Spring Aventure

A Spring-summer long weekend - just the perfect reason to meander out. Straw hats, a sun-block and a small rucksack is all that occupied the boot-space of our wheels as we ventured out before the day-break to what the French describe as "se détendre".

We were headed to one of the best local gateways - Pondicherry, warmly known as Pondy. The French are frequent visitors here as they still find the place quite familiar to their home land.

Situated along the eastern coast of India, the highways connecting Pondy to Bangalore are astoundingly good. The sunbathed roads kept us energised all the way.




The drive is a sheer pleasure and you can reach Pondy in about 6 hours, only if you can resist the many lip-smacking pit-stops :o)

Good Friday

This being my second visit to this peaceful coastal city, I was quite familiar with what to expect around. The scorching sun warned us not to venture out; however, I just could not stop myself from driving along the well maintained promenade.

  Picture Courtesy: official website of Theevu Palge

A sumptuous lunch at a renowned French sea food restaurant - Theevu Palge and then headed straight for a 5 star snooze. After all siesta is a slice of any lavish itinerary.

The clock was ticking and we didn't want to waste a second of the spectacular evening, so we headed out for the Rocky Beach. The seafront looked mesmerizing due to the high tide caused by the enormous full moon.

High regards for the quote, “All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt.” Café culture in Pondicherry is predominant and an Easter Egg Hunt was apt for the occasion. 

Café Ole served delight along with a hot cup of chocolate. You got it right ! The spoon dissolved instantaneously :o)


Easter Eve

We were on the east coast and witnessed a glorious sunrise. Then began the day with a terrific brunch at Accord Pondicherry, which set the perfect spirit for the day. 

We ventured out to sail on the backwaters to reach the literal 'Paradise Beach'. Blue skies and white sands; a breathtaking moment redefined ! On our way back, found some well crafted pottery for an earthly home decor.

Luckily, before the sun could have melted us, we escaped to our holiday den to recharge. The evening felt like an oasis after the sizzling sun had set and coincidentally, we were ready to witness the shortest Lunar eclipse of the century.

The onshore breeze with flavorsome thirst-quenchers was a toast to the twilight. The Easter eve had to conclude with a feast and what could have been better than something Continental. But Satsang, which happens to be one of the best restaurants in town, did not keep up to the hype. To compensate, got back to our abode, savoured a rich molten lava cake and then called it a day.

Easter, East Coast and Back !

    

Coming back is always exciting when you know there are more thrilling journeys ahead. And as Ernest Hemingway said, “It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.”

Te Revoir !

Christmas Glee !

A pulsating vibe, adding rolling mustards under my feet. That’s the sway of the holiday effect. An apt cliché – Christmas sure is a state of mind!

It’s the season of yuletide and the best one for Kolkata to offer its extremely cold weather with some mouth-watering food. Stay tuned, as my trip unfolds vividly right here.

Day 1

Flying over the Bay of Bengal, the sunny weather was perfect for some amazing over the cloud clicks. Here's sharing one of the best shots that I captured using a mobile device. Be rest assured, I did maintain the airplane mode :o) 

The flying time from Bangalore to Kolkata is about 2 hours 30 mins, but we were lucky to get a smart pilot who gave us 20 minutes back. Landed in our destination and raced to Barracks' area to get a glimpse of the Christmas fervor.

To the party lovers - Barracks' lane Christmas party is an experience one should not miss in a life time. The get up-and-dance now vigor is highly contagious !

If music is for the soul, food always makes a happy heart. Barracks is home to one of the largest Anglo-Indian communities left in Kolkata and is thriving since the 1st World War. This place was the Garrison's Mess. The cuisine is cross-cultural but Chinese is the dominating flavour. To name a few - Chowmein (veg & non-veg noodles), Sumai (fish momo), Fried Momos (veg & non-veg), Fish Ball Soup and Meat stuffed buns would definitely make you droll.

Day 2

I found myself quite lucky to be residing in the middle of the city, and this made life easier to commute. The underground metro railway system of Kolkata is the pioneer in India. Transport options are flexible and cheap. And the winter evening stroll on the main streets of the city is highly recommended. See (photos) what I found from the street vendors. You really have to be a proficient to distinguish between the original and the first copy version of some of the famous branded perfumes and watches.

Christmas Eve and we had to visit the New Market area to witness the pomp and the show. We took a frappe break at one of the most nostalgic food and beverage joints of the area - Scoop. The menu they serve is Continental, Chinese and Indian. Each item served here has some fancy name, I ended up ordering 'Money Bag' momos! Didn't get any money in the bag though (Lol).

