It was a Thursday and after a hectic two days of sightseeing Paris we just wanted to take things easy, just relax. Hence we woke up late, took elaborate showers and just ventured out to the nearby shopping centre in La Defense, which was pretty impressive. It’s called the Les Quatres Temps and comprises of more the 200 shops. It is fully wheelchair accessible and has many cafes, restaurants, fast food restaurants and many other shops (it’s like Blue Waters in UK but not as grand of course). Anyways we roamed around the top floor, it was huge. As we did not have breakfast our stomachs were rumbling. We decided that we’ll have something quick and fast but healthy but not fast food. So we had French Bread with cheese, tuna and tomato it was cold but scrumptious. After a lovely and quick snack we gallivanted the ground floor. Although I didn’t have to shop but it was fun roaming around the shops. I just bought my Mom a perfume. While we were window shopping we came across a Haagen Dazs kiosk, had to have ice cream. After checking out the entire shopping centre we went back to the hotel. It was around six o’clock when we reached the hotel washed up and relaxed in our rooms for a bit.
As it was our last day we wanted to have a lavish French dinner in one of the pure French localities of Paris and then see the world famous Moulin Rough. We had already booked tickets in advance, that is from UK. (the best is to make reservation earlier at http://www.moulinrouge.fr, I emailed them, they were really helpful. Our tickets were 93 Euros per adult and its all worth it). We consulted the hotel concierge for locating a nice French authentic restaurant somewhere near Moulin Rouge. We were told that Moulin Rouge is located in the red light area of Paris and has many French restaurants. Soon we were all dressed sitting in a taxi taking us to this restaurant called Gundogdu Restaurant in Clinchy area. Although the area is not very pleasant to be in but the food was great. The restaurant was located in the corner of an alley with winding steep narrow streets running up and down the Clinchy district. The restaurant was not wheel chair accessible but as I was on a manual wheel chair, it was picked up by two people of the restaurant, as long as I was a customer they were happy to help. The food was delicious and the atmosphere was great, I felt so French that night.
Our next venture was Moulin Rouge, which was a few streets away from the restaurant. As soon as we got out of the restaurant it began to rain heavily, at that moment those few streets felt like miles away. We were all nicely dressed for the show but when we reached we were all wet. But I was still very excited after all I was going to see the world famous show Moulin Rouge. The fun part now begins but ends soon. As I had pre-booked for the show, so they already knew that one of their guests for tonight’s show is on a wheel chair. As soon as we arrived one of the chaperones standing outside Moulin Rouge took our reference number and then took me on my wheel chair and told me that we shall be taking you through the VIP area. Wow! It was awesome. For the start the passage way was all covered in red and everywhere there were the original photos of actors and actresses of old times and posters made by well-known artist like Toulouse-Lautrec , Jules Cheret, Louis Anquetin and so on all from the art Noveau, post-impressionism period i.e. during the 1900. They were rooms on either sides, elegantly decorated with chairs and tables neatly set-up with elegant table cloths, wine glasses and cutleries all set up for a meal. Soon I was told that this arrangement is for the 9 o’clock show which includes dinner therefore these rooms are used by our VIP guests who are celebrities or people who buy tickets for more than 200 Euros. I was also informed that in the olden days these rooms were used for prostitution by wealthy people of Paris. Further ahead there was a lift to go downstairs, everything was in red it all looked so grand and naughty. Soon we passed the dressing rooms of actors and actresses; there was hustle and bustle everywhere. Then a few steps ahead we turned and it was all quiet, the man pushing me halted in front of two huge doors and then pressed a button on the wall and finally these huge wooded doors opened in front of me. Well here I could see all these people lined up waiting to go in to watch the show. Among them were my folks standing as well. As I was on a wheelchair I got to be right at the front of the queue and to be the first one to be seated. There, the VIP treatment was over and had to wait for the previous show to finish. Although it was a 15miniute wait but it felt like forever. Finally are turn came and we were let in. The auditorium could hold approximately 200 audiences. The auditorium was not fixed with individual seats in fact was designed and decorated the similar way it was in the 1800s. It has many round tables and chair for two, four and six everywhere, each placed with a candle lamp and wine glasses, as during the show everyone’s presented with wine, juice or water. Soon everyone was seated and the show began. The show was a bit in English as they were people from all over the world to watch it; most of the songs were in French. The language did not really matter as it was more of the thrill and excitement to watch the world famous show. The show was super but a lot of inappropriate dances and nudity. Anyway the show ended at 1:00 am, but it took us almost an hour to get out and get hold of a taxi to take us back to the hotel.
It was past two in the morning by the time we laid in bed. Our train, back to UK, was at 7o’clock in the morning hence our taxi to the train station from the hotel was booked for 6:00 am. Gosh! We did manage to make it all in time though we were all very tired and as soon as we sat in the train we were all fast asleep. In two hours time home sweet home, aaah.
As said by Chris Sherrod “The Prosperity Guy”: I saw love of people in Paris (it is the romance capital of the world after all), love for food (fantastic food everywhere), and freedom without all those closed circuit cameras in the UK. It was a short but awesome trip to Paris. MuaaH!
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