“Saw A Pattern Across Indian Cities & Decided to Expl. Europe”|@The_SportsDay |TravelwithSaave 009

“Saw A Pattern Across Indian Cities & Decided to Expl. Europe”|@The_SportsDay |TravelwithSaave 009

Okay, I have some questions and basically kind of a rapid fire round. You don’t have to think twice and it’s a mix not pertaining to any one single country, right? So you have to answer whatever comes to mind first. So first I I’ll start with EFL tower at sunrise or sunset. Choose one. Sunset. Okay. Best in uh sorry beer in Germany or wine in France? What wins your heart? Actually it’s good in Belgium. So I’ll go with mold wine in France. Yes. Not wine. Most overrated. Yeah. Yeah. Mine in France. Most overrated tourist attraction you visited? None. Everything was good. Oh. One city you did move to in a heartbeat out of the all the cities you Bruce. Yeah. Yeah. Street food from Belgium or cafe culture in Paris? Street food in Belgium. Yeah. Biking through Amsterdam or cruising down the same river? Cruising. Cruising any day. Cruising. Yes. Yes. Yes. One souvenir you wish you bought but didn’t. Uh, no. I’m not a souvenir guy. So, so Okay. Fine. Funniest local phrase or word you tried to pronounce? I didn’t attempt it. Your pinch me moment from the trip. Ah. Uh, Bruge. Uh, how is it that this place exists? like how how did someone even went about uh planning something like this? Uh second is of course uh the palace of Versailles. I mean uh she the sheer vision that someone may have that you can expand a place that can be made so huge and so majestic it’s it’s just other word. The last one. If you had one extra day in any of these countries, where would you spend it by doing what? Bruge. Uh, I’ll spend an extra day in Yeah, you answered that. I’ll spend an extra day in. Hey. Hi, Shelendra. Welcome to a new episode on travel with Si. Uh you are joining us on our first episode. Uh and what’s interesting is yesterday I was just checking. So I think the last we connected back in 2016 and that is another story because those were the times when we we both were entering a new phase of our life. We had just shifted to a new city and uh even though we uh we were friends back in our high school days, college days but I guess we had not connected and during that time we went on a trip by ourselves to north India in the Himachel and explored some food options also but uh since then it has been like we connected on and off on some common grounds for some common interest but never really connected. So when we when I messaged you last week that are you interested in sharing your recent trip and you shared you have been on a recent Europe trip. So that was enlightening because uh it is since 2016 we haven’t connected or discussed anything be food, cricket or uh trips right. So welcome once again and uh so so two viewers who are joining us today give us an idea of your recent trip right you mentioned so there are two statements which stood out. uh one is that you went uh to Europe, you mentioned France, Germany, but you said that you had some experience in India and then you decided it will primarily be you are looking out for trips out of India. So some light first on what happened and why you mentioned in such a way. Firstly, thank you so much Praish. It’s uh indeed a pleasure to be on your podcast and kudos to you for all your content efforts. Uh it it does take a village to build uh what you are doing but kudos to you. We are doing it as a single man army. Uh so thank you thank you so much for inviting me uh to dive into the uh trip and what happened actually. So I’ve been an India fan through and through right I mean uh for the longest time and I’m still continue I still continue to be uh the fan of this country the culture the heritage we have and the people we have. I’ve always been fascinated by the idea of how things change after every 50 kilometers or maybe 30 kilometers in this country, right? Be it language, food, culture, traditions, festivals, customs, everything changed, right? So, so I love India, right? And I’ve I’ve traveled the length and breadth of this country. I’ve I’ve covered more than 26 states uh and been to I think four or five union territories, right? So, so I love I love my country. uh one stark observation uh came to my mind which is um in Bhubneshwar. Okay, this was in 2023 December. Uh I landed in Bhubneshwar. I I I was supposed to go to do the do the triangle there Konarpuri. Uh yeah. Uh what happened I ended up feeling that every Indian city looks exactly the exactly like any other city in India. The cityscape that you see of Bhneshwar didn’t feel any different from say a tani or a sangi district or say even uh you know any tier 2 tier three town in Karnataka for that matter. So I was like okay there is a sea of sameness so to say right I mean while our heritage is so rich while everything that is touristy quote unquote in our country is awesome is beautiful and something that we are proud of but what we ourselves uh have have uh been doing is not really contributing to the uh to to the surroundings to the architecture to to the contemporary India so to say right so that was my realization and that was like I was like okay uh I have traveled India enough now and that was the trigger point where I said key okay next year I’m definitely traveling to Europe because architecture was something that I was always interested in and yeah uh that was how the decision was made unfortunately I couldn’t uh yeah no sorry uh I did actually 2024 is when I did go to uh Europe. Yes. So uh like you mentioned right so you traveled across India. So what is something that intrigues you right? So when you say I want to travel to some part be it within India outside India. So now there are like you you would know better that there are categories or types of so some is a one is a tourist, one is an adventure seeker, one is an explorer. How do you how would you define like what what intrigues you or what makes you travel to different parts of the world or maybe even India? Uh what really fulfills you? Yeah, I I I I don’t want to be a purist here because uh I mean uh there are like to each their own, right? The idea is to enjoy yourself when you are in a particular place, right? So labels is something that I uh I try to do away from. Uh personally speaking, what I really love doing is to immerse myself in the place that I’m in. So the first thing that I typically do is definitely try public transport. The second thing that I do is uh I definitely go for the local cuisine, go to not to the best of the best restaurants in that city, but go to the local uh vendors uh who are famous for their local uh food items. The third thing that I definitely do is uh talk to the rickshaw and you know people like uh and the last thing that I definitely do is I visit at least one uh you know religious site it could be a temple mosque. So that gives me a flavor of the place that I’m basically living like a localite. Uh yeah I mean how they would yeah I mean that’s how I began my argument right. I I try not uh having labels associated with me but my interest is always in uh knowing the place way better uh than simply going there right so and and then from day two onwards is when my explorations begin when I would like you know I would prefer doing things that are in to-do lists uh so to say that are given by them yeah because uh what I realized now I have connected with seven to eight people while doing this podcast and each one has his own uh way of exploring a country. There is no certain single thing right growing up we were used to the idea that there is a tours and travel agency and they take you through some certain sites and that’s the country for us as we have grown up and with the advent of advent of internet we have got to know a lot more things and the way we approach exploring countries is different right yeah so so now that you explored like how do you think about exploring a place why Europe and which countries you explored why I’m coming to is because my my viewpoint is is I love Europe or certain countries of Europe because there is history attached to it and it it’s in different forms not only history in terms of war or just the uh time period for which the country is in existence and queens and but there are monuments there is architecture there is art associated there is food right so so how did you decide which places you wanted to visit and what was your yeah I I for me it was very simple uh uh firstly so I’ll eliminate the things that uh that are easy for me to eliminate. Right? So history is something that I was not interested for a very simple reason. Uh I mean Europe’s history is bloodied and it runs into centuries. Right? So uh and and each country has its own right. I mean the French history is detailed. The Dutch history is so bloody deep and then there are you know Belgians who have their own Flemish history. So history is something that I’m definitely not interested in. Uh secondly, I can admire art, but I can’t immerse myself into art to be able to appreciate the nuances of art, right? Like for example, my wife uh paints really well. Uh and because of her, I got to know like the water paintings that she makes. Uh I take somewhere around 7 to 8 days for her to finish those. Okay. Now those are you know miniature very detailed paintings and because of her I get to understand okay if there is an artist who has made something intricate probably it would have taken them 25 30 days or whatever right so so that’s how noies I am uh when it comes to art so history and art are completely out of the way what I really love and what as I said motivated me into going to Europe was the fact that