Ever thought of living in a Windmill or a Pub or a Horse ranch or a Yatch, when planning overseas ?If there was a magic wand which makes these wishes come true, grabbing hold of such would be an alternative to an otherwise boring stays that we are used to, isn’t it? Of course that takes a twist on our pre-set minds that these are for rich and happening. But are they really!



When I was a kid, I used to keep a journal of my random Ramblings, of Stories, of Crushes, of people I meet, of my Dreams, of Places I would love to go and would lock it so my mom don't get to see. One such wish was to live in an Igloo. As I grew up, my wishes seemed rather fancy, the ones I was happy to never look back at. I was content with life or so I deceived myself to believe this is what it is about being "grown up".

                Being grown up makes ‘The End’ To endless possibilities or we just think so.
                                                            Photo Credit:Flickr

Certain days, these wish calls would randomly peek in and I would google search. There was a time I thought Igloos were only in Antarctica living with penguins and my wish for celebrating Igloo nights was kept under my pillow cover literally forever .Until I found this -'Austria in Airbnb' - Adventure in the snow Igloo Night. And I felt like someone fed me what I needed, opening a Pandora box wrapped with dark chocolates, bobbling up with hopes that one day may be, I could save and live in, for real.

Alternatives comes to those who look for new avenues rather new places to live in.



Austria,to retrace the steps of well-loved and musical film of The Sound Of Music.As I witness the truly spectacular Austrian Alps,I gorge on the local delicacies i.e Apple Struddel and Chocolate Cake and Veal.Living in the warmth of fur in the igloos,I would occasionally have the Austrian wine to keep me warm and Red Bull to keep me highly energized for winter sports.



Between how many of you know Red Bull originated in Austria?Well well..this time it is going to give me wings of flight for real!


Why Choosing a Bnb At All?

Many of my friends would challenge me at this “why not tried and tested”, and I would say “because of a simple reason, the locals are more updated, more willing to share and bring out their place, and it’s in their eyes when we see we know there’s more to a place than any other guidebook will ever say”. For example, when I backpacked Maldives,I lived in a local lodge by the sea, dancing whole night on the sand, and sharing recipes of tuna by the coast. For example, I couldn't forget the love I received at the lovely guesthouse of a Greek Family in Greece who treated me as if I was one of their own. The best part about all BnB’s is it makes you feel like home, and once you are set in the comfort of it, going back to the conventional would seem rather bland and unnecessary.


Hugs, Trust, Stories and Fun comes with travel, and more so when you stay with the locals

Why Choose Airbnb?


There are so many reasons that listing just one would be unfair. Now we all know about Houseboats in Allepey and Kashmir in India, how about renting a one in Paris or Amsterdam? Had I known about it before, maybe I would have rented one. Airbnb gives options like no other even to the last minute of your booking making it a fun choice to play with. So many ,that after browsing it for 2 hours, I was confused between fancy gypsy home at Nashville or living by the rice fields in Bali and many many others. Sometimes I thought I could just go to the stay that I like and plan the destination around..

Airbnb - More Community than Anything

Whether an apartment for a night, a castle for a week, or a villa for a month, Airbnb connects people to unique travel experiences, at any price point, in more than 34,000 cities and 190+ countries. And with world-class customer service and a growing community of users, Airbnb is the easiest way for people to monetize their extra space and showcase it to an audience of millions.

Airbnb - Stay at the distance you think is suitable


Each one of us has different ways to travel. Some of us, love to live in a place which gives us the peace and serenity of a little distant and some of us want to station ourselves which are central.  There’s no right or wrong here.For me depending on what I feel for the place, either I choose to be at the central point or a place which stands a little unique but far. Like in Venice,I stayed in one of the islands which was 4 stations away from the main station ,and loved that there was in fact no crowd, it was me ,the locals and an island with very few people who woke up by their time and slept when they felt like, and I felt I could do the same than the usual rushed up trip that it always turns out to be if I stay central. That meant longer conversations, taking local buses, local ferries, walking by the island shore, knowing the culture more adding onto my adventure and stories!

What I thought was unfortunate, was my best decision till date.Sometimes getting lost is all you need.

