Educating the Digital Generation

It’s probably no secret that I am a great big kid at heart. That’s why, if there is a Magic Kingdom (for the uninitiated, that’s how Disney refers to its theme parks) within 100 kilometres, I simply can’t resist buying a ticket. Disney likes to claim that its parks are ‘the happiest places on Earth’ and, from my experiences to date, I am yet to find anywhere that could make a greater claim to this title.

Disneyland Paris (previously Euro Disneyland) is around 35 minutes from the city centre and actually consists of two separate theme parks. There is the traditional Disneyland Park, comprising Adventureland, Discoveryland, Frontierland, Main Street USA and Fantasyland (My favourite quote of the day: “40 euros for a t-shirt?? You must be living in fantasyland!”), plus a separate park called ‘Walt Disney Studios’ which simulates a working film studio. I actually spent a fair amount of time in Walt Disney Studios, since all of their rides and attractions were completely new to me.)

What I really love about the Disney parks is their attention to detail. The designers (who are given the brilliant job title of ‘Imagineers’) have clearly thought about every aspect of the park in order to make each visitor’s experience as magical as possible. So, even unavoidable hassles like queues are made as enjoyable as possible by providing interesting things to look at (for example, the Aerosmith ‘Rock and Roller Coaster’ had an impressive display of musical memorabilia), performers to entertain the crowds, plus an ingenious system of ‘fastpasses’ which allow visitors to jump the queues several times a day.

I went on a number of fantastic rides. The Haunted Mansion was very well done — not too frightening for the little kids but still entertainingly spooky. Space Mountain was a terrifying loop-the-loop rollercoaster through almost total darkness.  However, the biggest surprise was the ‘tram tour’ at Walt Disney Studios. I expected this to be rather ho-hum so I couldn’t believe it when the tram started rocking and an exploding fuel tanker started sliding down a mountain towards us! Eventually, a huge wall of water came roaring down the hillside, put out the flames and splashed all of us along the way. Now, that one certainly did scare the kiddies!

The night ended in perfect Disney style with a sparkling light parade through the park followed by some of the most amazing fireworks that I have ever seen. Watching fireworks exploding over Sleeping Beauty’s castle is a truly magical experience. Sure it’s corny and artificial, but that’s what I love about Disney — It gives all of us, no matter our age, permission to dream. It allows us to believe in magic.

Yesterday’s walking tour was so enjoyable that I came back for more. Today’s tour was of Versailles, the enormous palace and gardens built by France’s sun-king Louis XIV between 1664 and 1697.

Louis was a remarkable personality who single-handedly decided to move France’s capital from Paris to the quiet country town of Versailles. His aim was to create a new city that would exceed Paris in both beauty and power. Spending the equivalent of 500 billion euros in today’s money, he began by creating a new palace with seven hundred stunning rooms and hundreds of acres of perfectly manicured gardens.

While there is a great deal of history surrounding Versailles, the real star of today’s tour was the palace’s incredibly beautiful garden. The grounds are truly immense —– To put it into perspective, our group spent a full six hours exploring the gardens without once stepping inside the palace.

I was lucky to be at Versailles on one of the rare afternoons when they turn on the fountains. This is the way that Louis XIV always meant for Versailles to be seen but, for various environmental and logistical reasons, the authorities have had to greatly limit the times that the fountains operate.

Walking around Versailles sometimes feels like walking through a giant English hedge maze. The fountains are positioned cleverly around the grounds so that visitors receive a sense of surprise as they turn a corner and encounter yet another unique aquatic creation.

Versailles eventually came to be seen as a symbol of a French monarchy that had lost touch with the people. (This is where Marie Antionette supposedly said to the peasants, “Let them eat cake”). However, you cannot help but admire Louis XIV’s single-minded pursuit of beauty and perfection. For better or for worse, it is unlikely that the world will ever see such a ruler again.

I realised early on that I needed to find a guided tour of Paris and, wow, did I discover a pearler! New Europe Tours provides ‘free’ three-and-a-half hour walking tours of Paris and other European cities. It is a wonderfully clever system — The guides simply ask that you contribute whatever you think the tour is worth.