I was very keen to understand the civic planning, the architecture that exists outside India because everything seemed to be same to me here. Okay. So I was very intrigued about the idea like what is really happening there? How is it that they have designed things? Why is it that people always see say that you know things that are even 500 years old still function properly? And then of course the fascination that you’ve had since childhood, right? which is about the cobbled streets, the food that people talk about, the weather, the quality of air, the kind of fruits that you get to eat there. Uh so all of those things uh fascinated me. The idea of uh you know uh backpacking that people always talk about when you are in Europe. uh the quality of food. Uh I mean people say uh while uh you know we are uh we have an intricate understanding and a a detailed way of making food like food for us is art. Um Europeans uh by sheer quality of ingredients that they have, right? Uh make make food that is really really good. Uh while their processes may not be as intricate and as detail oriented as they are in India, but by sheer quality of ingredients, uh their food just stands up. So So interesting. So my my thought has always been what you mentioned at the start right our idea of Europe right because that is painted by a lot of movies a lot of books in which they describe all the so so when you finished your trip what was the key takeaway was it what you imagined was it how how you thought it would be or uh like India right when you covered so much of it you found some pattern uh what do you think is Europe very similar across all the countries is it very typical or does it individually stand out? Uh there is uniqueness in each country. They have something of their own. Uh so this was my first trip. Uh so I really enjoyed going from one place to another. Okay. But what I did realize was the point that you made by the end of the trip when we were returning back from Frankfurt. Uh I did feel that hey there is uniformity in the way things are built across Europe. While the finer details do change and it’s a very common phrase that uh you know a lot of travelers that I know uh speak of which is the fact they say after a point of time everything looks the same in Europe as well. Okay. Uh but I think I think uh for people like me who went there for the first time it was a great experience. uh the fact that you know in Eindovven uh I got to see that you know all the houses uh have a similar design because and and they look the same and it looked picturesque because hey that’s how you know we created pictures or paintings as kids right we didn’t take effort to make every house in the painting that we made look different right so there is a symmetry in the way you look at uh you know anything in Europe and what that does is it makes everything look beautiful. Okay. Uh but uh there’s there’s uh uh there’s a fine line to it, right? Which is uh fine print rather uh which is uh the the reason all the homes look similar is because the government has mandated people uh for them to be building the same structure and those designs have also also have to be approved by the government. and even the paint outside the house is kind of approved by the government. So yeah, I mean uh that’s that’s I think uh my submission on that uh question. You know uh you mentioned that it’s it once you visit and you find some patterns. So last year me and my wife visited Egypt and see the poor reason for me was to look at the pyramid and look at some of the monuments right that was a poor trigger for me. But as we explored Egypt, we found out Egypt was also one of the ancient civilizations. India is also so I am also not too much into history as such like I read a lot of history. But what I found out was that we Indian and Egyptian were very similar in terms of the approach to life. Uh what history is there right? They also treated all the nature elements as god gods and goddesses. Sun, wind, water, everything was in the nature which India also have. there is a god of rain. Uh the monuments, the history, the approach to life, the spiritual uh rebirth, karma. So everything was very similar and very very funny I was discussing with my wife back then that when we start thinking one of the ancient civilizations we find patterns and my thought is I’m more intrigued right now in the past 2 three years by history. I visited Humbi, I visited Orurangabad, I visited Egypt and it was triggered by this fact not to understand but to experience it because mostly we read but don’t experience things right and but interesting now that you mentioned so which all countries you explored uh on your on your crypto and when did you visit so I went uh in the month of November uh this was November 2024 uh we entered Europe through through France France. From France we went to Belgium. From Belgium to Netherlands and from there to Germany and then back to India. Yeah. So uh so you guys uh started from Bangalore right? Uh Bangalore to France. So yes uh actually I was in Bombay uh then uh so we did start from Mumbai and uh yeah Mumbai to France was a visit. So first things first just an idea of how did you plan since this was a trip which you planned yourselves you decided which all places to visit. How did you plan like starting from the flights, the stays uh and the visa right because I think if someone is to plan covering multiple countries, one country is still easier but multiple countries starting from the visa itself because nowadays Shenzhen visa is is in talks for a lot of wrong reasons right so one is that second is some insights on how did you finalize booking the stays when I say booking the stage as in what was the easiest decision making uh parameter you took yeah let’s look at this and whatever is around that like is it a city center is it an Airbnb what was your thought process about it and uh the next is uh how did you go around so you mentioned you I guess you use the public transport right so what are your wiki you did right for planning the trip if you can share insights in a nutshell yeah yeah that would be so I mean the question is quite broad I’ll try and uh keep it succent as much as I can Uh so my wife is a pro at uh planning travel actually. Uh she has been to Europe uh a couple of times uh before me. So for her it was relatively easy uh to plan this out. Uh the re the way uh the trip was structured was uh she has her office in Nice in France. So, so uh she had and the way the dates were decided were she had to be in Nice for a week for work and post that we were to do our personal trip right so while she was in Nice first I uh I was uh 7 days late and I then uh flew into uh Paris and then we came together and then that’s how the trip continued. Now the way the countries were decided were uh how is it that you can cover one stretch in one go and that was the idea of doing it right. So what we figured was of course I mean the country that she has been to let’s not go there let’s try and do new things. Uh so while she was at she had been to Amsterdam before uh she was gracious enough to you know she was like chal you haven’t seen it let’s let’s go. So uh that was uh the criteria in terms of what stretch on the map can you cover in one go so that in the next trip you can plan for some other coast countries so that in the next trip you would be able to cover three to four countries in one go right so that was that was a primary criteria and accordingly we uh chose to do uh uh Belgium because we also wanted to meet uh Supria’s childhood friend who lives in Eindovven. Uh so how does one go from France to Endovven? We thought okay let’s take a pit stop in Belgium for for 3 to 4 days and then uh we go to uh Netherlands and then again she had a uh friend from her uh from her uh engineering college days who lives in Frankfurt. So I for me everything was fine right I mean I had to simply say yes because uh this country I had not been to. So for me everything was a yes. So uh so she was like okay let’s go to Germany as the last destination because we’d be tired after 10 to 11 days. The last 2 to three days we’ll keep it light. We’ll stay at my friend’s place uh eat Indian food and come back. So that’s how the uh journey was planned uh in terms of visa and things to do. So yes, we were very mindful of the processes involved and how uh things might turn complicated because there is there is a lot of emotion involved right you don’t want your visas to get rejected. So the way we approached it was very straightforward. We said okay you are any which way going there for work you have a one year long visa that uh is already accepted. Okay. So it was a no-brainer for me to be applying to the French embassy only. The second thing that we did was uh I applied uh like she became uh the person who uh financed the uh the trip for us, right? Uh so what that did was uh it it removed all the ambiguity with respect to what do I do in life and what are you know uh like what is my purpose to travel etc. because we made her the uh person who has the primary source of income in the household and because I was accompanying her, I was like a dependent on her, right? So because hers was everything was clear, I followed her. So that made the uh visa approval I think smoother for us. So uh in in simil because one of my friends recently visited Croishia and Slovenia. In his case what happened was he was the primary earner and his wife is a dentist. So she does not have regular income as in salary slip. So what he mentioned over here was for her she had to present whatever invoices or where they she had to present they got approval in first book but Croatian