The city of gods

DR SHAHID QAYYUM writes about the amazing life in Greece

Athens, named after the Greek goddess Athena, has been a popular destination for travelers since antiquity. This bustling cosmopolitan city is one of the oldest in the world with a recorded history of over 3000 years of inhabitation. My recognition of Greece dates back to the early childhood days when I read the story of Alexander the Great, the Macedonian prince, who tamed the famous strong headed stallion as a young boy and later set out to conquer the world. In fact it was only after Alexander assumed power that the city state of Athens and the neighboring principalities conglomerated to form the country now called Greece. Alexander brought Greek ideas, culture and life style to the countries that he conquered and the marks he left behind during his conquest of the subcontinent are amply visible in Taxila which I happened to visit as a school boy.

I was lucky to visit Greece more than a couple of times and every time it was an experience of sorts, as the places transform for the better over the years. The first time that I visited the Balkan Peninsula was in the mid 1970s. It was the month of April and it was pleasantly cold out there in the open. We were told the metropolis had its first snowfall in forty years which was still visible on the top of Mount Lycabettus, in central Athens. The subsequent visits years later, in the months of July and August, were different in the way that summers had set in and the day time temperatures were some what uncomfortable. It was hot according to the European standards. Located between Mediterranean and Alpine climatic zones the city enjoys typical Mediterranean climate. The northern mountainous suburbs are usually cooler than the southern tip surrounded by the sea.

Ancient Athens was a powerful city state and a centre for arts and philosophy. It was known as the cradle of Western civilization and birth place of democracy. The heritage of classical era is portrayed through a number of ancient monuments and art works, the most famous being Parthenon and Acropolis, standing as the epic land marks. There are a vast variety of Roman and Byzantine monuments as well, the Temple of Olympian Zeus and Hadrian’s Arc to name a few. All these monuments are located within a radius of two km along with new structures like the Greek parliament, Panathenaikos stadium and the former Royal palace, all built in the 19^th century. Ottomans, the last of the foreign rulers, did not leave too much of noticeable heritage and it was after their departure that the country became independent under a monarch, to be followed by a democratic set up in the times to follow.

During one of my visits to Athens I met a Greek lady, secretary to the District Manager PIA, who looked after me during his absence. She was there to help me receive my family on arrival from Pakistan. After we were through with our snacks she asked me about my choice of tea or coffee and my opting for Turkish coffee made her look visibly upset. Finding it difficult to control her feelings she very politely told me that in her country they called it Greek coffee, only to make me realize that with the long history of Turkish subjugation there was no love lost between the two neighboring countries. In Pakistan the Two Nation theory seems to have evaporated with the signing of (useless) confidence building measures and we are now bending over backwards in a bid to please our erstwhile hostile neighbours..

Athens is a lovely place...(to be continued) 

City of Wonders (continued)

The most memorable thing that I saw in Damascus was the mausoleum of Sultan Salahuddine Eyyubi (E. Saladin) who fought and defeated the famous Christian crusaders; King Philip of France, Richard the lion hearted from England and Frederick 1 of Rome. This mausoleum is located in a garden near the northwestern corner of Umayyad mosque. We offered fateha at the tomb of the great Muslim warrior, who was a fierce leader, a great tactician and a Muslim liberator. Sultan Sahuddine Eyyubi, born in Iran, hailed from Tikrit in Iraq and grew up and was educated in Syria.  Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Hejaz and Yemen were all under his domain. He fought the third crusades, also known as the Kings’ crusades’ and recaptured Jerusalem. Germany donated a marble sarcophagus for the burial of Salahuddin Eyyubi’s mortal remains but it lies unused in his tomb as Sultan’s body was buried in a wooden box. His statue stands on a pedestal in front of the historic Citadel of Damascus. The tomb of Zainab bint Ali is a few miles from the capital, off the main road to Damascus International Airport, and is visited by hundreds of thousands of Shia Muslims every year.