To earn their keep, the tour guides must deliver a cracking tour and Arnaud, our tour guide, didn’t disappoint. He was knowledgeable, witty, accommodating and, most importantly, kept us safe from pickpockets (He told us, early on, that it was bad manners to shout out ‘thief!’ so we developed a code. If he pointed to an object and described it as ‘the Eiffel Tower’ and it clearly wasn’t, this meant he pointing in the direct of a pickpocket or scam artist). Needless to say, Arnaud earnt his money many times over! And, with a group of around forty tourists each deciding that they had received €10- €20 in value, everyone (including Arnaud) walked away happy.

The tour took in all of the most famous Parisian monuments: the Arc de Triomphe, the Nôtre Dame Cathedral, the Louvre, the Place de la Concorde (where Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette and thousands of others lost their heads to Madame Guillotine) and many more.

For me, though, what made the tour so fascinating were the stories behind each famous site. Arnaud is an unabashed fan of Napleon Bonaparte, so there were plenty of interesting stories about his favourite French (well, strictly speaking, Corsican) conqueror. I particularly loved the story of how Naploeon requested that his tomb be placed in a deep circular recess so that, for all eternity, all visitors would be forced to bow before him. Adolph Hitler, who in many ways considered himself an heir to Napoleon’s crown, wanted to visit Napoleon’s tomb when he conquered France but, naturally, baulked at the idea of bowing to anyone. So Der Fuhrer brought a mirror so that he could view the tomb without having to bow. However, Hitler had difficulty seeing Napoleon’s tomb and, when leaning back to reposition the mirror, his hat fell to his feet. Hitler then bent down to pick up his hat and, in doing so, gave Napoleon the deepest and most theatrical bow that one could imagine. So, Hitler may have temporarily conquered Paris but Napoleon had the last laugh!

The tour finished close to the Eiffel Tower. This is one of those rare landmarks that exceeds your expectations when you see it up close. Set against a stunning, cloud-streaked July sky, the Tower seemed painted on the heavens. I found a beautiful spot by the Palais de Chaillot which overlooked the entire area and sat, in awe, watching children (and even some adults) run and laugh as they captured their first glimpse of the beautiful Eiffel Tower.

The one thing that I didn’t do, though, was climb the Eiffel Tower. Arnaud gave me a good piece of advice: Back in the 70s, the French built the only skyscraper in Paris, the Tour Montparnasse. They quickly regretted this decision and passed a law banning any buildings over nine storeys high from ever being built again. Arnaud recommended that I take in the view from the top of the Tour Montparnasse for several reasons. First, the tickets were cheaper and the queues were shorter. Second, you get a great view of the Eiffel Tower. Finally, the one thing that you can’t see from the Tour Montparnasse is … you guessed it… the monumentally ugly Tour Montparnasse!

I stayed for well over an hour, staring at this splendid city as the sun slowly set. Just before I left, though, the Eiffel Tower gave me a final surprise, suddenly sparkling with thousands of twinkling white lights. The light show lasted only a few minutes but it was a perfect end to a most enjoyable day in this, the most beautiful city in the world.

It was a 5 am start today as I packed my bags and made my way to the St Pancras International Train Station. The Eurostar train is comfortable and fast, zipping under the English Channel and into the heart of Paris in only two and a half hours. The train went through several regular tunnels before finally descending into the 12 kilometre ‘chunnel’. I was surprised at how fast this part of the trip was — Before I had realised, we were out again and there were signs up saying ‘Welcome to France’.

I probably felt more nervous arriving in France than I have during any other part of the trip. While I do speak a little French, I am certainly recognisable as a tourist and there are plenty of con artists here ready to take advantage of gullible travellers. Everywhere you go, there are scammers asking you to sign fake petitions, sleight-of-hand artists playing three-card games and tricksters offering to tie your fingers together. Luckily, I had been forewarned and was able to avoid any of these con jobs. However, it certainly makes you hold onto your wallet very tightly.