so he applied to Croatian embassy there is a lot of delay in terms of Croatian Shenzhen visa if you apply Croian embassy they took 3 months. Okay. Just a week before that they received. So what was your experience like? How many months prior to for us it was very very smooth uh because uh uh with French embassy I think I think the visa approval processes are very uh I would say uh it like you get a smooth sale I think because a couple of my friends who went before us also had a good experience. So I think I think it’s all down to the paperwork the way you do and how you justify your travel. Uh so I had a really good experience for us like uh I applied and within a couple of weeks the visa was with us. Yeah I think that’s great because right now at least going through all the forums there is there is like continuous rant of Indians getting rejected for Shenzhen visa right so that was one thing which I was keen to uh listen to. So one one part is the visa. I I understand that your wife had an idea. So what was the key basis which you finalized of the stays because you covered a lot of countries and a lot of cities. For stays it was uh I mean uh very clear for us the decision making uh the criteria we had was uh we will live as close to the main places of attraction that we want to go to. Uh and that was very clear. We said okay we are not going to stay far away from the city and then come back to the city every day and you know be unnecessarily hassled by the local transport right so we were okay with paying the premium uh of city of of living in the most premium uh areas of of whichever country we went to. Uh second piece is uh with respect to Airbnbs uh we were not comfortable because I was traveling for the first time. So I wanted all the amenities uh like I like as a as a typical uh you know Indian male uh who who always has lived a privileged life. For me it was like I need services to be offered to me. I don’t want to go into the hassle of making my coffee or tea every morning and all that. I I want things ready. So that’s how we we ended up choosing hotels over Airbnbs. Perhaps in the second trip we might opt for Airbnbs. But I wanted everything uh you know uh laid out for me uh which is why you know uh we ended. How did you find the experience of hotels also in comparison to India? Because I found at least in which countries I have explored Indian hospitality is very different. Yeah. Without a doubt. without a doubt. Yeah. Uh so even even the thought of hotels, it’s not like uh the experience we have in India very very different. Not at all. I mean Indian hospitality is just uh leagues apart from what these guys offer. I mean I think the hospitality game we have won it fair and square. There is no debate on what we do and how we serve our guests. I mean goes at Devo Baba. Yeah. Sure. Yeah. So, uh, so yeah. So, uh, then maybe let’s dive into your trip, right? So, you you first you first went to France, right? So, how did you start your trip? Day one was at which I I guess it should be Paris, right? So, uh, day one we So, we we were staying in Latin Quarters. Uh, Latin Quarters is a place very close to the Notterdam uh, cathedral. Uh so yeah u I landed in Paris at somewhere around 8:00 8:30 in the morning. Uh I rested for a bit uh and Supria was supposed to uh reach Paris by I think 3 4 uh in the afternoon. Uh so yeah I I I had my day to myself. I was also tired. I had a very busy uh 60 days schedule before I took off from Bombay. So, so yeah, I I uh I was in Paris. I just was walking around went to different parks. There was Pantheon very close to uh Latin Quarters which which houses the work of Mir Cury and Volire and whatnot. Uh so I spent some time there, came back, slept off, then Supria joined me. Uh so yeah I think I think by evening 6:00 uh 7 uh we then stepped out for the first time in Paris uh together and that was the first time like in the evening we went to Eiffel Tower. Now Eiffel Tower is a place that you have to have to go and see in different times of the day. You should see it in the morning, you should see in the afternoon, you should see it in the evening, right? And and it looks majestic uh when you see it in the evening. So yeah, and then we had a good meal uh by the Eiffel Tower. There are a lot of good restaurants there. Uh this was really good food. There’s there’s wine, there’s good alcohol. So So yeah, it was it was fun. Uh so that was our day one uh in the elaborate trip kind of extended. Yeah. So uh so was Paris only about airfield or you explored other parts or so we did spend uh the next three days uh in in uh Paris. So uh so what we did was we used to travel to XYZ place come back and rest in so the next morning we headed to the palace of Versailles. Uh okay majestic place again. I mean uh I mean like a place that took 54 years to build. uh one could just imagine the glory of it, right? It it looks regal. Uh it’s huge. Uh I mean and and huge is not an understatement, okay? Like uh is is not an overstatement. If you could imagine Lunavla in uh in in in India uh and if you could imagine yourself going through the highway in Lunava and you see you know it feels as if you are uh driving through a saucer right uh and saucer uh that saucer the palace of Versailles is literally built in a valley that looks like a saucer. It’s humongous. Uh there are empty number of gardens. There are there’s a lake inside the palace and and the structure is just garantun uh for for anyone to make sense of it. Um and it does feel extremely extremely overwhelming when you look at it from a top view and the like till the end of the horizon uh is is where you know the length of the palace is. Uh uh so yeah I mean I mean that was just u you know mind-blowing experience just to be there and see how you know uh the the kings of the past lived uh it was it was uh otherworldly experience uh at palace of versail and yeah from there we went to uh in so and palace of versail does take the entire day of yours. Okay. Uh so in the evening we went to Shamsiz uh where the AGD triumph is the the place where uh every year the victory parade happens uh it’s also the place where to def France the end ending of the tour to France race happens at Shamsiz great place great vibe uh there are people singing on the road there are the the best of the best luxury brands that you could think of are on that street uh so be it a Louis Vuitton or a Cartier or any other brand that you could think of all of it is on that very street. Uh feels feels very special. Uh especially because of also of the time that we went to the weather was chilly. Uh it roughly 3 4° so you get to wear your winter wear. You feel good because of the winter wear. Uh and because uh Christmas was so close, the the vibe was uh extremely energetic, people uh were in a celebratory mode. Uh there was shopping happening, there were kids, you know, running around. Uh so overall like it feels very festive uh so to say. So yeah, that was our day two uh in Paris. Uh day three we went to Mumat. Uh again u just otherworldly place uh almost as if crafted by a painter uh as as per his imagination right I mean cobbled streets through and through built on a hill uh and at the top of the hill you see the St. Basilica uh cathedral. Uh it’s it’s also a place uh which is known for its uh you know bohemian way of life like you see a lot of artists uh doing live painting there you know multip today also today we did see like we actually wanted uh you know the artist to paint uh one of those things for us but then we realized okay these guys might take 30 to 45 minutes odd and I was a little impatient about it so we didn’t uh engage with them Uh but I mean the the vibe is just electric. I mean it’s so festive like you see like everyone there is just smiling you know like because because uh there is so much happening right I mean on one side there there are these paintings being made on one side you know people are there to experience the place on the other side you see you know people hunting for uh or rather looking for places that they might have seen in cinema. So Mumat is a place where Emily in Paris was shot, right? So people people run around that place looking for, oh, where was Emily? Where was her office? Where did she have her lunch? All of that. Yeah. And uh Yeah. Uh uh so and and when you go at the top of the uh uh place where the uh St. Basilica is uh you also get a top view of the entire city. You also get to spot uh the Eiffel Tower which is on the other side. So it’s just beautiful. It’s majestic and and when you climb down the hill uh there’s Mullen Rouge. So uh people who are interested in Cabray dance, the Cananan dance, the Cabri culture rather uh they could experience that. But I mean for me uh uh from a food POV if I were to you know recount my memories of Mumar uh I think uh the buleries there are just just I don’t have words for it man I mean the smell of the bread there is is so intoxicating you just like you you are transferred to some other world where these food gods are making things for you. I mean u and and the fact and that’s one very interesting that thing that I love about these bolognies, you know, like you could buy yourself one slice of pizza and you’re good. Like you don’t have to buy the whole pizza there. Uh and then there are so many bakery items. If you love bakery items, I mean buleries are the place to be. So yeah, that was fun. Uh and yeah, I think uh uh post that we went to the Louvre. Uh so Loura like most people end up thinking that it’s it’s just the museum but it’s actually part of the Loura palace uh which is flanked by you know the Tillier gardens on the right uh and the buses actually go through