Lining either side of the path leading to the Meiji Jingu shrine in Tokyo, are neatly arranged stacks of wine barrels. These (empty) decorative sake containers known as Kazaridaru, commemorate the sake houses – represented by the National Sake Brewers Association – that supply the shrine (s) with Omiki or sacred ritual wine, an essential component of Shinto purification rituals. The offering […]
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A handy guide to the island of Burano famous for its colourful houses and lace. Discover the best things to do in Burano and how to get there on a day trip from Venice.
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Delhi’s architectural vestiges, the remains of its seven original cities, represent its complex and convoluted history. The spectacular rise of empires and the disasters and conflicts that led to their fall, writ large on every crumbling stone.. Mehrauli is the second of the seven cities, built around 1206AD by Qutub ud din Aibak, a former slave and general of Mohammed Ghori, who […]
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“The place where a certain catastrophe occurs becomes a dreadful, inescapable witness of it; and the absence of that silent character would leave the greatest historical scenes incomplete” ~ Victor Hugo in “The essential Victor Hugo” By all accounts Henri of Navarre – King Henri IV of France – was a good king. Revered by his […]
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All you need to know before you visit Torcello island from Venice: the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta and the exquisite mosaics it is famous for.
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Christine of Dadirridreaming died this morning. It is strange how some of our virtual connections seem so real. So special. How they transcend time and space and the barriers of geography, race and religion. My friendship with Christine was one such. We ‘met’ in February 2012, just a month after I started my blog, and I have cherished my interactions […]
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With the dwindling number of Jews in Calcutta – just over 20 by last count – unable to summon up the minyan, or the requisite ten men to hold a service, their shuttered places of worship stand mute witness to the once fabled diversity of their adopted land. They arrived in search of better prospects to a thriving metropolis. Their descendants opted out […]
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No, not the parade for hopeful courting teenagers! This was a trooping ‘home’ of scores of simians across the roof behind the Gateway hotel in Coonoor, and up a nearby tree to wherever it is they bed down for the night! I am guessing leaving room doors open here isn’t an option. Although not part of the parade, I couldn’t resist […]
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I had forgotten the smell of the hills. The fresh clean smell of mountain air mingled with the spicy fragrance of eucalyptus and the overpowering aroma of green tea leaves. But as we negotiated each tricky hairpin bend on our drive up the Coonoor ghat, it was the colours that opened the flood gates of […]
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— They looked picture perfect. Two beautiful people framed between two pillars of the cathedral of Santa Maria Dell’ Assunta in Torcello. I considered showing them these photos. But I held back, reluctant to intrude into that beautiful space between them, that radiated a delightful sense of ease. And togetherness. More from Torcello in a few days. Meanwhile, have […]
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The free and easy style of sightseeing I had adopted in Venice, wasn’t without its drawbacks. I was halfway to the Basilica San Marco to book a place on the 11.00 am tour that would co-incide with the floodlighting of the mosaics, when it suddenly occurred to me that it was a Saturday. I knew the Rialto markets would be closed the next […]
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San Marco’s monumental magnificence aside, it was a relief to escape its relentless crowds and persistent fake bag vendors. My second hotel, the Al Ponte Mocenigo in the sestiere Santa Croce was far enough away from the touristy center to feel local, while being close enough to the Stan Stae vaporetto stop to remain connected. In my four full days there – not […]
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The Urge To Wander 