The swirling gilded zodiac ceiling opens slowly to dramatic sound and light effects. The floor splits open and a golden dragon emerges in a cloud of pink fog with smoke billowing out of its nostrils…a phantasmagorical spectacle that is supposed to symbolise “vitality, good fortune and well-being”! The Dragon of Fortune show in the rotunda of […]
Read MoreFor centuries people across the world have tried various means to divine what the future holds for them……pendulums, spirit boards, tarot cards, crystal gazing, palmistry or even from the pattern left by tea leaves or coffee dregs in the bottom of a cup! Heck, I have tried a few just for the fun of it. […]
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Chennai City – Background and photos of the adopted city I’ve been calling home for over two decades.
Read MoreThe centerpiece of the Beijing Olympics, the National Stadium, sits at the other end of the spectrum from my ‘solid’ post. A seemingly light and airy elliptical network of crisscrossing columns and beams, support asymmetric, translucent roof panels that challenge every rule book on architecture. The brief entrusted to architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron was to design a stadium […]
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Photo feature on the monumental hypostyle hall of Karnak temple in Luxor, Egypt.
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Part of the joy of being in Istanbul apart from the beauty of its geography and its monuments is its food. And on our second trip – the first being an escorted tour that barely left us any time in the city – we were determined to explore its amazing culinary delights. Our first few […]
Read More“A dream is a wish your heart makes” ~ Walt Disney – Sleeping Beauty Until next time…happy travels, no matter where life takes you!
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A delicious homecooked breakfast awaited us on the terrace of our gorgeous B&B along with this view! After five hectic days in the Côte d‘Azur, the thought of lingering in this beautiful terrace was very,very tempting. But our time here was limited and we had to reluctantly admit that we needed more time to master […]
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A disastrous campaign to secure the Dardenelles, a brave defense, a bloody conflict, and months of fruitless stalemate. The battle of Gallipoli at Anzac Cove, was one of the worst debacles of world war I, from start to finish, with a total of 130,784 dead and 261,554 wounded from both sides. The poignant Lone Pine cemetery and memorial, […]
Read MoreIndia has a thriving contemporary art scene and some of the big names such as M F Hussein and Tyeb Mehta have fetched huge sums in auctions worldwide. Since I cannot afford even the serigraphs of these master painters, I shall introduce you to some comparatively lesser known artists, whose works hang on my walls. […]
Read MoreFew tourists that brave the crush of people on Las Ramblas in Barcelona, are aware of the existence of a masterpiece – an original Joan Miró mosaic – right under their feet in the middle of the pedestrian street near the Plaça de la Boqueria! Get there early (9am is early enough by Spanish standards) and you will have […]
Read MoreAs every thread of gold is valuable, so is every moment of time John Mason So much to do, so much to see, and so little time…
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The Urge To Wander 