Roman Aqueduct of Merida, Spain

Roman aqueducts of yesteryears were lifelines of their civilization then. The Los Milagros aqueduct functioned as water supply lines to the settlements around - Augusta Emerita, which was the capital of Roman Lusitania, modern Merida. This aqueduct “the Los Milagros aqueduct” is one of the most well preserved remains from1AD. It is 25 metres (82 ft) high and around 830 metres (2,720 ft) long. It

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 (Shot taken in Lisbon, Portugal.)

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1. Talk about getting behind on one's paperwork! by

Souvenirs from Cordoba, Spain

So what did I get as reminder of my great experience in Cordoba?


What to buy: 
Souvenirs are plenty and it was not easy choosing just a couple of items to bring back home. Key rings and postcards, you will find them in plenty, Cordoba souvenir shops are stuffed with ‘flamenco dance’ associated stuffs. Clothes, hats, fans are available in different sizes, colors and prices. Locally made

5 Must See Places in Cordoba, Spain

Cordoba was an important Roman city in the middle ages and it still has the reputation of being important in the map for tourists of Spain. Cordoba is an amazing compact place with major sightseeing sites within walking distance of each other. You can easily plan to spend just a day here and yet cover the major sites. We did exactly that. We were there on a day’s trip from Seville. The 5 must

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I saw the tourist framing herself for a pic by her friend. Seeing her framed so well I knew half my job of taking a pic was done, I immediately clicked the moment. The pic was taken at Adalaj Step well, Ahmadabad.

Faces of India, a series
through which I intend to portray the various characters of my country
whom I met during my travels. See more here. 

 

Seville Cathedral, Spain

Seville Cathedral was declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1987. This was built on the site of grand Almohad Mosque in the years 1402 – 1506. It was hard to capture the cathedral and its bell tower (Giralda) in the same frame. Giralda (ht. 105m) was the minaret of the mosque that existed there. This was constructed between the years 1184 to 1198. The cathedral is also famous as burial place

Senior Couple Sitting on Bench, Lal Bagh

This post is for Thursday Challenge: BENCH.

I saw this couple in their sunset years of life deeply immersed in talking in a colorful bench in Lal Bagh, Bangalore. The arms of the bench looked so menacing but the couple sitting on it seemed sober. They may be discussing their problems, or may be their happiness. Whatever! I hope they found peace!

Truly, the bench is a boon to idlers. Whoever

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(Shot taken in Athens, Greece.) 

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1. I love my new fish oil dispenser! by Arnoldo L.

Flamenco Dance Show, Seville, Spain

Watching a Flamenco Dance was in the top of our must do list in Seville. There was this theater La Casa Del Flamenco close to the hotel we were staying which had the Flamenco Dance shows in the evening.


Tickets 
We were already late for the first show in the evening and the second show which was to start at 8.30 too had all the tickets sold out. The organizers told us to return at 8 to check

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I met her at Lal Bagh, Bangalore. She is one of the cleaners of the garden. I watched her for some time doing her duty very diligently; taking care to see no dry leaf or twig lay scattered around the sand sculpture of Bharat Ratna APJ Abdul Kalam. When I requested her for her pic she said everybody takes pic of Kalam Sir. (Noticed her hand that held a broom, adorned with glass bangles?)

The Roman Bridge, Cordoba, Spain

Just before exiting Cordoba we paused to have a good look at the Roman Bridge. We were actually wonder struck looking at the mighty structure existing from 1st century BC. Beneath the Roman Bridge, tamed for centuries by this bridge, River Guadalquivir silently flowed by.

The arches seemed most majestic; there are 16 of them. This Roman Bridge has undergone several reconstructions and

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1. I am ready for the security check. by Sumandebray
2. Wide ball! by Shiju
3. I believe

Jewish Synagogue and Patios, Cordoba

Jewish Synagogue
Don’t miss out on Jewish Quarters when you visit Cordoba, Spain. It is a criss cross of narrow streets lined with beautiful patios. Jews fled Jerusalem after their Temple of Solomon was destroyed in 70AD. A large group of them settled in Cordoba taking up jobs of doctors, artisans and businessmen. Just one synagogue from that era remains here in Andulasia region and is

Lal Bagh Flower Show, August 2015

The 202nd flower show recently concluded at Lal Bagh. Can you guess the number of visitors there yesterday, on Independence Day? It was close to 20,000 visitors! It took a while for the local police around to control the traffic and guide the visitors. Luckily I made a visit mid week, quite early in the morning when there were hardly any visitors.


The Theme: Bangalore Palace
Flower shows are

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A security guard from College of Engineering, Trivandrum, where I studied 25 years ago. During a recent college reunion event I, with my friends toured our college and visited the classrooms in which we sat and studied. I met this security guard in college premises there. He could sense our excitement. 

Faces of India, a series
through which I intend to portray the various characters of my

Bell Tower of Cordoba, Spain

Here are a couple of pictures of Bell Tower of Cordoba. This bell tower was built over the ruins of a Muslim minaret in 1660. When the Mesquita got Christianized, the minaret got converted to Bell Tower of Cathedral of Cordoba. For centuries when it was under the control of Muslims a cleric would ride up the ramp of minaret to call out to resident Muslims to face the direction of Mecca and pray.

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1. The fence sitters are dogged by oversupply. by Shiju and Cats Rule - Dogs Drool! by

Cathedral of Mezquita, Cordoba; History, Tour and Tickets

History of Cathedral in Mezquita 

The history of Mezquita (Mosque) started in 774 BC but the history of Cathedral in Mezquita started in 13th century. Cordoba was captured from Moors in 1236, Mezquita was then dedicated to Christians but they did not do any architectural alterations to it. History states that Christians simply dedicated Mezquita to Virgin Mary and worshiped inside it.

In

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A little boy minding his father’s ‘shop on four wheels’. Did you notice his pet cat near him. The picture was taken in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.


Faces of India, a series
through which I intend to portray the various characters of my country
whom I met during my travels. See more here. 

Road Trip Seville to Cordoba, Spain

Another hectic plan for the day! After the near tiresome day at Granada and drive from Granada to Seville I was surprised to see the family all eager and full of energy for the next road trip. 141kms to Cordoba! We had the option of halting at Cordoba but chose to halt at Seville for one special reason. Can you guess what? If you guessed it was for Flamenco dance you are right. More about it in

Airtel Launches 4G Services

A different experience awaits all Airtel customers! Bharti Airtel has launched 4G high speed data services in 296 towns and cities of India and THAT is the BIG story!

