PARIS

Well the first thing you remember when you think of Paris is Eifel tower. And there is a very good reason for that.
It was around 2 in the noon and we were sitting in the metro fast approaching the station closest to the Eifel tower. We were expecting to see the tower as soon as we get out of the station. That did not happen. A little disappointed, we could see a lot of ppl moving to the wide space between the two buildings just to our left. We move towards that space and as we moved closer we could see sky wide open. And then out of nowhere, the Eifel tower appeared in front of our eyes. Solid, metallic and incredibly tall. Absolutely amazing. The entire space surrounding it was distinctly void of anything tall. Within no time, it dawned upon us that we were looking at one of the seven wonders of the world.
Earlier, two days back on thursday, I decided I would be going to Paris that weekend. Nakul, Gopal, Monty and me. We got our tickets a day before and the hotel booking a couple of hrs before we left for Paris. And the journey of 300km was just a little over an hr long, thanks to Thalys, one of the fastest trains in world. We had planned to make a plan for next two days in the train, but we didnt find time for it.
That night, we roamed around on the streets of Paris. At one corner of a road a bunch of guyz were displaying their dancing skills. And boy what skills they had. Soon a big crowd was clapping to their moves. It was wonderful.
We then went to a place which was lined up with pubs and discs. We happened to visit a jazzy brazilian bar and then another shisha joint. It was very late in the night when we returned back to our hotel (which, mind you, had a wonderful view of Sacre de Cour (a wonderful monument) from the window of our room).
The next day we got off the hotel miserably late and decided to go straight to the Eifel tower.
The first look of the tower was incredible. We spent a lot of time, though, to reach on top of it coz of the long queue. The view of Paris you get from the top of Eifel tower is breathtaking. All the important places of the city fall so incredibly in a nice order. By the time we came down, it was evening.
We then visited la Defense, a place where all the modern Paris skycrappers are seen. It is here that the Grand Arch is loacated, a modern and incredibly huge arch. From here went a road, dead straight, to the Arch de Triumph, the most historical landmark of the city.
Then, all of a suddden, on our right we saw the Eifel tower glittering. They turn on this light show every hour and from there, since the tower was at some distance, it looked like a jewel studded with immensely glittering millions of diamonds. It was again one of the most awesome sights one would ever see.
That night we visited the Louvre and Arch de Triumph. Had a nice dinner in a French Restaurant with nice French wine. As we roamed the streets, we saw big shops of all those fancy brands that we were used to see in our malls. Indeed, its the fashion capital of the world. Finally we went back to hotel, again very late.
The last day we went to the Louvre Museum. Well ever since Da Vinci Code got out, the popularity of this place has sky rocketed. Not that it was any different earlier, but now everyone almost knows whats inside and is dying to see it.
Well. Like the Eifel, Mona Lisa is another object of a lot of anxiety. After wandering through different galleries, we reached Mona Lisa. And I knew I wasnt gonna feel anything spectacular after seeing the painting as I dont exactly have an eye of an artist. But it was a tick, nevertheless, in the checklist of the things to see this world in one's life. But I have no doubt that Louvre is indeed the holy grail (:)) for the art enthusiasts. I mean i could just not imagine how could a painting as big as a two storeyed building be painted, with such tremendous amount of details. Here I could also see a lot of paintings and sculptures that I had once seen at some point of time in some book somewhere. Overall, the visit to Louvre is quite satisfying.
Well, just a few hrs left before we said good bye to Paris. Everybody felt we should spare some time to do shopping in this fashion capital of world. Sadly, it was a Sunday and we hardly have any option. Tired after walking the whole day, we chose to spend the rest of our time around the Eifel.

We sat around the tower, breathing the fresh air, feeling the cool breeze and some tiny drops of rain, looking at thousands of faces from around the world coming here to see the Eifel tower and taking snaps. Night fell along and soon the rusty looking tower turned golden yellow. The search lights on top of tower were splitting the dark skies. The whole of the city was shimmering in light, and very much in the center stood this tall tall structure, bathing in incandescent golden light. It was a view to cherish for life. Every hour it would start glittering, another spectacle to behold. It would last for 10 minutes, but for those who see it, the images would flash in their minds forever.

