I had always thought that Europe is a different world - rich in culture, literature and oozing with historic trivia. And I was right. It is a different world, with all that and more. I would add though, that exploring it is a one costly affair. And oh! So worth it.
My July 2009 trip to three countries and cities across Europe was very exciting and the only exhausting part was the journey back. I didn’t want to leave Swiss Alps. France, Italy and Switzerland were on the agenda. Trains, trams, elevators, stairs, 1-flight (other than to and fro), boats, gondola, hang-gliders, ropes and harness – all means of transport and pure entertainment.
My journey to Paris was marked with bad in-flight food and some very entertaining stuff. The first was nature’s amazing thunderstorm and lightning display that I saw out of the plane window. It went on for quite some time and like nothing I have seen before. The horizon lit up time and again with lightning bolts. Then there was this Chihuahua travelling with a lady across the aisle. I was so impressed with the little thing for making no noise and so worried for his lack of …walk! I wondered where and how it pooped, if it was drugged and what it ate and what it thought of the trip. And the lady wasn’t alone; she had two kids traveling with her. Amazing! I hope everyone, especially the dog, enjoyed Europe whether it was visiting or returning home. And then, there was this fight on the street of Paris. As I stepped out of a metro station I saw this chaos and what liked a fist fight. Before I could get too scared or think about being in a stampede, six cop cars came in and rounded up the ring leaders. I had never felt safer.
Train journeys were my favorite. Gondola was overrated and canyon jumping harness by far the most fun. I saw more paintings, sculptures and art-pieces in eight days than my entire life. I saw nature at its best, art at its peak and Bellini at its zenith. I wouldn’t say it was relaxing, I did plan it to be but it was definitely an eye opener.
There’s so much to see, so much to know of how things changed over time and how human nature is so consistent. Rich led sumptuous lives whereas poor made ends meet and the bourgeoisie were in the ever-hopeful, never-ending rat race. Things haven’t changed much, have they?
I met a group (mother and two daughters in perhaps late teens) at Moulin Rouge sitting in front seats. They were traveling, like they did every summer, all over Europe. They were from middle east and visibly well-off. I was so moved to see a mother bring her daughters (introduce them) in to experience a cabaret. To help them seek art like helping them find candy, no matter what it is wrapped in. And then I saw this amazing contradiction which took me by surprise and forced me to mull it over. As scantily clad men and women performed at arm’s distance, the mother was going through her prayers, chanting through her beads. Was I looking at religion becoming a habit? Is belief stronger when bound by rules? She wouldn’t let go of her ‘ritual’ (a ritual I am not sure was spiritual given the venue) and yet she would step out and chaperon her daughters to a liberal art. I don’t judge but I was fascinated. Humans are so complicated, it fills me with pride and confusion and things I can’t even identify.
Everyone I met had their unique story. Their reason for where they were. And somehow, they converged for a ride, an hour of sight-seeing, at a same place. People you meet have such different lives and stories and yet their life for a moment entwines with yours. It is true – there’s more to see than can ever be seen, more to find than can ever be found. And add to that people, and everything changes to another unknown, unpredictable dimension. The trip intensified my hunger to see more places, search for differences, similarities and just stories. I don’t know if it is because it reinforces in me that I need to live while I am alive or because it humbles me by showcasing the vastness of world and life. But, it stirs something inside. The need to know more, to know I am not alone and as much as my life might seem too big sometimes, I am a minuscule part of the bigger picture.
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