'Gare du Nord, Paris' - by K.J.S.Chatrath

 I have gone to Paris a few times and passed through the iconic Gare du Nord. During my last visit to Paris I stayed in a modest hotel right opposite this station. Though it is not considered to be a nice area for overnight stay, the logistics of catching a train to north of France at 6.50 am the next morning made me chose this location. 

The hotel was quite basic. But its USP was that from my room on the second floor I could get a great view of the Gare du Nord. And I did make full use of it and clicked a number of photos. Now a few words about this railway station. 

 Gare du Nord, or ‘North Station’ in English, is one of the six large terminus stations of the French railway network Societe National du Chemin du Fer (SNCF) network for Paris, France. Located in the 10th arrondissement, the Gare du Nord offers connections with several urban transport lines, including Paris Metro, RER and buses.   Around 214 million passengers pass through it every year making it the busiest railway station in Europe.  

This is the station for trains to Northern France and to international destinations in Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. The station complex was designed by the French architect Jacques Hittroff  and built between 1861 and 1864.

 Jacques Hittroff (Photo source-internet)

Take  a look at Gare du Nord, as I saw it:

  

 Gare du Nord Metro Station.

 

Oh Paris, comment je t'aime!

 

 

 

 Do not miss the temporary leaning structure put up as a tourist attraction. 

The building in which my hotel was located also housed a Pakistani restaurant. I ordered a  tandoori roti (bread baked in a clay oven)  and chicken curry. Chicken curry was just OK and the roti was fairly average but these were far better than the over rated, half cooked and bland stuff  which goes by the name of  'French Cuisine.'