The Thirtieth Honeymoon!!! In Europe!
By
Parsa Venkata Ramachander Rao
PART - 1
It is a custom and a tradition in the Occident that Newly Married Couples go on a
Honeymoon soon after Marriage to a Scenic Place with a Pleasant Climate. They are
supposed to spend time exclusively for them to get to know each other more intimately, in a
far away place from other Family Members, without the Fear of "Disturbance". The
Honeymoon ensures full compliance of the "Do not disturb" appeal!
But in the Orient it was never a Custom, till almost the Second Half of the 20th Century.
Only in late Sixties (1960s) or so, India started following the Honeymoon Ritual after the
Wedding. I for one went on a Honeymoon when I got married in 1979. To the Nilgiris in
South India. To Coonoor to be precise. In our close Family Circles, in both the Wife side and
my side, we had broken new ground in going on a Honeymoon.
Then the children came. Transfers, living in Nuclear Families, no grand parents, staying with
us to care for the children. So we never went any where to celebrate our Wedding
Anniversaries. Only after about 10 or 12 years of Marriage we once or twice went out for
about 2 or 3 days Max., to some place to celebrate our wedding Day to relive the Honeymoon
Experience. As time went by we were missing the outings on some occasions, and going out
on some. The last Wedding Anniversary Trip was to Rajasthan, to Jaipur for 3 days in 2007.
Sometime in 2008,around the Last Quarter, perhaps, a Thought was planted in our Eldest Son
Avinash's Head by our Daughter-in-law, Neetha, that in 2009 when we complete 30 years of
Marriage we should be packed Off on a Foreign Trip, to celebrate the Three Decades of
Togetherness. All children Deepak,Yamini and the youngest Divya, chipped in with Ideas,
Funds and meticulous Planning. Almost for nearly 5 months the Planning was going on in
Top Secret Meetings to ensure a Surprise Element for us. Finally on 16th of February 2009,
we were told of the Sweet Wedding Gift the Children had planned and bought for the Two of
us. A 10days/11nights Tour of Europe. 6 countries, 9 Locations across Italy, Switzerland,
Germany, Belgium, France and England.
As it would be too cold in February in Europe, the Tour was planned to start in end April.
The Gift was announced and my two sons got busy for the next 8 to 9 weeks with hectic time
bound preparations to get us Visas, Foreign Exchange and getting Confirmations on Dates,
Flights. Hotel Bookings, Oh God how many things they did!
Though it was through a reputed Tour Operator the S O T C / Kioni of Europe, it was a mind
blowing experience to get all papers in time, in shape. What from Income Tax Clearance
Certificates to Bank Statements to Copies of Property Deeds in Hyderabad, it was a never
ending train of furnishing Paper sand Photographs, as required by each Visa Issuing
Authority and finally the Interview by the U K Consulate to take our finger prints and photos
in their own way !
Finally we took off from Mumbai, by the Emirates, and landed in Venice via Dubai, one fine
afternoon on the 22nd of April 2009. It was a group of 40 odd members at Venice Airport
when the Tour Manager one Mr.Rumi Bhiwandiwale, a fine lively and utterly friendly Parsi
gentleman from Mumbai, took charge of us and drove us to our Hotel in a lovely Volvo Bus
driven by a young and Handsome Italian Driver called Cheiro.
When we were all asked to introduce ourselves to the other co tourists in the Bus on the
Second day, I made a mention during my introduction that we were on a Tour Gifted by our
Children on our 30th Wedding Anniversary and my God, the Group not only Clapped in full
throttle but started calling us the "Honeymoon Couple" throughout the next 10 days!
When we had to buy an Umbrella in Rome as it was raining, we had no thought whatsoever
of the impending joke on us. Just like that we bought one Umbrella. And all of them led by
the jovial Tour Manager Rumi pulled our leg, saying "we know you purposely bought one
umbrella to be closest to each other even while walking"!
The next part will be on the various places we visited in Europe.
End of Part One.