Historical Souk Hamiddya is just a few minutes walk from Umayyad mosque and Sultan’s mausoleum. It is an old fashioned Arab market with not much to boast about. It is a dirty conglomeration of variety of stores with small time shop keepers catering to lower income group of customers. Haggling is a usual feature of these markets. Parks and café culture is very common in the metropolis. People while away their time having ice cream or their all time favourite Turkish coffee. The Ottoman Turks have left behind in their former domains, besides their buildings and monuments, the Turkish coffee as a lasting legacy. Its flavour is really delightful and if you develop a taste for it you cannot leave ever.

Damascus is a city of 4.5 million people but the transportation network is obsolete. Like in Pakistan the Damascenes use buses and mini buses for daily commuting. The mini buses, similar to our Suzuki vans, are gaudily decorated, just like our highway freight trucks, whose model was also given as a souvenir to Queen Elizabeth 2 on her last trip to Pakistan. A retired piece of the same is on display in the premises of Lok Virsa  (National Heritage) museum in Islamabad. I wonder why we have become aesthetically so bankrupt. Damascus has a large number of these mini buses plying on the city roads and one can visualize the eye catching view which these moving pieces of art must be presenting with over flowing passengers clinging to the outside of the vehicle. Corruption is wide spread like in any other third world country. Political hierarchy is confined to one family for the last over three decades. Syria is ruled by Assad dynasty in the garb of democracy. The country has one party system.

Syria is predominantly a Muslim majority country with only 10% non-Muslims to account for. 75% of the population is sunni Muslims. The number of mosques in Damascus are well over two thousand, the most famous being the Umayyad mosque. There are some Christian districts where there are more churches than the mosques. It was interesting to know the origin of the name of this capital city. Damashaq, in local dialect, means a fast moving camel and as the city was built very swiftly it was given this name. The other theory is that it is named after Damashaq, the great grand son of Noah, who according to the legend built this city. This later theory sounds more hypothetical.

Palace of the Peaks

Dr. Shahid Qayyum cherishes the memories of his trip to extravagant Chatsworth Castle.

Visiting the old residential quarters of the past rulers and nobility is always an exciting experience. It is like exploring a living museum depicting the way of life of these nobles in the times of yore. Topkapi palace turned museum, was one such place that was home to the Ottoman Sultans for four centuries. Overlooking Bosporus Sea in Istanbul this former palace is different from the European concept as it is built around four courtyards. Mughal palaces in the subcontinent were also built with a courtyard or two in the middle. Chatsworth Estate, home of the 12^th Duke of Devonshire in the heart of scenic Derbyshire National Park, is a typical example where European palaces are different from those in the orient. Weather, local customs and conditions and social needs influence the architecture of the area.

I had read about the rulers of Bahawalpur State and had a pictorial view of their Italian design palatial buildings but as these palaces are not open to public I could not see the grandeur of their interior. Chatsworth Castle provided me with this opportunity and I enjoyed my trip to the 35000 acres vast Estate comprising of a thousand acre park and magical woodland. Rare trees and shrubs, miles of free walk, meandering streams, fresh water ponds and refreshing trail routes add further beauty and charm to this grand symbol of English Dukedom. A spectacular cascade runs at right angle to the main building. One of the Britain’s best loved historic houses and estates, this three hundred year old mansion was the location for the famous Hollywood movie Pride and Prejudice.

Nestled in the infinite parkland and backed by a tree covered hillside Chatsworth Castle, with its elegant façade, is also called Palace of the Peaks because of the nearby Derbyshire Peak District. It has undergone many face lifts in history from outside but it is the inside of the building with a spectacular display of silver and gold in its restored state apartments that make it an embodiment of old wealth and privilege befitting a duchy. The extravagantly ornamented state rooms, rich in fascinating ceramics and classic sculptures along with a vast collection of silver ware, help the visitors infer the social history of the 18^th century British elite. It is the grandest expression of private wealth in the country dating back to Elizabethan age, boasting of the largest private collection of neo-classical art in the world telling the story of a single dynasty over twelve generations. As Britain’s first baroque palace it is also said to be responsible for a revolution in architectural design. Walking past different rooms one is overwhelmed by the entrepreneurial discernment that makes it a beacon among the present day historic houses. The present Duke, 12^th in peerage, has an unmatched passion for modern paintings and sculptures and this house is showcasing this flair. There is a vast treasure of sumptuous furnishings, alabaster carvings and Italian sculptures decorating this magnificent palace whose interiors embody the baroque interpretation of the classical era. The purpose built sculpture gallery is a treat to watch.

