| youhao 2005-08-09, 8:32 pm |
| I had not been to Paris for about
40 years and did not know what to
expect. Would the people be as
friendly or as surly as before?
Would the city seem just as
intriguing and romantic as it
had been in the past?
As I made my way from the Gare du
Nord to my hotel on the outskirts
(Alfortville) the old memories came
flooding back and it was lovely to
get friendly and helpful responses
from the Parisiens when I sought
guidance.
As for my hotel, imagine in the
midst of a light industrial area
seeing a stylish Chinese group of
imposing buildings with roofs of
coloured tiles curved in the ancient
style, surrounding beautiful gardens
and a small lake, transporting the
viewer to a bygone age, then this
was my surprise when I reached the
hotel-comference complex that is
'Chinagora'.
My first day ended with an
enchanting sunset view along the
river that turned the ordinary
bridges and buildings into something
quite charming. To complement this
an early start meant I saw a delicate
sunrise greeting my first day in the
city, which did not disappoint me.
~by F.P., 5th August 2005, first appeared
in 'Chinese Chess Cyber Newsletter'~
|