the palace and you go inside the bus and you end up feeling oh my god how huge is this place that you know buses are taking you through this place they’re dropping it you you at one place and then you’re going to some So yeah, I mean uh regal is the word I would say. uh just just unbelievably uh good uh experience in terms of how you feel within uh because the place is so lively you know like people playing live music everywhere is like for us Indians it it feels so so magical you know like you could stand anywhere and you could find somebody playing some instrument and I think that vibe is you won’t find it anywhere in India as in uh first is we don’t have winters at least in Mumbai. Second is Christmas are not is not celebrated the way it’s celebrated there for obvious reasons but then wearing the sweaters and jackets and I mean I’ve lived in Delhi Gura for a good two and a half years so I know that winter feeling you know like it’s it’s just so much fun and and I mean when we also went to Delhausi we didn’t go during the Christmas times back then but uh like I have been to uh Msuri in Shimla during the Christmas times and the vibe is really really good like uh you you want to be there you know people talking about eggs people talking about uh you know the fashion is so vibrant uh during that time it’s it’s it’s uh very very special to be there during that time one of my cousins actually stays nearby Paris like one of the small towns near Paris nice and uh she for here has been seller. So there are two pictures of hers which she makes me. One is Pratamesh. Come over here. Here you will find 365 types of cheese and 365 types of wines. One for each day. That’s the variety you have of cheese and wine over here. And obviously she makes pizzas and sends me photos. She makes it at home. So one is that and second is she says come over here for 15 20 days. You will love the cafe life and culture. Go sit around in the cafe. Uh so my my thought is as in when I want to visit Paris maybe it’s romanticized but I want to actually join some art workshop uh just go not not tour around but go sketch sit in a cafe and there is no rush in life I want to experience like that so when you mentioned about mom I was very intrigued that actually tilted because what we have heard is about Leonardo and all those times when uh during that time the culture was there right uh there was uh the culture wherein the disciples used to find and but right now I’m not aware so since you mentioned mummat that is something which I note down do go to like I mean for an artist I think something I I’m aligned because so my wife she has been she she was in London and she toured around during those two years my brother-in-law also was over there they are not the kind of foodies which I am or maybe you associate with right so when you say bakery items or food items or pizzas I understand where we are coming from like we are like pulled by those places right we should go and try that we just look at it and say this would be good uh because I heard from her that you won’t enjoy the pizzas which you find out there and I’m saying I always say that maybe you’re not understanding where I am coming from I would love a pizza right I would love a pizza and I’m always telling her 15 days I would eat pizza and pasta I’m very clear what That is because I went to Greece and I thoroughly enjoyed the pastas in Greece also the food in Greece wherein I was not aware about the Greek food Greek cuisine but I enjoyed the food purely because of the similar fact the ingredients right they keep it fresh products are just they they don’t try to make anything uh different keep it fresh interesting fact about uh you know these restaurants and cafes in uh Paris uh and probably I don’t know if it extends to the entirety of Europe but Paris in particular Like the things that you see in films, right? You always see actors typically, you see the actors uh uh dining outside the main uh dining area there and it’s literally on the street, right? Yeah. And yet it’s comfortable. One, because of the weather. Two, the vehicles don’t honk. And yeah uh outdoor seating is always uh uh refreshing you know uh you don’t feel constricted by the place and what that does is uh if you see the facade of all of these restaurants and cafe are red in color and the the way we approach restaurants and cafe cafes uh in India right we look for which is the new place what are the ratings what are what is the word of mouth both u uh what is it that people are saying on Instagram reels etc. uh in Paris a lot of these restaurants end up looking the same right so it becomes very difficult for us to make a decision on where to go okay so typically you go based on the Google reviews and what people have said etc uh but having said that uh you would feel that all the restaurants look the same in Paris so I I think it’s maybe across so I felt the same in Greece also So I felt the same in Turkey also there a lot of restaurants at least in downtown what you call right we which are like and we always chose the outer outdoor sitting right and for some reason the all the three reasons which you mentioned why three I would add a fourth one there is no pollution uh what that does is you it feels good to be in the nature and uh eating outside right uh there is no honking there is no pollution you can see people walking by and they are having a chat someone might fall so that feels very very down to earth very refreshing something we are not used to. We look for hotels with better interiors, better ambiance, right? But over there it’s the exact opposite thing which you seek for, right? Beautiful cafes and having food. You want to observe people, you want to see the cars, you want to see, you know, civic discipline, how people behave, what is what is happening, how do people react to food, how do people react with each other. It’s it feels good. In fact, one of the fun facts, I at least when I walk by such streets, I look for what people are eating and what smells good, right? And I decide this is that where to in which restaurant to enter and have food. I guess that was Paris. Anything any anything which stood out for you apart from these things in Paris? So maybe Paris is known also for fashion and those things apart, right? Sorry, I forgot this man. The fashion of Paris. Oh my god. I mean any lay man in Paris seems as if they are doing a ramp walk. Like oh my god they are so on point with the things that they wear the makeup they put the hair the way uh it is it is styled. Uh Paris like it’s a live fashion show happening on every street. Uh and fashion wise there is there is no comparison like I haven’t been to Milan. I have heard similar things about Milan from a lot of people. Uh but yeah I mean all like of all the cities that I travel to in Europe. Paris fashion is is just a different ballgame altogether. So uh so that was Paris right? So so what was the next bit stop from France? out of France. Uh we we went to Brussels. Uh we traveled by bus. We took a flex bus. Uh it was I think uh 5 hours long journey. Uh it also started raining actually because in different parts of Europe it had started snowing too. So uh I mean it was very gloomy. Uh uh the experience wasn’t that great. But I mean uh to be fair uh uh you don’t get to see anything on either sides of the road, right? I mean it’s just vast expanses of land. uh and and that is across uh you know the countries that we went to from France to Brussels from Brussels to Bruge and Bruge and from there when we came back to Brussels and then when we when we went back to Andover and Amsterdam everything is just flat you know and one of those dark things that struck me uh while I was absor observing the topography of the place I realized that I mean on such a flat topography Mhm. I just couldn’t fathom the fact that how is it that people were fighting world wars in this topology like it made so much sense that people were dying by thousands and lacks because there is nowhere to hide. The only way you can hide is by building bunkers and going below the ground because otherwise even that requires forest cover. You require forest cover to actually hide in bunkers and all like Vietnam. Yeah. I mean forest cover yes but I mean you don’t get to see abundance of forest like there could be different forests in different countries there but I mean looking at just the topography of it. It felt as if oh my god like people died in lacks during the world war made so much sense because of course like there is no cover for people to take. Yeah. Uh yeah. So, so, so, uh, we went to Brussels on day one. Uh, like we went there, it was a little gloomy. We rested, we went for a walk, uh, went to the city square. Uh, like every main European city ends up having a city square where there is a main castle of of the king of those times. Uh, so I mean, Brussels also had a great celebratory vibe going because of the Christmas. So, uh, it was it was brilliant. Uh so on day one in Brussels uh we just walked around. Uh from there we in the evening we went to Delirium Cafe. So Delirium cafe is one of those places I don’t think uh I’d be adding a lot of value by saying Delirium Cafe because anyone who goes to uh Brussels does end up visiting Delirium Cafe. But I want to call it out because I love the place so much. Uh, one should definitely go to Delarium Cafe at least once in their life. Uh, uh, great beers, great flavors. Uh, I mean, my personal favorite was, uh, the cherry flavored, uh, beer that they serve. Uh, and and it it is, uh, you know, probably a memory of my lifetime that I had with that one single flavor. It was recommended to you by one or it was based