 To all 3G users – How many times have you struggled to get a decent HD screening? How many of you have lost precious time downloading huge MB data? (I am myself a victim of these.) Well, this now will be a thing of past. ‘4G

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--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thank you very much dear friends for all your lovely comments in my previous post. Few of your comments here:







1. very nice . can I have it for a day ?? by Yogi 
2. Only the power of words can

Mezquita, Cordoba, History and Tour

Mezquita History
Mezquita, it was once a mosque which now houses 16th century church. But prior to mosque there existed a church of San Vicente built during 6th century. There are some mosaic remains from that original church. Reading this much history of Mezquita had my mind confused and I was not sure what to expect as I stepped into the wonder of medieval world. The construction of Mezquita

Hotel Universal, Granada, a Review

Here is a brief review of Hotel Universal in Granada where we spent one peaceful night.


Location. 
If I can rate 200 on 100 for Hotel Universal of Granada, it will be for its location. It is so perfectly situated, near the shopping area (400m from Granada Cathedral) and easy approach from the highway. We didn’t loose much time in finding its location. They helped us with parking and that was a

Faces of India - 224

I was on a day’s trip to Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala last Saturday. It was for my college get together, so didn’t have sufficient time to do sightseeing. But I managed to capture a couple of faces for my FOI series. Here is one woodcutter or may be wood collector who seemed to be in a hurry, didn’t look as if he minded my clicking. I wonder what he was thinking though. 

Faces of India, a

Granada to Seville, by Road

It was one hectic sight seeing of Granada which started at 6.30 in the morning and went on non stop till 8.30 in the evening. The next night halt was planned at Seville which is 250kms west of Granada. Google maps showed estimated time of travel by road as 2 h 39mins. The spirits were high after the memorable tour of Alhambra and we thought we would be able to complete the journey; we weren’t

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Flowers and Pools of Generalife Gardens, Alhambra, Granada

Allah has promised to the believing men and the believing women gardens, beneath which rivers flow, to abide in them, and goodly dwellings in gardens of perpetual abode; and best of all is Allah's goodly pleasure; that is the grand achievement. ~ Koran 9.72

Traditionally Moorish gardens are a symbol of cool place to rest and reflect and their imagination of jannat (heaven). There is one more

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A student of Sri Sri College of Ayurvedic Science and Research, Bangalore. It was her graduation day, the pic was taken when she was taking the hippocratic oath. 

 

Faces of India, a series through which I intend to portray the various characters of my country whom I met during my travels. See more here. 

Alcazaba, Alhambra, Granada: History, Tour and Tickets

Alcazaba, Alhambra History
Alcazaba is the oldest and most ruined part of Alhambra, rich with history. Even before the Muslims arrived here, the place is believed to have several constructions, probably some from Roman times. History has it that Alcazaba was first built in 9th century by Sawwar ben Hamdun during the fights between Muslims and muwalladins (Christians who converted to the Islam

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Thank you very much dear friends for all your lovely comments in my previous post. Few of your comments here:
.



1. Yellow bus drowning, with fellow beings frowning. by Deeshani Batra 
2. Strange

Nasrid Palace, Granada, History and Tour

Nasrid Palace History
The first historical documents about the Alhambra date back to 9th century. In the year 889, Sawwar ben Hamdun had to seek refuge in the Alcazaba, a fortress. The castle of the Alhambra was added to the city's area within the ramparts in the 9th century. It became a military fortress with a view over the whole city. The first king of the Nasrid dynasty, Mohammed ben

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Hard to decide which is more colorful, her dress or the fruits! A fruit vendor in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. 

Faces of India, a series through which I intend to portray the various characters of my country whom I met during my travels. See more here. 

Palace of Charles V – Alhambra, Granada History and Tour

Palace of Charles V History 
Palace of Charles V also known as Palacio de Carlos in Spanish, was built in 1526. Charles V, a traveling monarch in the 16th century fell for the beauty of this beautiful place Alhambra. Though a part of the then existing complex was demolished to build this gigantic structure, remaining old structures were left untouched. And that is why this monstrous building

Generalife Garden's Tour, Alhambra, Granada History and Tickets

Generalife Gardens, Alhambra History 
History of Generalife, Alhambra dates back to 12th century. Al-Ahmar, the founder of the Nasrid Dynasty, took up residence here in 1238. Built between the 12th and 14th centuries, the Generalife was ideal for gardening. The place was used as a place of rest for the Muslim royalty. It was designed as a rural villa in the vicinity of the Alhambra, with

Hotel Novotel, Ahmedabad

During the recently held mega event by Tata motors, #TheChosenOnes, the guests and media were hosted at Hotel Novotel, Ahmedabad, a 5 star luxury hotel. The comfortable stay at the hotel made the whole experience a very enjoyable and memorable one. Right from airport pickup till the drop back at airport, they didn’t give us any chance to complain. The Novotel hotel staff managed the crowd of

Faces of India - 221

This shot was taken during the recently concluded mega event by Tata motors. 20 Lucky families were invited, and they were handed over the keys of their car. Many elderly couples were seen receiving their brand new cars. They must have used a good part of their life’s savings. It was touching to see one particular couple hugging each other before receiving their keys. A sweet tender moment!

Tata Nano GenX for #TheChosenOnes

TATA Motors, a leading Indian Automobile manufacturer recently conducted an unprecedented event, totally unheard of in the history of automobile industry in India. The doors of the factory was thrown open to chosen few customers. Before I get to more details, here is some info on how the process of choosing ‘The Chosen Ones’ started. Few months back Tata Motors organized a contest exclusively

Salt and Pepper for 5 Euros

Food options are plenty in Granada. The streets are lined with tavernas (small restaurants) with seating arrangements both inside and outside. Curiosity and hunger both factors made us grab a table at one of the tavernas. It was slightly awkward initially but then a waiter walked up and made us feel comfortable. He seemed too happy and came with a long list of dish, their specialties. Their sea

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The samosas are fresh,that cheered me up, but one look at the oil in the wok I paused. I hesitated to even ask the price. "When did you last change the oil?" "Today morning didi (sister)". He is a cook at the tea shop that sells samosas too; the owner not anywhere around. Shot taken in a street of Guptipara, West Bengal. 

