I spotted her from the vaporetto on my way back from Santa Maria della Salute. Her lone self on the balcony of the Palazzo Genovese (now the Centurion Palace Hotel) overlooking the Grand Canal, and juxtaposed against the glorious details of the church beyond. What a fabulous vantage point from which to survey the panorama below! I admit I felt a wee bit […]
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If you have ever been captivated by tales of fierce samurai and feudal warlords, you will love Takayama. Hida-Takayama is said to be one of few cities in Japan to retain its medieval character, particularly in the timber architecture of the old town that dates back to the Edo* era (1603 -1868). A period when the fragmented country transitioned from turbulence under warring chieftains to […]
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In my excitement over the charismatic Mr. Leopard and the elephant family, I neglected to introduce you to the less elusive inhabitants of Nagarhole National Park These creatures might not recieve prominent billing in the star cast of the jungle, but they are no less delightful, and we later regretted not spending enough time with them in our futile hunt for the tiger. […]
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It was Debra’s idea to meet in Bologna. Debra Kolkka is a (lucky) Australian, who lives part of the year in Bagni di Lucca, a Tuscan commune near Lucca, and writes a delightful blog named – no prizes for guessing – Bagni di Lucca and Beyond! Do hop over and take a look if you are a […]
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A fleeting moment in time, en route to a new beginning.
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I do not lay great store by my blog stats. I did initially, until my counter one time, read nine views and one visitor, while the country spread indicated the views came from five countries! I highly doubt even Clark Kent could manage that feat in twenty minutes. A recent Daily Post article titled Beyond Traffic by […]
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Peggy Guggenheim’s irreverence and sense of humour is evident from this 1948 Marino Marini sculpture presiding over the canal side entrance to her old home: Palazzo Venier de Leoni (Now home to the Peggy Guggenheim Collection). The bronze male nude astride a horse is hardly what you would expect to be titled ‘Angel of the City’! Serious […]
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No wordy post today. Just an early morning stroll through the hustle and bustle of the Kolkata wholesale flower market, overflowing with reams of brilliant marigolds strung into garlands. While I love the vivid yellow and orange blooms and always have bowls of them lying around my house, the ones that grabbed my attention here, were these less showy lotus buds. Don’t you think there […]
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One of our friends wanted to know if two days was time enough for Venice. I laughed. That is more time than we had in the city on our first visit nearly three decades ago. Even then, when leisure travel was the prerogative of the extremely wealthy, and we were certain we would never ever step outside our […]
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To me, Venice is in itself a work of art. Today, I showcase some delightful window displays from the magical city…from chocolate art to carnivale masks. All but the first, shot through glass. Hope you like them as much I did discovering them. Happy travels…no matter where life takes […]
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The literal meaning of Bhuta in Tulu – my mother tongue and also the predominant language of South Kanara district in coastal Karnataka – is ghost. But the Bhutas of the ritual worship called Bhuta Kola that take place annually in ancestral homes across the region are not the restless spectres the word conjures up. They are divinities…deified […]
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Venice was all floating fabulousness! It felt like I was just getting to know the city, when it was time for me to leave. “What will you do there for an entire week? And alone?” my friends exclaimed before I left. I could easily have stayed another two. I walked mostly. Through endless narrow calli, over innumerable ponti and onto picturesque campi presided […]
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The Urge To Wander 