Amsterdam

Last Weekend I had visited Amsterdam.
Took a train (called ICE for Inter City Express - superfast express) at 7:05pm but i left office almost and hour and a half before time. On the HauptBahnhof (the main railway station) I got something to eat (Pizza Hut :) ) and drink (apple juice).. and then boarded the train some 20 min earlier. ICE is better than Lufthansa :).. they probably knew my state of affairs and had handed me a lone seat. the journey seamed really slow. the train got some 15 min late. and i was worried that poo might think that i was gonna come the next weekend.. they were playing some nice songs in the train.. some coincidence it was that there were announcements at the time my fav song was playing (this happened twice)
finally when i landed at amsterdam, it took me not much effort to reach Pooja's house (where i was suppose to stay). they (pooja and pratibha - her roomie) were sitting on the stairs of their house to give me a grand welcome.. had wonderful dinner (not self made for a change).
that night we went to Leiderplein - a famous place in Amsterdam where you find ppl in numbers at any hour of the day. somewhere arnd here a few scenes from Hum Tum were shot.
The next day, we went to a place called Geithoorn (wished i could send a wav file to let you know how it is pronounced). Its a small village with canals. The canal ride was extremely beautiful. We had Pan cakes for lunch. Lunch lasted for hours. The place was mostly crowded by oldies. But all the old ppl looked very enthu as they danced to the tune of the band that was being played in (outside) the restaurant. We roamed for a while and got back to amsterdam, though getting back didnt look a sure thing for a while as this place is cut off from the rest of the world as there are no buses on weekends (only cars). Saw (new) Dewaar at that night.
The next day morning went to Vondel Garden. It was a garden which has no end (unless you have lots of time to find out where it ends). Then we went to airport to pick up someone (an infoscion).
After that we went to Heinniken Experience (Heinniken is the famous beer maker in netherlands). Where we saw how is beer made (hihi ha) (right from how its created from the raw materials upto how it reaches your stomach ). We actually experienced :) it. The best section was one in which you are shown what all things a beer bottle undergoes. In this, you are a bottle and you feel all the jerks and twists and turns that the bottle takes.. it was wonderful.. we had a glass of beer each (three glasses of beer was free). It tasted awful.. but felt good :)
Then we went to the place where Anne Frank had stayed (rather hid). It was a very touching museum (there was so much rush that you cant avoid touching other ppl). After that we visited Madam Tusads Museum. It was fun to be with so many celebreties. Arnold, Jlo, Julia Roberts, Brad Pitt and many others. Lots of snaps are waiting to be seen. The horror section was the best. There were some living ppl standing as statues.. and all of a sudden they used to move, making ppl faint. (It was more like the Ganpati decorations we see. Difference being the statues were way to finely made.)
Then went to the Dam Square.. did some shopping.. went to MacD.. and then returned home
That was all for the day..

The next day morning i took the return ICE. Was back to Frankfurt by 11am and straight to office by 11:20am. the return journey was very fast.

So.. overall a very nice weekend.. Got to see the colorful Amsterdam. Its a far more happening city as compared to Frankfurt.. frankfurt goes dead after 7pm (bar a few places). Amsterdam is pretty expensive as well..

cya
kesar

Berlin

"Terbulent" is the word that can be used to describe the past of Berlin. No city in world must have had such a burning history (from Napoleon Bonaparte to Adolf Hitler). Berlin has witnessed the World War I, World War II and the Cold War...

This weekend I and Harshad (the camera guy) happened to visit Berlin. The ICE took 4 hrs to reach Berlin at 11pm on Friday. We stayed in a very vibrant Youth Hostel. The trip was planned by yours truly, so we already knew the sequence of places that we would be visiting.

The Wall: Saturday morning, after a sumptuous breakfast, we went straight to Berlin Wall (13th August 1961 - 9th November 1989). Now called East Side Gallery (with numerous wall paintings), it is the longest existing stretch of the famous wall of Berlin that divided the east from the west side of Berlin.