Faces of India, a series through which I intend to portray the

Strolling in Streets of Granada, Spain

After the tour of cathedral of Granada we still had ample time before our scheduled visit to Alhambra. Walking tour through the streets was the best option then. The facades of the buildings there had little balconies with flowering pots. Not a rare scene, yet a beautiful sight . We did enjoy our stroll through the streets. The way the souvenir stalls and tea and spices shops were lined up on

Cathedral of Granada, Spain

After the long wait for the precious Alhambra ticket we had the whole of morning free. That gave us the opportunity to stroll through the streets of Granada. The first on the list of Granada must see monument was the Cathedral. Taxis are not allowed near the cathedral, we were dropped off at a distance. But it is easy to get to the monument. The façade though monochrome of brick color is

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A pujari at a shrine offering the holy water to the people offering prayers. The shot was taken at Chikkamagaluru.

Faces of India, a series through which I intend to portray the various characters of my country whom I met during my travels. See more here.

Sunset on 19th May, Spain

Fences along the road to Seville reflecting off sun’s setting light! 








Good Fences 
SkyWatch Friday

Tickets for Alhambra, Granada, Spain

The plans for visiting Granada was made 3 months prior to actual date of visit, hotel reservations too were made a month before the dates but we forgot to do one important thing. That is, check up the places we intended to visit. Alhambra always figured in the top of the list of must see places in Granada, but it never occurred to us that the entering it actually isn’t so easy. It is not like

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Indians in Barcelona. This post is dedicated to Father’s Day being celebrated on 21st June. I saw this father and son intensely involved in this activity of bird feeding. The father was encouraging his young son to feed the pigeons with grains in his hand. The son too equally brave continued feeding the birds.

Faces of India, a series through which I intend to portray the various characters

Street Lamps from Barcelona

Barcelona has some amazing street light fixtures from the 19th and 20th centuries. Most of them are functioning well. These old ones are made of cast iron and have such beautiful designs. Some of them are just single lamp holders while some have 3 or more. I showed two old lamps in my post: The Ramblas Ramble Walk, Barcelona. One was the Font de Canaletes, located at the Ramblas, where Barça

Barcelona to Granada, a Pleasant Drive

Day 2 we drove from Barcelona to Granada, a distance of 887kms! We had to pay a toll amount of 22euros to drive alonf these superb roads. While paying I thought, the sights and scenes along the road better be good for this high toll fees.

The initial part of the drive was along the sea coast of Balearic Sea. This was the most pleasant part of the trip; At some of the places the sea would appear

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One of the cooks of Ashram, very keen to be photographed alone in addition to the group photo I took.

Faces of India, a series through which I intend to portray the various characters of my country whom I met during my travels. See more here.

Cathedral Basilica of Barcelona

The tall cathedral was visible over other buildings as we toured along the Gothic quarter in the old parts of the town. With the spire of the cathedral as guide we could easily find the way to it through the criss cross of old lanes. The façade may not be stunningly beautiful but it is definitely impressive. Its history is equally impressive. The construction took 150 years from 1298 to 1417.

The Ramblas Ramble Walk, Barcelona

Sun sets at around 9PM in Spain in summer; this was such a contrast to the sunset time of 5PM in Greece 5 months back. We made good use of the long daylight hours for sightseeing during our entire tour. A regular day would start with sightseeing in early part of the day and driving to next destination in the later part of the day. The car hire was planned from Day 2, so the remaining part of Day

Mexifornia at California Pizza Kitchen 2015

It is again festival time at California Pizza Kitchen! The festival called “Mexifornia”! This is the third time in a row the chain is celebrating the festival in CPK outlets all over India. Like every festival, this too is loaded with a variety of crispylicious starters, cheesylicious pizzas and yummylicious desserts!

I am sure you know the story behind this food festival ‘Mexifornia’. You can

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For a change, not an Indian. She is a foreigner, a cheergirl who performed for IPL match held recently in Bangalore. They were rehearsing on MG Road Bangalore, when I crossed them on my way to Coorg in April 2015.

Faces of India, a series through which I intend to portray the various characters of my country whom I met during my travels. See more here.

Barcelona to Barcelona via 3155kms in 15 days, a Road Trip

The vacation was good! Actually ‘good’ is a too small word to describe it. It was too good! Two countries in a row, Spain and Portugal; 3155kms of driving, halting at all odd places, heritage sites, towns and cities! Besides the drive we walked a lot along the old tracks in the cities.

The night halts were at: Barcelona – Granada – Seville (2 nights) – Evora (Portugal) – Lisbon (3 nights) –

Spain Sights 2

The last phase of our travel, the last 6 days well spent in Spain. Tomorrow I leave for home, Bangalore. Here are a few pics from the last 6 days.

Night 10 - Most memorable evening of Spain was at Salamanca Square. The entire lit up square looked magical. I spent one night in one of the hotels in the square.

Day 11 - From Salamnca we left for Avila, a walled city. The fort walls standing tall

Faces of India - 215

Young smart student at Gurukul of Sri Sri Ravishankar in Bangalore. 

Faces of India, a series through which I intend to portray the various characters of my country whom I met during my travels. See more here.

Portugal Sights

Day 6 - The morning was well spent doing the walking tours in Evora. The highlight of the day was visit to Bone Cathedral in Evora. From Evora we drove to Lisbon, where everything was going as per plan. During the walks my husband got pickpocketed; somebody flicked his wallet. There will be a more detailed post on this later.

Day - 7 We continued our tour of Lisbon. It is a beautiful city

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A happy co traveler after quenching his thirst caught doing some funny stunts for his friends. I stole a shot. 

Faces of India, a series through which I intend to portray the various characters of my country whom I met during my travels. See more here

Spain Sights

Can't believe 5 days of my Spain travel is over! The days were hectic with lots of drives and sightseeing.

 Day 1 - Barcelona mesmerized us with its pleasant weather! The walking tour sapped us of our energy but not not our enthusiasm for the touristy sights. By the time we completed our dinner and hit the bed we didn't realise we were wake for whole 24hrs!

Day 2 - It was a long drive from

Vacation in Spain and Portugal

I will be on a short vacation, holidaying in Spain and Portugal. 

16 days of travel planned for the countries, 

it is hard to do justice to the two countries in such a short span. 

As usual my itinerary is dotted with several world heritage sites. 



I will be updating details of my trip in pics as and when possible. 

I have planned some autoposts, 

please show some love for my blog in

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A NH roadside coconut water seller! Can’t remember how many times these people have quenched our thirst on hot sunny days travel! This post is with sincere thanks to many such sellers. The pic was taken during my recent trip to Coorg. 

Faces of India, a series through which I intend to portray the various characters of my country whom I met during my travels. See more here

Sunset in Harangi Backwaters, Coorg

Some of the sky shots I took in the evening I spent at Harangi backwaters, 

when I was hosted in a camping trailer. 