online review. Uh, Google reviews. It was all Google reviews. I mean we we searched for it. We went there. Uh and later when I uh told my friends about it, my friends were like ar this was the place that we were telling you about. I didn’t know I I couldn’t recall. But yeah, I mean uh probably the the the fortune was kind and I just uh happened to be there. Uh so yeah, I mean day one in Brussels was quite chill. Uh day two was probably the highest point of the trip. Uh we went to Bruge. Uh Bruge is a very small town in probably I don’t know if I’m right but northwest Belgium. Uh it’s a place known for absurdly beautiful buildings. It’s it has uh uh oh my god like it is one of those places where you don’t have to create a frame for your camera. Hold your camera anywhere, anyhow. Click a picture and it’s a good picture. The sky is clean. You have cobbled streets below you. There’s a canal on the side. There’s a building whose uh you know shadow falls into the canal. There are trees lining the streets. Uh uh there are restaurants that are around. There are people who are walking around and there are those uh you know uh medieval those horse carts of medieval times you know like regal horses like huge horses uh you know walking beside you and then there are those strips within Brussels which go through the canals and you know show you the medieval architecture but Brussels uh I think I think that’s one place that uh deserves a trip of its own you know like if someone can find time on their trip and just spend probably a night and two days in Brussels. That’s the only way you can do justice to that place. Uh but you say two days just to stroll around and sink it in. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Just just just stroll around and sink it in like absorb the place as much as you can. I mean we were there for good four five hours I guess. Uh But I mean imagine like within those four or five hours I mean I have a memory of a lifetime there. So so yeah Brussels like Bruge is Bruge is very very special. Uh so yeah from there we went to Gent. Uh now Gent is again a very interesting place. Okay. Uh so I mean the the architecture that you see uh in Gent is a combination of medieval plus contemporary times. So you don’t just get to see you know uh uniformity in architecture all over or you know those typical yellow red white combinations of paint on the buildings. On the contrary everything seems black and white in Gent. Okay. Nice. Uh and and uh it seems as if you know like it’s it’s a place uh right from the set of Game of Thrones perhaps. Okay. Like not the exterior of it but the interior of it. Like all the buildings are roughly you know black and white in color and uh uh they are you know very intricate very finely detailed. uh tall structures uh all of that uh and also very uh I would say overpowering you know uh as architecture you feel very small in front of it uh because it’s not like one building is like that like the entire city is full of these monuments one after the other uh so so it does get a little uh overpowering on you uh but again a great place to walk around canals all around has a proper city vibe to it. Uh like in Bruge what happens is you feel like you’ve went back in time in Gent it’s like present and tasa uh you know flavor of the past and you you uh it’s like you it’s a teleport of sorts you know like you are in the present but at in the same moment you also trying to explain from the medieval times. Yeah. Yeah. So yeah that was like we didn’t get was was the peak of our trip. I mean the peak came a little too early. Uh but yeah that was the peak. I guess listening to you, you have you read the book Atlas by I have it. I have it. Uh you will like it if you’re because listening to you I understood you like to observe uh minor things minor details uh get the vibe of the place and so at last is about an architect and his principles of how a building should be and uh there is a story around it but I think you will like it because the way you’re describing the cities right uh it’s literally painting them on canvas it’s like one can visualize uh one can draw it to the final minute details uh how it should be right and very interesting because uh I I think what what has happened is when I listen to stories or episodes the way each one describe tells how they are in person or what they how they look at the world yeah yeah how they view the world so very intriguing because maybe you are one of the first ones who is describing it in this one that reminded me of Atlas you like that book you should definit Definitely did it. Though it is a big one uh 7 800 pages but do go through. Yeah. Hopefully someday. I think I think that was the only reason uh I I couldn’t uh muster the courage to you will love it. But I I I’m aware of the John G uh speech the 70 long 70 pages long speech uh that that Atlas has. So yeah someday. So can’t you describe So was game of thrones short over there or was it like the vibe you described which come again? Was Game of Thrones shot over there or was it the V? Game of Thrones was short. Uh but uh it seemed like one of those you know like uh so if you could visualize the uh the the main seat that you get to see in Game of Thrones which is the main key show art of the the main poster of the show which is made of the swords everything which is black in color and you know when uh the kings address uh the fort so imagine the interiors of the court, right? In Game of Thrones, it’s it’s typically dark. It’s black and white is the uh color scheme of of that particular visual, right? Now, just extrapolate that into the exterior as well. Okay. And that’s that’s how Gent is since then since now you’re detailing it out. I I just feel Game of Thrones production should be actually case study for all the uh streams right who are doing MBAs, who are into marketing, who are into architecture, who are into any kind of creative stuff because it it is it’s brilliant. Each detail, each detail, each view, each set I think it was brilliant even the editing part. But uh let’s move back. Uh so that was uh that was Belgium for us. Uh so the next day we wanted to explore Brussels. So we wanted to see uh the Sinuantine park and we wanted to chill also a little because uh I mean the Bruge and Gen trip took a toll uh on us and the weather was also uh a little uh too harsh. Uh so we decided that you know one more day we’ll just uh stay uh in Brussels walk around uh and Brussels is also like uh one of one of the very important political centers of Europe right. So a lot of important buildings exist there. Yeah. So so yeah we went to Suantine Park and then there are few things to just walk around and observe and all of that. So yeah that was so what about food because Belgium is associated with certain food also food even brilliant uh like if you are someone who enjoys uh uh hot waffles uh it’s it’s the place to be uh if uh I mean uh the mold wine and uh you know the rest of the wines uh are always available during the winters uh I like the food uh the food was definitely good uh but nothing that I could uh you know like talk to you about off the hat and tell you oh this was great and you know one should definitely try this nothing of that sort. Yeah. Okay. So uh so next next stop was from Belgium I guess you guys went to like I think I think we we are done by roughly 7 days of the trip by now. So half the trip was done. From here we went to Indoven where uh Supriya’s childhood friend uh you know lived. Uh so yeah I mean it took us uh quite a lot of time to reach I don’t remember now exactly how much time etc. uh but yeah I think uh yeah I think I think uh we reached late in the evening and we just rested on that particular day. Uh the next day was uh the second peak uh of the trip that we had which is Zansk. Now Zanskans is a place where you find those old uh you know wooden windmills. Um it’s it’s a place that has lush green meadows that’s water around. So your typical uh you know memories of childhood you know where small kids would create those three mountains and then there would be a river flowing and birds flying over and birds flying and there there would be you know grass all around that’s that’s exactly the place that’s exactly what Zans says uh the only difference being there are no mountains it’s a flat topography topography uh grass all around uh water in different lanes or canals if I can call it. I don’t know if canals is the right word to use but there is there is plenty of water uh in Zans. Uh there are live uh you know chocolate workshops that you get to attend. There is cheese being made. Uh and that cheese does taste different. Uh it’s it’s not your regular run-of-the-mill cheese. There are different flavors of cheese and it’s a so cheese is a I think cheese is a world in itself right I mean if you love cheese you can just immerse yourself into that and just just have a gala time so uh Zanski is all about being in so it’s a very small village of sorts um you would roughly walk uh four to 5 kilometers inside and four to 5 km back that’s it uh and you’d be done for the day because uh reaching uh Zhanskans takes a bit of time. Uh so you spend good 6 7 8 hours in the place. You travel, you walk, you explore, right? And you’re done by like by the time you’re done it’s good 4 5 p.m. in the evening. So during the day you can just do Zanskun and from there we went to Amsterdam. Amsterdam like I mean the tales of Amsterdam are quite feabled. Everyone knows what they do in Amsterdam. So, we did the same things. Uh but again, uh Amsterdam does bedazzle you with the architecture. There are so many good things uh to see, observe, the vibe is just amazing. uh