 

A walk through the house unfolds grandeur of the living quarters. The bed rooms with their furnishings, the dining area rich in fine bone china crockery and gold and silver cutlery, the library with its large collection of books and the sculpture room displaying a wealth of masterpieces of renowned sculptors is what captivates the visitors during the tour of the premises. A statue of a female showing it attired as if in fine silk was classic. The Elizabethan age armour adorned the walls. An old gun hanging on a door panel turned out to be a painting. It was simply unbelievable.

The inner magnificence cannot steal the show from the garden and the surrounding park that have been so well kept by the owners. The Duke believes ‘landscape once ruined is gone forever, so a dale or a wood or a headland should be saved’. We visited the place in summers and British summers are in fact an extended spring, so to say. It is no mean task meeting the operational cost of the estate which comes to around 5.5 million Pounds per annum, 95% of which is met by half a million visitors touring the place. A souvenir shop and a restaurant facilitate the visitors after a long journey of over an hour from the nearby cities of Birmingham, Rotherham and Nottingham. The entry fee to the ‘gallery’ is about ten pound and this money is worth its while. 

Roman Holiday

"Vatican City, the smallest sovereign state in the world, is a walled enclave in the city of Rome,writes Dr. Shahid Qayyum

Rome, the capital of Italy, is a multi-faceted place. From the erstwhile Roman Empire to the present day capital of modern Italy, Rome has been among the big names in must see places in Europe. It has been in literature in the form of all time famous maxims: 'Rome was not built in a day', 'While Rome was burning, Nero was playing his fiddle' and 'When in Rome do as the Romans do' and on the Hollywood film scene with block busters like 'Fall of the Roman Empire' and 'Roman holiday'. Roman English is also in common use. Rome is not burning any more and the infamous Nero is long gone. Unlike the Mughal and the Soviet Empires the Roman Empire re-emerged from the ashes and the Roman holiday is very much on. A trip to Italy, in this context, will be long remembered.

Rome, a bird's eye view

Far from stereotypical Mediterranean, Italy's climate varies from place to place. We landed at Rome International Airport under a heavily overcast sky. It was actually a light drizzle that we encountered on arrival from Athens and that reminded me of a friend who had visited Rome a couple of years ago but could enjoy it only from his hotel window. He believed in the famous verse:

Aaye kuchh abr kuchh sharaab aaye

Being averse to sedentary life style and drinking, I was really worried about the impending continuity of the inclement weather in the next few days. Though the sun remained under the cloud cover during most of our stay in Italy, to our good luck, the rain did not disrupt our programme any further and we moved around at will.

A Republic since 1946, Italy consists of the mainland Italian peninsula and two large Mediterranean islands namely Sicily and Sardinia further south and enclaves the sovereign states of Vatican and San Marino, the later, lesser known to the outside world, being the 5th smallest state both by area and population. After the conquest of Constantinople in 1453, the victorious Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II was the first of the rulers of the Ottoman Empire to assume the title 'Caesar of the Roman Empire'.

We had planned a trip to about half a dozen European destinations in slightly less than four weeks time and had to budget-plan our outings. A friend very kindly handed me a book 'Europe 20 Dollars a day' (It was an old addition, the latest being Europe 50 Dollars a day) and this book really proved very handy with the minutest of the travel details and tips. We booked a place in a pension, French style boarding house, at competitive rates, on the National Street, mid way between the city centre and the Rome railway station. There could not have been a better location to see the historic city.

Sprawling over seven hills, the city of Rome has River Tiber flowing through the city centre. Incidentally most of the heritage sites were located close to where we were staying and when the tour operators gave a strike call, on the fateful day we had reserved for the city tour, we made good use of the book mentioned earlier. Taxis with English speaking cabbies were very expensive so we used public transport for site seeing. The bus tickets were not sold on board but had to be purchased from the 'T' shops (tobacco shops) in the side streets. Language being a big barrier I was fooling around looking for the 'T' shop when an Italian lady came to our rescue. Attracted to my wife's Pakistani dress she told us that her spouse was from Bangladesh and offered any possible help which we gratefully accepted. Her guidance was of extreme help and from then on we went around the metropolis with utmost ease.