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SkyWatch Friday

A Retreat for Holistic Wellness

While I was at ashram of Sri Sri Ravishankar, I decided to get a medical check up done. By the grace of God I don’t have any ailments, so it wasn’t any routine check up procedure which has different kind of tests. I went in for a special kind of Ayurvedic technique of diagnosis, the Nadi Pareeksha. Nadi meaning pulse, Pareeksha meaning diagnosis; as the name implies the doctor diagnoses the

Consumers Demand, Apps Deliver

PK(alien, a character in a Bollywood movie) did the mistake of traveling several light years and landing on Earth without familiarizing himself with the ways of life here! Had he updated himself with apps which would have had info regarding language, currency, cultural facts he wouldn’t have had to face the hardships shown in the movie!



In the past one year the habit of apps has crept into

Sri Sri Ayurveda Centre, Bangalore

Most of us today are engaged in a lifestyle where businesses, communication, travel etc have become less tedious compared to what it was say half a century back. Thanks to modern gadgets! Unfortunately instead of easing life it has made the world more competitive, complex, and stressful. Several stress related diseases have crept into our lives and they are ruining lives from a very early age.

My Gurukul Experience

‘India doesn’t teach you what you want to learn 

but it teaches you what you need to learn’ 

Gurukuls have a very unique system where student gets knowledge by residing with the teacher. The main objectives are self control, development of character, social awareness, integral development of personality, propagation of purity and preservation of knowledge and culture. The system had slowly

Faces of India - 212

Cooks I met at Shri Shri Ravishankar’s ashram. I saw a group of them near the ashram’s dining hall. I was hesitantly looking at them, thinking what wonderful subjects they would make for my FOI series.
Seeing the camera hung on my neck one of them asked” You do photography?”
Of course I do, I replied. Can I take yours?
Immediately there was a chorus: Yes please do.
They grouped them selves

My Stay at Shangrilas' Rasa Ria Resort and Spa

For 3 mornings I woke up looking at South China Sea! Who would want to get up from that luxurious lap, the ultra cozy room of the resort! I was at Shangrilas' Rasa Ria Resort, Kota Kinabalu. But then the delicious spread of breakfast tempted me to rush up. They have food catering to all tastes, palates and nationalities. It was not for the food alone but also to get a good seat for the view of

A Night in Camping Trailer

Abroad, particularly in US of A, camper vans are used to get off the beaten track, reach out to unexplored destinations, halt at site and then continue the journey to a new destination the next day. Camper vans are motor vehicles with in-built facilities for accommodation (toilet facilities included), overnighting and cooking, and most important of all you can travel as family. Reading all this

Mt. Kinabalu Botanical Garden

After casting several longing looks at Mount Kinabalu and its peak touching the skies we headed for a trek in Mount Kinabalu Botanical Garden. The botanical garden is home to several species of flora and fauna. While it was easy to capture several varieties of flora, the different species of fauna eluded me completely. The frogs were croaking nonstop but inspite of all my efforts couldn’t really

Mount Kinabalu, Borneo, Malaysia

That is Borneo’s roof Mount Kinablu, standing majestically, in fact growing little by little at the rate of 5mm per year. Having a height of 4095m it is ranked 20th most prominent one in the world in terms of topographic prominence! This site also has the honor of being the first Unesco World Heritage site of Malaysia! The mountain is home to several carnivorous plants and beautiful orchids.

A

Sapi Island, Malaysia

Sapi Island or Sapi Pulau (Cow Island) as it is called in Malaysian language is a popular and attractive beach activities oriented island. Its almost white sand in the beach and crystal clear jade colored water stunned me. We went there on a Tuesday morning and found the beach teeming with tourists and locals, the population of beach lovers can be overwhelming on a Sunday I thought! It took us

My Orangutan Encounter

The rainforest of Borneo, Malaysia is home to Orangutans. Orangutans are large gentle creatures and you will be surprised to know 98% of their DNA matches with us humans. (Probably the other 2% is that of violent streak which is present in humans!!! You can read more about them here.) Poachers target these gentle animals, often killing the mother to catch the baby orangutans and later sell them

Faces of India - 211

 A sadhu outside a temple in Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu. As I zoomed into his face his eyes seemed so sorrowful that I didn't have the heart to continue focusing on him. I can't understand how people end up in this state. Is it really in a quest for peace of mind?

Faces of India, a series through which I intend to portray the various characters of my country whom I met during my travels. See

Washington Apples

Received with thanks from WashingtonApples.com a box with 6 varieties of apples! The apples arrived in an impressive packing in a sturdy box. It was like an explosion of sweet smell as soon as I opened the box. The 6 varieties lay neatly arranged waiting to be bitten, chewed and relished.

Apples have been always a part of my family’s diet, but I never gave notice to the varieties! Whichever

Fort Cornwallis, Penang

Fort Cornwallis is located very close to the hotel we stayed so didn’t wish to give it a miss. The Fort isn’t anything spectacular but if history and historical objects and equipment interest you then this fort is definitely worth the visit. It is the oldest fort of Penang existing from 1786. It was constructed for defensive purpose against pirates, Kedah forces and even the French during the

The Royale Bintang Hotel, Penang

During our tour of Penang, Malaysia we were put up in The Royale Bintang Hotel! I spent cool two nights there; it was warm, cosy experience. Tired after the flight from Bangalore, I found the ambiance of the room soothing and welcoming. I stepped into the decently attired room with soft colors, not too cluttered, yet with a place for every necessary item. The bathroom too was well stuffed with

Prem Joshua and His Band in Penang

I am not a regular attendee of musical nites but when an opportunity comes my way I am not the one to ignore it. The sound of dhak beats during pujas, or the tune of musicians playing nadaswaram in temples have soothed my tired nerves in same manner. If you find joy in everyday sounds of life (like the sound of laughter of your loved ones) you will agree that one doesn’t need any big depth of

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A temple musician playing the Indian Nageshwaram, a wind instrument popular in south of India. Initially I thought of zooming into his face, but then decided to go for this composition. The shot was taken in a temple of Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu.

Faces of India, a series through which I intend to portray the various characters of my country whom I met during my travels. See more here. 

HOHO Bus Tour in Penang

Tourism Malaysia fitted in a cool Penang HOHO bus tour into our itinerary. Thanks to them I could see the major landmarks of the beautiful city of Penang. I had taken a similar ride in an open deck double decker bus in Singapore long time back. It wasn’t too sunny and I aimed for the open deck seats, I got some excellent views from there and because of the moderate speed some great pics too.

