Ich war ein berliner zu ( fur 5 tage....). Thank you, Google Translate.

Flying to Berlin on Turkish airways meant that one long held dream was just ever so slightly fulfilled. …... managed to visit Istanboul!! ( though only the airport this time). From the air , it looked European – orderly red roofs in orderly enclaves enclosed with orderly rows of trees. I suppose the Asian mayhem is visible only at street level.

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Berlin airport was nondescript, the ride from it to the hotel was'nt. The taxi driver was an an elegant Afghan, previously an international relations specialist, who had spent some time in Delhi as a part of the Najibullah government's embassy in Delhi. He was happy to practice his Hindi / Urdu , learnt from Hindi films, that he was so fond of. We were happy to hear his fascinating story, and to learn that the knowledge of a secure future for his children was what gave him more peace than the thought of not being the diplomat that he was trained to be.

The training course that I was here to attend was conducted with  meticulous attention to detail. The delight that Europeans take in the teaching and learning of science, of science itself, is what sets them apart from the Americans and us Indians, intent as we are on projection. The effort and the distraction of the process of informing the world about our knowledge takes from away the process of gleaning and acquiring that knowledge with scientific rigour and vigour!

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Berlin requires more than five evenings, which is what I had, to discover and savour. However, I did make the most of the time that was at hand. The hotel was wonderfully situated, Arcotel John F, just off the magnificent Unter Den Linden. The linden trees were bare but must sure be a sight in spring and summer, lining the very wide central verge...... wide enough for many small cafes.


December was an interesting time to visit Germany. There were many Christmas markets – two within walking distance from the hotel. These markets are made up of many small decorated stalls, and sell Christmas goodies, butterscotch coated nuts, mulled wine, grilled sausages, pizzas, woolies from Bolivia, tea from India and such like, with musical shows thrown in. The larger of the two markets was in the Gendarmenmarkt square, a stunningly beautiful square with cathedrals and a concert hall within the central square. Mellow yellow lights, shadows, the colour red, happy couples and families and good cheer all around..... came away feeling at peace with the world – amazed that a city so devastated ,a country with a gory history, reinvented itself so successfully.


Thursdays are museum nights in Berlin, which means that state museums are open till 10pm. Had very little time after the training class, but did manage to visit the Altes Museum, which houses Greek, Roman and Etruscan art. The museum had a very large, fascinating collection of sculptures, both in marble and bronze and of clay pots with decoration. The most fascinating - a collection of all the Greek gods in the central dome of the building and a bust of Cleopatra. The building of the Museum itself was had dramatic Greek columns on the facade and a beautiful domed atrium.


The Brandenburg gate was a short walk away, grand but very much in the city, with people walking in and around the gate. A large number of tourists were there at nine am itself, but the expanse of the Unter den Linden makes sure that one dose'nt find that interfering with the ambiance. It was bitingly cold and windy, but the mandatory photograph was accomplished of course. It was interesting to know that due to the Berlin wall, the then West Berliners could only see the gate, but not stand under it.

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Berlin has so many museums that it was difficult to choose one to visit. The outdoor display at Checkpoint Charlie was living history, one that not too many cities can match, and so I picked this for the one free morning that I had. It was just 2 km away, on the sunlit Friedrichstrafe. Display panels with black and white photographs document the area as it was before the wall was erected, during and then at the time of the dramatic demise of the wall on 9th Nov 1989, and then of East Germany itself. A remnant of the wall is preserved - how far the world has traveled since then, though large parts of the world still grapple with authoritarian regimes. Not to say that democracy protects all the citizens' rights, as Greece, Madoff, Lehman Brothers and Swiss bank accounts of Indian politicians prove !!


The hop on hop off bus tour is a boon for visitors with constraints on time and spending power: I took one in Berlin,with a commentary in German and English. Took in the grand , glass domed Reichstag, the attractive, accessible looking, presidential palace, the modern buildings constructed after the capital of Germany shifted back to Berlin from Bonn and the Charlottenburg gate, once a different town, but now incorporated in Berlin itself.. The bus tour also drove past the haunting memorial to the victims of the Holocaust. A tree less square with concrete blocks laid out in an undulating surface. It was disturbing and unsettling to look at yet one could not look away.