 Piazza Venezia, the main city square, and former dictator Mussolini's official quarters were just fifteen minutes walk from the National street. It was where Poet of the East Allama Iqbal had met the then strongman on his European tour. There were three concrete maps drawn on a wall near this imposing building and they showed the expanse of the Roman Empire in three different eras. It looked as if half of the world, at one point, was under the Roman rule. What a glorious past!

Coliseum, the largest amphitheatre in Europe, which could accommodate 5000, was close by and a monument to see. Trevi Fountain, frequented by tourists in colossal numbers, was a place where one could wish, by throwing a coin into the water, for anything, except the proverbial free ride horses( for the beggars to ride). Following the tradition we too wished for the moon and got rid of some coins in the process.

Walking on a footpath one fine morning in the city centre we heard police  cars with screeching tires and blowing sirens and assumed that some film shooting was going on. It was only the following day we came to know that some outlaws were being chased by the law enforcing agencies and a German tourist was killed in the cross fire. It was really hard to digest that such things could happen in a European capital in broad day light.

Vatican City, the smallest sovereign state in the world spread over an area of 44 hectare (108.7 acres), is a walled enclave in the city of Rome. It houses St. Peter's church and Papacy. Created in 1929, the papal city state has its own postal services, a heliport, radio station and a publishing house. It issues its own coins though, like in Italy, Euro has replaced the age old Lira. Its population is just over 800 persons but millions of visitors throng the place every year. Vatican has the highest per capita crime rate in the world including purse snatching and pick -pocketing. At the church entrance it was interesting to see a notice reading; 'Please cover your legs and heads before entering'. Such rules always sanctify the place.

Pisa was our next destination. We undertook a four hour long train journey to the city of the famous tower through the picturesque landscape with the Mediterranean Sea on one side and vast fruit orchards on the other. Large motor car carriers were seen plying in large numbers on the express way with locally manufactured cars loaded on them in tiers. We took a bus from the railway station to the leaning marble structure which is a free standing bell tower of the cathedral of the city of Pisa that would have collapsed long ago had it not been for the support of the millions of visitors who get themselves photographed with the tower as if they were preventing it from crumbling to the ground. We too did our bit towards supporting the sinking monument and took photographs as a testimony. I once saw a cartoon in the famous Punch magazine which showed the under construction (then vertical) tower of Pisa with scaffoldings all around and the architect telling his colleague: "There is a small defect in the foundation but rest assured nobody is ever going to notice it".  Fifty-six meters high, this 12th century building leans at an angle of just 5.5 degrees but at the top it measures 4.5 m from where it used to stand vertically.

Historically Galileo did his experiments by dropping two cannon balls from the top of the leaning tower to augment his theory of speed vs. mass, the Nazis used it as an observation post during WW II and Mussolini ordered it to be returned to its normal vertical position albeit without success. In 1964 the Italian government decided to keep the tilt for the promotion of tourism and kept it closed for the visitors for almost a decade to reinforce its foundations from sinking further. The heavy bells, seven in number, were removed to shed the extra load and it was declared stable for another 300 years.

The vehicular traffic in Pisa was somewhat more disciplined than that of Rome. An article in the Readers Digest titled 'Driving Italian style' eulogized that driving reflected the character of a nation and the painting supporting the article was no different than the one we see every day in our motherland except that the vehicles on the roads in Rome were cent per cent mechanized, unlike Pakistan where stone age animal driven carts are still plying side by side with the modern automotives. The city fathers in Rome are trying to devise ways to overcome the traffic congestion and parking problems by disallowing the unauthorized traffic from the central part of the city during work days from 6 am to 6 p.m. We in Pakistan too will have to think of sorting this problem out sooner than later.

Latin, the original language of the Empire, was changed to Italian in the middle ages. Italian is a confluence of various regional dialects and in that respect has some theoretical semblance with Urdu, which itself is a conglomerate of different expressions. The Islamic community has grown significantly since the ‘not very distant’ past due to immigration from North Africa and the Middle Eastern countries and Rome can boast of the largest mosque in Europe built in 1995. We also came across Arab vendors selling their merchandize, especially semi precious stones, on the foot paths in Rome. The string of these multi coloured gems lent further hue to the already colourful side walks.