Penang World Music Festival 2015

Musicians from 12 countries did the magic of uniting the world which no politician could have done in the 2 days, 11th and 12th of April 2015 in Penang Malaysia! I consider myself fortunate to witness this great event and record some music of these great musicians! Leading international musicians from India, Germany, Malaysia, Egypt, Brazil and more mesmerized the audience, had the audience on

Penang Street Food

I was put up in one of the best hotels in Penang during my FAM trip there, but my heart kept beating for Penang's street food! I had read: Lonely Planet picks Penang as top spot for foodies in 2014 and hoped to taste it some day. I didn’t dream I would get the opportunity so fast. I was invited to do media coverage (as a blogger), of Penang World Music Festival. I did that and used the

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Look at the concentration with which he was making the dosas. They are for sure tasty! The shot was taken during a food festival here in Bangalore.
 

Faces of India, a series through which I intend to portray the various characters of my country whom I met during my travels. See more here.

Sunset at Tanjung Aru Beach, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia

At Tajung Aru beach of Kota Kinabalu I saw one of the most stunning sunsets of my life. The sky took on a golden yellow complexion, but soon changed to bright orange. Later it sobered down to pink till darkness conquered it completely.

Tajung Aru beach is one of the top 10 sunset view points of Kota Kinabalu. At a distance in the South China Sea you can see the Sulug and Manukan Island. It is

India's Digital Superstar Talent Hunt

India has no dearth of talent, well that need not be told, but off late there has been a dearth of ‘right’ platform to showcase the new budding talents. It is here that “India’s Digital Superstar” has stepped in to fill the void. They offer a unique digital platform where any Indian, any age, any gender, from any region from any part of the world can show case their talent. It is just a click

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A house help we met at the home stay in Aldona, Goa. She has been serving the family for 45 years and is now a part of the family! See the cheerful face! 

Faces of India, a series through which I intend to portray the various characters of my country whom I met during my travels. See more here.

River Road in Goa

I am back from a short holiday in Goa. This time I broke the Goa tourists’ rule of visiting beaches. I didn’t visit a single beach in the 7 days I spent there. I did different things. For a part of my holiday I stayed in a students’ hostel and then for a couple of days in a reputed home-stay and then another day in a guest house. Days spent in the students’ hostel are most dear to me. Of course

Fresh Treats at California Pizza Kitchen

California Pizza Kitchen now brings an exciting introductory offer for this season. It is presenting "Fresh Treats" brand new 9” Pizza making their debut to the regular menu. We (bloggers) were invited to the tasting session of these newly introduced pizzas. Previous reviewers advised me to go on a empty stomach and I am so glad I listened to them.

 I was always in love with their thin crust

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Met this young girl in Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu. She was helping her mother sell Palmyra fruits. She was in her school uniform. I asked her if she would like to do this same thing when she grows up, she very quickly replied she wants to be a 'teacher'. 

Faces of India, a series through which I intend to portray the various characters of my country whom I met during my travels. See more here.

Varlaam Monastery, Meteora

Varlaam Monastery,this is the 2nd oldest of the 7 active monasteries of Meteora. It is not very difficult to access. Few steep steps and as you crossing the bridge was like crossing over to peace and holiness.

A tiny chapel was first constructed here on this peak in 14th century by an ascetic monk Varlaam. Reading about how he climbed this peak in 1350 and built not one but three chapels, a

Holy Trinity Monastery, Meteora, Greece

Holy Trinity (Agia Triada) Monastery is the most difficult one to access and therefore records the least number of tourists. There is a long pathway which takes to the base of this peak; from there you have to climb 140 steps approx carved to the sides of the peak to reach the monastery. The views are mesmerizing! The monastery existed since 1362, mentioned in scriptures and inscriptions. There

Headphone with Mic, a Short Guide

For music lovers and serious business dealers, for google hangouts and for gaming the requirement of quality headphones with mic is always a priority. If you have participated in multiplayer games you would have definitely felt the need to listen to your teammates without any compromise on background music and ambient sounds. The headset should have good audio features and also at the same

Boutique and Mid-segment Hotels, Bangalore

Continuing my series on hotels of Bangalore, this post is on boutique hotels and mid segment hotels in Bangalore. There was a time in 2007-08 when accommodation prices rose up to Rs20,000 a night. There was a severe scarcity of good hotels and accommodation facilities in the just emerging high tech city Bangalore then. Industrial sector had slowed down a bit, but the rush to city for new

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Exams over, fun time now! His smile says it all. “Move aunty, else I may bang into you!" He was laughing away.

Faces of India, a series through which I intend to portray the various characters of my country whom I met during my travels. See more here.

A Morning in Meteora, Greece

Again a photo essay! I have taken so many pictures there and I want to share them with you here. I hope you are not bored with monastery photographs.

The morning of 29th Dec 2014 was spent clicking the glorious sights of Meteora. The sky exhibited huge contrasts in terms of color and brightness. At the east end it was blue and bright but the other end was dark and grey. Whatever the weather the

Pen Drives: The Choices You Have

Once upon a time CDs and floppy disks were used, for temporary transfer of data from one device to another storage device. Well, they have almost disappeared from today's markets. The fast pace at which technology is developing that electronic gadgets and devices become outdated within months not even a year and sometimes within weeks too. The data storage device is one such device which has

St. Stephen’s Monastery, Meteora, Greece

St. Stephen’s Monastery (nunnery) on the Holy rock of Saint Stefanos includes two cathedrals; the old 16th century chapel which was severely damaged during WWII and the consequent Greek Civil War, and the 18th century main cathedral that is dedicated to Saint Charalambos. It includes his holy relics (His head). The monastery was virtually abandoned till 1961. It was accidentally discovered in

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A local fish vendor of Goa, holding up the catch of the day 'a crab' for me to click. He almost stretched it out to me, he may be brave enough to hold it but I too was quick and brave enough to click. :P 

Faces of India, a series through which I intend to portray the various characters of my country whom I met during my travels. See more here.

