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September 2, 2015

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Enjoying the sights and sounds of Paris, but pining for Hangzhou

Source: Shanghai Daily | September 2, 2015, Wednesday | Print Edition

TO promote Hangzhou as a world-class tourism destination and lure more foreign visitors, the Hangzhou Tourism Commission organized Hangzhou China Global Tour 2015. Two families, one from China and the other from the US, were selected as Hangzhou ambassadors to tour seven countries while promoting Hangzhou.

The tour started on August 1 and lasts 30 days. The global tour includes a visit to Dunhuang in northwestern China’s Gansu Province and then moves west along the Ancient Silk Road. It also includes stops on the Greek islands of Mykonos and Santorini, Dubrovnik in Croatia as well as Venice, Geneva, Paris, Boston and New York.

Shanghai Daily invited the Capaldi family, the US ambassadors, to write a weekly column during the trip. Today we carry their fifth article about their world tour.

We woke up to warm, nourishing sunlight in Paris … the City of Light! After exhausting days of travel fraught with drama, canceled flights, missed buses and bullet trains, from Venice, through to Geneva, and finally on to Paris, we felt our Global Tour companions had truly become a family. Our group of 14 came together and helped each other carrying cases, getting water and food for all, and genuinely caring for one another. It was truly a demonstration of brotherhood, and it was good to see their smiling faces as we ventured forth to discover Parisian delights and wonders.

We went to Shakespeare and Company, the world-renowned book shop and literary home to such legendary writers as Ernest Hemingway, Ezra Pound, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Gertrude Stein, Allen Ginsberg, Gregory Corso, and William S. Burroughs. We could have spent hours (in fact, we could have spent days) perusing the shelves of innumerable new and used books. It reminded us of our visit to Innocent Age Book Bar in Hangzhou as both have the same air of romance and literary peace. The beauty of the river Seine, just as the beauty of West Lake, has inspired poetry, music and art for generations.

Our short time in Paris was filled with wonderful adventures, including visiting Marché Bastille, a traditional Parisian outdoor food market. The wooden carts were overflowing with delicious fresh vegetables, and fruit including just-picked raspberries, grapes, melons, apples, cherries, and bananas, along with giant wheels of Brie and Camembert, Manchego and Emmental cheese. There were warm baguettes, and, of course, scores of bottles of French wine.

Suitably stocked with supplies, we set out to have our very own Global Tour picnic at the base of the Eiffel Tower. A quick drive took us through Placé De La Concord, where King Louis XV, Marie Antoinette, and many other luminaries were guillotined during the French Revolution. Then we crossed the Alexander 3rd Bridge, surely one of the most beautiful of the 58 bridges in Paris. When we arrived at the Eiffel Tower, we found the perfect spot to spread our blanket, open the wine, and devour our French feast. Truthfully, we wished we were not in the shadow of the famed Eiffel Tower, but at the base of Lei Feng Pagoda instead. It made the wine taste that much sweeter.

We also visited the Cathedral of Notre Dame. It’s one of the oldest and most imposing churches in France. Construction started in the 12th century and was finished 300 years later. It contains a rich treasury of paintings, furniture and other precious pieces representing many centuries of architectural and artistic design.

We enjoyed several delicious lunches in typical Parisian brasseries. There are an estimated 2,422 brasseries, bistros, and cafes in Paris. Parisians enjoy a leisurely coffee or tea at any time during the day, which reminded us of the beautiful teahouses in Hangzhou, and how the aromatic taste of Longjing tea is conducive to relaxed conversation and serene moments overlooking the tranquil waters of West Lake.

Paris is intoxicating, inspiring, and romantic. In fact, it is considered the top tourist destination in the world. We concluded our visit there with the realization that our visit to Hangzhou has become the standard by which we measure all other experiences — great for Hangzhou, but not so good for anywhere else. We believe Hangzhou is positioned to become as popular a world travel destination as Venice, Athens, Geneva, and Paris.

Nest week, as the Global Tour concludes, we introduce the Zhou family to the dynamic energy and unmistakable uniqueness that is New York City.

Hangzhou


 

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