Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada, and wife Laureen pose in front of the Taj Mahal at Agra

On a six-day tour of India, to boost trade ties and promote better relations, Stephen Harper, the Prime Minister of Canada, landed in Agra on Sunday evening. And on his first day, went all out touristy, making Taj Mahal his first stop. In the misty morning, Harper, along with his wife, Laureen, received a private tour of this, one of the most famous of the world’s architectural gems.

The couple, hand-in-hand, strolled up the walkway to the monument. To answer their questions, guides Shamshuddin and Lalit Chawla accompanied the VVIP guests who spent about an hour looking at the structure up close. In the Visitors’ Book, he wrote “This has been a real treat for Laureen and me. It is wonderful to see how such a monument for love for a queen has become a gift of beauty for all humanity.”

Afterwards, he spoke to journalists and said that he was more than a little impressed. “It’s really something. You kind of have to come here to see it to believe it.” When he was asked if he was planning anything similar for his wife, it prompted laughter, both from the prime minister and his wife, who was at his side. “My wife has tastes a little more modest,” said Harper, as he smiled. “And she also wants them while she’s still living.” Laureen Harper, also grinning, added, “I’m not waiting until I’m dead.”

Later in the day, Harper headed to Delhi where he saw another Mughal architectural masterpiece, the Humanyun’s Tomb and participating in a business forum.