My Travelogue - Day 2 Paris (16th July 2013)

So trust me when I say this, but I have no idea where and how to start. So after an eventful day 1, I knew I was going to be struck by several amazing moments in the coming days. When I woke up on 16^th morning excitement levels were sky high.

We walked from the hotel to Place d’Italie bus station and caught the bus to Champs Elysees. Fun fact- people in Paris don’t know their roads. Technology plays a major part. Maps and GPS do all the magic. We got down at Champs Elysees and boss took out the map. We were in a pickle about where to go first. AARGHH! What a feeling it was. Nevertheless we went up to the second floor and the view of the city from up there was an experience in itself. Simply spectacular. Well, I wouldn’t say it was worth the queue though. Kidding.

On one side was the famous Louvre Museum and on the other side Arc de Triomphe. Since the Eifel tower was just walkable distance from Arc de Triomphe, we chose the latter. Walking along the sidepaths of Champs Elysees was definitely a treat to the eye. Souvenir and brand shops consumed the road in between. The Louis Vuitton head office was another “wow!! Look at that” moment. We reached Arc de Triomphe after a good 20 minutes’ walk. Well, Europe can get pretty hot at this time of the year and Paris was hot that day. We took the map and paved our way forward to Trocadero so that we could connect at Eiffel. Oh mother of god that was one hell of a walk. Tiring. But when you are do as the Parisians do. And that’s what we did.  Though we were exhausted by the time we reached the Eiffel tower we got our self a nice crush to rejuvenate ourselves because the queue to go to the top was not very promising. The queue was pretty lengthy and it went round and round and round around the tower. We waited for 3 hours in the mercy of the shade of the tower. And then when we reached the ticket counter the sign on top read, “TOP FLOOR TEMPORARILY CLOSED BECAUSE OF OVER CROWDING”

Hunger had struck me pretty hard by then. All I wanted was food. And of course, some nice beer. Kronenbourg  Biere Blanche came to my rescue along with lunch by the river with lamb and rice.  Yumm !!Wise men say that when you are hungry, it really shows the way you eat your food. I gobbled the food down and I was ready to hit the sack for the day. But the day had just begun. We headed to the Trocadero metro station and got the train back to the hotel. I must tell you that I was restless that I was not in touch with anyone back home and the only green side was that the Wi-Fi was active at the Hotel.

When you have a girlfriend back home you end up doing crazy things. So I changed into my tracks and headed out looking for an SFR store as suggested by a dear friend at the bar who I met the previous day. I got to the store and there was no one there who could speak English. I managed with sign language and broken English to make them understand that all I wanted was a Sim card with internet connectivity. Though I paid a bomb (how much, I don’t want to disclose here), I finally got myself a French number. To my horror the internet was not active and I cursed myself. Technology has indeed grown. We chat, whatsapp etc to bring your loved ones closer. But god darn, it all works on internet.

I rushed back to the hotel and got suited up for an experience of a life time -Le Lido C’est Paris. We had to contact Marie who was the International tourism Sales Manager for Lido, thanks to Cashin a regular at my bar who introduced us to her through mail. Further thanks to my new SFR connection we contacted her and she was ready outside waiting for us. We reached an hour early before dinner and the show. Marie was kind enough to show us around the place. Even the back of the house and also the PDR’s. She popped a Champagne bottle with us and accompanied us to the privileged seats. VIP Seats for LIDO for half the price was something unexpected.