At Airbnb, you can check where you want to stay and then ,can choose your options accordingly

Airbnb - Host - Who Are They?

                           Brush off the 'Scare factor',hosts are people like you and me

The biggest problems we Indians face is giving our trust to someone we hardly know. Airbnb has a very reliable system which reviews the host as well as the place mostly done by users who have been there done that. That makes us sorted out in our head with what we are going to expect.Do read the reviews before you book in.

You can also get in touch with the host prior to making up your mind if you need more details.

Airbnb - But What about The Property

Whether you choose to live in an entire place, a private place or a shared room, it’s there. It seems that details we generally ask on phone are well being placed that states everything with prices, amenities, availability and space. Half your job already done.

Airbnb - Save To Wish List

Now this is the bestest part. Renting a Bamboo House in Bali may be a big deal for now, or Renting a Yatch may be but not so much when I would love it do it some years down the line. I can handpick so many like these and create my virtual wish list on Airbnb.

Airbnb - For Solo travelers, Honeymooners and Groups


The biggest problem I face when I travel abroad is not when I travel solo or with my better half, but when travelling in a group.  There aren’t many places I could readily search on world wide net which houses as many people as I would want to.Airbnb has options wherein you can select number of people and the apartments or villas come accordingly.

I can rent one of the Fiji islands for 10 people, how cool is that! How about celebrating like a school reunion there !



Airbnb - The changes I’d love to see


Even though I love the whole collection, I missed out on the unique places to stay at each location. As I can see there are some lists which contain consolidated unique places from world over but individually no. For example, if I search Austria,and want to search for unique place like a cave house or a cottage in there, finding it among st the search engine of 45+ options stands difficult. Everything else is perfect unless I go through every page.

So for those souls, who were unaware of these ways to travel and are loving it now that I told you so, here’s a small token of applauds from my end (thanks guys for reading the post!), register from the link below on Airbnb and you gain credit worth Rs 1500.

Sign up and Claim your credit

As the Eiffel Tower lights scintillate,we admire the 37 bridges and enjoy the history,architecture and attractions like Notre Dame,Musee D' Orsay situated on the banks of Seine River.Coupled with slow music and translations in 8 languages,we feel at ease with our soul as if therapeutic.




I took the tour by Paris City Vision(Skip The Line Eiffel Tower,City Tour,Cruise) which I felt that saved a lot of time and effort than if I had done it on my own.I started around 6pm and was way back at my hostel by 11pm.To read previous post on Paris where I stayed and my experience do read,'Bursting the Myth:Paris And Misconceptions'


Here's a quick photo essay on how to do Paris in half a day!

1)Seine River Cruise:


I am not sure how many of you do this exactly,but when you go to Paris this is a must do along with Eiffel Tower visit which is just side by side.Even though I cruised at night,I felt night would be better than day because of lights on the bridges or may be day would have been better because of activities along the bank.There are beautiful bridges that you cross under,and each of them unique and grandiose.The ones which are humble are also so well lit that it gives a shimmer of golden on the river Seine.

                                            Each of them like a poetry in motion

I wonder what's the length of the river,because in cruise of an hour which started at 7 pm,it never seem to end.Though it did at 8 pm with the sparkly Eiffel tower in the background. The illuminations take place every hour.


2)Eiffel Tower:


                                                                     The wow factor

Paris would be incomplete without Eiffel Tower isn't it?It's so amazingly lit at night,that you would almost feel the gold on you with the cold breeze in the air of Paris.The lifts take you to two levels and above,and the view points are all over.In winters,you can also skate in front of Eiffel Tower.



Recently Eiffel Tower got a new glass floor offering dramatic views of the 57-meter (187-foot) drop from the 125-year-old landmark's first level.



I just did my short research rather you tube search on why "Eiffel Tower" was made.Here are few interesting ones which tells why so.
How Was Eiffel Tower Built?

And another that I found quite interesting are these 12 amazing facts about Eiffel Tower.