TV Tower: After the East Side Gallery, we went to a place called Alexanderplatz. The Berlin TV tower (359m) stands here. We went to the observatory at 200m by a lift travelling at 6m/s. From here a beautiful view of the capital city of Germany was for the taking. At 207m was a cafe which rotated 360° and you could see the city while sipping on to your cup of coffee (apple juice in my case). It was also here that we got an idea of the location of places that we were about to visit.

Unter den Linden: It is the most famous boulevard of Berlin (like Rajpath in Delhi). Along this street are located the numerous wonderful monuments. Our walk from the tower towards and along the street was a joy. Notable architectural beauties were the Berlin Dom, the Concert Hall with two Doms on each side (termed as Europes most beautiful square), the University building (where Marx Planc taught), the Opera house, the city library (where Einstein worked) and many others.

Check Point Charlie: At around 4pm, we went to this place. It was and American check point from where people could cross the east west border. There is a museum here that depicts the post World War II history of Berlin.. basically the Cold War. It was this place where the American and the Soviet tanks used to stand facing each other. [The museum took a lot of time :( ]

Potsdamer Platz: Our client had advised us to visit this place in evening. When we went there, we knew why.. This place is the symbol of modern Berlin. It has numerous modern architecture wonders. A very tall and completely transparent building of Die Bahn (German Railways). When totally lit and viewed from distance, gave an impression similar to Dagdusheth decoration at night. Then there was Sony Center (Sony Corporations Europe center). This place is absolutely ammmazzingg. It hosts numerous restaurants and shops and cinema halls (include an IMAX dome). But it created an unbelivable sight combining glass, light, water, color and ppl :). We had our dinner at Potsdamer platz.

Brandenberg Gate: After our dinner, we went to this impeccable monument that epitomizes Berlin. It stands at one end of Unter den Linden. We specially planned to visit this at night when it bathes in incandescent light.

Reichstag: The German Parliament, situated very close to the Brandenberg Gate. Its again a very noteworthy architecture. It has a great history of its own (like it was ablaze in 1933. The Nazis immediately took advantage of the situation in order to advance their cause at the expense of civil rights). There is a new glass dome atop the parliament. People are allowed an entry into the parliament. We were on top of the German Parliament at midnight.

Kaiser William Church: The next day morning (in cloudy weather), we saw an old church located near our hostel. This church was half destroyed in World War II and has been conserved in the same state till date. It gives an idea about the kind of destruction the city underwent in the war (every other appartment was totally destroyed).

Tiergarten: We went to the Tiergarten. It is the biggest garden (call forest) of the city and occupies virtually most of the city. While roaming in the garden, we wondered what 'Tier' meant.. :) (I thought it meant 'Tiger').. Today i found out that it meant 'beast'..

The Siegessäule: Located at the center of Tiergarten. It is a tower with golden statue of Victory on the top, and is one of the most imposing landmarks in the city, and reflects the city's history in remarkable fashion. This monument was moved from the Parliament to its current location in 1938. You can go to the top, right beneath the statue. The view of the city from here is excellent. This was a real nice experience.

Charlottenburg Palace: Lastly, we visited this palace. Wasnt as wonderful as we had expected.. but the garden around it was real beautiful (1/3rd of Berlin is gardens). Had luch in an Italian restaurant. (saw fotos of Tom Cruise and many many celebreties visiting the restaurant). Finally took the bus to the station and at 5pm, took the return ICE (first class). There was a personal video for every seat :) apart from the 6 audio channels..

Finally.. the city is really beautiful.. this trip was the best till now. Nebody who loves history would enjoy it. Nebody who doesnt would love it..

Have a nice day
Abhijeet

PS: Note that the photos in this mail are from net and not by our camera.. would soon upload our photos.

Stuttgart

Hi All
Last weekend was one of the finest in last few days, barring the fact that the Sunday was a little too hectic.
Saturday: The best part of Saturday was that I got up as late as 10am. Though 10am may not be very late by the standards of many, for me it was quite a sleep after a long time. I made breakfast (kanda pohe and tea). I have got Sachin's laptop for some time.. so then I put on my fav music and started playing FIFA (RTWC). :) And it was amazing feeling to do so.. it felt really good to be doing things that you love so much.. wondered how long it lasted.. in evening went to Saturn. At night, made egg fried rice :).. wherein the rice was cooked without the cooker (in microwave).. was not really cooked all that well.. but with egg, everything tastes well..

