They came from San Francisco, London, Paris or elsewhere; they were twenty years old, or not much more, and in their dreams they saw flowers replacing cannons. Who were they? They were the hippies at the turn of the 70s, children of opulence and the baby boom who settled on the beaches of Goa, living day by day their libertarian utopia of free love, music and artificial paradises. Why Goa? Because the small South Indian state had a very permissive policy on illicit substances at the time, because tolerance was traditionally de rigueur, because Goa distilled a unique way of life in IndiaAnd probably also because the coconut palms on the beaches are much more welcoming than the frosts of its cousin Kathmandu in the Himalayas.
Crazy parties on the sand, ritualised full moon parties, midnight baths-noon baths in very little clothing and music, music, music... Why evoke the hippie phenomenon of which not much remains today, apart from the gigantic Anjuna flea market, with no fewer than 7,000 stalls in season every Wednesday? Because it was they who really launched the destination, which was virtually unknown before the end of the 60s. With their music, their shiloms and their brightly-coloured tunics, they unknowingly laid the foundations of what is now an ultra-glamorous spot, attracting not only Bollywood film stars, but people from all over the world. To these must be added Indian families, individual Western and Middle Eastern tourists, the bohemian bourgeoisie from the major metropolises... and, of course, corporate groups. That's a lot of people, but Goa is perfectly equipped when it comes to hotels, from the smallest budget hotels to the most luxurious establishments.
A trip to Goa is first and foremost a seaside holiday. With all that that entails developed beachesThese are the beaches of the old hippies in the north of the state, around Calangute or Anjuna - where Bob Dylan, among others, spent some time with his guitar - or those in the south, which stretch non-stop for around fifty kilometres and are much more exclusive, much more well-groomed, and much more solitary too. They are endless, made of blond sand and bordered by coconut palms. As a result, most of the major international chain resorts are located here.
The crazy nights of Goa
A seaside destination, then. With water sports, themed parties - white or hippy to keep with the theme - and nightclubs that, when it comes to hipness, have nothing to envy their Mediterranean counterparts like Mambo or Tito's, a must since 1971. But these are far from the only activities on offer during a stay in Goa. Alternatively, you can explore the hinterland, teeming with tropical vegetation, by bike or scooter, or on one of the very exotic tuk-tuks. Cultural outings too, and not the least, with an astonishing discovery of old Portuguese India. That is, until 1961, when the state of Goa gained its independence and the Portuguese who had occupied it since 1510, in other words since the conquest by Afonso de Albuquerque, left the country for good.
And while we're on the subject of heritage, we might as well start with what sailing ships used to see when they arrived: a defensive fort - the Reis Magos, built in 1551 - located at the mouth of the river Mandovi and facing Panaji, the current capital of the state. Climbing a hill, well hidden behind its laterite ramparts punctuated by turrets, this fort is home to some noble white houses that are unmistakably Portuguese. It's very pretty and sophisticated. This military fortress, armed at the time with 33 formidable cannons, could almost be described as a holiday camp. All the more so as it has been remarkably restored and, alongside tourist visits, serves as a cultural centre. It is also open to the public, and understandably so, because with a view like this - the river, the city on the other bank and the sea straight ahead - the cocktails held here are bound to be a success. Down below, isolated among its coconut palms, a ravishing church, immaculate as it should be, watches over the peace of souls at the same time as taking the prettiest photos.
But for cathedrals, basilicas and religious buildings, you'll have to cross the river Mandovi and go to Velha Goa, the former colonial capital, now the capital of Goa. a UNESCO World Heritage site and was once rich in all the spices of the Orient, precious stones, brocades, porcelain and other silks from China... So rich that, as was said at the time, it rivalled Lisbon. In fact, not much remains of its former splendour. No houses, no palaces, no alleys, no shops; nothing to testify to the daily life of its 200,000 inhabitants in the 17th century.e century. Just churches. But what churches! Three enormous masterpieces set in the centre of an esplanade bearing witness to the city's past fortunes.