We sat down and the dinner commenced with a bottle of champagne. I went for the kill with the menu ordering the foie gras with oven roasted peaches which was divine. Followed by Loin of Veal with Courgette, grilled mushrooms, olives and gravy which was a huge success with  amazingly cooked veal and to top it off Pompon Macaron Bonheur. The show commenced and there were colors everywhere. Artists gliding and mesmerizing the crowd with moves. Hot chicks flashing their ***** on your face was an interesting start but considering the walk from Champs Elysees  to Eiffel tower and the hunt for the sim card, the lion here could not growl with excitement anymore and went to bed in the cozy petit privileges seat of ours when the show was just half done. I remember been woken up by my boss with the words “watch it, I paid through my nose even after the discount.“ So yes, I did manage to catch the last 15 minutes. Trust me the show was fantastic but there is a limit to the entertainment a human body can take. We left Lido and did not want to make the mistake of taking a cab again. So we didn’t. Instead we enjoyed the street dancers on the way to the Roosevelt station and got into a metro and headed back to the hotel. I was darn hungry by the time I reached the hotel, god knows why. I went to a nearby café and ordered for a burger and fries and coke and that was it. Eternal glory. Mayonnaise and meat with mustard. May it be in France or may it be in India. Fattening but oh so good.

Ok , so the adjacent store was a booze store FYI and Indian mentality is quite strange. When we get beer in return as balance change, we just take it even if you did not want it in the first place. So yes I picked up Bavaria premium beer from Holland to wrap up my day.

I got back to the hotel and changed into something comfy. Though I was tired didn’t want to crash yet so I managed to sip the perfect brew and went online uploading some pictures on Facebook to make a lot of people jealous and slept away dreaming about tomorrow which was even more loaded.

My Travelogue -Day 1 Paris (15th July 2013)

When Shilpa Madkar, the food and beverage Professor, IHM Mumbai taught us about old world wines, I was one person who sat glued to whatever she said. We sat in awe while she drew maps on the board and tried to remember the regions she pointed out. One country that caught my attention was indeed France. For its wines, its regions and its classification, it was a cut above the rest. For a beginner in wines it’s always better you learn France as a wine region the last, because if you study about the wines of France it’s sure to confuse the wits out of you. Trust me. Been there done that. I took the risk of breaking down the complex wines of France and it was tough. In one such session I told myself that I would do anything to go there and experience France.

“If you have a dream, protect it”. I took Will Smith way too seriously when I watched his movie ‘Pursuit of Happyness’.  Opportunities don’t come by again and again, so when one comes by  ,grab it and mutilate it- strong words! And that is all that I did.

Which is why I am right now in Paris. Enjoying what life has thrown my way so out of the blue.

Day 1 July 15^th 2013

The moment I got into the dream liner 727 Air India I knew I was going for the best ride of my life. I was disappointed that they did not give me a seat in front because I have very long limbs and economy class is not very broad minded when it comes to spacing. But I managed and shoved my bag inside the storage cabin and sat quietly.  Few minutes later, a gentle man came up to my boss and me and asked us to get up and follow him to the cockpit. I was a little skeptical thinking there was a problem, and followed him quietly. We reached the first class executive seats and he said “You will be travelling first class to Paris” and I was like what the!!! Wow! Now that was surprise number 1. I could have played football if I wanted to with the space I had to myself. I sat like a king, figuring out all the gadgets. Playing around with my recliners and whiling away time drinking away to glory. After a while I lost track of what I was drinking but Paris was still another couple of hours away. The most comfortable flight experience that I have ever had where I was pampered to the core.

After landing in Paris, confusion ensued. Too many options! So there was a Roissy bus which goes to the city, and there were shuttles that go to Paris on a sharing basis, RER trains, Taxis etc etc and we were like, “now what??”

The “now what” had to be answered fast because we had a dinner to get to. So without second thoughts we hopped onto a train, dragging the luggage up and down the stairs of every time we had to change trains. Finally Place d’Italie. The moment I got off the metro and stepped out I could smell life, love, joy, food and booze in all its Paris-ness. Well- planned, identical buildings; clean roads; roadside cafés filled with people enjoying drinks or making conversation or just chilling. I was in love with Paris already.

We checked into the hotel after a good stroll trying to locate it. After a quick shower I dressed up for the occasion. As Barney Stinson, from the famous sitcom, How I Met Your Mother would have said it, I suited up.

