An Ode to Europe- with Vijay and Vineet

SINGAPORE to AMSTERDAM (3rd Dec)
When I reached the airport and saw the passenger queue
All I could muster was a “phew”.
The meandering line knew no end
People glared if you missed a bend.
I was the fourth last to board that flight
It was a close call in hindsight.
My flight was uneventful- nothing new
I slept and ate well; there was nothing else to do.

AMSTERDAM AIRPORT (4th Dec morning)
Reached Amsterdam at 6:30 in the morning
It was the beginning of the trip that I had been longing
Cleared immigration and waited for my luggage
More…some more and there was no sign of my baggage.
“Mr. Rajkumar?” asked a service attendant,
“I am” I said, with smile abundant.
My smile didn’t last long, when I was told
That my bag didn’t arrive in that freezing cold.
I came up with the obvious exclamation
And she came up with a ‘comforting’ explanation.
“What next?”, I enquired almost panicking
I didn’t have much winter clothing.
“60 Euros” was her reply,
“You must be kidding me” came out almost as a cry.
After some logical arguments she realized,
That I couldn’t get much with clothing highly priced.
200 Euros was what we settled for
To not turn into an icicle before returning to Singapore.
Dressed in pajamas, slippers and a t-shirt- I was a sight
Wading through the icy burst required some might.
Got myself a pair of jeans, shoes and a sweater
It did make me warm in that freezing weather.
And I couldn’t reach Vineet (who was flying in from London)
Didn’t know how and where to meet.
Vijay’s flight (from Barcelona) got cancelled, I found
My worst fears began to hound.
Called Vijay and got an update
A flash strike had happened, oh come on mate.
This wasn’t the perfect beginning, I thought
Was this a conspiracy or some kinda plot?
After roaming for some more time in sorrow
Spotted Vineet at a telephone booth, and we hugged as if there were no tomorrow.

AMSTERDAM (4th Dec)
It started snowing heavily, but our spirits didn’t sag
After all, we are not yet an old hag. :-)
Our first stop was the Anne Frank House
Sadness is the feeling this saga will arouse.
The story of a Jewish family in the Nazi days
As it lived through fear and haze.
Then we went to the famous Van Gogh
We gazed at his creations in awe.
He died young; his art knew no end.
With more than 900 paintings, he is a legend.
After some aimless wandering, we called it a day
This place would have been even more beautiful, if it had been May.

AMSTERDAM (5th Dec)
Got two pieces of good news the next morning,
My bag had arrived and Vijay was coming.
The weather improved as it was a nice beginning
The sun came out, warm and beaming.
Some Dutch cuisine for brunch was what we wanted
So, we found and went to this place but found it deserted.
To our utter dismay
Closed was the local market since it was Sunday.
We settled for an Italian lunch instead
Comprising of delectable lasagnea, salad and bread.
We then went on a ferry cruise
The city looked beautiful in the evening hues.
I was pleasantly surprised to see
How evolved the inland waterways were in the city.
As evening descended, we chose our next spot
It was the museum of sex and we had to stop.
It uncovered the world of sexual mystery
Surprisingly, it had a lot of history.
Sculptures, photos, and mannequins abound
We laughed at a few as we moved around.
It was unique in its own way
We came out more educated, I must say ;-)
Post dinner, we went to a place that sold pot
While in Sin City, we had to give it a shot.
We were novices and had never rolled a joint
But who cared, and that was the best point.
In the next one hour we puffed and laughed,
And disowned each other when we coughed. 
It was time to venture deep
The red light district was worth taking a peep.
With men and women both thronging the place
Your wildest fantasies are set ablaze.

BERLIN (6th Dec)
While Amsterdam was relaxed and easy going
Berlin was certainly more fast moving.
The city had been the lynchpin
Of modern history and the times we are in.
The monuments (Reichstag, Holocaust-Denkmal, Brandenburger Tor) are indeed a sight
Some witnesses of the Nazi power, some of the Jew plight.
The Checkpoint Museum Charlie and the Berlin Wall remains
Tell the story of the cold war and its pains.
Later we went to the Sony Center,
It’s very modern with its swanky architecture.
In that freezing cold we were having a good time
The day had to be ended with some German wine.
So, for dinner, we found a place that offered German food
A cozy small house setting, it suited our mood.

BERLIN (7th Dec)
To experience world cultures at a single site
Pergamon museum was the obvious choice.
I found myself wanting in more ways than one
To appreciate what it offered, the experience was so wholesome.
We saw the beautiful Roman and Greek sculptures
And, peeked into Egyptian and Mesopotamian cultures.
There was little time and so much to see
Rushing through this museum would be a pity.

Paris (Evening of 7th Dec)
Paris was more a transit point than a destination
In our choc-o-block itinerary though, it had to find a mention.
As Vijay and I headed for Paris, Vineet left for London
He could not join us in the land of Moet and Chandon.
By the time we reached the hotel, it was ten thirty
We set out to check out the Eiffel Tower’s beauty.
It was drizzling and it was nippy
So what- we were determined and gritty.
I had never imagined that iron and steel
Could be so raw, so naked and yet so preen.
Every iota of effort was worth it
To see the towering structure glitteringly lit.

