Yes, already a week flew by, with no thoughts of office, schedules, the change in professional life coming in, relatives, maids, the humdrum of daily routine..How relaxed it was!!
Woke up a liitel late and while M had to take a cal, I refreshed myslef, hogged on the burger bought last night and took off to Regents Park, recommened by the person whom I met at the cathedral adjacent to Borough market. Pointed out to M all that needs to be packed and left home to absorb the beautiful morning sun and the perfect weather..Walked from regents park station to the park and the park is a really really huge one!! had a look at the map, decided which direction to walk and then started walking..Since it was a Saturday, may groups had come for playing cricket, football etc.. I was surprised to see many young children playing cricket, with umpires, score keepers, with boundaries drawn, with players in their cricket gear..So was teh football teams , children as young as 4 years were being brought in and enrolled for camps and it was such a delight for the eyes to saok in the beauty of the many colors and the way the wee little ones were manouvering with the bats and balls.. There were also teenagers in gropus playing volley ball, cricket, football.. My heart was very light and I enjoyed watching these little ones play and scenes of myself along with M enrolling our child/children in such sport camps, and watching them play and getting delighted in how they play was running in my eyes and head..How I wish all this happens sooner..! Sigh..Anyways, I kept walking stopping near the camps to watch the paly, I reached the other end of the park, and while I was seeing the route map, I heard a large thudding sound someone calling out name of "John", Before I could just turn my head, the accident had already occured . The person riding the bicycle had fallen to the ground after being in the air for a few seconds..The imapct was deep, I suppose as he wasnt able to move his leg or body and move to the other side of the road. By them, traffic started flwoing in and 2 men donned the cap of traffic police and diverted the traffic.
A jogger who happened to see this volunterred to help as he was a Doctor,. It took some time for the Dr to reach the spot as he had to go a full round before he found an exit. I was all the while witnessing what was hapening: the father admonishing the son to be alert while crossing roads, fellow bikers stopping to help the fallen one, men willing to divert traffic,a doctor who happened to witnessed this readily willing to help..
Afetr the crowd moved, I walked through the park soaking in the ducks and pigeons residing in the pond inside the park , admired the beauty of the park and took the route to the nearest Tube station. Went through Baker street, visited the Sherlock Holmes museum and returned to the hotel , only to get scoldings from M for being so late, for not telling him properly what needs to be packed and what to be left behind..Anyways, by the time I reached the room, all was packed and set and I hardly had time to bid byes to the room.(yeah, I'm insane that way)..I checked once teh room and the rest rooms, and made my way to the check out counter..I digged on the cup cakes and the chips that was left and we put out luggages in the hotel and set out to wander London the rest of the day.
First, we set out to the Science Museum , and M was quite fascinated by the artifacts of the engineering marvels of yester years and so was I. Had our lunch at the bunego restaurant and left for the Bond Street. From Bond Street, went to regents Street , had sandwich at Subway and before we knew , it was already 5:30 and now it was time to go to airport. Came back to Gloucester Road to pick up out luggagae and took the train to Heathrow. Another incident which needs mentioning here is : While we were travelling from South Kensington to Bond street, I felt so thirsty and rememberd having a bottle of juice in my bag, it was so tighlty closed that when I opened it, it burst out with a sound and with splashes of juice spiiling on me and the lady and man seated next to me in the tube. I've never eaten in a tube all these days and now, this incident made me to be at the receiving end of stares from the man and woman, wlady esp..Had the man not been with her, her startes told me that she would have gave sharp remarks to me..I apologised to them..Just yday I was caught for travelling without ticket and now, this splash incident and I was telling M that I did have an adventourous stay here and that I need to egt abck now ..
I had a good vacation, happy one, with no (or very less tension, for a a couple of times may be) stress,..Overall a good trip..Next post will summarise a few more things that are are in my mind..Will add snaps too..
Thank you London, Thank you M, Thanks Lord for making this trip happen..Heres to many more ..
Showing posts with label Travelogue. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Travelogue. Show all posts
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Where notion of time
After much thought as to whether to spend the day in and around London, wnjoying the beautiful weather or to visit Stonehenge, I settled on the former. Decided to take the ferry to Greenwich. Took the ferry from the St.Pauls' pier. Walked via the Greenwich Park uphill to the Maritime Museum. A short trek, I would say, after a very long time. Had a wondeful view of the city from the hill and also saw O2 from there. The day was cloudy with the skies threateining to open up anytime and it did and was drizzling and raining on and off.
Spent time in the muueum, took pictures on the longitudinal line (yeah, the 7pound ticket is for this pic only!!) , got drenched n the drizzle and spent soem time on the hill top before proceeding to the city. Thought pf taking teh tunnel to the other side of Greenwich initially, but then dropped the plan, proceeded to the market , had Ethiopian food for lunch and went to Cutty Sark DLR station to board the tarin to Bank. This is where the dram for the day starts..
Unline all other tube sttaions, this particular station that runs trains on the DLR line does not have the gates that opens up when you validate the Oyster card. Looks like there is a counter somehwre eon the side of the entrance and exit of the station where one has to swipe in. This particular information I got to know much later, just before a probablity of spending some time behind the bars in a foreign land ..
Yes, I boarded the train and was making plans for the rest of day. Tahts when this ticket checker walsk in and asks for my Oyster card and my card doesnt show that its been signed of at Cutty Sark before boarding the train and the ticket checker asked me to wait at Bank where he would "talk" to me before proceeding to check others. The lady who was sitting opposite to me gave me curious looks and gave an expression that meant "all the Best/good Luck" I decoded this expression much later only, for I was pretty much cool and was pondering inside my brains if I swiped or not..Travelling in London, one need not sue brains at all , as all directions are spoon fed and you just need to follow directions. I was still mainitaing my cool and was thinking where I would go next. Little did I know what was coming up at Bank.
Bank station arrived and this was the last station for this particular DLR route, and this white man aka, the ticket checker asked another colleague of his at the station to "take care" of me , while he would deal with another fellow traveller who hadnt swiped his card ..This new TC had my complexion, so I assumed him to be Indian origin. On his questioning, I told him that there was no gate 9as other tube stations) where I could swipe my card and I handed him my card to deduct t amount for this travel. This erson was not taking any of it and started giving gyaan about how Indians never listen or see anything, there are announcements that the counter for swiping tha card (none of which I heard when I wasin the station), and there are notices giving directions to people towards the swipe counter (which I couldnt catch too)..He presented me with teh option of paying fine..I told him that I'm a tourist and that I have no money to pay, he proceeded to say that he cant help me in this regard as there are cameras everywhere , he even pointed to one camera where all our conersation was being recorded and he was just doing his duty, failing which it would become a big problem for him and hsi job..I kept repeating myself that I ahd no money and gace details of how I've come here as a tourist while my husband is at work. The conversation above repeated over and over untill he asked for my ID proofs where in my passport, Chennai was mentioned and thats when he asked "Tamilaa??" "Amman Sir" was my reply and I thought to myself, "Didnt you recognise me for soo long?I have a brown skin, with oiled and plaited hair and an appavi look, why did it take long for you to recognise??" anyways, now he was a little soft and confirmed whether I've come to London seeking job and when I assured him that next day was my flight back home, he felt convinced and spared me..Took me aside to a place where there was no camera and asked me to just leave without stopping anywhere in between in case someone stops me to question. By the time he left me, he had almost filled up half of the memo , and I returned back to check if he had filled all the details and this filling would cause any problems in the short/diatnat future. he showed me the memo that he had crossed it completely and had written Invalid on the same. relieved was I and I ran to the exit of the station and called up M to narrate the whole story and like a person out of sanity, looked everywhere for cameras that would capture how I'm fleeing :)
From Bank, proceeded to Holborn to Covent Garden .Reached Covent Garden and saw a place that sold tickets for musicals, stood in the line , but when the queue didnt move for about 20 minutes, left the place and proceedd towards the Covent Garden market. Waht a place..Covered area full of shopping joints that sold anything and everything from stationery, edibles, to expensive pieces of jewellery. I wished I had bought some pieces of silver jewellery , earrings especially.I wanted to come along with M , who has a wonderful taste and is my official clothes/jewellery/ selector :) . The market was clearly demarcated that shops that sell quality items were put up in one part , while a different section of the market had local stuff, the things that you find regularly at Burma Bazaar in India.