PART 2
On the 23rd of April 2009, Thursday, we started our first Sightseeing of the Tour. After a
sumptuous Continental Breakfast, we set off in the Coach to see Venice. Venezia as the
Italians call it.
A light shower greeted us as we boarded a Boat to go to the St.Mark's Island, where you get
to see the real Venice as we all see in Movies and Photographs. Canals in place of Roads and
boats in place of cars or buses. You go from one place to other by boat and get into the
building you are visiting.
A relaxed lively bustling city in its own right, St.Mark's Island, said to be one of the 100 and
odd small islands in an archipelago formation, is a Tourists' Delight. There are two huge
buildings, some 500 years old connected by a Bridge known as The Bridge of Sighs.
It’s an interesting Story for this Bridge. One Building to your Right as you stand in front of it
was the King's Palace and on your Left was the Prison where Condemned Prisoners were
kept before Execution. The condemned Prisoner would be led to the King's Palace by this
Bridge to hear the King's Verdict of Death Penalty. After the King pronounced the Sentence
the prisoner would be led back to his Prison for beheading. When he is crossing the Bridge he
would be made to stand in front of a Large Window overlooking the City and the Waterways
to have one last look at this world before he is put to death. And the Prisoner would sigh; a
sigh of desperate sadness in seeing the beautiful sight outside.
The window would then be closed and the prisoner taken away to be put to death.
And today thousands of tourists, who visit this place, excitedly click their cameras to capture
the Closed Window in their cameras!!
Then there is a huge Square in the Heart of the City called the St.Mark's Square. It is
surrounded by a gigantic Cathedral and two rows of majestic mansion type structures which
house the Courts of Justice. Directly opposite the St.Mark's Cathedral was to be another
Cathedral but it is said Napoleon changed the plan and built another mansion like structure to
house the courts of Justice to have symmetry in design. Three sides Courts of Justice in
similar Structures and on the Fourth side the St.Mark's Cathedral.
Every nook and corner of every place in Europe has a History of its own. Dating back to
Medieval Ages. Everything is Centuries old. 500 to a 1000 years old History. Any place you
put your foot on!
The famous Gondola Boat Ride is a must here. The Boatman is supposed to sing Romantic
Songs as he steers the Boat through the narrow canals, but our boatman did not oblige us. He
said he had a sore throat! Our bad luck!
People fondly remember the 1970s Movie of Zeenath Aman and Amitabh Bachhan shot in
one of these Gondolas. Very Romantic, very Sweet indeed.
After Lunch we drove to Florence, another lovely city of huge monuments and mighty
Statues sculpted by the likes of Michelangelo! The Statue of David sculpted by Michelangelo
is truly one of his Masterpieces.
Florence is said to be the birthplace of the Famous Renaissance in Europe. And believe me
you can feel it in the air even today as you drive through the City or walk its Streets.
The next day we went to the Mighty Rome, called Roma, by the Italians.
Its might can be felt even now by the sheer magnitude and scale of its memorable
monuments, the Colosseum, the mystic Trevi Fountain where you throw a coin looking the
other side from the back of your left shoulder, and lo, they say you will come back to Rome.
And also whatever else you wished for while throwing the coin, will come true!! Romans,
like us Indians, believe in lots of superstitions!
The Vatican, the St.Peter's Square and the St.Peter's Basilica where the Famous Apostle of
Jesus lays buried leaves you wonderstruck and dumbfounded.
Unimaginable achievements of those wonderful craftsmen, sculptors and the planners who
built it almost 2000 years ago have to be seen to be believed. And Christ's Magnificence and
Mercy is in the air all over Vatican. You feel it literally.
Inside the St.Peter's Basilica is the awe inspiring Statue of Mary holding the body of Jesus in
her lap, after he was lowered from the Cross, bleeding and dead. It mirrors the mother's
agony in holding her dead son's body. You are bound to be moved to tears. The emotion of
agony so beautifully sculpted into Mary's Face by Michelangelo, who was at the time of
creating this masterpiece, just 23 years of age, is something remarkable and par excellence.
