Let's Start at the Very Beginning...

...a very good place to start!

Considering that we'd taken a bus to Paris, we reached quite early in the morning. The bus journey itself was quite uneventful. Almost never having been able to sleep in buses, this time was no different. Half the night I was awake like an owl looking at the other passengers ensconced in their seats. Stopping at a gas station somewhere in France and buying something to munch on, did perk me up a considerable bit, though!

Hoping that we'd manage to get an early check in at the hotel, we set out to get a grasp of the public transport system and the like. Pleasantly enough, it wasn't as complicated as Amsterdam had been and we were on our way to the hotel soon enough. I must say though that the trains in Frankfurt are a lot more comfortable and passenger friendly than the Paris Metro trains; not to forget smoother rides too!

As luck would have it, the hotel had only one, tiny room available at that time. It's another story that when we did go to our originally booked room, the sheer smallness of it had us wondering how much more tiny a room could be! Anyway, having about three or so hours to kill, we entrusted our bags to the hotel personnel's care and set off to explore the neighbourhood.

We hadn't yet walked too many paces when we came upon an old church. Serene and tranquil, its lawns had many people just sitting and soaking in the elusive sun. It was quite a chilly morning, what with the sun intermittently playing hide-and-seek and a cold wind blowing right into our faces. Unfortunately, the church was closed and we didn't get to see it from the inside.






We then chanced upon the National Academy of Music. Boy oh boy, wasn't it grand! That was when the sheer magnificence and grandeur of the monuments in Paris first hit us! Beautiful in their every intricate detail, the statues and figurines adorning that monstrosity, were a treat to the eyes! I wonder why this place is not sold to tourists in the same way like the Opera near it, is!


























From there, we made our way to the Galeries Lafayette, a posh shopping mall, housing almost every brand and name you can think of. Its ceilings captivated me to no end! Beautifully designed, reflecting the hundreds of lights that were on in the stores, they truly were a sight to behold.
Going right up to the terrace of the building, we managed to catch a nice view of the city, replete with impressive domes scattered around the landscape, while in the distance, the Eiffel Tower was timidly making its appearance felt.




Back at the hotel, we removed the grime of the previous night's journey and having armed ourselves with pamphlets and brochures, we headed off to our first destination.
What had seemed timid to me from afar was nowhere even close to that when clamouring to devour me, while in its proximity!