Once I was done with Covent Garden, went towards China town, not withstanding the smell of the fried Noodles and various other stuff emnating from the place, proceeded towards the tube station and got down at South Kensington. My cousin had recommended the cup cakes in Humming Bird Bakery , since South K had a store of H. bakery, went to the store and the aroma from teh shop was too irresistible. Made a beeline in the 15x10 ft shop and stocked my bag with a couple of cakes and walked towards Gloucester Road. Passed via residentail areas and was dreaming what kind of people do live here in such posh villas, enjoyed the pictureusque lanes and on reaching Gloucester Road, a sense of belonging passed down my spine and it was indeed nice to see the tube station, the Tesco, Bombay Brasserie. Picked up water bottle, and a pack of chips to satiate my craving of fried something and proceeded to the room.
M had been to the pub with his colleagues and when M was back, shared with him the days events and since both of us were too tired to go out for dinner, asked him to grab some burger at the Burger King nearby and we called it a day.
Spent time in the muueum, took pictures on the longitudinal line (yeah, the 7pound ticket is for this pic only!!) , got drenched n the drizzle and spent soem time on the hill top before proceeding to the city. Thought pf taking teh tunnel to the other side of Greenwich initially, but then dropped the plan, proceeded to the market , had Ethiopian food for lunch and went to Cutty Sark DLR station to board the tarin to Bank. This is where the dram for the day starts..
Unline all other tube sttaions, this particular station that runs trains on the DLR line does not have the gates that opens up when you validate the Oyster card. Looks like there is a counter somehwre eon the side of the entrance and exit of the station where one has to swipe in. This particular information I got to know much later, just before a probablity of spending some time behind the bars in a foreign land ..
Yes, I boarded the train and was making plans for the rest of day. Tahts when this ticket checker walsk in and asks for my Oyster card and my card doesnt show that its been signed of at Cutty Sark before boarding the train and the ticket checker asked me to wait at Bank where he would "talk" to me before proceeding to check others. The lady who was sitting opposite to me gave me curious looks and gave an expression that meant "all the Best/good Luck" I decoded this expression much later only, for I was pretty much cool and was pondering inside my brains if I swiped or not..Travelling in London, one need not sue brains at all , as all directions are spoon fed and you just need to follow directions. I was still mainitaing my cool and was thinking where I would go next. Little did I know what was coming up at Bank.
Bank station arrived and this was the last station for this particular DLR route, and this white man aka, the ticket checker asked another colleague of his at the station to "take care" of me , while he would deal with another fellow traveller who hadnt swiped his card ..This new TC had my complexion, so I assumed him to be Indian origin. On his questioning, I told him that there was no gate 9as other tube stations) where I could swipe my card and I handed him my card to deduct t amount for this travel. This erson was not taking any of it and started giving gyaan about how Indians never listen or see anything, there are announcements that the counter for swiping tha card (none of which I heard when I wasin the station), and there are notices giving directions to people towards the swipe counter (which I couldnt catch too)..He presented me with teh option of paying fine..I told him that I'm a tourist and that I have no money to pay, he proceeded to say that he cant help me in this regard as there are cameras everywhere , he even pointed to one camera where all our conersation was being recorded and he was just doing his duty, failing which it would become a big problem for him and hsi job..I kept repeating myself that I ahd no money and gace details of how I've come here as a tourist while my husband is at work. The conversation above repeated over and over untill he asked for my ID proofs where in my passport, Chennai was mentioned and thats when he asked "Tamilaa??" "Amman Sir" was my reply and I thought to myself, "Didnt you recognise me for soo long?I have a brown skin, with oiled and plaited hair and an appavi look, why did it take long for you to recognise??" anyways, now he was a little soft and confirmed whether I've come to London seeking job and when I assured him that next day was my flight back home, he felt convinced and spared me..Took me aside to a place where there was no camera and asked me to just leave without stopping anywhere in between in case someone stops me to question. By the time he left me, he had almost filled up half of the memo , and I returned back to check if he had filled all the details and this filling would cause any problems in the short/diatnat future. he showed me the memo that he had crossed it completely and had written Invalid on the same. relieved was I and I ran to the exit of the station and called up M to narrate the whole story and like a person out of sanity, looked everywhere for cameras that would capture how I'm fleeing :)
From Bank, proceeded to Holborn to Covent Garden .Reached Covent Garden and saw a place that sold tickets for musicals, stood in the line , but when the queue didnt move for about 20 minutes, left the place and proceedd towards the Covent Garden market. Waht a place..Covered area full of shopping joints that sold anything and everything from stationery, edibles, to expensive pieces of jewellery. I wished I had bought some pieces of silver jewellery , earrings especially.I wanted to come along with M , who has a wonderful taste and is my official clothes/jewellery/ selector :) . The market was clearly demarcated that shops that sell quality items were put up in one part , while a different section of the market had local stuff, the things that you find regularly at Burma Bazaar in India.
Once I was done with Covent Garden, went towards China town, not withstanding the smell of the fried Noodles and various other stuff emnating from the place, proceeded towards the tube station and got down at South Kensington. My cousin had recommended the cup cakes in Humming Bird Bakery , since South K had a store of H. bakery, went to the store and the aroma from teh shop was too irresistible. Made a beeline in the 15x10 ft shop and stocked my bag with a couple of cakes and walked towards Gloucester Road. Passed via residentail areas and was dreaming what kind of people do live here in such posh villas, enjoyed the pictureusque lanes and on reaching Gloucester Road, a sense of belonging passed down my spine and it was indeed nice to see the tube station, the Tesco, Bombay Brasserie. Picked up water bottle, and a pack of chips to satiate my craving of fried something and proceeded to the room.
M had been to the pub with his colleagues and when M was back, shared with him the days events and since both of us were too tired to go out for dinner, asked him to grab some burger at the Burger King nearby and we called it a day.
Wimbledon, here I come!
Day 5: Today was booked for Wimbledon and the Shakespeare's play at the Globe. Enquired from the Wimbledon office that the tour starts around 10AM . So woke up a little late , had a hair wash , picked on muffins and salad from Sainsbury and proceeded to the South fields tube station from where took a long walk to reach the Wimbledon tennis courts. Passed via Wimbledon Garden and could catch a glimpse of a pond/lake inside the gardens and made a mental note to enter the garden on the way back. It was a rather long walk to the tennis courts and I did enjoy them..Could spot many Indian looking faces on the way.