We could not see the Kristine Chapel which is just behind St.Peter's Basilica due to paucity
of time. This Chapel's internal Dome was painted by Michelangelo with a painting known as
The Creation. It depicts God, like an Old Man with a flowing beard, surrounded by Angels all
over, and Extending His Hand to Man who is unable to clasp God's Extended Hand. It was
my dream to see this painting. But alas, the dream remained unrealized.
In the 1970s a Movie was made on this Episode of Michelangelo painting this piece called
Creation, in which he paints Man completely nude. And the Church strongly disapproves it
calling it obscene. Michelangelo sticks to his Resolve that he has painted Man as created by
God. Totally Nude. He refuses to clothe Man. Surprisingly the then Pope accepts
Michelangelo's argument and allows the painting to remain unaltered!
Charlton Hesston played Michelangelo and Rex Harrison played the Pope. Both were superb
actors and they played their Roles to the Hilt.
We went back to Florence for the night to resume our tour the next day, to Pisa and Milan
before crossing over into Switzerland.
End of Part Two.
PART - 3
Two things I missed out in the last Part (Two). They are:
The name of the Movie on Michelangelo and his Painting "The Creation", was "The Agony
and the Ecstasy". It should be available in DVD Format now. If you have an ear for punching
dialogues, then you must watch it.
The other is about the Murano Glass Factory in Venice, in the St.Mark's Island. A skilled
craftsman demonstrates the intricate art of creating the famous Venetian blown glass.
Remarkable skills they display in creating lovely art pieces in blown glass. Any shape, any
size, the craftsman moulds it with precision and consummate skill as you sit in front of him
and watch. Just as a painter uses his brush to create lovely paintings!
Right then we go on to the third day of sight seeing.
We drive to Pisa, admiring the green country side of Italy. Pisa is a small sleepy town,
famous for the Leaning Tower Wonder. The Leaning Tower was built as a Bell Tower next to
a huge Cathedral and a Baptistery, where young children are baptized. The Tower started
Leaning even as it was being built, it seems. The Tower was completed and commissioned
but the Leaning remained for ever. Several Scientific Studies were carried out on this leaning
phenomenon it seems. Yet the mystery remains unsolved. The Tower only leans. It has never
fallen to this day. And I don't think it has any desire to fall! It is Solid like a Rock. It’s built
completely with Italian Marble. A photographer's delight and a Tourist's memorable take
away Photo, with you standing, next to the Leaning Monument.
Galileo lived here after being driven out of the then Clergy dominated civilized Society for
his revolutionary ideas on the Universe and the Planets. Pisa remembers this famous
Scientist. There is a Memorial for him in the Town.
We then crossed over into Switzerland. Lovely breath taking experiences as you start entering
the country of Alps, Snow and Chocolates! The cool climate, the ever green carpet of
greenery which ever way you see and fat wholesome Cows grazing lazily on the mountain
slopes! The Tour Manager clarified that Brown Cows give Chocolate Milk and the White
Cows give white milk!!
The Swiss feed and look after their Cows with great affection and love. They have Animal
Ambulances and great veterinary Hospitals to look after the sick animals. After all, the cows
give the money fetching milk as long as they are mulching and when the time comes to sell
them to the Beef Factories they weigh a good weight. They are sold by weight for the Beef
content their bodies have. How cruel of these Swiss people! But it is their way of life.
And when we checked into our Hotel, the Hotel Astoria, at Engel berg, we were glad to be in
the Kashmir of Europe. You remember what Emperor Jahangir said of the Kashmir Valley
when he first reached Srinagar, "This is Paradise, this is Paradise on Earth. Yeh Zannath hai,
Zameen pe Zannat hai. Exactly that’s how you feel when you see Switzerland.
Next day we were to go to the Top of Europe, the summit of Jungfraujoch, (pronounced yong
frau), meaning the Lady of Snow, by the lovely Swiss Mountain Train.