Paris (8th Dec)
We visited the famous Pantheon first
It’s a beauty to satiate your spiritual thirst.
Our next stop was The Louvre- an unparalleled artistic abode
Though, we weren’t there to solve the Da Vinci code. ;-)
The museum is huge
It experiences people’s deluge.
I had not seen such a huge art collection before
The audio guide came to our rescue as we assimilated some more.
We saw the biggest wall painting that had been made
The famous Mona Lisa was there, and a tribute we paid.
On a different note, I can’t help but mention
French women are worth all the attention.
Those lovely ladies, if they smilingly greet,
Your heart is bound to skip a beat.
A couple of hours flew by as it was time for us to leave
When we checked the ticket, I found that it was not from Orly but Beauvais.
How could I miss such an important detail?
I guess I was too excited or, my memory had gone frail.
Beauvais was way outside the city
Neither did we get a bus, nor a taxi.
Called Vineet to find out other options for a flight
There was one from Orly, later that night.
The city seemed to have come to a standstill,
And Paris was not all that exciting in that December chill.
After a long wait we found a cab- eventually
Our driver waded through the inching traffic skillfully.
I had seldom seen Vijay sweat and fret
Guess this was one such occasion, you bet.
Finally, we reached Paris Orly
Though, our happiness lasted only momentarily.
We soon found out that our new flight was canceled
And our hopes to reach Barcelona that day fizzled.
We got our tickets for next day’s evening flight
Could anyone have expected this plight?
We decided to put this episode behind us
But, there was no way to go to the city in a train, cab or bus.
Hotels near the airport were prohibitively expensive
And all we had was the airport to live.
Slept or, rather barely slept that night
The ordeal’s end seemed nowhere in sight.

Paris (9th Dec)
The next morning was sunny and bright
We had time for some more sightseeing as we had an evening flight.
Found a locker for our luggage and so we dumped
Last evening was over and we were pumped.
The Cathedral of Notre Dame, next to river Siene, was the first place we went
Though thronged by many, it was serene and quaint.
The department of justice was what was next
We did not know what to see there and soon we left. :-)
The Conciergerie was next in line
A palace and a prison, it had stood for a long time.
Our lunch at a French café was a delight
It was perfect to relax and enjoy the sunlight.
Not wanting to take a chance and so we started early
For our flight from Paris Orly.
Thanked God for no more surprises this time
Else, I surely would’ve blown the top of mine
By the time we reached Barcelona, we needed some rest,
Though, Vijay got busy with the preparation for his test.

Barcelona (10th Dec)
Barcelona weather was a respite from the icy cold
The city was more refreshing compared to what I was told.
While Vijay’s coursework kept him busy,
The land of Gaudi and Picasso waited for me.
Picasso museum was what I first visited
Times that he lived in, were what his paintings reflected.
The genius of the man stood tall,
From canvas to ceramic, he experimented it all.
Antoni Gaudi is unarguably the most famous Spanish architect
The Sagrada Familia is a testament to why he is the best.
Each carving in that church showed his finesse and precision
Revolutionary for his times were his ideas and vision.
The streets of Barcelona have a very different feel
People are warm, relaxed and genteel.
In the evening I visited Park Guell
It’s yet another Gaudi marvel.
Oldies, youngsters and children one can see
The beautiful ocean at a distance and the glittering city.

Barcelona (11th Dec)
The next morning I took the cable car to visit the famous Montjuic fort
A witness to changing times, as it oversaw the port.
It had canons all over and one could easily gauge
That it protected the city from the enemy’s rage.
I went for a stroll- in and around
It was serene and there was silence abound.
The woods in the vicinity had many birds
The silence only broken by their occasional chirps.
Not far from the fort was the Museum of Art
Didn’t enter- just sat outside and enjoyed as it turned dark.
Vijay was done with his assignments so he also stepped out
His spirits were high, in spite of lack of sleep, without any doubt.
The street of Les Rambles had a carnival like feel
One can spend an entire night there; it would be no big deal.
We tried out some Tapas which turned out to be mouth-watering
It marked the perfect beginning to the evening.
While in Barcelona, I could not have missed the Flamenco
The performance was mesmerizing as it gained some tempo.
Everyone in the room had their eyes glued
As the artists’ hands clapped and their feet moved.
Freak out was the mantra that night, any excuse would have been lame,
If we had given in to our tiredness and slept, it would have been a shame.
The idea was not to be in a state of inebriety
But we had to go to Espit Chupitos for its shots and their variety (580 in number).
Each shot was unique- flaming or non-flaming
We started discussing business ideas (ha ha) as we started consuming.
I guess we had 4 each, honestly I lost count.
Each shot was fun; the bartender’s skills were paramount.
There was a slight buzz as we stepped out
The night was still young; there was a lot of crowd.
Without a discotheque, the experience would have been incomplete,
It was our last stop that evening and fun had been replete.

Return to Singapore (12th Dec)
I pined for more as I hadn’t experienced anything like this before
But, it was time for me to return to Singapore.
It felt like a hurricane dream where we experienced so much
I promised I’d visit Europe soon, its beauty was such.
Glad you made it to the end of this Mohithon
I guess I could have just gone on and on and on. :-)