Reaching the court,caught a glimpse of the statue of and proceeded to pay the entrance fee and joined the group. The guide started the tour by asking each one of us who are favorite tennis sportsman/woman is and put forth out a few guidelines that needs to be followed during the tour of a hour and a half or so. We first went to Court No.1 and then, moved via Henman hill to Centre Court. From there, proceeded to Cort No:18 where the longest match in the history of Wimbledon was played in 2010 and then called it a day. The tour was Ok,in my opinion , not as wonderful as the previous tour of the Lords. added to the slightly boring tour, the sky also opened up then and there . Anyways, after the tour, went around the museum which had in its display tennis racquets and balls that were used when the game was played in its formative days. There were also stations where we could watch the last game (of the winning set) of the Wimledon finals of the yester years. Spent some time and left to Southfields to take the tube to St.Pauls from where I could go over to Globe for the play.
I wanted to walk the Southark bridge, (since I had already walked across the Millenium and Tower bridges) , hence got down at Monument and took a walk to the other end of Southark, traced the Thames River Walk path via Borough Market..Now, since it was noon, the market was oen and busstling..Checked through the stalls, , bought some fresh fruits and proceeded to the play. What do I see inside the Globe??Scores of people standing and watching the play, for all of 2 hours and 40 minutes..Those in the standing ard include lots of school going children. Does this show the interest they have in watching playes?? Fitting to the name of the play, "All's Well that Ends Well", the troupe did a wonderful dance at the end and we all enjoyed too. After the play, proceeded to the Borough market and had lunch at a pizza corner in there. Along with fruits, which M does not touch, stocked some chocolates and Lebanese delicacies for him.
Took a walk again towards the Tower Bridge, where I mae friends with a Taiwanese tourist who had taken a trip to London for a month. When I checked on how she managed to get amonths break from work, she replied that she had quit her job when she was denined a month long leave. She was working so hard for a few years, looks like and she just wanted to take a break , hence decided to quit the job and once she gets back, she would either search for jobs or continue here studies, whatever it w, she would decide after enjoying her vacation. I was awe at her courage and how steady her mind was. I havent come across many (read any) in India who would dare to do such kind of stuff. This reminds me that I need to email her and the man whom I be-friended at the Cathedral the previous day. The usual lazy me (:
We took pictures of each other and we also clicked a snap of ours and while I left towards the Tower bridge, she said she had other plans that was away from the Tower Bridge. Feeling happy over making friends and re-discovering the social-me , proceeded towards the tube station to get back home.Took the tube to Gloucester Road and felt a sense of belonging while coming out of the tube and seeing the all familiar Tesco and Bombay Brasserie.
At the room, Switched on the TV, flipped through channels, watched a programme wherein the anchor inteviews a couple to get details on the home that they were planning to purchase, would find probable matching onees and would take the couple on a tour of the houses. Took in the view of the city from our room on the 10th floor and hummed myself some tunes untill M arrived from office.
Once M came from office, we proceeded to Piccadilly Circus area and roamed there for some time, before we stopped at a Mexican place for dinner. Had a good dinner and came back home, and called it a day.
Reaching the court,caught a glimpse of the statue of and proceeded to pay the entrance fee and joined the group. The guide started the tour by asking each one of us who are favorite tennis sportsman/woman is and put forth out a few guidelines that needs to be followed during the tour of a hour and a half or so. We first went to Court No.1 and then, moved via Henman hill to Centre Court. From there, proceeded to Cort No:18 where the longest match in the history of Wimbledon was played in 2010 and then called it a day. The tour was Ok,in my opinion , not as wonderful as the previous tour of the Lords. added to the slightly boring tour, the sky also opened up then and there . Anyways, after the tour, went around the museum which had in its display tennis racquets and balls that were used when the game was played in its formative days. There were also stations where we could watch the last game (of the winning set) of the Wimledon finals of the yester years. Spent some time and left to Southfields to take the tube to St.Pauls from where I could go over to Globe for the play.
I wanted to walk the Southark bridge, (since I had already walked across the Millenium and Tower bridges) , hence got down at Monument and took a walk to the other end of Southark, traced the Thames River Walk path via Borough Market..Now, since it was noon, the market was oen and busstling..Checked through the stalls, , bought some fresh fruits and proceeded to the play. What do I see inside the Globe??Scores of people standing and watching the play, for all of 2 hours and 40 minutes..Those in the standing ard include lots of school going children. Does this show the interest they have in watching playes?? Fitting to the name of the play, "All's Well that Ends Well", the troupe did a wonderful dance at the end and we all enjoyed too. After the play, proceeded to the Borough market and had lunch at a pizza corner in there. Along with fruits, which M does not touch, stocked some chocolates and Lebanese delicacies for him.
Took a walk again towards the Tower Bridge, where I mae friends with a Taiwanese tourist who had taken a trip to London for a month. When I checked on how she managed to get amonths break from work, she replied that she had quit her job when she was denined a month long leave. She was working so hard for a few years, looks like and she just wanted to take a break , hence decided to quit the job and once she gets back, she would either search for jobs or continue here studies, whatever it w, she would decide after enjoying her vacation. I was awe at her courage and how steady her mind was. I havent come across many (read any) in India who would dare to do such kind of stuff. This reminds me that I need to email her and the man whom I be-friended at the Cathedral the previous day. The usual lazy me (:
We took pictures of each other and we also clicked a snap of ours and while I left towards the Tower bridge, she said she had other plans that was away from the Tower Bridge. Feeling happy over making friends and re-discovering the social-me , proceeded towards the tube station to get back home.Took the tube to Gloucester Road and felt a sense of belonging while coming out of the tube and seeing the all familiar Tesco and Bombay Brasserie.
At the room, Switched on the TV, flipped through channels, watched a programme wherein the anchor inteviews a couple to get details on the home that they were planning to purchase, would find probable matching onees and would take the couple on a tour of the houses. Took in the view of the city from our room on the 10th floor and hummed myself some tunes untill M arrived from office.
Once M came from office, we proceeded to Piccadilly Circus area and roamed there for some time, before we stopped at a Mexican place for dinner. Had a good dinner and came back home, and called it a day.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Already in the middle of the vacation?
Cant believe its already the 4th day and past 3 days flew by without a thought of office, catching the bus, waking up early in the morning on the multiple alarms, thinking whether to change the job or not ...and the train of thoughts..What a relief it has been so far..
Today, again S has to travel to a place outside London and hence started early. I woke up a little late, had a relaxing English breakfast at Garfunkel's and started off to Lords. Took the tube to St.John's Wood . The amount of time I took to walk from the tube station to Lords was lesser than the time taken to reach Grace Entrance which is the visitors entrance from where tickets needs to be purchased and where the guided tour starts. Since it was a long walk from one end of the stadium to the other, called up the museum and informed them that I would be a little late and checked with them if they would still allow me to join the 10AM tour. Joined the tour group around 10:20 , when the group had already finished visiting the museum and proceeding towards the stadium. The person at the ticket counter was sweet enough to ask me to come back to the museum so that I can catch up with what I'd missed in the 12noon tour..