that city does feel like an engineering marvel for sure because uh when when you get to know things like it’s a city that’s actually under the sea level you know uh and then you get to see all these you know magnificent structures all around you it’s just amazing you get to see cycles people running on cycles everywhere very beautiful uh surroundings all around u uh it’s a place with with a lot of good energy uh that you experience. Uh but one thing that I would love to talk about Amsterdam, it’s a very small point. Uh but there’s a place which serves really good brownies. Uh uh uh the name of the place is one appeal. Okay. Okay. Uh so I I I urge your viewers whenever they go to Amsterdam, it’s it’s a very famous place in Amsterdam. do go to that uh place who serve those cookies as well as brownies uh at once appeal. So yeah, so yeah from there we went to Hinduan again uh we chilled with our friends for a day and then uh we went to Falconberg. Uh Falenberg again is a very small village uh in in Netherlands. The uniqueness of that place is uh it it has a point where the borders of three countries come together uh France, Germany and Netherlands. So so yeah it’s a nice nice scenic uh town v/ village that you see. So you get to experience the vibe of a European village how it is uh like the pace of the cars and the way uh you know you meet the main city. So the amalgamation of you know like a small town meeting the main highway and from the main highway you eventually reach the main city that that transition you get to observe which for me was very very special nice and yeah it’s it’s good uh I think 80 odd 80 to 100 odd kilometers from uh the place where our lived uh yeah I mean uh the vehicles run at a speed of 100 kph there so uh It’s it’s how did you hear about this because this is not something which is by our friends it was it wasn’t something that was mmmart I haven’t heard about maybe but mon these are things which I’m hearing for the first time. Yeah. Yeah. So this was this was not our brains it was planned by our friends they said now that you’ve seen so many cities of Europe uh let’s take you to a European village uh you get to see that white as well. So, so we we like kind of surrendered our time to them and we said you I I think that’s great also know because this is something beyond what we have thought of or we have we are known we are knowing something about so like Amsterdam you associate something Belg like I asked you about the food or we have seen pictures and heard from other others experiences but these are things which rarely we hear about the small towns and what exists for them so so this this was Nether Netherlands anything about Netherlands which stuck you the most like which was different from France and Belgium like commonality was mainly this yeah I mean the topography is just flat like you don’t get like in India like you move from one city to another there are mountains all all along not the mountains but the helix and the hills are all along the way correct uh and then there are farmlands and then there are rivers and different water bodies and things to that effect in in Amsterdam you do get to see farms, you do get to see some water bodies, but everything is just flat. Just flat. So So yeah, I think I think that was that was a unique thing to observe. Yeah, that’s so next I guess was your last last place was Germany. Uh uh we went to Frankfurt. Uh so the I mean by the time we reached Frankfurt we had fallen sick uh by the cold uh so the first two days we did not do anything. We just uh you know had our paracetimals and laid in within those blankets that we were served uh and and we had Raj Machaw for the first time after 11 12 odd days. It felt magical. it felt as if someone just took us back to the homeland. Uh so that was a beauty of uh the first two days in Germany. Uh Frankfurt from a city POV uh it’s it’s a modern city. Uh it’s a it’s a it’s a new city. It’s a financial hub of sorts. So, so if I were to explain the cityscape of Frankfurt, it it very much looks like uh paral in Bombay, you know, like like glass buildings all over. You you do get like you do understand that a lot of people come to work here. Maybe they would have im maybe there would be lot of you know immigrants in the city who may have come from different parts of Europe to work here. But yeah, the cityscape is uh and I’m not exaggerating, it actually looks like a uh uh Frankfurt. Uh yeah, and and because I mean by the time we were in Frankfurt, it was roughly I think 9th or 10th of December. So Christmy vibes just were peaking by now. You know, we were just 15 days away from Christmas. So uh a lot of lot of uh you know good Christmas markets, beautiful arrangements in the city centers were being made. So we enjoyed a lot of that. And then lo and behold, we decided to have Indian food in Frankfurt. And there was a shetty who was running a very famous restaurant which was an Indian restaurant that we went for. And I’m not kidding. It actually served one of the best butter chickens I’ve had in my life. Probably again because of the ingredients, right? I mean that is the argument that people hold that I mean the ingredients are probably so fresh. So yeah we ended up befriending that guy the shetty from the 80s who who became an immigrant uh in Germany and now runs a restaurant there. Uh so yeah I mean post that um we said at least let’s let’s uh we had one day uh we said okay the health was kind of dodgy but 50% good 50% unwell. So we said okay let’s make use of our time and we went to H highleberg castle. So H highidleberg castle is a castle built on the banks of river necker. Uh and the way it is uh so typically castles are built on a on a hill or a hillic. Okay. Yeah. So the structure of the place is like the castle is built here. the the common man or the village is settled here and then there’s a river that flows through. So when you are on the top of the castle, when you are uh you know viewing the city from a vantage point, you get to see like these three layers all along, right? And the the the brilliance of these guys in identifying a location where they build something like this is so on point that I mean when you go to the top of the H Highleberg castle you’ll see the river that that they have at the base of this particular hill is actually a river that travels through the length of that place. Okay. So, so you’re on the top and the river just ends into the horizon. Yeah. And and everything is built like all the cities are built uh you know adjacent to the banks of the river on both sides. So it’s it’s it’s one of those uh you know uh picturesque places that one should go to. And also one feel piece that I did feel when when we went to H Highleberg Castle was uh like because we see a lot of these reels on Instagram, right? Uh it did feel a little like Switzerland as well, you know, because Swiss and Germany, they kind of have uh some similarities going for themselves. So it did feel a little like uh Switzerland, that place. So, so, so yeah, because of H Highleberg Castle, the the trip ended on a high otherwise I think Frankfurt would have been a a little bit of a doubter. So, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Nice. So, uh the thing which you’re mentioning, right? So the shetty the restaurant interestingly the last two three podcast which I connected with my friends right so one was for Alaska uh in winters northern lights were there my friend had an Indian meal in a town in winters in Alaska and it was one of the best Indian meals he had in US second the one which I released today was about Fiji Fiji islands uh above New Zealand what you there Hindi is a national language one of the ational languages and the reason is there are a lot of Indian origin descendants. Uh now you mentioned Shetty is there since 1980s. I’m very sure 100 years down the line uh everywhere what English is as a national language. Indians lang. So Singapore has Tamil as one of the four national languages. Fiji has Fiji Hindi. And what I’m seeing a pattern is that people are seeing some of the other Indian origin stuff in different corners of the country not even like main cities right and that is the pattern which I’m seeing right now. So I don’t know. So I I spoke about this to my wife I guess day before yesterday only Indian as in terms of already we are seeing Indian CEOs prime ministers of Indian regions not far away maybe 100 years down the line Indians would be appearing everywhere and it would be just the name of the countries which should be there but uh governed and monitored and driven by Indians maybe uh that’s how it is with the population we have uh that’s an end game which might happen but yeah so I I think uh that was similar to what you mentioned right so when we also visited Greece in December my wife fell sick on the second last day of the trip and why I had pizza she had dal chaval uh and it was a similar thing which uh but was that we we generally avoid taking winter vacations in Europe because she doesn’t I think the winter uh doesn’t suit her and uh so We we have decided that any Euro trips we try to plan for August, September or October. That’s a lot. But I think uh I think the four countries which you covered I had some brief idea but you covered some some of the very uh different villages or parts of the country which I was not aware about. So that was a key takeaway for me and the way you described it. I think uh I was not expecting some parts of it because what I generally listen to is Belgium but I think uh what stood out for me was how you described the architecture and uh how the country is built around right uh that that was very fascinating