Hotels in Bangalore

Staying in Bangalore has its own advantages and disadvantages and along with that some responsibilities too! In the past couple of decades Bangalore has seen a vast change in terms of lifestyle. Earlier it was known to be ‘Garden City’ of India or the ‘Pensioners’ Paradise’. Life was cool! Sadly today it is known as ‘City of Ring roads’ or the ‘Silicon Valley of India’. People from all parts

Holy Monastery of Rousanou, Meteora, Greece

Meteora in Greek means suspended in air and true to its meaning each monastery there looks suspended in air. As if the pointed peaks weren’t enough they even have functional monasteries on top of the peaks! During Ottoman rule, monks, hermits, fled the villages in the plains and sought refuge in these mountain peaks. The cavities, fissures and peaks of Meteora rocks, provided protection from the

Photo Essay on Meteora Rocks, Greece

It is like a forest of rocks there! How these structures acquired their form in Meteora is a mystery even today! Studies conducted here indicate the rock formed about 60 million years ago during the Paleogene Period (the time in which mammals evolved). These are natural sandstone rock pillars. Driving through the winding roads carved through these cluster of rocks was like zipping across in some

Hotel Amalia, Thessaloniki, a Review

At Thessaloniki we stayed at Hotel Amalia, an hotel of 1970s but well furnished with modern fittings. The location of Hotel Amalia is most ideal for those who wish to explore the city on foot. Majority of the sites mentioned in the heritage list like the St. Dimitris church, the ancient market, the White Tower and the Arch of Galerius are within walking distance from this hotel. The beach too

Together with Blogger Friends in Kufri

My journey in blogging started in 2007. Initially it was just a trickle of visitors, and a desperate wait for comments, but within 6 months I got the hang of how to blog and get visitors and comments. Then in 2008 after the Mumbai terror attack several bloggers came together to voice their opinion. During this phase I made many new blogger friends. Though all of us blogged on different themes,

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The gentleman was waiting for his turn at a clinic in Kufri, Himachal Pradesh. It was his cap that drew my attention. I had blogged about these traditional caps of Himachal Pradesh here. Contrast this with the cap of Maharashtra here.

Faces of India, a series through which I intend to portray the various characters of my country whom I met during my travels. See more here.

Meteora Memories

We left for Meteora from Larissa very early that day and could catch the Sun waking up from its slumber. As we were driving westward the sky was devoid of any of the magical colors. The meadows on either side of roads and the roads itself looked abandoned with not a single soul or traffic! The solar panels looked ready to capture all the energy the sun would disspiate for the day and we were on

World in My Pocket

There are some things that people buy just to impress people they dislike! One of those “some things” today is a smartphone! Just a decade back the impressive commodity was plain mobiles. Times change; today mobiles are a necessity.

Mobiles are today a ‘must have’ gadget of life! This is more because of safety concerns. Some are known to possess more than one. Recently a friend narrated how the

A Night in Larissa, Greece

We could have seen more of Larissa in Greece but for the winter timings. In the last week of December, sun bids an early goodbye; as early as 5 – 5.30 in the evenings when the tourists are still in the mood of exploring more. Ticket counters at heritage sites are shut, no soul around and night lights illuminate the mute crumbling structures. We try to peep over the walls and try to make some

Start of a New Life

A leaf from my life.

We are three siblings, among whom I am the eldest. I grew up hearing small lectures now and then; “your brother and sister will pick up your habits. So try and be a good child.” Moral lessons were plenty in this matter. I too took pride in setting good example to my siblings and they would look up to me as a judge of their minor squabbles. Any kind of dislike to the

Internet.org Comes to India

Reliance and Facebook together have launched Internet.org app on their phones to connect to online social networks. This is a wonderful initiative to provide basic internet access to all for free. It enables the user to search the web for news, medical tips without having to worry about mobile data charges. It is obvious the tool is made keeping low income and rural users specifically in mind

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One of those rare people who are willing to be photographed and with absolutely no camera shyness, I like meeting such people who open up very well with strangers. I met her in Kufri, Himachal Pradesh. She is a local resident of the place.

Faces of India, a series through which I intend to portray the various characters of my country whom I met during my travels. See more here.

Cab Services in Bangalore

You have to be really really brave to steer through the Bangalore traffic! Just the other day I had to reach Jalahalli from Kaggadasapura, a distance of 22kms, it took me one hour and 45 mins!!! Google maps will show you 35mins without traffic and 1hr 7 min with traffic! I may not be an excellent driver and the traffic is not the same everyday… whatever the reasons the time duration for that

Drive from Vergina to Larissa, Greece

Vergina, the site was toured in 2 hours. Though we wanted to linger on there was not much to do except browse through the souvenir shop and drive around the place a bit. There were no other noteworthy buildings around. The place looks deserted, probably the little shops around came up because of the world heritage site recognition which has increased the tourist traffic there.

The night halt

A Lookup Story on: The Joy of Giving

This blogpost is for Indiblogger Happyhours: Lookup Stories


This is about an incident that happened years back, but I haven’t been able to forget it yet. It has played in my mind a number of times, and each time the memory has instilled hope and optimism in my mind.

I was newly employed then and was just a couple of pay packets old. Full of josh (enthusiasm) and happiness I had begun to see

Vergina, the Burial Site of the Kings of Macedon in Greece

One of the main reasons why we extended our trip to Thessaloniki, which in the north of Greece, in the peak of winters is to visit Vergina. Why Vergina? I wanted to walk into Philip’s world! Philip II - father of Alexander the Great who had marched into India in 326 BC. I am not sure if I will be able to visit Alexander the Great’s resting place in Alexandria in Egypt, why give up the chance to

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Slightly willing, slightly shy… she could hardly make eye contact with me when I asked for a photograph. Till then she was enthusiastically interviewing me about my Bishnupur experience as a tourist. It was part of project work for her course in tourism.

Faces of India, a series through which I intend to portray the various characters of my country whom I met during my travels. See more

The Church of Rotunda, Thessaloniki

An ancient place, Rotunda is definitely worth a visit.It is very much within walking distance from the big Byzantine churches and other heritage monuments. Wiki mentions it was built in 307 AD by Galerius with intentions of it being his mausoleum. His remains got buried in Serbia where he died in 311AD. Constantine later converted this monument into a church.This is the oldest church of

Roussanou Nunnery, Meteora, Greece

A picture of Roussanou Nunnery in Meteora; the weather God was kind to us during our visit to Meteora. It was a bright sunny day. All the Monasteries and Nunneries looked grand and glowing, bathed in sunlight. I think I was really lucky to get this frame of Roussanou Nunnery, bathed in bright white clouds. The sight stayed for a short while. Only a few lucky tourists like me could witness this

Agios Dimitrios - Biggest Chruch of Greece

Agios Dimitrios is the biggest Byzantine church of Greece. We were there on 26th Dec morning and being the day after Christmas there was a good crowd, prayers were on and we stood listening to hymns for some time. The stories about this church and the tons of history associated with it urged us make the visit.