I decided to walk from the train station and, after a couple of wrong turns, I made it to my hostel in the famous Montmartre district. This area is very beautiful and has been home to many well-known poets, artists and musicians. It is a slice of the ‘real Paris’ with winding cobblestone streets, roadside fruit stalls, street musicians and a boulangerie (French bakery) on every corner. Walking through these streets takes you back to the Belle Époque, a time when France’s art, technology and culture were the envy of the world.

At the top of a very steep hill in Montmartre, on probably the best piece of land in all Paris, is the beautiful Sâcre Cöeur cathedral. I walked up 300 stairs to the church’s dome which provides a panoramic view of the city. At the top, I wished, not for the first time, that my beautiful wife Anneleis was here with me. One day, the two of us will have to come here together.

At the foot of the church, I stumbled upon a charismatic street musician named Youri, who was entertaining the crowds with his guitar and using the scenic Parisian skyline as a backdrop. His audience filled the entire stairway to the Sâcre Cöeur (a pretty big accomplishment) and they were clapping and singing along to Youri’s mixture of original and cover songs. In what was probably a flagrant breach of liquor licensing laws, vendors walked through the crowd selling cold bottles of beer, and these were quickly snapped up in the warm weather. The end result was a magical Parisian moment; you cannot help but be filled with a sense of ‘joie de vivre’ (joy of life) when you encounter a scene like that.

On my way back to the hostel, I walked past the famous Moulin Rouge, but decided to pass on going to a show. Ticket prices start at 120 euros per person (around 150 Australian dollars) without food or drinks and I was feeling pretty tired anyway.

Instead, I watched a great movie called ‘Exit Through the Gift Shop’. If you haven’t seen it yet, I strongly recommend it. It’s made by Banksy, the famous ‘street artist’. By the way, I encountered a piece of ‘graffiti’ by Banksy when I was in London. He is about the only graffiti artist that I know of whose works are laminated rather than erased. This one was under glass so that no one could erase or damage it.

Tomorrow, I plan to take a tour and see the highlights of Paris. Hopefully, I can find a good English-speaking guide to show me the way. I have quickly realised that if I rely on my high school French to get around, it could be an unproductive (and expensive) way to see the city!

My sister Cathy has been in England for the last couple of weeks attending a wedding. Even though we both live in Perth, our busy schedules mean that the two of us rarely get to spend large amounts of time together (Cathy is a doctor and is one of the few people I know whose life is as hectic as mine). So, today was one of those rare occasions where the two of us were both available and in the same place at the same time. We had to come halfway around the world for this to happen, but that’s modern life for you.

Cathy and I met up at the famous Tower of London. For almost a thousand years, this site has been at the centre of English life, serving as a castle, royal home, mint, observatory, zoo and, most famously, a prison for enemies of the crown.

We were greeted at the gates by a yeoman warder, or ‘beefeater’ as they are more commonly known, who took great pleasure in dramatically retelling the Tower’s bloody history. He told stories of queens getting their heads chopped off and of young princes, heirs to the throne, who mysteriously went missing. Despite the fact that the beefeaters are all ex-military personnel, many of whom had seen active service, they take on a showman’s role at the Tower, simultaneously educating and entertaining the crowd.

We then passed several security checks, went through thick steel doors, past soldiers with machine guns until we made it into the most fortified part of the Tower. Inside were the crown jewels, the most precious treasures owned by the Queen (or anyone for that matter). It was an amazing display, with more gold and diamonds in one place than most people will see in their entire lifetime. There were crowns worn by past and present members of the royal family, a gold punchbowl the size of a wheelbarrow and a a sceptre tipped with a diamond the size of your fist. A very impressive display of bling, I must admit.

Cathy and I then headed back into the city where we visited England’s most famous Department store, Harrods. Personally, I found it rather tacky and very overpriced (£30 for a bottle of Harrod’s water, anyone?). However, there was no shortage of customers from all over the world ready to pay top dollar for the Harrod’s experience. Exhibit A: this customer who had parked his Kuwait-licensed racing car outside of the store and popped in to do some shopping.