for me uh not as a viewer but as a as a participant in this discussion to listen to right so thanks for this but uh I have certain few questions apart from this right uh so this was uh you mentioned And uh well you took bus and public transport but for exploring the city right? So how did you navigate around using cab or public transport? What was the four uh mode of transport? Uh very simple right? Uh it was always public transport and then you walk like Bruge. We we explored the entirety of Bruge just by walking. Uh so so okay what we did was from Brussels to Bruge you take uh the the train uh you land in Bruge and then you walk similarly you come back to the metro station go to Gent then walk okay so like typically the way people say right uh you walk at least 18 odd kilometers when you are in Europe that’s very true because this is how you explore the city so So the second part is you mentioned you covered using the public transport metro. So any card metro card so is it one card which you aail or you availed different metro cards in each country. Yeah a great question. So uh every country has their own thing going and uh rarely it happens that uh I think it happened to us in Paris where uh the way we have uh you know blue line, green line, violet line in Delhi uh that way they have uh two different forms of uh metros in Paris. So that is one place where you have to be little careful of careful about which particular uh ticket you are buying. Uh uh rest every country has their own metro uh going and you can take that metro and travel uh peacefully. Uh the other bit is uh you know people always ask should we buy a card or should we just buy tickets on the go? So we preferred buying tickets on the go for a very simple reason because we didn’t know what we would do by the end of the day. So, so for us it was like if it gets too dark uh because because we plan the trip in a way where we wanted to walk a lot uh uh we were not sure whether we would be able to end the day in time. So if we are way too far from our place of residence then we planned on staying in whichever city that we were in. So for example get to Brussels is a 3-hour long drive right? So uh similarly um uh Amsterdam to the place where our friends live that’s again a 3-hour long drive. So so we were very careful about these things. uh and accordingly we chose things like buying the tickets on the fly versus buying a card to do things. Okay. And uh second question is uh how did you go about the currency? So you uh used cards uh credit or debit card or you used two things. We did two things. uh we had a credit card on which we activated international transactions and we also carried uh 50,000 rupees worth euros with us. Uh we did all the transactions with the international credit card that we had. Uh the the cash was only used uh to buy tickets and things to that effect. uh because typically you would not get uh you know uh like you may not have a car transaction that is easy to do. Uh the other bit is cash is also very easy uh to be dispersed while buying the metro tickets right so so that is where we used uh cash but primary but cards are accepted uh everywhere right so our primary usage of cards was like food is the biggest expense when you travel right so uh for all food bills we were using uh the cards uh for all the metro travel we were using uh the cash. Okay. So uh one closer question. So since we started at this point discussing what made you think now I have to explore outside India. What is the one key thing which you found found difference between European cities and Indian cities and maybe even the people anything not only cities but maybe people culture which stood out very very uh fine for you and it was like key differentiated in a good way like maybe they are better than us in that sense and it was something which you did not anticipate maybe either it was so I think one piece of information is uh I can’t really comment on people but I’ll probably try and answer this question from the POV of my personality. Okay, I’m not someone who enjoys um using uh Google to figure out things. I’m one of those who would ask someone I’m on the go and like I’ll ask for help tell me what to do and how to go about things. Right. Yeah. So in that sense I think uh the familiarity of culture that we have in India it’s it’s way too easy for me to just walk up to someone and ask for help right uh in Europe one cannot do that uh because you have to figure out things uh to be able to you know uh do things uh the second bit I think what really works in Europe though is again the uniformity factor But in terms of uh civic planning and transport design, it’s very easy to figure out uh the the transport the way it works uh which train to take from which destination to another. Uh the public transport is so smooth that uh life doesn’t get disrupted, you know, like it’s way too continuous. So uh and that continuum doesn’t break when you use uh public transport. So I think I think uh that’s a big plus and and you you travel with dignity intact. Uh you don’t get hassled uh in public transport at all. Uh you also don’t feel little uh because everyone is uh traveling in public transport. Uh so I think think that’s a big plus uh there. Yeah. I I think uh that’s very well that’s a good observation I guess more than anything the one thing which you mentioned about I think as a Mumbai if you may say we are used to asking things on the go we never really think about yeah where things are how to which card which turn to take which route to take I I think even outside Mumbai it’s a bit tough the way I experienced it in Delhi it was different because I was into sales kids and I used to find I used to ask for directions daily and I used to get lost a lot of time. So they used to give me wrong estimate. So uh so I think uh that’s a trait of a proper Mumbai. But uh I think uh thanks thanks for your insights into this trip and uh something which as I mentioned I was not anticipating is the detailing uh with which you shared right about each aspect of the city. Uh so so what’s next on your uh on your mind when it comes to Europe or outside Europe? What are you planning now for this thing? A lot of things uh so there are two to three trips that uh are a mustdo at the moment. Uh one is uh like uh new trip to New Zealand when the Indian cricket team tours uh New Zealand. So I want to watch a cricket I want to watch a test cricket match uh in New Zealand. Uh so that’s one thing. Uh second is there is a Spain Portugal trip uh that that I’m very keen on. And third is uh whenever I get a chance uh either I would love to go to Switzerland or I would love to go to Iceland. Nice. Nice. So I think the good part is you are uh looking at exploring one certain part which currently at least I am not looking at and I will get many more insights from that. My my current thought processes of exploring one is either Kenya or Tanzania because I am intrigued uh by the migration phase which happens over there and I want to experience it firsthand. Uh yeah to see the migration so that’s something on my list. They look just very very different. I am very curious about so we growing over the years like you must have seen the chimneys are not existing right now our our childhood was like we used to listen to the birds in the morning right so it it’s it’s going out of our lives but to see them firsthand in their natural habitat I’m very curious about how so I have been on safaris but but then to experience it the complete range right the complete family so my friend recently went to Tanzania with whom I covered and prior to that also the migration is playing on my mind. I want to experience that. I’ve seen some clips. That’s a very experience that you have chosen to be part of your bucket list. So one is that second is I guess South America maybe Mexico or Peru that is something which I’m in uh that is some so two three countries but uh the things you mentioned I want to see a test match at Lords in fact post the WTC I was my wife was asking why this year I was supposed to go on this year but it’s just that I was so lazy about booking my tickets uh that I missed out uh uh that I missed out actually uh uh otherwise I mean the tickets I the I just couldn’t buy the tickets in time uh and all the test matches are sold out so yeah I was supposed to be at Lords this year so that is one thing on my mind were one one match at Lords and hopefully some match of significance maybe some WTC final or because this one was a really good one the recent one uh and my my wife was asking why why is the lords because her father That is my father-in-law when they visited they did the Euro trip. Lords was not a part of their and he requested that he wants to visit Lords and go to that. So she does not have that association with why Lord’s balcony and Lords is so special because she could not feel anything but yeah so that’s a that’s a true man. Yeah. Yeah. So thanks thanks Salindra. Thanks for your time. Thanks for sharing your insights and inputs. This would be very helpful for all those who are thinking of exploring these countries because right now the trend is not of visiting but exploring and this in one way was uh not just uh listening to what happened but it was also more about what you explored uh what you saw. Thanks for that. Uh I will also request you to share some photos and videos from your trip so that that gives a picture to v photo to what you shared as an experience and I will then include incorporate those in what uh moments we are uh we have discussed over here. So yeah thanks thanks for your time and hopefully we connect again. Thank you for having me. Yeah, cheers.