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The sacred duty of all Indians traveling abroad , shopping, was to be performed. Our group walked to the bustling Alexander platz and the found a shopping mall – could have been anywhere in the world, including Delhi – the same plan, many of the same brands. Only the food court indicated that we were in Germany.. One thing of note was that all drug containers carry details in Braille too. A comment on thoughtfulness and of belief in self reliance; in India we have miles to go in this regard. I eventually bought German styled porridge and salad from a food store......


Food was interesting, to say the least – a variety of cheeses, sausages, salads and meat preparations, the latter accompanied by a lot of vegetables. The vegetarians in the group struggled, however, surviving on salads and fruits; even bread was suspect because of the possibility of lard as one of the ingredients. The Arcohotel John F had a good restaurant, appropriately called Foreign Affairs . JFK was obviously much loved for his Berlin trip and speech.

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The absence of persons of colour on the streets of Berlin was striking; one did encounter the occasional immigrant though. A young Bengali lady worked the breakfast shift of the restaurant, the house keeper looked Vietnamese. Persons of Turkish origin are visible, as were places selling Middle eastern food.

 As an armchair whatever ( is that what bloggers are??) one came away wondering what proportion of the affluence came from the help of the Allies in rebuilding Germany, from migrations to the Americas and from the industriousness and single-mindedness of the German people, the latter apparent more dramatic ways in the earlier part of the last century.

A King & His Goan Palace

The Grand Hyatt, Goa, started accepting guests a short while ago and  I lucked out – a four day meeting in their conference /banquet area. The property in on the Bambolim beach in Central Goa and looks about 200 years old. In reality, it was made over the previous three years on the lines of a  palace of a fictional king who had sailed into Goa from Portugal. 

Right from the quaint covered porch with the Madonna with child sculpture at the entrance, the hotel is tasteful, understated elegance. The floors are an unusual mosaic in shades of beige and barely visible muted gold, the monochrome scheme accentuating the width of the already wide corridors. Wooden latticework and muted beige inlaid pillars, natural light, old world chairs with simple lines lend a restful air. Add to that mother of pearl light fixtures, wrought iron balconies and you have old Goa recreated to perfection.

Didn’t venture into the sea at Bambolim, but the sea looked calm and inviting. The beach was quiet too and a huge contrast to Calangute which we visited on our last day in Goa. We were in Calangute at mid day, the hot sun and heated sand made one run for cover. The energy of the people on the beach only accentuated the fact that one was now middle aged!!

Lunch at the much touted Souza Lobo was a disappointment. Hope to “ do “ Calangute in better times.

While the conference was in the Grand Hyatt, we stayed at the Sandalwood resort. Reasonably priced pool facing suites with lightwood fixtures, competent dining facilities, the piece de resistance was the fact that the lovely Vanguinum beach was just 100 yards away. Secluded and perfect for bathing in the sea.

Munnar : Masala Chai

We were met at the Cochin airport by our driver; the car had been arranged by the resort. Pleasant, polite,comfortable carrying out a conversation in English and non intrusive. A welcome change from the north, that remained consistent with all we met during our stay in Munnar.

The road to Munnar was a national highway, No 49 to be precise. The only stops we made were to stock up on banana, cassava and jackfruit chips !! The Kerala experience is incomplete without these.

The vista was a lush, emerald green. A number of houses had hedges of crotons in shades of yellow, mustard, terracotta,burnt orange, burnt sienna and a few more, with leaves that had been on steroids perhaps? Boundary walls were conspicuously absent. Banana groves appeared with regularity, interspersed with rubber plantations, the trees wearing kerchiefs, apparently to collect rubber.

Quite out of the blue , or should I say green, turned up this dramatic road side waterfall. We stopped to stand in the spray and take a few pictures.

Munnar outskirts turned up quite suddenly; when I woke up after a short inadvertent nap, we were driving through manicured tea gardens. The gentle slopes, verdant with orderly rows of tea bushes, a brook flowing nearby. Soothing and relaxing.

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We had booked ourselves into the Blackberry Resort. Small cottages, looking onto the valley, abounding in “ greeniness”. Clean suites, terracotta tiles, clean loo, a balcony that, thanks to the mist, offers a changing vista every quarter of an hour. Through the day and night, the crickets had a lot to say, and very loudly. Their constant chatter served to reinforce the distance that we had traveled from city life.