We'll start with the brick-red basilica of Bom Jesus, built in 1594 and now on display, behind a Manueline façadeThe church's baroque exuberance reaches new heights in the chapel housing the tomb of Saint Francis Xavier, the Jesuit evangelist who died in 1552 and is Goa's patron saint. Then, crossing the esplanade under a blazing sun, you can visit the Church of Saint Catherine (1631), now Goa Cathedral, said to be the largest in the whole of Asia, and, almost next door, the Franciscan Church of Saint Francis of Assisi (1521), one of the finest examples of Lusitanian Baroque art.
"The Rome of the East". Ancient Goa was overflowing with churches in the 17th century.e century. Navigator François Pyrard was a witness to this period, noting that "there isn't a square, street or crossroads where there isn't one". Today, there are three of them, side by side: Bom Jesus, Saint Francis of Assisi and Saint Catherine.
Fervour is the order of the day in Goa, and is at its height every ten years, when the shrine containing the remains of the body of Saint Francis Xavier is brought out of its basilica. Up to five million people attend the procession, compared to just 1.5 million in the state of Goa. This is the result of a Portuguese colonial policy that spared no effort to evangelise, if necessary using the convincing methods of the InquisitionHe also encouraged racial mixing to consolidate his power, leaving a Catholic population of 380,000.
Portuguese evangelisation
The result today is a series of offbeat scenes of families in traditional costume, the women in saris and sometimes black veils, the men in tunic trousers, waving endlessly before the statue of a saint. As you can see, Velha Goa, virtually abandoned in the eighteenth century, is a town that is still very much alive today.e Today, it is nothing more than a grandiose place of worship and a popular museum of sacred art. For the real thing, you'll have to go eight kilometres away to Panaji, the state capital since 1843. Panaji is first and foremost an atmosphere, and that's just as well, as the tiny capital of 65,000 souls is a great escape from the overdose of religious monuments.
Built on the banks of the river Mandovi, Panaji is divided into an upper town - very chic and perched on its hill - and a lower town, much more popular and full of charm.
Narrow streets, colourful houses, almond green, bright yellow, indigo... red tiled roofs overhanging to shelter from the sun or the monsoon, windows with lace curtains, potted plants and gardens spilling over the walls. Rua Natal, rua de Ourem, street names set against a background of azulejos: everything here is reminiscent of PortugalEven the sounds. From the soft music escaping from a half-open window, the sound of china clinking as dishes are being washed, the cries of children playing in the street... to old ladies sitting in front of their doors watching time go by; just like over there. Many of the houses have been restored, and galleries, fusion restaurants and boutique hotels are springing up. You can feel the gentrification of the area coming on...
In the meantime, agencies are organising highly successful treasure hunts or, even more successfully, city tours in particularly gleaming tuk-tuks. You can even use them for a tour of the countryside to the south of the city. There, you'll find nothing but coconut palms, deciduous trees, shimmering rice paddies, flower gardens and plantations of cashew nuts, turmeric and betel... One of them, the Tropical Spice Plantation, is even open to the public. After your visit, you can dine in the guinguette style, under a latanier hall open to the trade winds, delicious regional cuisineIt's a breath of fresh air in the sometimes suffocating heat. A refreshing delight in the sometimes suffocating heat, particularly in the days leading up to the monsoon.
White steeples of Catholic churches, but also of the Catholic Church, stand out from the lush greenery. colourful Hindu templesThe colours range from candy pink to baby yellow. Above all, along these delightful roads, ancient colonial houses stand in the shade of their pergolas, recounting the very rich hours of the Portuguese era. Many are in ruins, others could do with a facelift, but some are still standing and still inhabited by very old families. One of these is Casa Menezes Bragança, a 17th-century marvel.e century, a veritable palace with no fewer than 28 perfectly aligned balconies.
