European Fusion Dreams Sojourn – A Journey to Remember

“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” – C.S. Lewis

Namaste, friends!

We are a retired couple—myself and my beloved wife, Chandrika—now embracing a new chapter in life: one filled with exploration, joy, and ticking off long-awaited dreams from our bucket list. After decades of dedication to work and family, we finally gifted ourselves the time and freedom to explore the world together—with curious eyes and grateful souls.

This blog is our way of sharing memories from our very first international trip, taken in 2024—a dream tour of Europe, aptly named the European Fusion Dreams Sojourn, beautifully organized by the renowned travel company Thomas Cook. It was a thoughtfully curated group tour organized by the renowned travel company Thomas Cook, designed especially for senior citizens from all over India, brought together by a shared zest for life and travel.

Our itinerary spanned some of the most enchanting places in the world—France, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, Rome, Venice, and Vatican City—each place echoing with history, romance, and culture.

As if the journey wasn’t already special enough, the universe added its own magic—our second day in Europe, June 1st, happened to be the birthday of two very special people in my life: my wife Chandrika and our younger daughter Twinkle.

And what a setting it was! That year, Chandrika celebrated her birthday in the city of dreams—Paris. To witness her smiling under the Parisian sky, surrounded by timeless beauty, was a memory etched forever in my heart. Truly, what could be more magical?

✈️ Our Journey Begins

We had set off from Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi, on May 31st, 2024, flying with Oman Air. Our first layover was in Muscat, where we had a few hours to relax and take in the serene beauty of Muscat International Airport—a marvel of modern design. It was sparkling clean, tastefully designed, and carried a quiet, peaceful charm that made our brief stay truly pleasant.

The local Omanis had stood out with their dignified presence, dressed in traditional white robes and headscarves. The women, modest yet modern, carried themselves with grace and quiet confidence. Though Oman is a Muslim country, we found it to be remarkably progressive and warm in its hospitality—a truly welcoming experience.

We had boarded our connecting flight to Paris at around 2:10 PM (local time). After a smooth and comfortable seven-hour journey, filled with warm service, delicious meals, and plenty of snacks, we landed in Paris at 7:25 PM local time (around 11 PM in India).

🌇 First Impressions of Paris

Paris had welcomed us with a cool, refreshing breeze and pleasant weather—around 14°C. A comfortable coach arranged by Thomas Cook had picked us up from the airport and driven us to our accommodation—Hotel Jangle, a charming 4-star hotel.

By the time we had checked in, it was nearly 9 PM, and yet daylight still lingered across the sky. That had been one of the many delightful surprises of European summers—the sun didn’t set until after 10 PM! The roads were wide and immaculately clean, and everything moved in such an orderly and graceful rhythm. It had felt as though we had stepped straight into a dream.

🥐 A New Day Dawns

At that time, it had been early morning—7:30 AM in Paris, which meant it was around 11:00 AM in India. We were just about to head for breakfast and begin our first day of sightseeing.

Sharing glimpses from one of the most enchanting experiences of our Paris visit — a serene boating excursion on the River Seine.
With the iconic Eiffel Tower forming a stunning backdrop, we gently cruised along the historic river, passing by magnificent heritage buildings, elegant bridges, and world-renowned museums on both banks.

One of the highlights was spotting the majestic Louvre Museum—home to the legendary Mona Lisa, nestled among centuries of art and history. We also caught a glimpse of the Les Invalides Church, known for its golden dome and as the final resting place of Napoleon Bonaparte.

The cruise offered a unique and leisurely way to soak in the soul of Paris, followed by a panoramic drive through the city’s wide, tree-lined avenues and charming boulevards.

Our Itinerary:

So enjoyed the beautiful and romantic city of Paris. It had been very hectic, tiresome but at the same time equally mesmerizing sight seeing in the last two days in Paris. On day one , we had boat excursion for almost two hours in the river Seine cruise. It had been very thrilling and ecstatic experience to have romantic cruise on the river Seine, it was totally overcast on day one with slight drizzling in between, making the weather pleasant and coolly. This divides the city of Paris into two parts. On one side is an old Paris with breath-taking landscaping, wide roads, pavements, similarly designed buildings on both sides, flawless traffic system, no high rise or skyscrapers. Greenery all around, people attired in their best loitering around.

Next we visited Louvre Museum , one of the largest in the world and home to the world famous Mona Lisa painting. It takes two hours to rush through the museum even in a hurried manner, paintings and statutes are to be seen to be believed. We also visited Alexander bridge, Arc de Triomphe, Concorde square, Opera House and Les Invalidesc Church where lies the body of great Napolean Bonaport.

Day three of the tour had been very rewarding and most fascinating one. One of the most visited place in the world Eiffel Tower is so majestic and stunningly marvellous that one marvels at the architectural wonder and acumen ship of all those french architects who built it up in the year 1889 to commemorate hundred years of french revolution. It was completed in the record time of two years two months and five days. We went up to second level in the electrically operated trolley, it is on too much height from where one can have commanding view of the entire city of Paris. One feels totally spell bound to see the view all around. It is ethereal feeling to be on top in the Eiffel tower.

Next we proceeded to the guided tour of Versailles Palace , it was built up in the year 1642 and took forty years to be completed by King of France ,Luice XIV. There are huge paintings of king, queen and other notable characters in the history and royalty of France. It takes more than two hours to have full round of the palace that too with the help of a guide. Gardens of the palace are so beautifully laid and landscaped that even Moghul gardens of our Delhi pale into shadow.

There are many Indian restaurants in Paris where one can have delicious Indian meals. One is sheerly enthralled to see the city of Paris.

Sharing with all you few snaps of the visit.

Truly an unforgettable Parisian experience!

There had been something truly rejuvenating about waking up in a new city, especially one as storied and beautiful as Paris. I had decided to save the stories and snapshots of our Paris adventures for Day Two—which, as I had mentioned earlier, was also filled with joyful birthday celebrations!

Until then, we had sent warm wishes and love to all our friends and family back in India. We were truly grateful for all the blessings and encouragement that had come our way as we set off to explore the world in our golden years.

With warmth from Paris,
–Manoj K Bansal
A senior citizen chasing dreams, one destination at a time.