 The church is dedicated to Saint Dimitrios who was tortured and put to death for his

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A load is a load is a LOAD, even if it is light sack of bright and colorful flowers. This is a common scene in Bangalore during festival time. The lady was hurrying to get a proper place in the open market so that she could make quick sales.

Faces of India, a series through which I intend to portray the various characters of my country whom I met during my travels. See more here.

Arch of Galerius, Thessaloniki

You can never miss this Arch of Galerius while you are in Thessaloniki. It is there out in the open for all to see. I wonder if it has become too ordinary a sight for the locals there. The place did look like a meeting place for all, and they all seemed busy chatting with each other. Only a few tourists like me stood gaping at the crumbling but massive structure. What stunned me to silence was

Insured Dreams

This post is for Indiblogger Happyhours

Everyone has their own share of hopes, dreams and aspirations that drive them to pursue their goals. Imagine a life without any constraints, nothing to hold you back. Well I have mine: these are the top 5 things on my Bucket List that I would do if I were #BefikarUmarBhar (worry less for whole life).

1. Being a travel enthusiast and having traveled to

Roman Agora, Thessaloniki

One of the sights in Thessaloniki, left out in the open free for all to see is the Roman Agora. This forum built in 1st century AD definitely held a place of importance then. The buildings surrounding this heritage site indicate the place still holds importance for the city of Thessaloniki. It is an ‘old meets the new’ kind of place. The site could have been easily toured in an hour but it was

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“Wait! Let me pose!” and he placed his hands on his hip, tilted his body a bit and gave a stylish smile. I met him during my tour of Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu. This is my 200th post on this series. Some of you have been following this right from beginning and some of you have joined midway and continued to support this series… I am thankful to you all for this support and appreciation.

Faces of

Thermaic Gulf, Thessaloniki

Our trip to Thessaloniki was badly timed. We reached the city after a long drive from Athens after 4 in the evening when almost all the places of sight seeing, the churches had shut down for the day. Winter timings are like that! We did the walking tour of Thessaloniki on our own with the help of the map provided by the hotel we stayed in. The sights to see are situated so close to one another

The Chandelier in Agia Sophia, Thessaloniki

The most impressive thing I saw inside Agia Sophia Church in Thessaloniki is the big, bright and beautiful chandelier. It had so many Gryphons having a lamp holder on the head. Gryphon is a legendary creature with the body, tail, and back legs of a lion; the head and wings of an eagle; and an eagle's talons as its front feet. I was so fascinated by it that took so many pics of it. I think it is

For Growing Years, lunchboxANDyou

Packing lunchboxes had become a routine affair; I have been doing it for many years now. But ever since my elder daughter has shifted base, moved on to college, the job of packing lunch boxes has reduced to half. But in the past six months even though the job had reduced to half a small unknown fear has begun to grip me. In another 3 years I will be deprived of this routine affair. Kids would

Church of Agia Sofia, Thessaloniki, Greece

The first to top the list of ‘what to see?’ in Thessaloniki are the Byzantine Churches. This post is on 8th century Church of Agia Sofia.

But before that a little bit about Byzantine architecture: It is the architecture of the Byzantine Empire, also known as the Later Roman or Eastern Roman Empire. Buildings have increased geometric complexity compared to the basilicas that existed then. Brick

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A sadhu at Barakar, West Bengal. He had come to Barkar walking all the way, resting at various temples along the way. You can see his companion here. 

Faces of India, a series through which I intend to portray the various characters of my country whom I met during my travels. See more here. 

Unboxed the New Britannia Bourbon

So are we ready to unbox the surprise?

As I opened the box, little power packs stumbled out! The wrapper was ripped off in microseconds. Out came several chocolaty biscuits. The hand kind of automatically picked one and placed it in my mouth and instantly it was flooded with chocolaty lava. These are energy packets for me to munch on during my hectic blogging. I am loving this chocolaty break!

Drive from Athens to Thessaloniki, Greece

This distance of 500kms was completed in 5hrs approximately. Throughout the journey we were on the highway E75 and we kept paying at toll gates. We drove by the Aegean Sea for some distance. We crossed the well known Olympic beach and could see the yachts all lined up along the shore. From here on patches of dark clouds followed us threatening to pour. But wind God favored us and they were blown

Bon The Original

Bangalore’s so called winters is receding. February promises to be more exciting. Hardly had the first week started I was delivered a midweek surprise! A surprise package!

The cover image is such a tease as you can see; it had me imagining the various kinds of stuff it was holding. Bon6, seems to me as ‘power packed’. I desperately needed one amidst all my hectic blogging. Photo editing,

The Palmyra, Toddy Palm

Mention of this fruit, the Borassus flabellifer, the Asian Palmyra palm, toddy palm or sugar palm in this winter will definitely sound out of season. This is usually available in markets during summers. During my road journey through Chettinad in May 2014, when the summer was at its peak, I spotted this woman selling the edible jelly seeds of palm fruit. The white kernel can be eaten raw. It is

Mix and Match Travel Services

Probably the easiest thing that you can do while planning a holiday is fixing your destination! After

that starts the travails of travel! If the destination is within few 100kms from your place of stay then

planning it out is extremely easy. But if it is an off shore destination, then a lot of planning has to go

into it my dear traveler. The itinerary can be made, the places to halt

Change of Guard, Syntagma Square

WARNING: This post has 21 pictures.

The change of guard takes place at the Monument of the Unknown Soldier, in front of Parliament, Syntagma Square, Athens every hour no matter what the weather is. It is said that the change of guards on a Sunday at 11 AM is worth watching, it is more elaborate one. We had to be content watching the simple one as we were there on a week day.

 The monument is

Asus IndiBlogger Meet 2015

Indiblogger meets are always fun filled! Yesterday’s was no different.

The venue: It was at ITC Royal Gardenia, a 5star luxury hotel. Bangalore bloggers are lucky for sure!

The meet: For the first time there was identity check at the gate to make sure nobody is sending their siblings, or friends or whoever to the meet. We all queued to display the ID cards and our faces thoroughly scanned for

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"Aunty ennode photo" (read Tamil) "Aunty please take my photo" My heart just melted. Unlike the adults she didn't ask for any copy, she was content seeing it on the little screen. She smiled and ran off even while I was trying to get her into a conversation. My thankful eyes kept following her till she disappeared. The photo was taken in one of the temples of Chettinad, Tamil Nadu.