We are in August right now – and how I miss bringing along wellies and a mackintosh. An umbrella does not make ergonomic sense if you wish to trek down to the valley and wet shoes are , well, wet shoes !!

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Gobhi machurian made an unexpected appearance at the dinner buffet ! Luckily there was delicious avial, chicken pepper fry and payasam. Meals were served in the delightfully situated Hornbill restaurant. Lunch was a la carte – freshly prepared cabbage thoran and travancore fish curry on day two and. fish moilee and morru curry on day three. The a la carte meals were freshly prepared and superlative. The buffet catered to all tastes – we tried only the Kerala part of the buffet – why travel so far to have gobhi paranthas, when appam and stew is on offer!

The Kerala ayurvedic massage at the Sisal Spa ( within the resort itself) was my first experience of the same. I had read quite a few articles about the famed kerala massages and treatments for back and joint problems , but what I remembered most was a less than complimentary travel programme on the BBC, where the anchor had complained about having to endure kneading and pummeling. My fears were unfounded; the massage was a delightfully relaxing. Later , also tried the aromatherapy massage, in which a different oil is used and the massage technique consists of smaller pressing actions. Found it to be excellent, especially for a tired back and forehead.

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We walked in the neighbourhood in the evening – pretty properties along the road – Hollyhocks and Olivebrook, the hillsides densely and intensely green, and decided that a nature walk was in order. The
resort arranged a guide. Stephen, our guide, turned out to be a remarkable character. In his earlier professional life, he had been a chauffeur. Here, he was employed as a horticulture specialist and guide, helping both to improve the diversity within the resort as well as to educate botany ignorants like us on the treasures in the neighbourhood rainforest. The nature walk was,indeed, the highlight of our trip. We walked on the road, past a dense canopy of trees, the hillsides laden over by a plethora of crotons, wild flowers, jackfruit trees, local berries used in ayurveda, mushrooms growing on logs. The walk was punctuated by the sound of running water, cries of bird, squirrels talking to each other, besides of course the crickets going full blast. The rain came on in as a drizzle a few times, but since the weather did not become muggy, the rain only added to the charm of the walk.

This was the first time I had seen a cardamom plantation. Apparently, cardamom grows the the shade of the rainforest. The plant is about five –to six feet tall, a bunch of green stems arise from the ground and bear dark green, slender leaves, a foot to two feet long. The cardamom that we are familiar with is borne near the base of the plant. A whole expanse of these glossy dark leaves at the base of the rainforest is a sight for sore eyes.

The nature walk ends at the base of the valley, where you stand in the middle of a tea plantation, amidst an expanse of verdure ( I have run out of ways to say green !), and soak in the quietness and the indescribable beauty of the scene. The green in the trees is only punctuated, in this season, by the orange blossoms of African tulip tress and the coral tree.

The walk back is a very gentle uphill climb, and Stephen had us enthralled throughout with his knowledge of the local flora. We also managed to see the giant malabar squirrel, about a foot long, glossy black brown with a red and yellow face, scurrying up a tree to its nest. Couldn't catch it on camera though.

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Interestingly, the house keeping staffer who attended to our room at the resort was from Manipur. It is quite uplifting to see how tourism is opening up new opportunities for the young Indian. I remember meeting  spa therapists from Kerala at Kanatal in Utarrakhand and a care taker from Bihar at Jagjitnagar in Himachal Pradesh, both much off the beaten track..

Our sendoff from Blackberry was warm indeed. We enjoyed our stay, the view, the hospitality and the wealth of plants within the Blackberry campus.

The Tata Tea wives association runs an organisation called Srishti, for differently abled persons. On the way back. We drove through Munnar town, which had nothing to commend it, on terrible roads to get to the Srishti campus. The strawberry preserves had been recommended; we also picked up some shibori and batik dupattas and stoles, and some hand made paper products. The next stop was to pick up tea from the KDHP outlet.

The drive back was more of the same, dense rainforest, leafy tall bamboo groves, crossing over the Periyar river twice, rainshowers and a pleasant breeze made the air-conditioning in the car redundant. The meal at the attractive looking Elassey Farmhouse Restaurant was passable at best. We reached Cochin airport in four hours, including the stopover for lunch.