 Destination was Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athénée, a michelin three star restaurant run by world renowned chef Alain Ducasse. I remember reading about michelin star restaurants when I was in college.  It was great to have a classification of restaurants on the basis of the service they offered, I thought. When I started working in the industry, my knowledge about such restaurants grew and I started hearing more and more about each restaurant. Fat duck, L’Arpège, Pierre Gagnaire, Savoy and many other fantastic restaurants became dearer to me.

We reached Plaza Athénée Hotel at 10 pm and what startled me was that the sun was just setting. So late?!!.  The concierge directed us the restaurant and the hostess greeted us and told us that the chef de cuisine was expecting us. Now that was a special moment. Yes, they are aware that we are from the Taj Hotels ,Resorts and Palaces but an entry straight to the Kitchen was fab. We were met by Christopher Saintage, chef de cuisine of Alain Ducase au Plaza Athénée. He showed us around and we spoke for a while. He was bloody well sure that we were going to love the experience. I could see that in his eyes.

We were seated in well set, nicely laid tables with the best cutlery, crockery and glassware. Stewards opened the napkins for us and poured us water. Just after they took leave, a lady came up to us and presented the menu and the moment she turned away there was a portion of relish on the table. Cured sea bass on toast that melted in my mouth. We went through the menu and before I could call for any one a steward came to us and started explaining each dish. Suggested the classics of the restaurant and how we should plan the meal. We settled with what we wanted to have. For mains, boss man had lobster and I called for a good turbot and for desserts Framboise and Baba au Rhum

We started with the relish. As soon as we finished with the bit sized relish , we were served an amuse- bouche with steamed vegetables and  dip. I couldn’t figure out what the dip was exactly but I promise you it was legendary. While we made our way through it, the big bread trolley came to our table. We were asked to select  what we wanted to have.  Even if it sounds a little clichéd, I have to say this, the French know how to bake. The sommelier came and suggested some wines and since I was having fish I thought of going with a nice Riesling. The service was truly commendable. Perfectly synchronized. The mains arrived in style and I enjoyed every bite like it was my last. Flawlessly cooked, not flaky, not mushy turbot, served with spices and herbs with a sauce which blended so well with the fish. The flavours were so divine.

Once we were done with the main course it was promptly cleared, the table crumbed and cutleries aligned for dessert. I have heard about world class fine dining service but this is the first time I experienced it. The sommelier bought his liquor trolley to the table and I had to choose which Rhum I would like to have with my Baba au Rhum. I tasted several good Rhums from Jamaica , Barbados and Martinique and I finally settled with Rhum 1987 from Martinique for its elegant aroma and subtle flavors. The Baba au Rhum was exemplary.

The entire experience was one worth the Euros we spent at the restaurant. As a parting gift we were handed a packet of sea salt as a souvenir to carry back to India. I was out of words and moreover I was stuffed. We headed back to the hotel and hit the nearby café for a beer and closed our action packed first evening in Paris.

Statutory warning: Never choose to travel by taxi in Paris if you are planning to save money for a better experience.  Bloody expensive. (Learned it the hard way). 