We went to the Long Room and the guide introduced us to who have access to the Long Room, and how do players enter the pavilion, and some of the quirky stuff that players have done before certain big matches. From the Long room, we proceeded to the Committee room and were told about where the Queen sits and watches the match..It was quite funny that all of us wanted to sit in that particular chair :-)
From the committee room, we proceeded to the Dressing room. This was the visitors dressing room as the English dressing room had suffered a broken window in the previous test match , it was getting readied for the upcoming matches. Hence we weren't allowed inside. I'm not a cricket buff, but have developed interest over the years, after having marries S who loves the sport , and so is my mil. Anyways, it was news for me when I couldn't spot our master blasters name in the name board there which records details of those who score century at Lords. So is Muralidharan's name not to be seen in the bowlers name board..Life can sometime be very weird nah..Lords which is considered to be the home of cricket does not have the greatest and great batsman's names, but features not-so familiar names..
From the Dressing room, we went over to the stadium, where we could open up our cameras and click away till we get bored..Till then, we weren't allowed to take pictures in the Long/committee/Dressing rooms. People who travel alone/visit places alone will know what it is to ask others to click a snap of theirs..Still, I did ask others to click mine and I clicked pics of the ground from various positions in the stadium. We were allowed to go around the seating area and I imagined how the view would be when a players are on the ground by seating in various positions. It is my conclusion that the more upstairs you have yourself seated, the more difficult it is to figure out who is doing what..You'll definitely get an idea as to where the ball is going, or when the bowler is bowling or the catch or 6 or 4, but it is difficult to figure out people on the ground the farther you are seated from the ground. People who have watched matches live from the grounds might know this, but for me, I used to wonder if we'll be able to watch the match from the ground as comfortably as we do from our drawing rooms, especially, will we be able to see who is doing what when seated in the last rows..something that I found quirky was that the front seats didn't have roofs above them, whereas when you go upward, you are sheltered from shine or rain..It is my assumption that tickets are expensive for front seats and prices decreas as you go farther..and hence, when you pay a big amount for ticket, you'll be provided more comfort (here, a roof above your head)..
Next, we visited the J.P.Morgan Media Centre, and got to know that it was built recently and it was well equipped technologically..The media people will have a good view and a cool environment while watching and reporting the game.
We moved on to the nursery ground and got to know that one end of the nursery ground is just 8 feet above the tube path and we can actually sense moving of trains while standing in that area. The tour ended here and we were free to visit the Lord's shop for shopping. There were 3 others who seemed to have missed the first section of the tour and we marched along with our guide to the museum. supposedly, they were not very keen to join the 12 noon group for the museum tour, hence they did it by themselves..I joined the 12noon group and got to know some tid-bits about the Ashes cup.
This is the first time I'm visiting a cricket ground and I was super thrilled having gone into one and having got to know some tid-bits about the game/ground , I was already thinking about what all I would share with S.(The funny part is S knew all the information I gathered that day ever since he was a teen) .
From Lords, I went to Baker Street, roamed there for some time and headed to mansion House to visit Tate Modern. Before going to Tate Modern, I visited St.Paul's church and basked in its huge structure for some time and when I almost reached Millennium Bridge, the skies opened up and it was getting very difficult to walk when the winds grew stronger. Hence, joined two women who were taking shelter in the building complex adjoining the bridge. Since many joined us there , along with another woman and her son, I went inside the building only to eb driven out by the receptionist there..Thanks to the son, who thought he had all the freedom to walk and wander inside what was supposed to be office premises. When the force of rain lessened and wind appeared gentler, I trusted my umbrella to protect me and walked towards Tate Modern on the other end of the M bridge.Halfway along the bridge, rains started pouring heavily , not to mention forceful winds, I enjoyed it, but didn't know in which direction I would fly the next moment..Yes, there was hardly anyone on the bridge and for a moment I don't know if I wanted to just there or catch hold of the next person passing by (as I completely lost my balance) or go back or proceed forward(for I was stuck right in the center of the bridge)..As I type this sitting in my study, I am able to relive that moment . I simply wanted to anchor to someone ,didn't bother about if that was a man or woman (who would dare to care when there is a choice between being thrown away by wind or have a chance of surviving!) .I reached out to another young woman coming in the opposite direction, but she was struggling to manage herself and her umbrella..However, I managed to reach the other end and entered Tate Modern to find that I was completely drenched, and the pound notes in my pocket weren't spared..Good that the passport was not soiled..
Spent some time at Tate Modern and covered most of the galleries that interested me. I didn't have interest looking into the pictures that depict poverty,malnutrition, scenes of flood-hit and worn-torn areas, human pictures in general..As such sights are common in media all the time in this side of the world. Had a pack of salad from Sainsbury, so digged into it at the cafe there and by this time, the rain had stopped, so, made an exit. I didn't have any plan in place now, so since I was already near the Thames River Walk, decided to take the walk. What do I know, when I proceeded to talk taking in the smell of the rain drenched pathway and the tides of the river, and the bustling activity in the neighborhood, I glanced up to see the board which read : Globe", yes, its the Shakespeare's Globe!! The hall was packed with young and old alike , and I could spot lot of school going children in the crowd. Browsing through the calendar of events , I decided to book myself into a play. On enquiring, figured out that all tickets to the play Much Ado About Nothing" was sold out and there were very few seats left for "Alls Well That Ends Well". After having multiple conversation with the person on the other side of the counter as to what is a seat with a "restricted view", booked a ticket for myself for the show on Thursday noon 2PM.
Having booked myself for the 2PM show next day, I continued the river walk, now there were quite a few requests from couples asking me to be their photographer and I took the pleasure in clicking multiple pictures of each of them till I was myself satisfied with the outcome..One of the pics that I clicked of one particular couple came out great and they aa-aahed--oohed over the pic.I felt delighted too. Enroute, I checked out the various restaurants that displayed their menu outside to check if any of hem had some interesting stuff in them for us,vegetarians. One particular restaurant caught my attention, that was "The Real Greek", I stepped inside and enquired about the details of the spread, timing and if reservation is required. While I proceeded toward the Tower Bridge, I got to know what are "London Bridge, South ark Bridge and Tower Bridge". I also witnessed the opening of the Tower Bridge when a ship had to cross the bridge. One particular name board held the direction to Borough market, and that ringed a bell in my head :my cousin had mentioned this name while we met on Monday asking me to visit the place to get a feel of the place. Though there were name boards showing directions to the Borough market, every direction the boards led were empty. I wasn't sure if I had to walk more to reach this market . By now, my legs ached for a break, hence went inside a cathedral and sat on a bench. Here's when I made friends with a person who introduced himself to be a teacher of French and German in schools in London and as a part time job, he was also doing some work for the British Government. I was surprised to hear him talk in Hindi and knowing that he has relatives in India, in our very own Hyderabad and he that he has visited India and loves to learn and speak Hindi. We started talking/chatting and in the course found out what places he would suggest to visit for a tourist. He also mentioned that the Borough Market opens at noon and closes around 4ish and that the cathedral where we were seated is a very old one and its charming and beautiful in the inside and recommended me to visit. When it was time for him to leave, I went into the church and found that all characters in Shakespeare's tales were painted there. Prayed for a while and continued the river walk .Now, I reached the Tower Bridge and walked past the Tower of London to the tube station on the other end.