We set off very early, by 7 A M on the 4th day of our tour, as we had to drive for a hour and
a half, before we could catch the mountain train to go upto the highest Railway Station in the
World, at 11,133 feet altitude. There, you also have the the Highest Post Office of the World
where you can get your letter to be posted stamped with the Post Office stamp called the
cancellation.
We reached the Railway Line after travelling through a 17 Kilometer long Tunnel. The Swiss
never build Ghat Roads. They just bore Tunnels if a Hill comes in the way! The Swiss are
said to be a Race of Great Engineers.
We boarded the Mountain Train and it started chugging its way up slowly but steadily and
reached a Station to wait for the track. The Up trains wait for the Down trains to pass. Saving
Power, they say, so that one train at a time uses the Single Track and the Power. The Halt was
supposed to be for 10 minutes, but it dragged on to a full 40 minutes. And then an
announcement in German on the Public Address System informed us that the train will not go
any further up as a huge Wind Storm was blowing and trains were cancelled for the day!!
What an anti climax for such a great excitement we were all waiting for!!!
There was no other choice than, a sad Peetchey Mud. We came down to the starting station
crest fallen and highly demoralized and disappointed. Our Tour Manager tried to fix up
another Location called the Titlis Rope Way which takes you to the top of Mt.Titlis at 10,000
feet. But even that Rope Way was shut down due to the heavy wind storm blowing
vehemently across the Alps on that day. Sheer bad luck deprived us the chance to be on the
Top of the Swiss Alps for a few hours. Just like the Weather spoiling the chances of
Mountaineers to reach the Summit of Mt.Everest after crossing the Last Camp at 28,000
feet!! We all felt just like an unlucky Everest Expedition Mountaineers!
But then, it was to be like that for the day and so it was. Just came back
We spent the balance day at a Town called Interlaken, which is between two lakes. But none
was in a mood to enjoy the joys of Inter Laken, what after the dismal cancellation of the
Jungfraujoch trip!!
End of Part Three.
PART - 4
After a brief stop over at Interlaken, for photos and some shopping, we returned to Lucerne
and we found, we still had almost 3 hours to go before we could return to our Hotel.
So we decided to see the Town and take some more photos! There is one Lion Monument
here. In a Park you find a huge Sculpture of a wounded Lion suffering in pain with a spear
right through its stomach. The lion is believed to represent the Swiss Nation and the pain it
reflects is the anguish the Swiss people underwent when enemies killed 70 Swiss soldiers in
one of those many medieval wars. A sort of a War Memorial for the Soldiers who sacrificed
their lives for their Country!
The Lion in pain is a remarkable piece of sculpture, and it really moves the onlooker.
We found a road train ride which takes you round the city in a slow, almost walking, speed
for 10 Swiss Francs per person. It’s a sort of a Tram with a car engine drawing about 6 bogies
having car tyres. It was quite enjoyable to sit and see the place around. It has also an Audio
system with ear phones running a commentary on the various sights we see. It’s in 4
languages. You select the Language and you can hear the History of every Monument you
see!
The next day morning we left the Switzerland and entered Germany in an area called the
Black Forest. A place called Drubba, where they make the famous Cuckoo Clocks.
But before we reached the Black Forest, we saw the Rhine Falls at Schaffhausen.
The Rhine Falls are the Niagara Falls of Europe! By size they may be one tenth of the
Mighty Niagara Falls, but in scenic splendor and the Romantic mood they create in you,
Rhine Falls are a sight to see. After a few memorable Photo sessions with the Rhine Falls in
the background, and a hot Coffee with milk, (if you just say coffee, they will give you only
Black Coffee or decoction as we South Indians call it), in the company of Hot French Fries,
we leave for the home of Cuckoo Clocks, a place in the woods, called Drubba.
We are taken to a Shop where the Family Home is both the Workshop and the Sales Shop
along with a Cafeteria in the Ground / Cellar Floor, which serves the famous Black Forest
Pastries with Capuchhino Coffee (Coffee with milk) and of course hot French Fries.