Day 3

Christmas day finally! We all woke up early in the morning to attend the traditional Christmas Mass at the St. John's Church. This church was originally a cathedral and was among the first public buildings erected by the East India Company after Kolkata became the effective capital of British India. The church started in 1784. The foundation stone was laid by Warren Hastings, the then Governor General of India and his chair is still preserved in a glass case here.

After the sacred ritual of the Holy Communion, the church echoed with some classic carols that the choir sang. The plum cake and coffee served post the service was blissful.

Our family luncheon was lip-smacking chicken biryani (flavoured rice cooked with exotic spices, marinated chicken, eggs and potatoes) from Aminia Restaurant. Kolkata inherited the Mughlai cuisine from the Muslim invaders and since then the culture of feasting is prevalent.

    

Day 4

The weather condition of Kolkata was amiable but we couldn't escape the cold and flu wave. I popped an antibiotic and a vitamin pill to combat the health strain. And the festive season revitalized the physical pitfall. After a couple of hours of resting at home, headed out for a consciously guilty snack in a local sweet shop. The calorie count soared as I pounced on the hot kachoris, pea dal, flavoursome sweets and ginger infused tea served in an earthen cup.

Day 5

Another relaxed sunlit day! A lazy afternoon nap and we were ready for a bike ride to one of the prime locations of the city - The Park Street. This area has some of the most sought-after restaurants and night clubs. We were literally spoilt for choice and after serious deliberation choose - Moulin Rouge. This is one of the oldest and still a popular night spot nested on 'the street that never sleeps' - the Park Street.

From the entrée to the lavish à la carte spread, it surely promises to satisfy any foodie across the globe.

Day 6

An early morning walk at Chowringhee Square was quite fascinating. People were busy rushing to their offices but surprisingly some of them flocked near a modest looking young lad who was cladded in a shawl and was continuously putting his hand in a big earthen pot and handing over something to the gentlemen standing next to him. He was selling 'Moya', a sweet made with date molasses, khoa and puffed rice. The special ones were studded with some dry-fruits. This dessert is uniquely Bengali and can be found only during the winter season.

Kolkata has nurtured reading habits to its inhabitants for epochs. College Street also known as ‘Boi Para’ meaning Colony of Books is an eminent center of the Kolkata Literary crowd.  The 1.5km stretch is the largest second-hand book market in the world. Paperbacks, first edition and any rare books can be found here at a throw away price.

Reading is an addiction and I easily succumb to it. To honour the urge I went back to Park Street to spend some time at a highly acclaimed book shop - Oxford Bookstore. This establishment is rooted on this street since 1920 and is very popular among the globetrotters.

The intellectually heavy day ended on a high note evening at  - Trincas. Live band, succulent kebabs washed down with chilled drinks and a few old friends. How I wished the night could last forever !

Day 7 & 8

Kolkata is a strategic layover location for all kind of travelers - the beach lovers, mountain trekkers, historic place explorers and the city hoppers. We love beaches and took this opportunity to venture out to a sea-side resort - Digha. The distance by road can be covered within 3 to 4 hours without any bottlenecks. The sea is actually the northern end of the Bay of Bengal. Winter is the most pleasant time to experience this beach and an excellent weekend getaway.

Day 9

New year's eve and it had to be Park Street again! Suddenly I found myself craving for some pâtisserie delight. Flurys - serves one of the best traditional European confections. 
It was founded in 1927 by the Flurys couple and they still retain a sense of timelessness. We waited to get a table for two for 30 minutes and were lucky to get a seat at this fashionable tearoom at this time of the year.

After experiencing a banquet of bakery items decided to walk down the street to burn down some kilos. The entire parkway was illuminated and ready to dance till New Year's dawn.

Day 10

We were scheduled to catch an evening flight so thankfully had enough sleep to beat the hangover. A quick scan through the New Market area and I literally packed Kolkata in my backpack.
The 'Masala wala gali' floored me with variety of aromatic spices.

A stop-over at the Dacres Lane was the ultimate street food pause. Not everything that we ate was snacky, after-all this lane is any office goer's last resort when the wife denies to cook :o)

  

Back to Namma Bengaluru 

We returned to Bengaluru on the 1st evening of 2015 and couldn't wait to grab a pipping hot cup of Coffee in the airport to celebrate the moment. After all home is where the heart is - an apt cliché, ain't it ?