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On our fifth day of the Europe Tour I had written about my experience in the TGV heading for Nice in the French Riviera. We reached Nice at 1915 hrs as per
the schedule. We got into the coach for an orientation tour of Nice.
Nice is one of France's leading holiday destinations and is situated in the South of France at the heart of the Côte d'Azur. Nice is a perfect holiday city of
sunshine, where the blue of the sky meets the blue of the Mediterranean. Indeed passion and romance are in the air. Later we were taken to an Indian
Restaurant 'Noori' for Dinner and then to Hotel Choiseul situated in the center of Nice, in a Belle Epoque
building. The hotel itself was very small and congested and fortunately we had to spend just one night. The following morning we took the route of the rich and famous to visit Cannes - the star of the
French Riviera.
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Cannes is well known for the International Film Festival held annually and is full of glitzy hotels, fancy cars, casinos and beaches. The city of Cannes is centered around the old port, the famous “Croisette” is the boulevard and the beach that extends around the bay to the east of the port. We took a short
photo stop at the Cannes Film Festival Venue. Besides lazing around on one of the fantastic
beachers, you could also visit the Golfe de Napoule or along the
Croisette. You can also indulge in a variety of nautical activities in Cannes. Shoppers' head to Rue d'Antibes and Boulevard de la Croisette as they are ideal
places for upmarket shopping. For those of you who'd like to try your hand at gambling you're in the right place. The city has some fantastic world class
casinos and while in the Riviera you could bet on being on a gambling trail through Cannes, Nice and Monaco.
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Enroute to Monaco we visited FRAGONARD, the famous Perfumerie at Grasse. The historic perfume factory in the heart of the Old Town is one of the oldest in
Grasse, for their present premises housed perfume making since 1782. In 1926 they took the name of Perfumerie Fragonard as a tribute to the famous
painter Jean-Honoré Fragonard. Here on a daily basis they produce perfumes, cosmetics and soaps in a setting imbued with respect for tradition. They
welcomed us and gave us a free guided tour, during which we discovered the various procedures involved in creating and producing their products. At the
end of this tour you can admire 3000 years of perfume history in their private museum. Their premises are open every day, Sundays and public holidays
included, from 9 am to 6.30 pm (closed 12.30 pm to 2 pm November to January). Products are also sold at factory price.
Here are some exciting facts we gathered at the Perfumerie:
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THE SECRETS OF MAKING PERFUME
• To extract 1 kg of essence of lavender, you need to distil 200 kg of lavender.
• For 1 kg of essence of neroli, 1000 kg of orange blossom are used.
• For 1 kg of Cabbage rose essence, over 3000 kg of roses are required.
• Each perfume is prepared every 2-3 years
• Storing perfumes in Aluminum bottles last longer(8 years) than Glass bottles (2 years)
• There are 3 Levels of concentration -perfume (about 20% of concentrate), toilet water (10% of concentrate) or eau de cologne (5-6%).
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The
Perfumer |
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The profession and art of being a "Nose"
A little known but essential profession, the "Nose", or perfumer, invents perfumes. His craft has little to do with science. He works surrounded by raw
materials using a set of precision scales, and by experimental dosages, through trial and error he gradually succeeds in creating a good perfume. It takes 7
years to become a 'Noser'. He is both an artist and a technician and his nose is of more use than any modern instrument. |
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A "Nose" can remember and recognize up to 3000 different
smells. Seated at his perfume organ (a miniature laboratory), the perfumer mixes his formulae and smells them on small dipsticks of paper soaked in perfume.
He works at compositions for months, sometimes years, until he finds a definitive accord. His aim is to create a harmony of fragrances as one creates a colour
harmony or a melody in music. There are approximately one thousand perfumers in the world but less than fifty of them are "Noses", that is, perfumers whose creativity and originality are
such that they are able to launch real trends. Every factory uses the services of one, two or three perfumers. Grasse is the main school and every "Nose" in existence is either a native of Grasse or has
worked in Grasse perfume making. |
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After the exciting tour of perfume making at the factory, we were given free time to have lunch on our own account. I was too happy to grab a bite at the
local restaurant serving a large variety of sandwiches. Later we continued to the Principality of Monaco. Monaco is the Mecca for the rich and the famous, the
gamblers and Grand Prix enthusiasts alike. When we reached Monaco, the Grand Prix was on and we were fortunate to have a look at the racing circuit from
a distance. A few roads were closed for security reasons. After the visit of the great French Riviera, we proceeded to Genoa, our first stop in Italy after a long
4 and a half hour drive. When we arrived at Genoa it was time for an Indian dinner at a local restaurant called 'New Girasole'.
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On our way from Monaco to
Genoa we drove through 52 long, never ending tunnels. After dinner we further drove for one and a half hour towards Sarzana. Overnight at Al Santandrea
situated between the Riviera dei Fiori and the Versilia coast, at the “AL SANTANDREA” Hotel. This property offers charming weekends immersed in the
flavours and hills of the Lunigiana on the Cinque Terre coast, as well as comfortable accommodations for important events such as Tour
in Toscana, MarmoMacchine at Carrara, or Golf competitions at the Versilia Golf Club. The “AL SANTANDREA” is the first large hotel on the descent to the coast
from the Parma or Milan-Genoa motorways. With its 52 bedrooms, all with telephone, minibar, colour TV and air conditioning, it represents the first real
possibility of finding accommodation for group or individuals, with ample parking and a play park for children.
