Cheeni Kum...Movie though sweet :)

Relationship is a theme that you can never get bored of, be it listening or experiencing! Movies revolving around relationships have continued to show variety and out of the box thinking. It can turn funny, be mocked at or occassionally can evoke impressive emotions, depending on the way its portrayed. 'Cheeni Kum' is one of its kind and fortunately falls into the latter. A simple, engaging love story narrated without much fuss but sure manages to mark a deep impression on you. There were a few refreshing aspects on the characters and screenplay. Tabu and Amitabh, chronologically in different generations, display a perfect synchrony when it comes to love. Witty, crisp dialogues, a neat no-nonsensical chemistry and melody of the 80s on the streets of London characterizes the off-beat movie that you would relax off before hitting the sack. 'Sexy' played by the young kid, does an awesome job with adult talk that really shocks and surprises you. The last few minutes does get filmic for its persuasion of love acceptance. Apart from this blemish, the movie tries to talk sense with a good element of sarcasm pinched in. Definitely a feel good movie for you, to feel rejuvenated....

Karben, Germany

If there is one place where you want to feel deserted or brooding over writing a novel, Karben can just be the destination for you. You can reach this small village after a 30 minute train ride from Frankfurt and I 'd been put up here for almost seven weeks now. 'Village' can be a misnomer, for you may want to assert, its backward in some sense, especially if you are from Asia. However, German villages and I would agree, most in Europe, would break any semblance of this notion. You do have state-of-the-art amenities but see it symbolize languidness, a sense of void, differing from the buzzing city life. The winter is quite harsh and delivers interesting weather patterns all through the week. It rains on a day, shows signs of spring when the sun peeps out the next day and finally cheats you by snowing the following day :(.

All said, I should admit the people in this sparsely populated village are very amicable and you tend to feel stress free and relaxed after a tiring day at work. Karben may not be a tourist spot but definitely a place where you get to spend some quality time with you :D

King Louis Palace, Versailles

It was a frustrating 4-hour long wait in the queue on a chilly sunday at Versailles. Terribly pissed off, I was thinking of getting back to Paris if I wasn't able to get into the palace within 5 pm. Only to realize later, when I was inside, the wait was simply worth it.

This was the Versailles palace where King Louis X1V ruled, after he was crowned at the tender age of 5. Its a one of a kind, self-guided tour where you walk around with a headset and a portable player. The entire palace of the 18th century is preserved in its sanctity and pride. As you move from one palace room to another, you need to type in the room reference on your player and a voice describes the historical significance of the room. At the end of the tour, you are acquainted with the famous French era belonging to King Louis X1V with Nepoleon, his warrior.

Surrounding the palace is the refreshingly beautiful Versailles garden with fountains and the River Gauche at a distance. The atmosphere is serene and you feel like day-dreaming in those lush green lawns. Versailles attracts the largest tourist crowd in France, and located close to Paris, should you have an opportunity to visit Paris, a day in Versailles is sure to make your tour memorable!

Musee du Louvre, Paris

A mind boggling collection of artifacts and paintings elevates the Louvre Museum to be one of the largest of its kind in the world. The Greek, Roman, Egyptian and French civilizations are preserved for centuries here. The world famous Mona lisa is a grand attraction and the numerous other spectacular paintings tell stories without uttering a word. The Nepoleon's gallery displaying the palace rooms and halls of the time evoke a lot of curiosity on the adhered royal traditions.

However, I felt it whimsical for a French museum to host and boast a lot of history about Italy, Greece and Egypt more than the French. Doesn't this tell you something??

La Defense, Paris

Well..the name suggests what the place stands for. The French built this huge structure as the line of defense in waging wars. While you are in La Defense,you would be able to see the Arc de la Triomp (the arch of victory) straight at some distance. Indeed its a sight of pride, as according to history, the army marched from La Defense to Arch de la Triomp celebrating all the way.

Today, La Defense is a commercial centre with national and international corporate offices and it represents the 'New Paris'.

Tour Montparnasse

A tower closely competing with the Eiffel for the altitude, is Montparnasse. Spiralling through 56 levels, you can reach the covered viewing gallery for a panoramic view of the city. Cafe and souvenir shops are open to spend some time and wink at the dots below, portraying the city. You can take a glance at Eiffel tower to convince that you are almost there, but in a different tower though. Go three levels up further and you are in an open terrace to spot out other famous landmarks in the city.

Champs-de-Elysees, Paris

Paris has been regarded as the most visited destination in Europe by tourists worldwide. After all, when tourists go to a place, shopping is a definite activity to sit in the sight seeing agenda. Running from Arc de la Triomp (the arch of victory) to the beautiful gardens at the far end, Champs-de-Elysees is the street to land up when you want to shop,eat and...shop again..Showrooms line up on the side with restaurants to hop in, if you are tired.

I have a fascination towards french perfumes for their mildness and elegance. I thought there would no better place than to get a good buy here. A perfume showroom 'Sequora' caught my attention and walked in to take a look. The moment I entered, knew I was lost. Extending to a several hundred metres with a few thousand brands to try out, I was completely clueless and my only running thought was 'I wish I owned all and don't need to choose'...Finally,after a lot of pondering and aroma discussion with a multi-lingual sales girl, she helped me choose a couple of latest parisian hits.

The street represents the vibrant night life in Paris and you might want to take a few shots when decorated with lights. Guys and girls, singing, dancing,with a smoke and drink, fills up the evening with full of life..