Temples here give me peace of mind
The City has been seeing an increasing number of expats in the last few years. Claire Denieul, advisor, French Gastronomy, who hails from Paris, has been living here for the last three years. Claire is an ardent theatre enthusiast and also writes French texts for websites.
“Bangalore is a wonderful city and has an amazing climate. The people here are extremely friendly and have always helped me,” she says.
Claire, who has a lot of good things to say about the City, is also involved in social activities. Although she does not like to hang out much, she loves visiting temples in the outskirts of the City. “There are some temples here which gives me immense peace of mind,” she says.
“I also like the vintage houses in the City because the architecture is aesthetic and the houses have a rustic feel to it. Those beautiful old villas in the bylanes of Bangalore are a treat for the eyes and the senses. The greenery you have here is very pleasing,” she says. “I like some of the cafes here like the Cafe Noir at UB City, which has a calm and cool ambience. And you get good coffee here,” she adds.
Claire, who helps HIV patients during her free time, has also visited some of the slums here. The diversity in this country amazes her. “Bangalore is diverse with varied communities and their customs and traditions, which makes this place quite different from Paris. You can feel the vibrancy of different customs converging at one place,” she says.
She is all praises for Indian food. “I love the parathas, masala and onion dosas. I am also fond of marinated fish, sausages and and the shells you get here. They taste really delicious. I also like Bengali food as it is very different and nice,” she says.
Her penchant for travelling has taken her far and wide in India and she is completely smitten by the ancient architecture of temples and palaces. “I have seen Nandi Hills, Hampi and the Chitradurga Fort. These places have brilliant architecture and these are some of the most attractive places I have seen till date. I have also visited the Mysore Palace, which is aesthetically rich,” she says.
When asked if there is something that she doesn’t like about the City, she says, “The bad traffic, pollution and sewerage system are the only problems in the City. I’m sure it can be rectified with proper planning and management.” She also feels that the auto drivers get a little nasty at times.
“They have fleeced me many a time. I think the authorities should use the GPS to track the auto drivers.” The young people in the City has been a source of fascination for Claire.
“The youngsters here are vibrant and enthusiastic.They are creative and are always taking part in social activities.” Claire, who plans to open her own French restaurant here, says she would love to serve authentic French cuisine to Bangaloreans. About the country as a whole, she says, “India’s rich cultural heritage makes the place all the more beautiful.”