The building has one side painted and fitted with a large wall size Cuckoo Clock for
demonstration as well as for entertainment.
Before the Cuckoo comes out and coos the number of times as per the Time on the Clock,
there are dolls that dance to Music, 2 minutes before and 2 minutes after the Cuckoo coos the
Time !
We buy the Cuckoo Clocks as Souvenirs of our visit and hear the Story of how these Clocks
are Hand made during the Long Winters. From October to March, it is snowing outside and
Temperatures are Minus 30 and lower. So these brainy Swiss people sit inside and make
Wooden Carvings for their Clocks and the Clocks as well. And then from April to September
they sell what they made in the winter. And the Cycle repeats.
Then we drove on to Heidelberg, a lovely city amidst Mountains, for our Night Halt for the
day.
Before Dinner and calling it a day, we went round the City, walked on the cobble stoned
streets, the large relaxed Square, where its Only Walkers. No Vehicles. You love to walk
around in the Square surrounded by Historic Monuments, Town Hall, Museum and the
Cathedral. Its all Historical over here.
Heidelberg is a moderate City of may be 70,000 population out of which 30,000 are Students
from all over the World who come here to study at the Centuries Old Heidelberg University
which is very famous for its Rich Scholastic Content. You can see Castles all around the city
on Mountains, each speaking its own History.
Next day we enjoyed a Cruise on the River Rhine for about 45 minutes in a large sized Boat
floating leisurely on the Rhine which meanders through thick forests and huge historic
Castles on its Banks all along the Cruise.
After the Cruise we drove to Cologne famous for Eau de Cologne, and saw the 515 feet tall
Cologne Cathedral which they say was built in a span of 600 years! This Cathedral is
supposed to be the Most Visited monument in Germany. It’s a mammoth structure and worth
seeing for its sculptures inside and outside, which hold you spellbound.
And we left Germany to reach Belgium, Brussels for the Night.
End of Part Four.
PART - 5
We reached Brussels and before we retired for the day, at the Ramada Plaza Hotel, we went
on an Orientation tour of Brussels.
We first saw the famous Manneken Pis Statue, the small boy doing his shoo in the midst of a
Fountain. It’s in the corner of a building in the intersection of a 4 way walkway sort of
junction. It’s supposed to be legendary and one legend goes, that there was a Great Witch that
was troubling the people of this city. This boy though could not fight the Witch, was brave
enough to show his anger on the witch by pissing in its face!!, On a customary Celebration
day it seems they turn on Beer in the Statue and lo the boy pumps out Beer and people come
to fill up their Beer Mugs from the Boy's outlet, as a mark of appreciation of his Courage!!!
Strange, very strange Appreciation!!!
Then we visited the Grand Place, (The city square), Town Hall, St.Michael's Cathedral and
Palace of Justice, all by walk. But an enjoyable walk, it was. The only unfortunate happening
was my camera's Memory stick was full and no further pictures could be taken, when I tried
to click the Pissing Boy!!
We tried so many photo shops but the size of memory stick needed for my camera was not
available anywhere. Luckily that night at the Hotel, a co-tourist of our Group Sardar Harjit
Singh gave me a brand new Memory Stick, as he was carrying extra Memory Sticks of the
size I needed. He really baled me out of a hopeless situation. But it was a lesson well learnt.
On such tours one must carry sufficient number of Memory Sticks. What with these digital
cameras you go on and on, clicking away to glory photo after photo, you never know when
you fill up the Memory!
Next day we came to the place where they have this mammoth steel monument called The
Atomism, a structure representing the concept of an iron molecule enlarged 165 billion
times!!!!!
The round steel "balls" are not hollow but hold Rooms, where they conduct Scientific
Conferences and Seminars! The top most steel “Ball" houses a Restaurant!
