An Evening in Paris!

Last September, when I discovered that I would be going to France for some official work, I thanked my stars and immediately planned to visit Paris, even if it was for a day! Later on, when I got the actual fixture, I figured out that I could afford two days for Paris and I had to meticulously plan the maximum number of places that could be covered in those days. Ever since I had read and seen “Da Vinci Code” it was a dream to go to Louvre and check out the diva passiona – Mona Lisa. I couldn’t just imagine that would come true so soon.

Paris is about 750 km away from Montpellier, the small town near the Mediterranean Sea, i.e. the place for my official visit. I took a TGV from Montpellier Saint Roch railway station and it took about three and half hours to reach Paris Gare de Lyon station. It was early morning, about 9:00 AM. In India, I would expect that distance to be covered in about 12 – 14 hours. The train was moving at such a high speed that initially I felt as if my ears were ringing. The journey gave views of picturesque landscapes, swirling small rivulets and picture perfect European country side – the ones I had seen in movies or National Geographic till date. The farmhouse had a setting with green pastures in front of them where healthy cows were grazing nonchalantly.

Somebody had told me, that France was the first country in Europe to embrace the gays and accept their sexuality. I had not researched on that, but what I saw on the train and immediately after reaching Paris was not a scene I see every day, even when I am in USA, the place that is seen as the most liberal in terms of alternate sexuality! (I tell you – that’s a myth about USA, I have felt that quite well and I wish I could think that out loud!). Inside the train, there were two guys, cozily having animated conversations in French that I couldn’t figure out. They seemed like good friends, and as I would expect, one of them had his laptop on and they were watching something. I repeatedly saw them holding each other’s hands. Even that would not say anything, and might look quite casual. I couldn’t, but help staring askance at them every now and then, just to figure out if they were couples. In between, both had left their stuff, laptop open and went outside of the sitting area. I could expect that they’d gone out for smoking, but then something gave me an uncanny suggestion that there was something. That was because; in Europe you are not even supposed to smoke in the toilets. To answer all my speculations, when I got down at the station, the two guys sealed their lips in a kiss for about a minute, hugged each other warmly and, I would believe they had to, depart in opposite directions.

“Welcome to Paris!”, I said to myself and was quite impressed at the way I was given a hint that people don’t even bother about your sexuality here!

I went to the welcome center.

“Bonjour Monsieur! Comment puis-je vous aider?” A sweet lady asked.

“Bonjour Mademoiselle! I speak just English; can you please help me plan my Paris visit?” I asked for guidance.

The lady helped me with a plan to cover the places on my list in a span of two days. She gave me a map and a welcome booklet – Paris Visite. Interestingly, when I browsed through that, a section came up on gays! The heading of that subsection was: A city with open and tolerant attitude. It had the following information (as-is cited from Paris Info):

Paris is a city with an open and tolerant attitude, where you can be your own person and there’s something for everyone. The capital boasts a myriad of gay or “gay-friendly” addresses, largely to be found in the first “arrondissements” on the Right Bank, around Châtelet and Hôtel de Ville, and at the heart of the Marais district (4th “arrondissement”). You’ll find dozens of bars and restaurants here flying the “rainbow flag” and a great choice of stylish boutiques for clothes or home decor, travel agents, etc...

Check out what’s on offer on the Paris gay scene: guides, associations, services, clubbing, events... in all the colours of the rainbow.

A plan to find out more on gay life in Paris was not in my scheme of things, and so I didn’t try to figure out a way how I could fit that in.

After spending about four hours at Museé du Louvre, seeing the diva passiona Monalisa, ( I pinched twice to figure out if I was standing in front of her in reality!), other famous paintings like “Madonna of the rocks”, the “Raft of Medusa”, and sculptures and various other relics, I decided to visit the Eiffel Tower (Tour Eiffel in French).

