After being enamoured by the Taj Mahal, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his glamorous wife Carla Bruni on Sunday chose to spend a quiet morning relaxing at a luxurious hotel here, which presents a magnificent view of the 17th century Mughal monument.
Though earlier the French couple were due to visit the monument of love this morning after spending the night at the Amarvilas hotel, they decided to sneak out last evening itself to view the Taj at dusk and stayed there for an hour.
55-year-old Sarkozy and Bruni, 42, who got married two years ago, are also set to go to the famous Fatehpur Sikri—— the first planned city built by Emperor Akbar, about 40 kms from here, showcasing Mughal architecture. Later, they will leave for Delhi to attend a dinner hosted by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
While the Taj was closed down for the public at 9:45 AM today as per previous schedule of the first French couple, it was thrown open again within 45 minutes once the police was informed they were not going to the monument for a second time.
Mr. Sarkozy spent the time in the heavily guarded hotel by going to the gym and jogging in the lawns.