In fact, the two flats were built for two brothers. You visit both, without ever really knowing which one is more charming. The right wing is clearly museum-style, overflowing with Indo-Portuguese furniture, rosewood consoles and conversations, with a floor paved with Italian marble leading to endless galleries, lounges and ballrooms. It takes no effort to imagine the splendid life of the ultra-rich at the time.
On the left wing, it's the same configuration, but a little more weathered, and a little less furnished too. On the other hand, it is much more lively, as it is still inhabited by descendants of the Bragança family. The tour, which includes a visit to a chapel integrated into the décor, is as follows under the guidance of a very noble old lady of the 14th generation of the family, Mrs Aurea Bragança Pereira herself. There is also furniture, lots of furniture, display cases for precious souvenirs, porcelain, Chinese vases, chandeliers from Belgium, a kind of throne donated by the King of Portugal and a dining room table that can be measured with a decametre. The luxury of the house can be made private for dinners or cocktails engraved in marble. Perhaps it will be here that the agencies will organise their last evening before heading back to France, with a stopover between planes in Bombay, India's economic capital.
A breathtaking diversions through Bombay
To be honest, a day and a night is a bit short for a city like this. But it would still have been a shame to pass through without stopping for a while and catching a glimpse of a completely different atmosphere. Bombay typically starts at the gateway to IndiaAnd it's mainly for the souvenir photo. A bit like being immortalised in Paris in front of the Arc de Triomphe. Because this is an Arc de Triomphe. And it was built, not to celebrate a victory, but to commemorate the arrival on Indian soil of King George V and Queen Mary on 17 November 1911. Just opposite, in grey and white, topped by an enormous dome and an integral part of the city's heritage, is the most prestigious palace in the whole of India, almost as photographed. It's the Taj Mahal Hotel, built in 1904, and you shouldn't hesitate to push open the door and stroll through its magnificent rooms.
the shopping arcades full of dozens of photos of kings, queens, writers and show-business stars who have visited the salons at one time or another... It's a magical place, full of stories and anecdotes.
It's also, and above all, very calm, which doesn't hurt before you get into the frenzy of the city, a sort of Asian New York, jammed with cars, a demented urbanity where crowds run amok. Women in saris, others in European style, joggers, cricketers, businessmen in attaché cases, sellers of everything and anything, insistent beggars, overheated double-decker buses and open-air clothes-washers... Oh, India! And the crowds, the noise, the horns... At Victoria station as elsewhere, which you reach after a long, crowded, white-hot underground passage, but which has the advantage of avoiding a suicidal crossing of the avenue.
Why the station? Because it's gigantic, perhaps even a little pretentious, but above all because it's the only station in the world to be listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is clearly inspired by St Pancras in London and doesn't shy away from giving itself away, in its interiors at any rate, the look of a Gothic cathedral. Right next door, and to take an even deeper dive into the city's ordinary life, is Crawford Market, with its French Gothic-style central halls built in 1865. Here, too, it's the size of the subcontinent, and you'd better know how to elbow your way through. Meat, fish, live animals and pyramids of fruit on which, somehow, the vendors are perched. And then there's pure urbanity, whole buildings inhabited by a single family, a house by Mahatma Gandhi and another by Rudyard Kipling, a park of silence where the dead are left exposed to the discretion of vultures, temples and mosques...
We don't know whether, like New York, Bombay has a communicative energy, but after all that, we're on our knees. So it's back to the Taj and the Gateway to India, on Shahid Bhagat Singh Road, for a very welcome visit to Léopold Café. A real bistro opened in 1871With checked tablecloths and tired chairs, a bit like they used to do in the Saint-Germain-des-Prés area of Paris in the 60s. Those same years, when young Westerners were dreaming of another world, of an elsewhere that bore a strong resemblance to Bali, Essaouira, Ibiza and, of course, Goa. The story has come full circle.