3)Louvre Museum:


Right across the Paris City Vision office where we assembled is Louvre Museum.Between waiting for the tour bus and boarding,I took a short walk to Louvre.So even though I didn't get a chance to go inside,I did get to know that I was standing in front of one of the world's largest museums and one of the finest art galleries.The masterpieces are numerous, from Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa to his Madonna of the Rocks, from Delacroix's Liberty Leading the people to Jacques Louis David's Oath of the Horatii, passing by Alexandros of Anthioch's Venus de Milo and a never ending list of paintings and sculptures.

Did you know?What to eat in Paris.This article on Huffington Post tells you just that "How To Eat Like A Local In Paris"


                                    Paris delicacies are mouthwatering,in here macarons
                                                           Pic Source: GreatFoodTours


How To Eat Like A Local In Paris

Did you know?What to shop in Paris.These articles tell you about the various flea markets in Paris 
"les puces” Puce (pronounced “poose,” with a quick whooshing sound) means flea



Paris Street Style Shopping By Guardian
What To Buy In Paris

Two New Additions

4)Picasso Museum Reopens: 


The Picasso Museum Reopens in Paris on October 25, 2014. The date was chosen as a tribute to Pablo Picasso, born on October 25, 1881.To know more about Picasso and his art forms,read my article on Malaga,Spain here where Picasso was born.

Stephane Thouin, Chief architect of historic monuments, Roland Simounet, and the architectural firm Bodin & Associés were commissioned to renovate and expand the Museum, now ready to welcome more visitors and art works. Four hundred works carefully selected from the vast collection of nearly 5000 will be displayed in 37 showrooms spread across five floors.

The more eager had the chance to be the first to discover the Musée Picasso Paris on October 4, during Nuit Blanche. A lucky few previously had an exclusive sneak peek of the refurbished spaces inside the Museum, during European Heritage Days, on September 20 and 21.

Address

Musée Picasso Paris
Hôtel Salé
5 rue de Thorigny
75003 Paris

5)Fondation Louis Vuitton Opens 


The Fondation Louis Vuitton opens on Monday, October 27, 2014

The Fondation serves as Paris’ new cultural space for the promotion of contemporary art both in France and internationally.

Commissioned by Bernard Arnault, the building was designed by the Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry. Tucked away in the Jardin d’Acclimatation, the cloud-shaped glass building emerges from the northern edge of the Bois de Boulogne in Paris.

The Fondation’s purpose is to support art and creation, and to promote its national and international outreach by welcoming all audiences. The museum’s collections and cultural programs will continue the tradition of artistic and creative movements of the 20th and 21st centuries.

The monument consists of galleries divided between permanent collections, temporary exhibitions, and artists’ commissions. The space also comprises an auditorium designed for multi-disciplinary performances and events. Large terraces accessible throughout the museum beckon with stunning views of Paris and of the vast green expanse of the Jardin d’Acclimatation, the inspiration for Gehry’s transparent glass structure.

Frank Gehry’s architecture for the foundation will be displayed as part of the Museum's inaugural program. The exhibition will coincide with the first comprehensive retrospective show of Gehry’s work in Europe featured at the Centre Pompidou in October 2014.

The Fondation Louis Vuitton is a private cultural initiative dedicated to art and artists. The Museum represents a new chapter in LVMH’s extensive patronage of art and culture initiated more than twenty years ago in France and in the world.

Access

Fondation Louis Vuitton
8 avenue du Mahatma Gandhi - Bois de Boulogne
75116 Paris

Thanks to Atout France And Paris City Vision without which my short trip to Paris was possible.

"I stand defeated in the air of nostalgia on the memories of my first #KissOfLove I ever had, the golden lights beaming with glory in rhyme as if creating the perfect setup, the Eiffel Tower witnessing my wild emotions cautioning me of wind that might sweep me away and reminding me that I have crossed my wicked teen age and at the same time discarding it as just another routine feeling and I stand there still smitten by ‘love in the air’ as I swear to come here again."