✨ Plan Your Europe Trip from India | France, Belgium, Netherlands & Germany ✈️ | TravelwithSaave Podcast

In this travel podcast of TravelwithSaave, our guest Shailendra shares his unforgettable Euro trip experience with his wife, covering four iconic countries – France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany. If you’re wondering how to plan a Europe trip from India, this podcast is your go-to guide!

From applying for the Schengen visa from India, booking budget-friendly flights and stays, to navigating public transport across Europe—this episode covers it all. Hear firsthand stories of visiting world-famous landmarks, exploring unique local food scenes, and the cultural highlights that made this couple’s journey special.

💡 Whether it’s your first time to Europe or you’re just dreaming of it, get inspired and start planning!

🔑 In this episode:

– Step-by-step planning from India
– Schengen Visa process & requirements
– Where to stay in France, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany
– Best places to visit in each country
– Public transport hacks
– Must-try foods and unforgettable moments

📍 Chapters:
00:00:00 Teaser
00:02:13 Podcast Begins
00:03:41 What made him travel outside India?
00:06:37 Why do I travel?
00:09:15 Why Europe?
00:12:58 How was the European experience?
00:15:10 Saave’s Pattern Observations
00:16:29 Trip overview
00:17:19 Planning Euro Trip
00:20:56 Schengen Visa Arrangement
00:26:03 Trip Begins: Day 1 in Paris
00:28:09 Day 2: Palace of Versailles
00:30:15 Day 2: Arc De Triomphe
00:31:28 Day 3 : Montmartre
00:38:56 Cafes in Paris
00:41:47 Parisian Fashion
00:42:55 Day 4: France to Belgium
00:45:30 Delirium Cafe, Brussels
00:46:40 Day 5: Bruges
00:48:43 Day 6 : Ghent
00:53:46 Day 7: Brussels
00:55:30 Day 8: Brussels to Eindhoven
00:56:02 Day 9 : Zaanse Schaans
00:58:05 Day 9: Amsterdam
00:59:40 Day 10 : Valkenburg
01:02:30 Day 11 & 12: Sick in Frankfurt
01:04:30 Best Butter Chicken Ever
01:05:22 Day 13: Heidelberg Castle
01:07:35 Saave’s Podcast Observations
01:10:28 Public transport experience
01:11:30 Metro Card & Experience
01:13:30 Cash or Card in Europe?
01:14:46 Europe vs India – His POV
01:18:09 Travel Bucket List

🎧 Tune in now and start planning your Europe travel adventure the smart way!
#howtoplaneuropetrip #europetravel #planyoureuropetripfromindia #travelwithsaave #planyourtrip #eurotrip #eurotrip #eurotripfromindia

📍 Podcast Equipment :

1) Wireless mic – https://amzn.to/4iGmthz
2) Shot on Iphone 15 – https://amzn.to/4hZZWvm
3) Tripod stand – https://amzn.to/4iRdWsy

Attributions:
– Stock videos from Pixabay and Pexels
– Shot using @Riversidefm app !!!

✅ Subscribe To Our Other YouTube Channels:-

📍 The Bookreads :
https://www.youtube.com/@UC507OqWN7yTB4m1Qk-sG92g

📍 The Nirwighn Show(Kids channel) :
https://www.youtube.com/@TheNirwighnShow

👉Follow us on Social Media:

INSTAGRAM : @iamsaave
https://www.instagram.com/iamsaave/

FACEBOOK : Prathamesh Sawant
https://www.facebook.com/prathamesh.sawant.338/

X : @IamSaave10
https://x.com/Iamsaave10