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On the seventh day of our tour and after a good buffet breakfast, every family was given a bottle of mineral water. We were happy to have received one
complimentary bottle of water till one of the fellow travellers actually tasted the liquid and informed everyone that they had given a bottle of Soda. From this
point on the confusion of Soda water and Plain water continued because if you would ask for water at a restaurant or store they would give you soda. In UK
and France drinking tap water was absolutely safe but in Italy we were warned not to use the tap water for drinking. We departed for Pisa, which was just
one and a half hour drive from Sarzana, where we spent the night. We were to witness one of the Wonders of the World- The Leaning Tower Of Pisa. At Pisa
the coach was parked at the parking lot where we alighted and took the 'Servizo Speciale' Bus which operated from the parking lot to the Leaning Tower of
Pisa. The frequency of this bus was good. Before alighting the coach our coach captain had warned us to be careful of pickpocket and vendors selling fake
watches and other articles. Never allow 2 or more vendors to encircle you as there are chances of you being robbed. We were given 2 hours of free time to
spend near the Leaning Tower and that gave me sufficient time to unravel the mystery of the leaning tower besides doing some street shopping.
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After meeting the fellow travellers at the designated time and place we were taken for lunch to a local Indian restaurant called 'India' at a walking distance
from the Tower of Pisa. After lunch we returned to the coach by using the 'Servizo Speciale' Bus. We continued our onward journey to Rome - the capital of
Italy. Before checking in at the hotel, we were taken to a local restaurant for an early dinner & thereafter we checked-in at the Domina Residency Hotel.On day 8 of our tour, inspite of several warnings from the coach captain, a family of four in our group had been robbed of their passports and documents and
they had to abandon their tour and return to India with the assistance of the Indian Embassy in Rome as they had great difficulty in seeking assistance as
they weren't having any photocopy of their passports and visa pages as well. The rest of us continued with our visit to Vatican City.
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Vatican city is the smallest country in the world with its own postal stamps and coins and is located in the centre of Rome.
The tour included a visit to St.Peter's Square, St. Peter's Basilica inside Vatican City. St Peter was one of the oldest disciples of Jesus Christ. The area of the
Vatican City is just about 5 kms. There is a clear white stone line which marks the boundary between Rome and Vatican City. As soon as you enter Vatican
you see the St Peter's Square with the Obelisk in the centre and the Apostolic Palace where the Pope lives and from the second window from the right on the
top floor the Pope gives blessings. We were fortunate to visit Vatican on Sunday as at 12 noon the Pope would give blessings to the crowd standing
down at the Square. In St. Peter's Basilica itself there was a triangular shaped roof which was the 15th Chapel, which houses the paintings of Michelangelo. This is
also the place where the Pope is elected.
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On 19th April 2005 that's a month ago Pope Benedict XVI was elected. There is a special Chimney on the roof of the
15th Chapel which is used to signal the people that the Pope is elected (if the Pope is not elected the smoke comes out black and if the Pope is elected the
smoke comes out white). Then we entered St.Peter's Basilica, the largest church in the world. The dome over the main alter of St. Peters was made by
Michelangelo. Inside St Peters there is also “the Pieta” the famous sculpture of Virgin Mary with her dead son Christ crucified on the rock. This work was
done by Michelangelo when he was 23 years. Next to 'The Pieta', the body of Pope John XXIII (1958-63) was particularly put on display because he was soon
going to become a Saint. It was amazing to see the work done on the Dome which looked like paintings but the guide told us that it was Mosaic tiles. The
main Alter is used only by the Pope on special occasions like Easter Sunday. The main Alter is said to be above the tomb of St Peters - that is two floors
below. The floor immediately below the Alter that is the basement area was where the last Pope John Paul II was buried. There was a never ending queue to
see the tomb of John Paul II. After the Vatican we did a short city tour of Rome.
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As part of the City Tour, we passed through the only island on the Tiber River known as the Tiber Island. On this Island there is a square dome which is the
Rome Synagogue (the jewish place of worship). A few kilometers away was the Circus Maximus - the largest Chariot Racing Arena in ancient Rome although
not much is left of it archeologically. You can see the long parkway which was where the Chariot races were on, like you see in the movie 'Benhur'. Just
across is one of the famous seven hills of Rome - the Palentine Hill which was the residence of the Roman Emperor. In fact the word 'palace' comes from the
name of this hill 'Palentine or Palentinus' and you can still see the magnificent walls although what remains is mere brick and cement instead of the original
marble with fresco paintings and mosaic work.
