I had given scant thought to the hows and whys of blogging in the three years since I started The Urge To Wander. A nomination by the lovely Kathryn, of Travel With Kat, for a ‘Blog Hop’ that requires me to do just that, seemed like the perfect subject for an anniversary post. Thank you Kathryn! And […]
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Chowk, the heart of the city of Lucknow, is a smaller and considerably less intense version of Chandni Chowk in Delhi. A quintessential Indian ‘old town’ with its maze of narrow alleys. Where once-glorious haveli’s rub shoulders with hastily nailed together hovels. Where the smells and sounds evoke romantic fantasies engendered by long forgotten travelogues of […]
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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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We stumbled upon this conclave of Indian Antelope (Black Buck), in the park around Akbar’s tomb in Sikandra. You have got to love those long twisted horns! I was particularly fascinated by the rapt attention the little white ‘guest speakers’ commanded! Wonder what they had to say that was so riveting? Some serious tips on […]
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Once a little Gallo Roman temple dedicated to Jupiter, this Gothic masterpiece celebrates its 850th anniversary this year. A thirteen meter high temporary structure built across from the entrance, works like a mini amphitheater for celebratory events in the Place du Parvis, and is a great, if rather ugly, vantage point to view its magnificent facade. […]
Read MoreMy exquisitely plated starter at Pirouette restaurant, that foreshadowed a deliciously perfect evening. Now before you jump to conclusions let me assure you, we did a lot more than eat our way through Paris.
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The biggest allure of a visit to France for me is her array of neighbourhood markets. And Paris is undoubtedly a mecca for market enthusiasts, boasting more than 80 of them, some covered and permanent, and most temporary roving markets – called marchés volants – sprouting up a few days a week. Our Sunday morning starts with […]
Read MoreConsidering my blog is about the world through my eyes, this week’s challenge should have been a cakewalk. But it wasn’t strangely. I found it hard zeroing in on a single image that as per Cheri’s specs. ” ……shows a command of your frame. Lead our eyes somewhere. Make us focus on something“. So I stopped […]
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We found the children of Cambodia even more enchanting than the temples of their ancestors that we had come to see. They are pesky, persistent and beautiful. And most, exceptionally bright! Like the little girl in the purple blouse, who rattled off numbers from 1 – 10 in Hindi, before I had time to react to her question about […]
Read MoreMy Angkor posts are long overdue. While I struggle to finish my draft between house guests and trips to Bangalore, here is a scene that was the realisation of a longstanding dream. As breathtaking and unforgettable as we had imagined, despite the partly cloudy sky and the scaffolding in the center. Until next time…..happy travels, no matter […]
Read MoreI spot the Otorii from across the expanse of the (Seto) Inland Sea, emerging from the waters like a giant Pi symbol against the dense green mantle of the hills beyond. More bleached terracotta than the vermilion of the postcards, this 52 feet high floating ‘grand gate‘ claims equal billing with Mount Fuji as the iconic symbol of […]
Read MoreA flashback gallery with one random image from the archives for each month of the past year. Just to set things straight, we only visited Japan, Laos and Cambodia in 2012. The rest are stories from our travels over the past few years. I look forward to the pleasure of your company on another year of travel […]
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The Urge To Wander 