Paris Is Not Off the Beaten But Deserving

As one of the speakers in TBEX Europe 2014 said that “off the beaten" is one of the misused terms we have heard lately and repeatedly used. I wonder what brings me back to the places which are not off the beaten but deserving. Paris I had thought before as monotonous; with probably nothing much to see apart from the glittering Eiffel Tower and I had almost made up my mind to skip it for it is the place jaunted or rather haunted by honeymooners. But as my luck had it ,I could not only experience half a day which left me craving for more ,I also took my Royal Jordanian flight which I loved for food and services back to Delhi. It's the feeling of merriment and class,  that makes Paris a little different

Bursting the Myth: Paris is Non-Friendly


'Be careful, sometimes non-verbal signs have double meanings in different languages' said a French gentlemen sitting next to me in the airport metro on conversation with 'How people in France aren't  always as been portrayed worldwide, and how they have helped me with figuring out directions with signs if they didn't know English'

As one of the families from Singapore I met in Venice told me on their trip to Paris "In Paris, people have a little high nose, but they are nice, and that's how they are". I have had heard and overheard in India, people warning me on their tales on how they have been misguided when they spoke in English, was not something which I faced in my half a day visit to Paris.

I felt, people in Paris were not sugarcoated polite but on the face as if they prefer to speak 'Please take me to' as 'take me to' and that's by choice and as the family said "that's how they are".I was helped everywhere, including hostels to metros to Paris Tourism kiosks to even general people on road and my tales tell a different story than the usual. If you feel that you are not been paid attention to, move on. There are better people everywhere.

Bursting the Myth: Paris is Unbearably Expensive


As Indians, we tend to calculate every penny we spent, sometimes even converting every cent we saved. Sometimes the ways, we travel, makes our journey expensive. And some places deserve that luxury. Now depending on if you are travelling solo, or with friends, or with partners, Paris can burn a happy hole in your pocket, or you can conveniently live like any other European city. When visiting places of interest, there is not much you can do to minimize entry costs, but you can always minimize travel costs of getting there.
As a matter of fact, the closer you get to the monuments and the likes, the higher your stay cost becomes but you save on travel time.


For me I stayed at a pretty cute hostel called "Smart Place Paris" at Gare Du Nord,and I could conveniently take metros worth 1.5 euros and buses which weren't expensive to any place. I also liked the neighborhood as It had railway station, lot of eateries and basically reasonable stuff to shop around like a gown for 10 euros which I missed.I also felt for me, half a day was unfair, Paris surely deserved days. But thanks to Paris City Vision and Atout France, that I could do the best of what I have got in those hours in a very well organized way, and so can you. Will write about it in next post.

I felt Paris has so much character than just Eiffel Tower or Disneyland and it certainly is about slowly adapting to the groove that Paris has which many of us miss it during our first visit.

Like for example, do you know what are the famous food joints in Paris and what are the festivals that France(in general) celebrates?

Bursting the Myth: Paris has a confusing metro


I wouldn't say that it is not true for a first timer, it is heavily organized so much so that for a person who landed and just have a day might get confused on metro a line,b line,yellow line,blue lines,over line,under line.The platforms are huge, and the people are busy.

"For a moment, I felt I could conveniently fit myself in the character of Kangana in Queen movie, knowing where to go but not knowing what might take me there. I would stare at the stop names inside the metro lest I miss mine and I was heavily under doubt if anyone here would help me if anyone else snatches my bags"

Happy part is help is available everywhere. When buying ticket, ask where you have to get down ,so how can you reach there ?Ask at the Paris Tourism Information center which I found at many of the places in Paris and voila, it’s no longer as confusing!

Bursting the Myth: Be Careful of Your Personal Belongings

Flashing your euros is a strict no no and so is bringing your valuables and not paying attention. Your lackadaisical attitude can cost you money, passport and valuables! But then again, it isn't as unsafe.

Paris what I have had heard from several sources was that it has an image of notorious pickpockets in busy hours. In metros there are constant announcement to take care of your personal belongings. T here are incidents that these people work in groups, and the moment you skip your attention, they either form a group in front of you or they work themselves out to take things off your backpack or pretend that something fell over, and they take your stuff nothing which I faced or my immediate peers did.

But as a general rule, be careful of your belongings anywhere in Europe and all over, so that you enjoy your vacation and at the same time be responsible of what you own.

With this starting note, we are going to delve down into "what to do in Paris in half a day" and excuse me further if my lines are poetic ahead because that's how it's meant to be in my next post.

/*This was my solo trip but without the help of Paris City Vision and Atout France,the trip would have been incomplete rather impossible*/