How often I had dreamt of being in Paris and romancing by the river Seine and in the wayside cafeterias; well, it seemed like this dream was going to come true as we decided to stay over for a night on the way back from an official trip to Brazil and Mexico (the romancing bit of course being unthinkable as it was an official trip, I decided to be content with the sights and sounds of Paris).

Our entry into Paris at the Charles De Gaulle airport could hardly be called propitious, thanks in large measure to our disconnect with the French pronunciation of English words. We were looking out for a Hotel Marquis while in actual we were booked at hotel Mercure. That wild goose chase took away two hours of the one day we had, so mutually it was decided that we would take the Hop-on Hop-off bus tour that would show us the most sights and satisfy the great Indian search for value for money to boot.

Indeed, the bus tour is that and much more. The commentary in “English as the English speak it”, was a great blessing and permitted first time visitors like me to let my imagination run riot and try to picture in my mind's eye, Paris as a city that traces its history to the last two millennia; how glorious the Opera house must have been and how ghoulish the Guillotine on which the wicked King Henry and Marie-Antoinette met their end. These and other lurid, and sometimes romantic details came alive from what one had read in Georgette Heyer and other romantic historical novels that were staple diet for all of us from my generation.

City of Lights Among its many other names, Paris is known as the “City of Lights ” and indeed any visitor who sees Paris by night would agree immediately. Truth to say even a visit to the famous Eiffel Tower at dusk when one sees this great wonder all lit up, justifies this claim. The fact, of course is that Paris earned its name owing to its fame as a centre of learning and on account of its early traditions of street lighting.

During our visit to the Eiffel tower we were told that Parisians are now keen to have a “green” or eco friendly Eiffel and to that end have decided to cut back on the lighting at Eiffel and contribute to saving energy.

The importance of the river Seine in Paris 's history can hardly be overemphasized. According to historians, Paris owes its origins to the “Parisii”, a sub tribe of the Celtic Senones who were largely boatmen and traders who settled near the river Seine around 250 B.C.

The second largest city in Western Europe , Paris is the most popular tourist city destination. While there are many 'must-see' places in Paris, make sure when visiting the city you spend at least a day strolling off the beaten path, as this is the only way to discover the real Paris; a truly cosmopolitan but undeniably French city.

¨¨¨