Our memorable trip to the historic city came to a close and we boarded Alitalia for Orly international Airport, Paris.

A Glimpse of the Dutch Life

Dr. Shahid Qayyum recalls his journey through Zaanse Schans in Holland

Windmills and Holland are synonymous, like pyramids in Egypt or Eiffel Tower in Paris. On seeing the picture of a windmill you surmise yourself in Holland. Windmills are a unique feature of this country. I was more curious about windmills than tulips when I landed at Amsterdam Schiphol International airport in the month of May. It was an early morning flight and riding a taxi to Purmerend, a serene neighbourhood north of Amsterdam, we were enjoying the scenery when we suddenly spotted the first windmill in the country side. It was really exciting to see them in actuality. During the forty odd minutes drive to our hotel we could see a windmill every few minutes, studded in the Dutch landscape.

Our hotel was some twenty minutes bus ride from the Amsterdam central station and the famous windmill village of Zaanse Schans was another nine km further north. The Netherlands is a small country and every place worth a visit is within few hours driving distance which is very convenient for the tourists. We had earmarked a week day for a trip to the famous windmill village on river Zaan and the nearby traditional fishing towns of Volendam and Makren with a local Pakistani friend who came all the way from south of Holland to drive us through the fascinating Dutch countryside of polders and canals to see the windmills, the iconic image of the Netherlands.

A Cheese Factory

Northern Holland has a collection of well preserved historic windmills, and houses a popular tourist attraction of the region, the Windmill Village on the banks of river Zaan. This important waterway, located in the centuries old peat district, originated as a natural drain for the surrounding marshy peat area and developed into an industrial district, believed to be the oldest in Europe, with over one thousand windmills established on its banks. Zaanse Schans is a delightful old hamlet on the banks of this river with characteristic green wooden houses, charming stylized gardens, small hump backed bridges, tradesmen’s workshops, historic windmills and engaging little shops. This enchanting hamlet gives an excellent impression of how a typical Zaanse village must have looked like in the 17th and 18th centuries. Apart from the cluster of windmills and traditional green wooden houses there are also several museums, restaurants and clog and cheese factories. Zaanse Schans has become one of the top tourist destinations in the Netherlands that gives a feeling of having stepped back into the 17th and 18th centuries.

This hamlet has not always existed since most of the buildings now seen here were relocated from other areas in the Zaan streak in the 1960’s and 70’s, as owing to urban development they were under threat of obliteration. To quote one example; De Kat, an oil mill which was ravaged by fire in 1782, was rebuilt soon after by placing the top of De Duinjager, a sniff mill, on what remained of the former and the combination of the two started operation in 1960 reincarnating as a dyeing mill.

Banks of River Zaan

Increasing trade and industry in Amsterdam at the end of the 16th century created the need for the development of industrial windmills in the flat Zaanse Schans landscape. The application of crank shaft revolutionized the development of industrial windmills in the Netherlands and a wood sawing mill was the first one to be commissioned in 1594. Over the centuries more than one thousand wind powered factories flourished along the river Zaan and the surrounding country side. On the turn of the 18th century approximately seven hundred windmills were in operation in this area for wood sawing, hulling and threshing grains and producing seed and nut oil, paint, sniff and mustard. Out of this big number now only twelve remain, five of them on Zaan River; namely mustard, wood sawing, paint and a couple of oil mills.  For the interest of the readers it is pertinent to mention here that in its hay days there were two hundred saw mills of which now only two are preserved.

 This area is not just an open museum but a colourful living and working neighbourhood with windmills in the fore ground and modern factories on the horizon. With the advent of steam age the wind powered mills were fast losing their economic importance and disappearing in the clouds of history and an important culture of Zaanse Schans was facing oblivion. A Windmill Preservation and Conservation Society was formed in 1925, indigenously responsible for their preservation, mainly for the purpose of tourism. A Windmill Museum was also established in 1928 which gives an excellent illustration of industrial progression in the Zaanstreek. Some of the houses in this district have been converted to museums, shops and centres for old-fashioned crafts while others remain ill-inhabited.