Today, M and I decided to visit my cousins place in the eat , in the suburbs of Canary Wharf and we decided to meet up at Liverpool St to grab something to eat and from there, we would come over to the Bank station and take the DLR to Mudchute. Before proceeding to Liverpool St, since I had some more time, I went to Leicester Square and went isnide China Town and roamed there for some time. We went to my cousins place , caught up , cooked and had dinner and called it a day. By the time we returned home(hotel, that is..Another post is required to narrate how I got so attached to the hotel we were in, especially the area we were put up for the week, Gloucester Road. I felt I belonged there :-)) , it was past 11 and we will wake up tomorow to the second half of this holiday session
Today, again S has to travel to a place outside London and hence started early. I woke up a little late, had a relaxing English breakfast at Garfunkel's and started off to Lords. Took the tube to St.John's Wood . The amount of time I took to walk from the tube station to Lords was lesser than the time taken to reach Grace Entrance which is the visitors entrance from where tickets needs to be purchased and where the guided tour starts. Since it was a long walk from one end of the stadium to the other, called up the museum and informed them that I would be a little late and checked with them if they would still allow me to join the 10AM tour. Joined the tour group around 10:20 , when the group had already finished visiting the museum and proceeding towards the stadium. The person at the ticket counter was sweet enough to ask me to come back to the museum so that I can catch up with what I'd missed in the 12noon tour..
We went to the Long Room and the guide introduced us to who have access to the Long Room, and how do players enter the pavilion, and some of the quirky stuff that players have done before certain big matches. From the Long room, we proceeded to the Committee room and were told about where the Queen sits and watches the match..It was quite funny that all of us wanted to sit in that particular chair :-)
From the committee room, we proceeded to the Dressing room. This was the visitors dressing room as the English dressing room had suffered a broken window in the previous test match , it was getting readied for the upcoming matches. Hence we weren't allowed inside. I'm not a cricket buff, but have developed interest over the years, after having marries S who loves the sport , and so is my mil. Anyways, it was news for me when I couldn't spot our master blasters name in the name board there which records details of those who score century at Lords. So is Muralidharan's name not to be seen in the bowlers name board..Life can sometime be very weird nah..Lords which is considered to be the home of cricket does not have the greatest and great batsman's names, but features not-so familiar names..
From the Dressing room, we went over to the stadium, where we could open up our cameras and click away till we get bored..Till then, we weren't allowed to take pictures in the Long/committee/Dressing rooms. People who travel alone/visit places alone will know what it is to ask others to click a snap of theirs..Still, I did ask others to click mine and I clicked pics of the ground from various positions in the stadium. We were allowed to go around the seating area and I imagined how the view would be when a players are on the ground by seating in various positions. It is my conclusion that the more upstairs you have yourself seated, the more difficult it is to figure out who is doing what..You'll definitely get an idea as to where the ball is going, or when the bowler is bowling or the catch or 6 or 4, but it is difficult to figure out people on the ground the farther you are seated from the ground. People who have watched matches live from the grounds might know this, but for me, I used to wonder if we'll be able to watch the match from the ground as comfortably as we do from our drawing rooms, especially, will we be able to see who is doing what when seated in the last rows..something that I found quirky was that the front seats didn't have roofs above them, whereas when you go upward, you are sheltered from shine or rain..It is my assumption that tickets are expensive for front seats and prices decreas as you go farther..and hence, when you pay a big amount for ticket, you'll be provided more comfort (here, a roof above your head)..
Next, we visited the J.P.Morgan Media Centre, and got to know that it was built recently and it was well equipped technologically..The media people will have a good view and a cool environment while watching and reporting the game.
We moved on to the nursery ground and got to know that one end of the nursery ground is just 8 feet above the tube path and we can actually sense moving of trains while standing in that area. The tour ended here and we were free to visit the Lord's shop for shopping. There were 3 others who seemed to have missed the first section of the tour and we marched along with our guide to the museum. supposedly, they were not very keen to join the 12 noon group for the museum tour, hence they did it by themselves..I joined the 12noon group and got to know some tid-bits about the Ashes cup.
This is the first time I'm visiting a cricket ground and I was super thrilled having gone into one and having got to know some tid-bits about the game/ground , I was already thinking about what all I would share with S.(The funny part is S knew all the information I gathered that day ever since he was a teen) .
From Lords, I went to Baker Street, roamed there for some time and headed to mansion House to visit Tate Modern. Before going to Tate Modern, I visited St.Paul's church and basked in its huge structure for some time and when I almost reached Millennium Bridge, the skies opened up and it was getting very difficult to walk when the winds grew stronger. Hence, joined two women who were taking shelter in the building complex adjoining the bridge. Since many joined us there , along with another woman and her son, I went inside the building only to eb driven out by the receptionist there..Thanks to the son, who thought he had all the freedom to walk and wander inside what was supposed to be office premises. When the force of rain lessened and wind appeared gentler, I trusted my umbrella to protect me and walked towards Tate Modern on the other end of the M bridge.Halfway along the bridge, rains started pouring heavily , not to mention forceful winds, I enjoyed it, but didn't know in which direction I would fly the next moment..Yes, there was hardly anyone on the bridge and for a moment I don't know if I wanted to just there or catch hold of the next person passing by (as I completely lost my balance) or go back or proceed forward(for I was stuck right in the center of the bridge)..As I type this sitting in my study, I am able to relive that moment . I simply wanted to anchor to someone ,didn't bother about if that was a man or woman (who would dare to care when there is a choice between being thrown away by wind or have a chance of surviving!) .I reached out to another young woman coming in the opposite direction, but she was struggling to manage herself and her umbrella..However, I managed to reach the other end and entered Tate Modern to find that I was completely drenched, and the pound notes in my pocket weren't spared..Good that the passport was not soiled..
Spent some time at Tate Modern and covered most of the galleries that interested me. I didn't have interest looking into the pictures that depict poverty,malnutrition, scenes of flood-hit and worn-torn areas, human pictures in general..As such sights are common in media all the time in this side of the world. Had a pack of salad from Sainsbury, so digged into it at the cafe there and by this time, the rain had stopped, so, made an exit. I didn't have any plan in place now, so since I was already near the Thames River Walk, decided to take the walk. What do I know, when I proceeded to talk taking in the smell of the rain drenched pathway and the tides of the river, and the bustling activity in the neighborhood, I glanced up to see the board which read : Globe", yes, its the Shakespeare's Globe!! The hall was packed with young and old alike , and I could spot lot of school going children in the crowd. Browsing through the calendar of events , I decided to book myself into a play. On enquiring, figured out that all tickets to the play Much Ado About Nothing" was sold out and there were very few seats left for "Alls Well That Ends Well". After having multiple conversation with the person on the other side of the counter as to what is a seat with a "restricted view", booked a ticket for myself for the show on Thursday noon 2PM.
Having booked myself for the 2PM show next day, I continued the river walk, now there were quite a few requests from couples asking me to be their photographer and I took the pleasure in clicking multiple pictures of each of them till I was myself satisfied with the outcome..One of the pics that I clicked of one particular couple came out great and they aa-aahed--oohed over the pic.I felt delighted too. Enroute, I checked out the various restaurants that displayed their menu outside to check if any of hem had some interesting stuff in them for us,vegetarians. One particular restaurant caught my attention, that was "The Real Greek", I stepped inside and enquired about the details of the spread, timing and if reservation is required. While I proceeded toward the Tower Bridge, I got to know what are "London Bridge, South ark Bridge and Tower Bridge". I also witnessed the opening of the Tower Bridge when a ship had to cross the bridge. One particular name board held the direction to Borough market, and that ringed a bell in my head :my cousin had mentioned this name while we met on Monday asking me to visit the place to get a feel of the place. Though there were name boards showing directions to the Borough market, every direction the boards led were empty. I wasn't sure if I had to walk more to reach this market . By now, my legs ached for a break, hence went inside a cathedral and sat on a bench. Here's when I made friends with a person who introduced himself to be a teacher of French and German in schools in London and as a part time job, he was also doing some work for the British Government. I was surprised to hear him talk in Hindi and knowing that he has relatives in India, in our very own Hyderabad and he that he has visited India and loves to learn and speak Hindi. We started talking/chatting and in the course found out what places he would suggest to visit for a tourist. He also mentioned that the Borough Market opens at noon and closes around 4ish and that the cathedral where we were seated is a very old one and its charming and beautiful in the inside and recommended me to visit. When it was time for him to leave, I went into the church and found that all characters in Shakespeare's tales were painted there. Prayed for a while and continued the river walk .Now, I reached the Tower Bridge and walked past the Tower of London to the tube station on the other end.