After the customary photo sessions, we walk into the Wonderful Mini Europe, where they
have Miniature Models of all the Famous Monuments of Europe. You have the Big Ben,
Houses of Parliament, and The Coliseum of Rome, the Gondolas of Venice, the Castles of
Austria and Germany, The Eifel Tower and many other famous cities of Europe.
You can walk around these monuments as if we are the Giants and these huge Buildings are
just Dwarfs bustling around our feet! Truly a Great Concept and an Engineering Marvel. No
model looks like a model. It looks just like the Original but shrunk a Thousand Times to be at
our feet!!
We had an Indian Vegetarian Lunch consisting of, Punjabi Daal, Roti, Sabjee, Rice and Curd
(of course the Non-Veggies had the Punjabi Chicken), and started the 4 hour drive to Paris,
France. The drive was the most memorable drive as each family made a Thanksgiving
Speech praising the Bus Driver and the Tour Manager for their sincere efforts to make our
tour a happy and memorable one.
The Bus drives were always Fun. Singers would go to the Front of the Bus, take the Tour
Manager's Mike and entertain the Group. Not only songs, but we had Shaayeri, Urdu
Couplets being rendered with soulful feelings. Particularly one gentleman from Gokak, near
Belgaum always rendered heart stirring and heart sobbing couplets. We used to ask him who
was that Angel that broke his heart so ruthlessly!!
As per the European Traffic and Highway Police Regulations, the Bus Driver had to take a
stop for 30 minutes after every 2 hours of driving. That used to help us ease ourselves and
stretch our legs and move around the Fuelling Stations, where the Bus would stop.
As we drove into Paris, by around 5 P M local time we were caught in the Evening Traffic
and after a full 2 hours of crawling at a snail's pace reached our Hotel in an outskirt of Paris
known as Sac lay. The Hotel was called the Hotel Novotel Sac lay.
We were free for the evening and I explored the small town of Sac lay to find a place to eat
some dinner as my wife hit the Bed, totally fagged out, sacrificing even her dinner.
As I walked out of the Hotel after a good shower, I mean the rain, not my bathroom shower;
the Town appeared to be totally people free. Only an occasional car went by and the roads
were just empty. After a full 35 minutes of walking around in a French Town, without
knowing any topography of the place, nor the language, except for a few French words like
"Merci' for Thank You and "Au Revoir Mademoiselle" for How are you Miss, it was real
adventure. It was already half past Nine in the night but it was still bright as the evenings are
very long here.
Luckily, I spotted a Pizza Hut sort of a Joint which said they make the "Margarita", the
Veggie Pizza, and the Girl at the Counter could speak flawless English, to my good luck! Her
father, who was also at the counter of their small family run restaurant, spoke only French.
He wanted his daughter to translate every word I spoke to her! Protecting his daughter!
I carried back some French Fries for my wife and I ate a Margarita. As I was leaving, I
surprised the Girl in the Counter with my little knowledge of French by saying "merci"!
Both Father and daughter were immensely pleased and the Father came up to the door to see
me off and directed me to my Hotel by a very short route. I followed his instructions and was
in the Hotel in just 7 minutes!
Next day after the usual continental Breakfast, we drove into Paris and our First Stop was the
inevitable Perfume Shop! Ladies were waiting for this day to buy Perfumes in Paris! We
were taken to a Fragonard Perfume Museum, where they demonstrate how Perfumes are
made and also have an interesting Museum of how Perfumes were being made down the
ages. The Girl showing us around enlightened our knowledge by telling us that a Thousand
Kilograms of Jasmine Flowers are needed to make one litre of Jasmine Perfume!!
Later in the day we also went to a Duty Free Shop called the Benelux to buy more Perfumes.
The grand Eiffel Tower, going up to Level Two in the Winch type Elevators, which carried
60 persons at a time without any pushing around or cramping up, photo sessions on the
Tower and viewing a Movie on Level One, that gave us enormous statistics of the
construction of the Tower, like the Tower has 2.5 million nuts and bolts in the Structure, it
was all a Lifetime Experience.