A visit to a working industrial windmill was undoubtedly a unique experience. They are open all the year round and the entry to the Windmill Village is free, so to say, but one has to pay two Euros to enter a windmill to see its working. On the day of our visit De Kat, the paint mill, was open to tourists. Producing pigments for the artists, it was a gigantic structure consisting of three floors and a large terrace overlooking the river. There was a large collection of paints and its raw material, with the history and chemistry details inscribed side by side. The grinding stones were a pair of huge round mass that was in operation making a loud creaky sound. There was a very steep ladder to the top floor which made descending somewhat scary. It was a nice panoramic view of the river from the vast terrace of the windmill, and the giant blades to capture the wind power were a treat to watch. One felt like a Lilliputian in front of these giant blades. Being too windy out there we could not stay in the open for too long.

Clogs

The other attractions in the Windmill Village, besides a museum, were clog and cheese factories, a typical hump backed bridge and a number of souvenir shops. Moving out of the Windmill Village we drove further north to the medieval town of Edam and the traditional fishermen’s village of Volendam. This small village, with beautiful cobble stone streets, was very surreal and indigenously Dutch. These streets make it different from the vibrant Amsterdam or other European cities, lending it a flavour of the countryside. The locals in the village wear traditional wooden shoes and colourful dresses especially on carnivals. We enjoyed the visit to the village which was so insanely quaint that we had to leave it with a heavy heart. We got a good insight into many aspects of the Dutch life at the villages of Zaanse Schans and Volendam, and a scenic drive back to Purmerend through the picturesque Dutch country side left indelible marks on us for a long time.

On the Side walks of Champs Elysée

Paris-a bird eyes view

Dr Shahid Qayyum describes his romantic tour to the city of lights

I have a strange habit when abroad. I walk a lot. I do take conducted tours, I go places by other means but I believe there is nothing better than exploring the area on foot. Having been to almost a score of countries I have enjoyed walking in quite a few of them, especially in Europe where the weather factor does not come in your way. It rather comes your way. The best pavements that I relished walking on the most were on the side walks of Champs Elysée, the main artery of the French capital city Paris.

Paris, nick named the city of lights for being a centre of education and its early adoption of street lighting, is a leader in international fashion designing. Leonardo Da Vinci’s art piece Mona Lisa, the prestigious Champs Elysee, globally recognized Eiffel Tower and The Hunch back of Notre Dame fame Cathedral in River Seine delta are some of the land marks Paris is known the world over. Situated in the North of France this metropolis, with a temperate oceanic climate, is a great tourist attraction with almost thirty million of them visiting it every year. Flowing through the heart of Paris River Seine adds further charm to the cityscape.

Champs Elysee is described by the Parisians as La Plus belle Avenue in their native French meaning the most beautiful avenue. Stretching for a distance of two km from Concorde Place to Arc de Triomphe it is one of the principal tourist destinations in Paris. This promenade, on the banks of river Seine, was covered by vast fields and gardens until it was developed into a boulevard in 1616 AD. Lined by pavement and terrace cafes and leading fashion shops it stands out as the second most expensive property in the world after Fifth Avenue in New York. My first ‘encounter’ with this fashionable street was not very pleasant. I broke my journey in Paris on my way to London. The only name of a street I was familiar with before entering Paris was Champs Elysee where I landed straight from Charles de Gaulle international airport. My Air France flight being late it was well past mid night and I could not find an accommodation there. It was a wrong choice of the area, over crowded with tourists besides being very expensive. After about an hour’s search I was able to find a room in a hotel for which there were two aspirants, the other chap being from Italy. Contrary to my whims I was given preference over the Italian, the reception clerk telling the young man that Italians were undesirable guests. Years later when I visited Paris with my family I chose to stay on Champs de Mars across the river Seine near Eiffel Tower. The prices were reasonable. 