Today, M and I decided to visit my cousins place in the eat , in the suburbs of Canary Wharf and we decided to meet up at Liverpool St to grab something to eat and from there, we would come over to the Bank station and take the DLR to Mudchute. Before proceeding to Liverpool St, since I had some more time, I went to Leicester Square and went isnide China Town and roamed there for some time. We went to my cousins place , caught up , cooked and had dinner and called it a day. By the time we returned home(hotel, that is..Another post is required to narrate how I got so attached to the hotel we were in, especially the area we were put up for the week, Gloucester Road. I felt I belonged there :-)) , it was past 11 and we will wake up tomorow to the second half of this holiday session
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Tuesday morning, S had to go to Belfast. Hence, the alarm was scheduled to ring at 3:45am. I woke up suddenly to find the sun rays seeping through the curtains into our room and I was shocked for a moment and already started thinking if S has missed his flight..And I turn to the clock to see it showing 3:05 AM.relieved, went back to sleep only to be up again at 4AM. After sending off S, tossed and turned , and finally woke up and got readied. Had b'fast of pizza and left for changing of the guard at the Buckingham palace. Before going to the palace, went to Westminster , and en-quired the debate viewing hours in the Parliament and the service timings at Westminster Abbey. Walked to the Palace via St.James park. and when I reached there it was 10:30AM and people had already started thronging around.. En-quired a security guard on the best viewing place, and sneaked through the crowd and placed my backpack right in front of the palace gate. Crowd was beginning to swell and there was a family of 3, a mom and her two daughters among others around me. The mom was preparing her daughters as to what to expect during the ceremony. You know what she said , here it goes : "Two guards, one from either side (pointing to directions) will come forward and one will hand over the customary equipment to the other and the changing of the guard is done. It will happen so soon that you might probably start thinking "Is this what this entire hoopla about changing of guard is?Is this why I waited for 2 hours?" Well, everything in life is like that..We build up expectations, desires, and one fine day,, it happens, and the moment passes by too , and we'll be like,"Has <xyz> already happened? Have I already experienced <abc> ? Is this what all is? " We keep anticipating for something or the other all the time and we ignore the present and when we get the opportunity to experience what we were anticipating for long, it passes by so soon, that we start building up desires for something else..and this thought process and journey goes on and on..." <end of what that mommy said her daughters>
She told this sitting on the compound wall of the palace right next to me and it hit me so hard that I thought probably that was meant for me. <another post for the profound impact that it had on me>.The ceremony was quite an experience vieing it among thousands of tourists like me. After changing of the guard, left for Little Venice (as suggested by my cousin the previous day) . At Little Venice, took a river boat ride to Camden Town .The market at Camden Town was similar to the kind of shops in Ranganathan St in Chennai, small shops selling knick-knacks and people teeming them..If you are an insider, then this is a good place to shop. Else, tourists can visit the market to get an experience of it and there is nothing worthwhile buying there (as people wouldn't believe that the gifts are from London if you get gifts from this place). Left the place and came over to St.James' park, had my lunch there admist pigeons who seem to have an enormous capability to sense slightest smell of any eatable even from a distance..I'd infact parked myself in a place along the road side (outer boundary of the park in order to not to attract the pigeons) and little did I expect that in a few minutes after opening my lunch packet, I was to witness a row of pigeons walking towards my side. Fed them some bread pieces .
After lunch and brief rest at the park, left for the evening song at Westminster Abbey. We were given pamphlets that described about the history of the church and the sequence of the prayer which was very useful.It had narrations so clear that that it said when to stand, when to kneel and what song the choir will sing. After offering prayers, came to the Parliament only to be told by the security that there was a long queue inside and it would take an hour and hence she advised me to come after about 30 minutes.Spent time around the Parliament area, soaking in the sunlight, the traffic and the people around..Then, joined the queue in the Parliament and I was allowed to go inside in about 15-20 minutes. This was the first time I was visiting a Parliament (haven't visited the Parliament of my own country of residence) and the had a good experience. came back to the hotel and waited for S to arrive. We went to the nearby Singaporean hotel for dinner and called it a day.
Friday, June 17, 2011
Travelogue- day3 in London
Tuesday morning, S had to go to Belfast. Hence, the alarm was scheduled to ring at 3:45am. I woke up suddenly to find the sun rays seeping through the curtains into our room and I was shocked for a moment and already started thinking if S has missed his flight..And I turn to the clock to see it showing 3:05 AM.relieved, went back to sleep only to be up again at 4AM. After sending off S, tossed and turned , and finally woke up and got readied. Had b'fast of pizza and left for changing of the guard at the Buckingham palace. Before going to the palace, went to Westminster , and en-quired the debate viewing hours in the Parliament and the service timings at Westminster Abbey. Walked to the Palace via St.James park. and when I reached there it was 10:30AM and people had already started thronging around.. En-quired a security guard on the best viewing place, and sneaked through the crowd and placed my backpack right in front of the palace gate. Crowd was beginning to swell and there was a family of 3, a mom and her two daughters among others around me. The mom was preparing her daughters as to what to expect during the ceremony. You know what she said , here it goes : "Two guards, one from either side (pointing to directions) will come forward and one will hand over the customary equipment to the other and the changing of the guard is done. It will happen so soon that you might probably start thinking "Is this what this entire hoopla about changing of guard is?Is this why I waited for 2 hours?" Well, everything in life is like that..We build up expectations, desires, and one fine day,, it happens, and the moment passes by too , and we'll be like,"Has <xyz> already happened? Have I already experienced <abc> ? Is this what all is? " We keep anticipating for something or the other all the time and we ignore the present and when we get the opportunity to experience what we were anticipating for long, it passes by so soon, that we start building up desires for something else..and this thought process and journey goes on and on..." <end of what that mommy said her daughters>
She told this sitting on the compound wall of the palace right next to me and it hit me so hard that I thought probably that was meant for me. <another post for the profound impact that it had on me>.The ceremony was quite an experience viewing it among thousands of tourists like me. After changing of the guard, left for Little Venice (as suggested by my cousin the previous day) . At Little Venice, took a river boat ride to Camden Town .The market at Camden Town was similar to the kind of shops in Ranganathan St in Chennai, small shops selling knick-knacks and people teeming them..If you are an insider, then this is a good place to shop. Else, tourists can visit the market to get an experience of it and there is nothing worthwhile buying there (as people wouldn't believe that the gifts are from London if you get gifts from this place). Left the place and came over to St.James' park, had my lunch there amidst pigeons who seem to have an enormous capability to sense slightest smell of any eatable even from a distance..I'd in fact parked myself in a place along the road side (outer boundary of the park in order to not to attract the pigeons) and little did I expect that in a few minutes after opening my lunch packet, I was to witness a row of pigeons walking towards my side.