On Sunday, Harshad and I went to Stuttgart. We were suppose to take the train at 6:07am. Harshad arrived at 6:35.. :(
so we took 7:07am train. The main plan was to visit the Mercedes Benz Museum ( http://www.mercedes-benz.com/com/d/home/heritage/museum/index.html ). We reached the museum at 11:30. There we saw the first automobile in this world. There were cars galore.. cars from 1900 to 2004.. some very royal cars.. the entire history of Mercedes Benz was unfolded. Amongst the notable few were

1. 1931 Mercedes-Benz 770 "Grand Mercedes" Cabriolet F - Used by German Emperor Wilhelm II
2. 1965 Mercedes-Benz 600 Landaulet - Used as Pope Paul VI
3. 1989 Mercedes-Benz C 9 Gruppe C - an amazing race car

But.. the one that stood out (for me) was the F1 car used by Kimi Reikkonen last year:) I got to actually see, touch an F1 car... it was awesome.. (though not a Ferrari).. It was a car that had challenged Schumacher for the championship.. I have taken a snap of me sitting in an F1 car.. :) Sounds unbelievable for me..

Some facts: It was earlier called Daimler Benz.. later renamed after Daimlers daughter - Mercedes. They have made, apart from cars, aircrafts and boats as well. Most of the German aircrafts in World War II were powered by Daimler engines.

Another thing I learnt there is that never go to a museum with a person who has bought a 10x optical zoom, 128MB space digital camera a week back. Harshad took avg 5 snaps per car. 128MB looked meagre.. It was the fact that the museum closes at 5pm that we had to leave. Otherwise Harshad would have found the entire day a little too less to satisfy his photographic curiosities.
The luch I had was pathetic.. the only veg thing that was available was some tomato sandwich type.. so i thought lets take a fruitcake.. the taste of it didnt do any justice to the effort that must have gone in the making of that cake (by the looks of it)
We didnt know what else was there to be seen in Stuttgart.. So we asked a person in the train and he suggested us a place called Schlossplatz, (http://www.stuttgart.de/sde/menu/frame/top_11089_11101.htm) which was in the centre of the city.. it was a very beautiful place with gardens, lots of beautiful fountains, lake, great old buildings and beautiful hill on the horizon. Crowded by lots of beautiful ppl as well.. Had a real nice time..

The return journey was pretty late. Reached Frankurt at midnight.

Today there is hardly any work. Its the first day of acceptance testing.. so enjoying :)

-Abhijeet

Madidas

Most of you must be aware of the story of a guy who was told that whatever land he could cover on his feet by the sunset, will all be his.. On Saturday we had gone to Erlangen. Its a place where ADIDAS has its factory outlet. It was said that this was the birthplace of Adidas (info not reliable). It is a place where adidas sells most of its products at discounted rates. On top of that, since Infy has a big account in Adidas, we have a discount of 30% over the rates. (we need to produce I-card of one of the members of the Adidas team).

So we travelled to Erlangen, some 3 and a half hour by train from Frankfurt to shop. Dunno why, but Sachin had warned me that its a huge place and you may get confused (how soon has he started knowing me). So when we reached there, the outlet was as expected - huge. Inside was full of things.. so many of them that after first 10 min i had to regroup myself and had to think of things that i wanted to buy and stay focussed on them.
So I bought a pair of shoes, a bagpack and some other things. They were giving free gifts on your amount exceeding some value..
above 75€ - an Adidas cap
above 100€ - a football (small one)
above 150€ - pair of towels :)

I got a football.. At the end of it, i felt i should have bought something more.. problem that i faced is that everything that was displayed had a size. and that size was specified in 10 different ways.. so it was a real tough decision to buy anything for someone without trying out.. anyways.. it was a good experience.. my new shoes are really nice :). and i plan to visit that place again in near future.. If the trend continues, all the Infoscions may soon become brand ambassadors for adidas.. ( a few ones out here have already started )..

ciao..
its football time :)
-zing