BIO DYNAMIC WINES - FOR A GREENER PLANET

The world has had its revelation. The human race has changed incredibly turning destroyer from creator, and now they are moving on as a Sustainer. Now, the whole world is in a quest to sustain and protect whatever is tangible. Work in a way that secures the future and future generations won’t curse us for the harm that we have done to their sustainability because of our crude actions. We as a race are trying to reduce the use of so many things which are indeed harmful and are constantly trying to invent things, which are greener, cleaner and friendlier for humanity .From the food we consume to the way it has been produced we have given birth to a new prefix – “ORGANIC”.
Well the world of wines has had this revelation way back in the 19th century. Through a series of interesting lectures on agriculture by Dr. Rudolf Steiner back in 1920’s the word Biodynamic came into being. At present it has become a copyright term so I am not very sure if it is right on my part to use it throughout my article. Kidding. In the recent past the culinary and beverage industry have seen a lot of terms which sound complicated and technically corny like Molecular Gastronomy, Molecular Mixology, Organic farming ,biodynamic wines and so on.
What exactly are biodynamic wines? Well, before my research on the topic, my impression on the biodynamic wine was that it is produced by keeping in mind the age old hoogga hoogga dance around the fire before planting the wines followed by another session of jigga jigga dance during harvesting and another couple of such entertainers in every other step. Well no one can say that I was completely wrong. Because bio dynamic wines are actually produced keeping in mind the farming techniques attuned to the spiritual forces of the cosmos. Which means biodynamic wines are cultivated by linking sowing and harvesting to the phases of the moon or the positions of the planets; it can also include burying cow manure in a cow's horn over the winter, unearthing it in the spring , diluting a minute amount of the substance in 34 liters of water, "Dynamizing" it by stirring it by hand in alternating directions for an hour spring or so and then spraying the mixture over one's vineyard.
In the recent years the trend of biodynamic wines have spread like wildfire in many leading regions including France, Italy, Austria ,Germany, Australia ,south Africa, Canada ,Chile and the United States and now there are over 450 biodynamic wine producers in the whole world and that number is increasing at a rapid rate. Several large producers of these regions have started adopting biodynamic viniculture. And when one of the best houses of France - Romanee Contee started coming up with biodynamic wines I was dead sure that this revelation was on to something. Though it is quite similar to organic wine making it also emphasizes the significance of healthy soil for cultivation, by use of natural compost which is mainly

mineral, vegetal or animal material in a very stringent quantity throughout the process. What excites me is that the farmers are so particular and they plant and tend to their crops according to the calendar where the energy in the plant is at peak due to some natural phenomenon and the precision in which these details are considered are at an epitome. Use of less chemicals reduces the sulfur content in the soil, creating each bottle of wine with minimum handling. The sulfur content in the wine is also of very high importance but the wine makers know it is required just in the right quantity or let me use the term “traces” so as to balance the wine in transit. It’s quite true that biodynamic wines do bring out the true flavors of the fruit because of its lack of intervention using other chemicals and hence the wine is more exclusive though low in alcoholic content when compared to its counterparts. The winemakers have observed that the biodynamic wines are more vibrant and claim that these wines are stronger and clearer in taste and are drinkable for a longer period of time. One another interesting thing noted is that there is a clear connection between the physiological ripeness of the fruit with the sugar content present which makes it a balanced wine and this helps to keep the alcoholic content perfectly balanced and same even where there is a change in the climatic condition.
All said and done, not everybody is very convinced about the quality, longevity and the durability of these wines. Especially a lot of resistance coming from the old world wine regions in lending out the appellation for Biodynamic wines and hence it is only given a simple “Vin de Table”- table wine. Well that does not mean that the wines produced biodynamically are an easy buy in the market like every other table wine. It has its own special way of being charged at a premium much like the sought after sourdough bread or the unpasteurized cheese. But not to forget, not just any winery can call them biodynamic, there is a very strict process that they must adhere to so that they can be classified as biodynamic.
When the whole world is embracing this new gig I was asking myself what Indian wineries were doing about it. I am sure they are certainly embracing the sustainability and organic shift that is taking place but considering the youth of the industry they have a long way to go before they can take that next step. The immediate goal right now seems to get the industry off the ground before taking that plunge, but it’s nice to know the big wigs in the industry, such as Rajeev Samant CEO of Sula Vineyards, are talking about it.
Now we just have to wait and see how this new hurricane is going to change the whole segment of the beverage industry. Till then I think you should just forget the lunar alignments and planetary changes and just enjoy the glass of beautifully crafted biodynamic wine and you will learn for yourself how special it can be.