After lunch and brief rest at the park, left for the evening song at Westminster Abbey. We were given pamphlets that described about the history of the church and the sequence of the prayer which was very useful.It had narrations so clear that that it said when to stand, when to kneel and what song the choir will sing. After offering prayers, came to the Parliament only to be told by the security that there was a long queue inside and it would take an hour and hence she advised me to come after about 30 minutes.Spent time around the Parliament area, soaking in the sunlight, the traffic and the people around..Then, joined the queue in the Parliament and I was allowed to go inside in about 15-20 minutes. This was the first time I was visiting a Parliament (haven't visited the Parliament of my own country of residence) and the had a good experience. came back to the hotel and waited for S to arrive. We went to the nearby Singaporean hotel for dinner and called it a day.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Cal Trip - Day3
How come 2 days flew so fast? Felt like I was just on the flight, and now its time again to board the flight, this time, to return to routine..anyways, after much debate on the plans for the day, settled on visiting the science city. Checked out from the hotel, paid a visit to the Iskon enroute to Science city and then got dropped at Science city. Went around a few exhibits, and saw a 3-D show and a Documentary on the Nile River. The documentary was good.Met a family from TN and we got introduced to each other and went along with them to see some exhibits. Having another 1 hour to pass, croseed the road to check out on the handicrafts exhibition, but it was closed. Was supposed to open only in the later part of the day. Anyways, started the book which I'd cariied along. It was time to leave cal and head to B'lore. Enroute to the airport, M and his colleague were picked from their office and now the vacation comes to an end.
My aunt and uncle were at B'lore that day attending a wedding reception and this uncle was the one who was very keen to visit our house ever since we moved here. There wasnt enough time fro them to visit our home and then catch the bus at night. So, we drove from airport directly to the hotel where reception was happening, had dinner there, got introduced to a few distant relatives , saw aunt and uncle off to Chennai and we drove back home. It was good to be home!!
My aunt and uncle were at B'lore that day attending a wedding reception and this uncle was the one who was very keen to visit our house ever since we moved here. There wasnt enough time fro them to visit our home and then catch the bus at night. So, we drove from airport directly to the hotel where reception was happening, had dinner there, got introduced to a few distant relatives , saw aunt and uncle off to Chennai and we drove back home. It was good to be home!!
Friday, April 1, 2011
Cal trip-day2
Started the day with a sumptuous breakfast at the Taj. Met with one of husbands colleagues who beleives in the Isckon way. all through the breakfast, he got on to giving a discourse. because of which, I wasnt able to thoroughly enjoy the food. Before I left for the trip, I was attending a discourse by Nochur Sri.Venkataraman on Bhagavatham. The discourse was supposed to continue for another 3 days while I would be out of town. While listening to this person, I had a feeling I was not missing any of the spiritual discourse of Sri.Nochur V as I was already listening to one.!
I started the day with Victoria Memorial, spent a good two hours there, eductaing and re-capping what history books have taught. Left Victoria and went to India Museum. Spent another 3 good hours there, wondering at all the various exhibits ranging from science, medicine, geography, art, and what not. Left for the hotel and caught up with few portions of MMKR movie. Then, enquired about the steam/sauna at the hotel and left for the spa. This was going to be my first experience with spa. Tried the steam and jacuzzi, though couldnt enjoy completely.
When M came back after office, we got refreshed and went to Park Street. Walked along the by-lanes , and had dinner at one of the restaurants. Then, we went on a trip to view Colonial Calcutta. The guide cum chauffeur gave us information on the various buildings, how they came to have the names they bear now, age of the building etc. The drive was awesome . Returned back to the hotel and called it a day.
I started the day with Victoria Memorial, spent a good two hours there, eductaing and re-capping what history books have taught. Left Victoria and went to India Museum. Spent another 3 good hours there, wondering at all the various exhibits ranging from science, medicine, geography, art, and what not. Left for the hotel and caught up with few portions of MMKR movie. Then, enquired about the steam/sauna at the hotel and left for the spa. This was going to be my first experience with spa. Tried the steam and jacuzzi, though couldnt enjoy completely.
When M came back after office, we got refreshed and went to Park Street. Walked along the by-lanes , and had dinner at one of the restaurants. Then, we went on a trip to view Colonial Calcutta. The guide cum chauffeur gave us information on the various buildings, how they came to have the names they bear now, age of the building etc. The drive was awesome . Returned back to the hotel and called it a day.
Calcutta, ahoy!
Calcutta aka Kolkata was the one metro among the erstwhile 4 metros of India which I had not visited till last week . When the better half informed that he was travelling to this place on business , I couldnt find a better opportunity to tag along and visit the place. So, there I booked the tickets , much to my own surprise without much thought and started googling about places to visit, eat and shop. I had even disclosed the travel plan to all who cared to ask and listen. Usually , so far, I havent had the habit of revealing my plans in detail to many. Now, I am having a vacation after a llong loong time (last time, we had been to Kurumba village enroute to Ooty many years ago). So, I decided to have a good time and not worry about office stuff or anything that would disturb me.
The previous day of our travel being International Womens Day, I was all dressed in a beautiful maroon saree to the office, had a good time enjoying the events organised in our office. Had mehendi too which provided a cooling effect. Not sure if there is someone who conspires to somehow disrupt my peace, just after lunch, I see a series of emails asking for my comments/suggestions to solve a critical issue. Phew!! Of all times, should these mails come when I plan a vacation and just about to wrap up things at work?? Had discussion with colleague based out of the the same location I work in, made sure to assign work in my absence and asked people to ping me when I'm out of office. My boss calls me multiple times, but I'm unable to talk to him because of the low batetry and poor signal strength . Called up the boss later in the evening, informed him that I'll be unable to support the next 3 days, cant attend any conference calls and indirectly told him not to be disturbed. Got some lecture, nevertheless, this didnt put me off completely.
Took time to pack clothes, pack stuff that I might require for the travel and stay, and was all set. Wednesday(March 9th) dawned bright , we got readied and boarded the cab on the long drive to the airport. I've driving to the airport after about 3 years. All my flight travel prior to this one has been on work and this was teh first time I was taking the flight for personal reasons and more importantly taking the flight with the husband beside me. I tried my best to put office tension behind my back, and travel light. I wouldnt say I was 100% successful in not thinking about office, however, I was close to the mark :-). Squirmed in the flight, yes, I'm claustrophobic, couldnt get sleep, chatted with the better half . Poor thing, the husband had to get on to work once we alight from the plane. So, I was resisting myself from not pestering him too much.
Alighted from the plane in the humid Kolkata which welcomed us with a temperature of 35 degrees. Dropped husband in the office and I drove to central parts of the city where our booking for the hotel was done. I enter Taj bengal and I went WOW!! Every aspect in the Taj campus is a testimony to the brand , the luxury, the quality and the legacy!! I have stayed in good resorts in the past, but this one, though not a resort is the first 5 -star rated hotel I was vacationing in. Freshened up , and was time for lunch. Upon husband's insistence, I reluctantly went to The Hub in the premises of Taj. Why reluctant? because I was not very OK with spending all of 1500 bucks for food, on myslef. Was very unsure even after entering the restaurant. Not sure what made me start with the starters. Had a 5 course meal, relaxed, enjoyed the food and the ambience.
