessthats what Paris is!
P.S. To be or not to be? This Shakespeares eternal question was jokingly turned into two beer or not two beer?. In France its a crime against humanity not to drink alcohol. Not beer but local wines. Different food demands different wines. When ordering roasted beef youll be offered for example Bourgogne Hautes Cotes de Nuits or Lalande de Pomerol. With fish youll be advised to drink wines like Muscat du Cap Corse or Chateaumeillant.
And dont forget to order wine and cheese. The French say there are so many varieties of wines as there are kinds of cheese. The taste of the most fastidious person will be satisfied!
About the writer: Michael Braganza is an eminent analyst and writer in Travel Tourism related topics. He has authored many books on tour guide for Holidays in India and Rajasthan Holiday Tours. Now he is rendering his services to http://www.paradiseholidays.com/
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