Later, we drove towards the Colosseum, the largest of the ancient roman monuments - Most magnificent,
most imposing of all roman construction sites. It was built in 8 years by the Emperor in 4th Century AD for Gladiator fights against wild beasts. The official
name is Amphitheatre meaning double theatre that is two theatres put together forming an oval shape. In a short while from there we see the Arc of
Constantine. Constantine was the Emperor who legalized Christianity in the year 313 AD.This Arc was built to commemorate his victory with a rival Emperor. A
part of the outer wall of the Colosseum fell in an earthquake. There are 80 archways all around the Colosseum. Next was one of the most important roman
catholic churches called ‘Santa Maria Maggiore’ dedicated to ‘Madonna’ or ‘Mother Mary’. The façade that you see belongs to the 17th Century Baroque
Architecture. Another important attraction in Rome is the Trevi Fountain - The most famous fountain in Rome. In the Legend of '3 Coins in a Fountain' So you
drop 3 Coins in the fountain.
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The first coin is for returning to Rome,the second coin for getting married and the third coin is for getting married in Rome.
The local guide told us that we could also throw Rupee coins in the fountain and avoid throwing large denominations like the Euro. All these coins thrown in
the fountain are collected once a week and donated to the Red Cross. This fountain was built in the 1700's by Nicholas Salvi from 1732-1762. In the very
Centre there is a statue of Oceana- the God of the Ocean riding in a shell as if it was a chariot pulled by 2 sea horses which is controlled by 2 men who were
half men and half fish. On either side, there are 2 female statues representing Celebrity and Abundance.
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After visiting the fountain we had a brief halt to see
the Excelsior Hotel, which is one of the fanciest hotel in Rome. Then we drove to Castel Sant'Angelo which is the Pope's Fortress where the Pope could retire
in times of danger. Originally this was a tomb of a Roman Emperor. There is also an underground passage way from St. Peter's Basilica to Castel
Sant'Angelo.
This marked the end of the City Tour and we were taken to 'La Scuola del Gusto' for lunch and then we drove towards Padova which is 6 hours from Rome.
Our overnight halt was at the Sheraton Padova which is en route to Venice.
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The next day we left for Venice and after alighting from our coach we took the water taxi into Venice. At Venice, we first visited the St Mark's Square to see
the St Mark's Cathedral and the Bridge of Sighs. The Bridge of Sighs is a bridge where the relatives of the accused person have a last look at the accused
before being sentenced to death or life imprisonment. In Venice, one must not miss the Murano Glass Factory where they demonstrate how glass is blown
into fancy vases and shapes. The factory is more than 1000 years old and there is no school but a family tradition that is passed from father to son. The raw
materials for making glass are silica sand, soda and potassium these ingredients are mixed and then heated at 1098 degree centigrade to form different
shapes and sizes. The colours added to glass depend on the metal used. For example cobalt is added to get the blue colour, copper is added to get green,
gold is added to get red and that is why you will notice that red coloured glass articles are more expensive than the others. After the visit to the Glass
Factory we were given 2 hours to explore the place on our own. The most exciting option to pass our time was to hand feed pigeons or do some souvenir
shopping at the stalls or go for a Gondola Ride which costs approximately Euro15 per person . As we explored the area we noticed that the waters of Venice
city were stinking and dirty.
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At 1300 hrs we had to assemble at the same place where the water taxi had dropped us to return back to the bus.
One of the important matters of concern was that in the last few decades the high tides in Venice have increased notably in both frequency and intensity.
The aggravation of this phenomenon due to the combined effect of a rise in sea level and a drop in land level has determined a loss in the height of the land
with respect to the sea level of about 23 cms since the beginning of the 20th Century. The lowest areas of the city have been the hardest hit. St Marks
Square begins to flood with tides just over + 60 cms and at
+ 100cms the St Marks Square is entirely submerged in water at least 250 times a year.
After lunch which comprised of pizzas and coke, we continued to Innsbruck and into Austria - one of the most scenic places in the world and also known as
the ‘Jewel of the Alps’. To know more about Austria you will have to wait for the next issue of Opportunities Today.
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(to be continued...)
Sanaya Dadachanji Senior Tour Consultant - Compact Travels
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Tips
on Health, Safety and Security in Italy and
Travelling in General |
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• In Italy tap water is not safe for drinking unlike UK, France |
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• Be careful of pickpocket and vendors selling fake watches and other articles. |
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• Never allow 2 or more vendors to encircle you as there are chances of you being robbed. |
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• If you want mineral water always specify the words 'without gas' or else you will end up drinking soda. |
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• At the time of packing your bags for a long international holiday always keep a photocopy of all the passports, visas, return air tickets and Insurance Policy
of each passenger in each of your travel bags. |
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• Always divide the cash you are carrying in different bags and avoid carrying lot of cash. Instead use credit cards or Travellers Cheque. |
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• Every bag should be locked when you leave your hotel room for sightseeing. Use the Locker facility to keep valuables. |
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• Original passport and ticket must be kept in a bag hanging around your neck and hidden under your coat or shirt. |
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For customized holiday to Europe and other exciting destinations contact COMPACT TRAVELS (www.compacttravels.com) and we will ensure that you can explore places like never before and experience a holiday of a life time. Call our consultants at +91(022)22828208 or 22812593 or email
compact@rbcsgroup.com
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