During the day time I would take the tours to see the historic places and spend the evenings walking up and down Champs Elysée. The area from the end of the shopping malls to Concord Square was green, serene and flowery and that was the stretch I enjoyed walking in cool summer afternoons. The bougainvillea bushes on the majestic Gulberg Main Boulevard in Lahore often remind me of my stroll on Champs Elysée. Two of the oldest and famous gardens of Paris, Tuileries and Luxembourg, are also situated close by. During my childhood days I had heard that the roads in Paris were made of glass which was obviously far from being true The Boulevard was paved and not metalled. The pavement stones had become very shiny by the grind of the traffic and reflected the rays of the summer sun during the light hours. So much for the roads of glass.

I booked a river cruise with my family which took us to the Notre Dame Cathedral. This 12th century Gothic monument, seat of the Archbishop of Paris, is built on an island in River Seine that is regarded as the original birth place of Paris. In French they call it ‘Cathedral of our lady Paris’. ‘Our lady’ stands for Virgin Mary. This Roman cathedral may have been well known to the French and the visiting tourists but it rose to international fame after the release of Victor Hugo’s block buster The Hunchback of Notre Dame starring Anthony Quinn in the lead role. I had seen the movie during my college days and had a chance to meet the legendary super star later while I was working in the Middle East. The actor was there in connection with the filming of the movie ‘The Lion of the Desert’ when he developed a dental problem. I being on call attended to him and extended necessary treatment. When he appreciated the services extended by me I told him it was a privilege for me to treat the Hunchback of Notre Dame. ‘No, you have treated the lion of the desert’ he said laughing, ‘you are a very courageous person’.

Arch de Triomphe and Concord Square are on the two extreme ends of Champs Elysée. This Napoleonic monument stands in the centre of Place Charles de Gaulle on the western end of the boulevard honouring those who fought for France especially in the Napoleonic wars. Concord Place, on the northern end of the broad avenue lies between the boulevard and Tuileries garden. It is supposedly the most beautiful place in Paris offering a superb sight of the avenue Champs Elysée in all its length along with Tuileries garden and the famous Louvre Museum where the original painting of Mona Lisa is displayed. During my first trip to France I, along with other excited passengers saw the inaugural flight of Concord, the Anglo-French supersonic joint venture, take off for New York from Charles de Gaulle International Airport. The plane has now been grounded. 

The Eiffel Tower was just a walking distance from our hotel on Champs de Mars besides River Seine. This 19th century structure is the tallest building in Paris and one of the three most famous Parisian land marks there. Six million tourists visit this place annually. The aerial view of the city from the upper terraces of the Tower is eye catching. The meandering River Seine flowing nearby looks great. Professional painters abound the area near the river and the pavements of Champs Elysée and make quick sketches on demand.

The French, like most western Europeans, have a knack for foreign languages but they are well known for feigning ignorance about English if one encounters them in France. I was trying to work out my route with the help of a computerized device installed at a metro station but could not locate Champs Elysée on the computer map from where I was to start my journey. It is spelled and pronounced in absolutely diverse ways failing me in my effort to decipher the French name for the station. Seeing a pleasant looking person walk by me I asked him if he knew English. He did and guided me on the map. I thanked him for his help and told him about my unfounded fears about the French not willing to communicate in English when in France. He smiled and said that my fears were certainly not unfounded but he was from Britain.

There is a lot else to see in France especially the Disneyland Resort near Paris but the romantic feel that one gets walking on the side walks of Champs Elysée is nowhere to be found. In France the romance with nature is never ending.

In a Nutshell

Welcome Readers!


Inspired by the mesmerising poem "Footprints in the Sand",the developers of this blog have decided to trace the footprints of  some memorable journeys made by enthusiastic travellers.


To begin with, we have decided to reminisce the memories of a few of Dr. Shahid Qayyum's  own footprints in the sands of time. Dr. Shahid Qayyum, an avid traveller, frequently  pens down some of his cherished experiences encountered across the globe, thus, not only providing his readers with an insight into myriads of cultures but also taking his readers on a virtual journey; cutting across all geographical boundaries. 


Therefore, we present a few of his travelogues before you and hope that you enjoy them. 


Note:
This blog will be updated at least once a month so please keep in touch. Any comments, suggestions and even your own experiences in black and white will be appreciated. You can even email your own travelogues to amta95@gmail.com.