Old experience
I never came down to writing about the hike in Belgium after the Spain Belgium match. It is worth a write. We got out of the match about 10 minutes early to catch the last train to the place we stay. The connecting train was late etc. And we could reach a place which was about 5 kms from the night halt place.
Now we landed on a station the size of Kanjurmarg(before that platform extension) in Bombay. It was basically a one paltform station. It was around 11:30 in the night and it was a bit cold. We got off and saw an old guard waving the train off and locking up his office for the day(rather night). Fortunately we had company. There were few more people who were coming from that match and going to Louvain (the university town we were going to) They talked gibberish(read French) with the guard and happily told us that there was no chances of getting a Taxi.
So off we started, first along the tracks and then went down on one side into some unkempt fields. From the other end came someone with a ferocious dog, whom we thought was the guard of the place. The guy was just out for a walk at around 12 in the night!!!! I told you French, and Belgians nearer the French side for that matter, are crazy. He gave some directions and off we went into a residential colony. The porch lights of all and I mean ALL the houses kept going on and off as we passed by. But no one answered our pleas for help. We left a number of F--- yous on their frosted car windows.
Finally we saw a direction board telling the way towards Louvain. The road was pitch black but off we went. Imagine 6-7 people scattered on the sides of such a road waving the passing cars to stop. They must have thought a few terrorist are on the loose. But a car stopped and told us this is longer way better take a pathway which will be shorter. Again off we went. The pathway was surely wrong as after a while it turned in the wrong direction. So after hiking a full round around that ghostly colony we got back to our direction board of Louvain. Here we parted our way with those crazy french speaking belgians and bingo!!!! found our way to the place in 10 minutes. The night hike was really terrific with all that creepiness. Over that the natural beauty of Belgium is awesome. Belgium has a great country side and this place was bang in the middle of it. I really enjoyed it even in the night.
A nation of Joggers
The French are obsessed by jogging. I think there is a half marathon like thing every weekend. I have seen posters of these inviting people all over. Once I saw the army of joggers from the train out of Paris on one of my weekend trips. The joggers can be seen at any time of the day. The fact that people are not inclined to work is evident when I see people of the office going age running on wednesday afternoons. The old and the really old can be seen running daily on odd times.
About me taking up jogging a bit seriously here. I am embarrassed daily by the grandpas and the hot chicks who were running when I started and are running when I am huffing my way back to my room. Though the feeling of having run is really a great one. The weather here is a bit cold so I can run that bit long. I think I might begin to like this boring sport. All you readers slouched in front of your computers, in those office chairs, lets meet in Bombay marathon ;-)(I think in January)
Diversity
The Paris city has so much diversity in its population which is incomparable to the places I have been before. There all kind of skin colors. One south American I talked to turned out to be Indian. One Indian I talked to was Sri Lankan. And an Indian floormate is always thought of as an Italian by the French people here.
I have seen Indians, Blacks talking in French, and even among themselves. There are so many different faces in the city Metro that it is impossible to mark anyone as of a given nationality. Paris is truely a global city. The people are cultured and offer their seat to the needy. Help women carry heavy weight up the metro stations. They even offer to share the monthly pass with anyone who wants to enter the stations without a ticket. People are good but the trouble is that they only want to talk in French. :)
Espagnole !!!
The shout went like this Ess-paa-neole!!. Again it went Ess-paa-neole!!, Ess-paa-neole!!. Then with the drumbeat doom(Ess) doom(Paa) doom(Neole). And then came the Mexican wave all over us. The atmosphere was electric in the Koning Boudewijn stadium, Brussles, Belgium. The occassion was world cup qualifiers Spain vs Belgium. We were supporting Spain as tickets on their side were cheaper. They divide up the seats so that there is lesser chances of a fight. Belgium had a very slim chances of qualifying even after winning. Spain has to win to make it.
We went to Brussels and Brugge this weekend and landed in Brussels on saturday for this match. Outside the stadium there were policemen on horses of the size of an elephant!! and over that people with trumpets were teasing the horses by blowing close to them. People go crazy after a few beers and at such a place. The cars running around were all covered in flags and people were wearing caps and t-shirts of their national colors. Both conutry's flag have red and yellow and Belgium has black too. So it was kind of confusing as to who was supporting whom. We anyway went to enjoy the occassion and to watch some good football.
And good football it was. We were sitting behind the goal posts and where Belgium was attacking. Belgium dominated the first half with some very good chances but they were poor finishers. The spanish golakeeper made some amazing saves and score remained 0-0 at half time. Next half, Spain was attacking and they thoroughly dominated the half. We were kind of lucky to have sat on this side as all the action in both halves was on our side. Final score was 2-0 and both the goals were scored by Torres. It was good stuff and total paisa vasool. Though we missed the train back to our staying place and had to hike back which deserves a whole new post. May be next time.
The age old look
The french capital has the look of an old royal city. The rooftops are all similar looking under some regulation. The windows are regulated to be wider than the height. These are old rules and may not be followed now but it sure gave Paris a different look.
Museums are everywhere. From Louvre owning Mona Lisa to artillery and aeroplane museum. Paris has museum for everything. About Louvre, one of my freind got too excited and started narrating the plot of Da Vinchi Code which happens inside Louvre. It was good. Some paintings like "Coronation of Napolean" were amazing. But I got bored soon looking at them as it was difficult to make out what was so great about them.
We went to this place this weekend called fontaine bleau. It was the place where napolean and all other emperors stayed for a while. Though it had the "darbar", the throne and royal beds but they were no where as majestic as Indian darbars. The Napolean's throne was smaller than our marriage chairs in which the newly wed couples sit. The darbar was held in a measely 30 by 30 feet room. Things were impressive but not majestic. In these things India has a very rich cultural history which we sadly are not preserving. Even the Taj Mahal was in danger recently, leave aside lesser monuments like the Jai baan of the "Churu ka gola" fame in Jaipur.