Came back to the room, checked the calcutta guide,ordered for a DVD player, browsed the channels in the TV and dozed off, only to wake up when I call from the husband. Now, the DVD player also came, and I watched some portion of a movie whose dvd I had carried along. Dressed up, and was now ready to paint the city. Checked with the concierge the timing of Kali Mandir. Now, I was already having a nagging feeling about spending on lunch( I need to make a point here: I'm no miser. I love to spend, love to buy stuff and indulge my loved ones than indulging myself). so I was a lil bit averse about spending about 30 bucks a kilometer on the taxi, if arranged via the hotel. Inspite of the husband insisting on taking the taxi from the hotel, I walked out on the road , bravely in a city totally new , in a city where I dont understand the local language, and only posses an average Hindi speaking ability.
Saw a few people on the road just waving their hand to board in to a taxi. I did the same too and asked to be taken to Kali Mandir. I was dropped at the temple and I was charged 30 bucks for what the meter said Rs.17. I wasnt sure if I need to argue with my poor Hindi speaking skill. hence, got the change and proceeded twoards the temple. As soon as I stepped down from the taxi a group of priests swarmed around giving details about the rates to be paid for a quick darshan to the Goddess. I dismissed them and walked forward and could see only a line of stores usually found in front of teh temples . I couldnt spot any trace of the temple gopuram which is usually seen in the temples of the South. I asked for directions from a passer by and proceeded forward. Waited in a long queue , while on the queue, observed that devotees were performing waht I assume to be archanas. A lady who stood behind me told me details of what is the bes way to get these pujas done in a Bengali mixed Hindi. Had a darshan of the Goddess, and now, proceeded to Birla Mandir. The taxi driver was not sure of the timings of the temple , nevertheless, I went to the temple. There, we are not supposed to carry camera and there wasnt any locker safe. Hence, with the guidance of the security guards in the temple, I left the camera with the Calcutta Ploice who were stationed in fornt of the temple. There were 3 men, 2 in uniform and the third in plain clothes. The two uniform-clad men directed me to deposit the camera to the man in plain clothes. I blindly trusted these men and left my newly bought camera with him and proceeded to the temple. On returning from the temple, thankfully, the camera was safe.
Back at the hotel, freshened up, M and I left for dinner. We chose the Mediterranean cuisine at Taj..Need I tell that the food was awesome. But, one fact which proved to be true yet again is that you really need to ne a non-vegetarian when you like to taste different kinds of food. Because, even in the mediterranean menu, we hardly had options to choose from , being a vegetarian. Anyways, the quality and taste was awesome and we called it a day.
The previous day of our travel being International Womens Day, I was all dressed in a beautiful maroon saree to the office, had a good time enjoying the events organised in our office. Had mehendi too which provided a cooling effect. Not sure if there is someone who conspires to somehow disrupt my peace, just after lunch, I see a series of emails asking for my comments/suggestions to solve a critical issue. Phew!! Of all times, should these mails come when I plan a vacation and just about to wrap up things at work?? Had discussion with colleague based out of the the same location I work in, made sure to assign work in my absence and asked people to ping me when I'm out of office. My boss calls me multiple times, but I'm unable to talk to him because of the low batetry and poor signal strength . Called up the boss later in the evening, informed him that I'll be unable to support the next 3 days, cant attend any conference calls and indirectly told him not to be disturbed. Got some lecture, nevertheless, this didnt put me off completely.
Took time to pack clothes, pack stuff that I might require for the travel and stay, and was all set. Wednesday(March 9th) dawned bright , we got readied and boarded the cab on the long drive to the airport. I've driving to the airport after about 3 years. All my flight travel prior to this one has been on work and this was teh first time I was taking the flight for personal reasons and more importantly taking the flight with the husband beside me. I tried my best to put office tension behind my back, and travel light. I wouldnt say I was 100% successful in not thinking about office, however, I was close to the mark :-). Squirmed in the flight, yes, I'm claustrophobic, couldnt get sleep, chatted with the better half . Poor thing, the husband had to get on to work once we alight from the plane. So, I was resisting myself from not pestering him too much.
Alighted from the plane in the humid Kolkata which welcomed us with a temperature of 35 degrees. Dropped husband in the office and I drove to central parts of the city where our booking for the hotel was done. I enter Taj bengal and I went WOW!! Every aspect in the Taj campus is a testimony to the brand , the luxury, the quality and the legacy!! I have stayed in good resorts in the past, but this one, though not a resort is the first 5 -star rated hotel I was vacationing in. Freshened up , and was time for lunch. Upon husband's insistence, I reluctantly went to The Hub in the premises of Taj. Why reluctant? because I was not very OK with spending all of 1500 bucks for food, on myslef. Was very unsure even after entering the restaurant. Not sure what made me start with the starters. Had a 5 course meal, relaxed, enjoyed the food and the ambience.
Came back to the room, checked the calcutta guide,ordered for a DVD player, browsed the channels in the TV and dozed off, only to wake up when I call from the husband. Now, the DVD player also came, and I watched some portion of a movie whose dvd I had carried along. Dressed up, and was now ready to paint the city. Checked with the concierge the timing of Kali Mandir. Now, I was already having a nagging feeling about spending on lunch( I need to make a point here: I'm no miser. I love to spend, love to buy stuff and indulge my loved ones than indulging myself). so I was a lil bit averse about spending about 30 bucks a kilometer on the taxi, if arranged via the hotel. Inspite of the husband insisting on taking the taxi from the hotel, I walked out on the road , bravely in a city totally new , in a city where I dont understand the local language, and only posses an average Hindi speaking ability.
Saw a few people on the road just waving their hand to board in to a taxi. I did the same too and asked to be taken to Kali Mandir. I was dropped at the temple and I was charged 30 bucks for what the meter said Rs.17. I wasnt sure if I need to argue with my poor Hindi speaking skill. hence, got the change and proceeded twoards the temple. As soon as I stepped down from the taxi a group of priests swarmed around giving details about the rates to be paid for a quick darshan to the Goddess. I dismissed them and walked forward and could see only a line of stores usually found in front of teh temples . I couldnt spot any trace of the temple gopuram which is usually seen in the temples of the South. I asked for directions from a passer by and proceeded forward. Waited in a long queue , while on the queue, observed that devotees were performing waht I assume to be archanas. A lady who stood behind me told me details of what is the bes way to get these pujas done in a Bengali mixed Hindi. Had a darshan of the Goddess, and now, proceeded to Birla Mandir. The taxi driver was not sure of the timings of the temple , nevertheless, I went to the temple. There, we are not supposed to carry camera and there wasnt any locker safe. Hence, with the guidance of the security guards in the temple, I left the camera with the Calcutta Ploice who were stationed in fornt of the temple. There were 3 men, 2 in uniform and the third in plain clothes. The two uniform-clad men directed me to deposit the camera to the man in plain clothes. I blindly trusted these men and left my newly bought camera with him and proceeded to the temple. On returning from the temple, thankfully, the camera was safe.
Back at the hotel, freshened up, M and I left for dinner. We chose the Mediterranean cuisine at Taj..Need I tell that the food was awesome. But, one fact which proved to be true yet again is that you really need to ne a non-vegetarian when you like to taste different kinds of food. Because, even in the mediterranean menu, we hardly had options to choose from , being a vegetarian. Anyways, the quality and taste was awesome and we called it a day.
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