Faces of

Agora and Other Archeological Sites, Athens

The various archeological sites in Athens have ruins; some are just scattered stones which roughly etched the shapes of the foundations of old buildings and rooms. The Agora as it was known was one of the most important part of the ancient city of Athens. If you are here with a blank mind it can be quite confusing and frustrating. And if you are not with any guided tours it is best you read up

Temple of Hephaestus, Athens

Temple of Hephaestus, though in ruins, looked more complete compared to Parthenon. It was built two years prior to Parthenon in 449 BC. This one is made out of marble completely; and to me the pillars looked grand and strong enough for many more centuries. It gives a fairly good idea of Parthenon’s form had it been complete.

This temple is believed to have been dedicated to Athena and

Go Sleek with Asus

Modern day sleek gadgets bring you at such crossroads of life! Finding it hard to make a choice…
‘The Sleek and Powerful ASUS EeeBook X205TA’ or the ‘Ultra-Portable and Perpetually connected ASUS All In One PC ET2040’?

A study of pros and cons of features relevant to my usage requirements of both reveal this:

The Sleek and Powerful ASUS EeeBook X205TA

Small sized, sleek, light weight (>1kg)

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He is trying to make a decent earning selling flags at toll booths and traffic signals. One can see many such people on Independence Day and Republic Day when the demand for flags shoots up drastically. This picture was taken couple of years back. Republic Day (26th Jan.) greetings to all my Indian readers! 

Faces of India, a series through which I intend to portray the various characters

Parthenon, Athens

Once upon a time… yes, once upon a time, here stood a beautiful temple dedicated to Goddess Athena at this very spot! People of Athens adored her and worshipped her! It came into existence in its grand form in 432BC when Athenian Empire was at the height of its power. So beautiful it was that even today it is considered as world’s great cultural monument.

Over the years, Parthenon was converted

Olive Tree of Greece

The one tree that I found in every town or city of Greece that I visited was the Olive tree. Particularly in old sites, the trees looked so old, looking as if they existed for centuries. For Greeks Olive tree is a symbol of wisdom and peace. It is the sacred tree of their Goddess Athena. The story of how the tree came to existence is like this: Zeus decided the city (before it the name Athens)

Acropolis, Athens.

The most fabulous sight in Athens is the Acropolis! It is a symbol of perfection achieved by mankind several centuries back, BC! You don’t really have to be a history addict to appreciate the monumental remains there. The very climb to Parthenon, top of Acropolis is enjoyable one. We did it in the afternoon, temperature was at single digits but tolerable. Ruins, remains of several sites,

Hotel Parthenon, Athens - Hotel Review

Now when I think back Hotel Parthenon was a wise choice to stay in Athens, Greece. Location wise for any tourist who is in Athens for sightseeing, this hotel gets a 5 on 5. All the major ruins, Acropolis Museum, Plaka are all within walking distance from the hotel. Syntagma Square and National Museum are at a distance.

For the facilities at the hotel room I would give a rating of 3 on 5. Just

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A school girl at a ‘parade function’ of a school in Chikamagalur, Karnataka. This was taken during Independence Day functions at the school. She must be rehearsing now for the Republic Day parade function of her school for the coming 26th January.

Faces of India, a series through which I intend to portray the various characters of my country whom I met during my travels. See more here.

Temple of Olympian Zeus, Athens

All that remains of the Temple of Olympian Zeus are these few Corinthian columns. 15 to be precise! Can you guess originally how many were present? 104! Now imagine how grand this Temple of Zeus would have looked had all the columns been standing. These remnant columns are enclosed in a huge area, one can go around them admiring and clicking from all possible angles.

On our first day in Athens

Missing the Snow

I am missing the snow of Greece terribly! When I was there I was wishing desperately that it would stop snowing, I was afraid it would ruin my travel plans. All was well till Lamia. As we proceeded towards Delphi weather started deteriorating and soon there were light snow showers. The entire scene changed. It had rained the previous night and snow removing trucks were on their job. The route

Quikr - A Review, Recommendation

Very often I have been asked by my friends residing in other cities of India seeking the facilities in Bangalore which could help them relocate and resume their everyday lifestyle fast. Every day lifestyle meant that they wished to carry all their stuffs from their present city to Bangalore. It was stressful affair for them fearing to discard stuffs, how to discard and then how to have something

My First Impression of Athens

It was 11 AM of 23rd December 2014; the aircraft was about to touchdown at Athens International Airport and I curiously looked down below at the city of Athens, the one I was dreaming of visiting for the past few months. I expected it to have an ancient look, but the sight of 100s of cream colored box like houses surprised me – how can one to find 5000 years of history here! It looked like any

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Took this shot at a bus stop in Goa. It was his cap (folded type made of cotton) and his traditional attire that made me focus on him. Lot of people was there around him and he looked so immersed in his thoughts, that I just took a click from a distance and moved on. He was in a dhoti. You can read more about Maharashtrian men’s wear here.

Faces of India, a series through which I intend to

Hadrian's Arch, Athens

The first monument I sighted in Athens was the Hadrian’s Arch! A monument dating back to 132 AD, that is almost 2000 years! It was overwhelming! What I didn't know then was that this was just the beginning! Mind blowing, awe inspiring stuffs lined up in Athens and in many more parts of Greece! History says the arch was built to celebrate the arrival of Roman Emperor Hadrian to Athens. Arch of

Karagiozis, a Character of Greek Folklore

It is sad how newer forms of entertainment are capturing young minds very fast and in the process wiping way old traditional toys. One such toy is Karagiozis – a traditional folk drama depicted with comic puppet figures. The souvenir shops of Athens sell these Karagiozis and are definitely the best gift to take for a child back home. At one of the shops I was fiddling with these forms, when the

12 Days of Greece Tour

It was hard for us to choose the destinations in Greece because of the limited number of days we had. While reviews of islands like Santorini and Crete were bewitching, the Unesco World Heritage sites of Greece were equally alluring. I succumbed to the captivating heritage sites most of which had crumbling ruins, almost fading away from the face of earth.

 The next problem was, there were 3

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A lady of Karaikudi, Chettinad region in Tamil Nadu, celebrating the ‘Sevvai Perum Tiruvizha (Tuesday big fair)’ festival. Read more about the festival here. 

Faces of India, a series through which I intend to portray the various characters of my country whom I met during my travels. See more here. 

Sky from Nafplio, Greece

The weather seems to be clearing little by little. No more snow predicted and the drive back to Athens from Sparta should be smooth. 










SkyWatch Friday