Regarded as a very romantic spot, (friends suggested : “Take along your sweetheart to Eiffel” – which, unfortunately, I didn’t have at that point of time) Eiffel tower reminded me of a scene from the movie Mera Pehla Pehla Pyar where Ruslaan proposes his girl friend at dusk in front of the tower. How I craved, I had someone with me! I was dampened by the mere site of the tower, and the loneliness gripped me even more when I found guys holding hands and kissing each other near the green patches adjacent to the tower. Luckily, I made friends with three more Indian guys, and the tour of Eiffel to the top, the scintillating view of Paris by the night and the chilly wind was not lonely anymore. There were Indian hawkers, selling Eiffel tower miniatures. They were cheap and I could also bargain, so, I bought two of them. The Eiffel tower is made to glow every hour with lots of blinking lights. It presents a grand spectacle. There is also a light and sound show that happens around 8:00 pm.

I decided to walk from Eiffel to Arc de Triomphe – the victory arc build by Emperor Nepolean in 1806. I had to cross the Siene river and walk by its sides and follow a trail to reach the place. This was as per instructions from one Punjabi hawker. He was quite helpful in making me learn a few phrases in French like “Où est-Champs Elysées?” (meaning – where is Champs Elysées?). He told me that the Arc was near that place, so if I went there I could see it. He suggested me to take a metro, but I preferred walking as I wanted to see the Eiffel Tower across Seine.

As I had a brief assumption about the gay scenario in Paris by that time, I didn’t find it awkward to see guys making out along the pavement besides Seine, while I was walking on it. I saw few guys sitting together and hugging each other, some even shedding tears and sharing their grief. Isn’t that what every gay wants? To have a companion to share your life, to have acceptance in the society like a straight couple, to see that homosex

uality is no more a taboo? For a moment, I fell in love with the city, and yet again remembered that I didn’t have that special somebody in my life!

Arc de Triomphe looked gorgeous with the lights. I had seen it atop Eiffel and then I was very close to it. It had nude French youth against bearded German warriors. I clicked couple of pictures and then headed towards my French lady’s house. Oh yes! I forgot to tell you, I had arranged to stay in a French lady’s house through my network of friends. Her

name is Alice and she stayed near St. Ambroise metro station and she gave me an algorithm to follow in order to decipher her house! I had to dial two codes on the num-pad in order to unbolt the doors of her house. Alice looked like Shakira! Seriously, she was a very beautiful young lady and we discussed our cultures and she could associate with my thoughts quite seamlessly.

The next morning I followed my plan and trailed along quite well. I managed to find an Indian guy and convinced him to come along with me so that we could click each other’s pictures instead of asking strangers to do so, and explaining everyone how to handle the camera! We visited Cathédrale Notre Dame de Paris, Pantheon and Nepoleaon’s Tomb at Les Invalides. Then we followed a broad roadway that culminated into Champs Elysées (pronounced shawmps- elyzees). Once again, I could see the Victory arc at that place. Champs Elysées is a very haute avenue in Paris with its collection of shops, cinema halls, restaurants and posh hotels. It is one of the most costly strips on earth with sky-soaring rents as high as € 1.1 Million.

Later, we planned to go to Moulin Rouge, as I had heard about that cabaret a lot and just wanted to see that once.

It is near a metro station named Pigalle on Boulevard de Clichy. There was a long queue of folks, trying to get into the first show of the day, starting at 6:00 pm that cost €13. I had to board a train for Montpellier at about 7:30 pm and so didn’t have the chance to peek in. Not that I was very much interested to see the partially nude girls performing inside. The atmosphere outside looked quite electrifying; I could scent a bit of the environment that could be inside.

I hurried back to Paris Gare de Lyon station to board the TGV to Montpellier. I decided to collect few Eiffel key rings from a near-by memento shop. The shop had a section for magazines and to my pleasant surprise there was a complete rack dedicated to Gay magazines! I looked at my surroundings discreetly and picked up one magazine to browse. I didn’t find curious eyes looking at me. I was at peace, and I flipped through the pages and became wide-mouthed and eyed seeing the bare-bone hot and sexy guys inside. (I was seeing a gay magazine for the first time!).

I might want to go back to Paris someday, and spend some time visiting the different places I missed out. Perhaps the city is the place to be, especially when it has accepted the concept of gays, something that is still unacceptable, and gays considered obnoxious in other parts of the world.
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Written for Pink Pages