The evening was free and some people went to see the famous Paris Cabaret Show, and those
whose wives objected to the Cabaret Show went to bed meekly in the Hotel!!
Next day we drove out of Paris after a grand Bus Tour of the Champs Elysees, the Arc de
Triomphe, the famous Notre Dame Cathedral Napoleon’s Tomb, the Town Hall. the National
Assembly, the President's Palace and many other buildings.
We reached Calais on the French Coast to board the Train to go through the Euro Tunnel,
beneath the English Channel for a full stretch of 35 Kilometers! After Visa formalities by
English Officials, our Bus was driven into a Container type closed Wagon on the train. The
doors of the air conditioned and well lighted Container closed. The high speed train started
moving forward and in just 27 minutes we were out on the English Soil at Folk stone! I was
terribly scared of the Tunnel journey, but before I could realize what was happening the Bus
was driving on the British Soil and amidst the English countryside.
We stopped for Lunch at a way side Fuelling Station's Auto Grill, and got to eat Indian Dal,
Subji and Rice!!
As we drove into London around 3 P M local time we had a full 4 hours to complete the
programmed City tour by Bus, so that the next morning we could go to see Madame
Tussaud's Wax Museum.
We decided to finish the City Tour so that we don’t miss the Wax Museum which was a
Must, but was not there in the Original itinerary.
We saw all that the City of London had to show us, the Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square,
St.Paul's Cathedral, The Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, the Tower Bridge,
Buckingham Palace, West Minister Abbey, all from our Bus and the London Traffic !!
For the night we ate the much awaited Chennai Dosa's (Chennai Dosa is a Restaurant Chain
in London), Masala Dosa, after a full 11 day absence of South Indian food! The Masala Dosa
tasted like Heaven!!
The next morning was the last day of the Tour. Like they say all good things have to come to
an end, and so was this fabulous tour coming to an End. Every one in the Group was
exchanging addresses, Email IDs and bidding Fare well to each other during Breakfast.
Strange as it may seem, the Group was totally new and no one knew the other on the First
Day in Venice Airport. To-day, after just 10 days of being together all were friends of each
other. It was a Great Experience. We joked, pulled each other's legs, enjoyed and had real
Fun Time all through.
We visited the Swami Narayan Temple built by the Rich Guajarati Population of London. It
was built as a Replica of the Aksharadham Temple in Gujarat and with Marble and nothing
but marble.
Italian Marble was shipped to India, for artisans to carve the Great Indian Gods and
Goddesses and the Traditional Figures. Then all pieces were numbered, shipped to London
and assembled at site. Lo! A mammoth monumental Temple stands in London for us the
Hindus and the World to see.
Then we saw the wax models in the world famous Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum. The
Museum is really a Modern day Marvel, a technologically aided Art!
I posed for photographs with my College days' Hollywood Favorite Heroines, like Marilyn
Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, and Heroes like, John Wayne, James Dean, and Tennis Star Boris
Becker. The Suspense Film Maestro Alfred Hitchcock, Scientist Albert Einstein, Statesman
Winston Churchill, Naval Warfare Hero Lord Nelson and the Great Comedy King Charlie
Chaplin.
My wife posed with Mahatma Gandhi and King Henry the VIII th!! Of all the people!! Then
we both posed with Sachin Tendulkar. And Aishwarya Rai. But the Wax Model was not at all
like our Aishwarya. They messed it up. She just looks like an Indian Bride. Very poor
resemblance to the Original. We searched for Amitabh Bachhan, but the Girl Volunteer told
us "He has been shifted to Hong Kong!"
We had a hearty South Indian Lunch for 5 Pounds each at the Chennai Dosa Hotel. And were
driven away to Gatwick Airport to fly back home. In one way we did want to get out of U K
as soon as possible as the news of Swine Flu was catching up all over.
But in our Heart of Hearts we did want the Tour to start all over again from Venice. Once
More. That was the Wish.
Parsa Venkata Ramachander
Rao
Hyderabad, India. May
23,2009.
End of Part Five and the whole Tour.