In the evening, Cathy and I went to the West End for the opening night of a new play called ‘Yes Prime Minister’. While the play was based on the 1980s television series, the script was all new, with references to the global financial crisis, the European Union, global warming and Blackberries. It was very well written and superbly acted (How the actor playing Sir Humphrey was able to memorise his lines is beyond me. Some ‘sentences’ went for two or three minutes!). Even though the play was based on the British political system, I found myself chortling with recognition as I heard many of the lines that Australian politicians use everyday.

The play was a very pleasant end to a very enjoyable day. Tomorrow, I take the train under the English channel and into France!

I started the day in Trafalgar Square where, to my surprise, I found hundreds of muggles camped out for the premiere of the final Harry Potter movie. It seems that J.K. Rowling and the stars of the movie are going to be here in *only* four days time and these guys are determined to see them. Later in the day, the campers were asked to take their tents down but nothing, not even London rain, was going to deter these hardcore fans.

I then hopped a double-decker bus over to Buckingham Palace. The changing of the guard is on almost everybody’s “must-see” list for London. For me, however, it was quite a disappointment. Perhaps I was expecting too much — a twelve-gun salute and a Royal Air Force fly-over, perhaps — but instead I stood shoulder to shoulder with thousands of other tourists, peering through wrought-iron gates and listening to a marching band play Abba songs. It was not what I expected and, after about thirty minutes, I got bored and left.

Instead, I found a coffee shop with wi-fi access and settled down to video-chat with the family. It is so cute to watch little Emily when she sees me on the screen. She almost jumps put of her skin with excitement and tries to climb into the computer! I found myself laughing, blowing kisses and waving at her with great enthusiasm. The rest of the people in the coffee shop must have thought I was crazy but it was worth the embarrassment to see Emily’s reaction.

I then queued up for a ride on the London Eye, the enormous ferris wheel that sits on the banks of the River Thames opposite Big Ben. The Eye was originally constructed as a temporary attraction for the Year 2000. However, it proved so popular with both Londoners and tourists alike that it has now become a permanent fixture of the London skyline.

Each ‘flight’ on the London Eye takes about twenty minutes and is a truly magical experience. The capsules are almost entirely glass and the wheel operates in near silence so you really get the sensation of floating on air. For me, it was like riding in the great glass elevator with Willy Wonka. I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face.

Upon returning to the ground, visitors to the London Eye take part in what the operators like to call a “4D experience”. You enter a theatre, put on a set of 3D glasses and a film about the London Eye begins. What makes the experience 4D, however, is that real things happen in sync with the movie. If it snows in the movie, real snow falls on your head. If there is smoke in the film, real smoke enters the cinema. It was a lot of fun! I have noticed that one of the Eye’s competitors is now offering a “5D” experience, so who knows where this trend will end.

In the evening, I headed over to Whitechapel where, over 100 years ago, Jack the Ripper committed some of the most ghastly crimes in England’s history. Rain had set in, but that only added to the atmosphere as I took part in a guided walking tour of the area where these still unsolved crimes took place. The tour guides, Greg and Elizabeth, are both actors by trade and greatly added to the atmosphere with their dramatic retelling of the Ripper story. They also used a handheld projector (which they dubbed “Ripper-vision”) to show what each location looked like when the crimes were carried out back in the 1880s. This was very useful as the Whitechapel area has changed enormously in the past hundred years.

We even got an unexpected surprise during the tour. One of the Whitechapel streets that Jack used to prowl was used a hundred years later as the set for Diagon Alley in the Harry Potter movies. Harry’s influence runs deep in London it seems. Maybe, I will try and find platform 9 3/4 next time I am at Kings Cross Station. Hmmmm… Maybe not, that could be hazardous to my health.

Tomorrow I am heading to the Tower of London with my sister Cathy. It will be lovely to have some company and to see such a site that is so rich in history. I can’t wait.