Kearla may be God's own country, but He seems to have been particularly munificent to Munnar !

Get off the highway and drive along the Ganga Canal

There really is something special about going on a road trip. Peace on the highway ?? Unbelievable but true. This time it was a flying road trip ( ahem) to Dehra Doon and back. The journey till Khatauli has been transformed by the new highway with various bypasses, the first one from Rajnagar Extension, which bypasses Ghaziabad and then a bypass for Meerut. Stopping at Cheetal is a ritual when travelling this route, but this requires a detour from the new highway – not that it deterred our group. The service at Cheetal was just as efficient, though business did seem slack.

If you’ve wondered about the slender tall trees with large leaves that line fields all over Western UP – these are poplar trees, I discovered during this trip. The same poplars that Claude Monet painted in various seasons. The car driver informed me that the tree is grown primarily for match sticks. There seemed to be too far many trees for matches alone, and on looking up poplar on google,  I found  that it is grown for plywood and paper too. While it is popular with farmers because it gives returns within a few years, while acting as a windbreaker, it has the collateral benefit adding to the beauty of the vista.

On the way back, we drove along the Ganga Canal from Roorkee to Khatauli and what a marvellous road journey that is. The canal is a marvel in itself, made one hundred and sixty years ago, i.e. in the 1840s, the bridges across the canal just as old.  Soothing water to the right, all kinds of plants, mango orchards,  bamboo clumps, blazing orange gulmohar, with almost no green in the trees, and very little traffic - one could drive along roads like that for days and not tire of them.

Gadding About In Goa

This was written in November 2009,when I first thought of writing a blog-

My  significant other, hereafter  referred to as Sig- O ( he complains that I have made him sound robotic) and I have started out on our journey. The new domestic  departure terminal of Delhi airport is swank; the food court has interesting options for breakfast and the “make your  own smoothie” at Aloha is interesting.

Sig-O and I agree that this Goan- ease holiday is going to have no agenda, no plans, no must dos except to run the sand through our  toes, to flake out on the beach. The last two weeks have been a whirlwind of activity, betrayals, endings and beginnings and we do need to get away from it all.

The Indigo flight to Goa has a stopover in Bombay. The flight is comfortable and well worth what we paid for the tickets. 

We were met at the airport by staff from Cidade de Goa. The short ride in the coach was smooth enough and Sig-O and I were the only occupants. The terrain was lush and the cottages pretty. What surprised me the most on this first drive through Goa was the colors that the houses had been painted in. Later on too, we continued to be fascinated by the colours  -  lilac, purple, sunny yellow, shocking yellow, shocking pink, peach, bright orange , royal blue, lime green and combinations thereof.

The foyer of Cidade de Goa takes you by surprise. The foyers of most five star hotels in India seem designed to overwhelm and ?? intimidate.  The foyer in Cidade de Goa seemed like an easy open space open to the sea and friendly.  There was none of the stiff formality associated with checking into a hotel.  Soon we were in our room and immediately out into the sea facing balcony. The resort looks on to a bay and the sea waves coming in are gentle and enticing. It took us no time in getting out of room, attractive though it was,  and on to the beach.

Cidade de Goa has been designed by Charles Correa. The exterior is in shades of brick, peach and mustard, a series of boxes with white framed windows. The floor is a mix of black and white checks. There are frequent trompe oleils that catch you by surprise. The corridors are breezy, leading off into passages, staircases and beautifully landscaped courtyards which entice you to explore further. Very attractive. 

Café Azul is the coffee-shop; offers a splendid view of the bay and the pool, the latter shaped like the number 8.  Love the view, the food’s not bad either.

The property has a private beach, just perfect for walking on the beach or bathing in the sea. Sig-O stayed  in the water all day. I too spent some time in the sea and then the pool and then the lounging by the pool. The loungers were perfect for dozing off post dinner – blissfully relaxing.

Visited Colva beach and feasted on Kingfish balchao and chicken vindaloo. Though we had requested the cook at 49ers to go easy in the spices, the curries were pretty fiery. The flavor was quite of the vindaloo was unique, a mixture of chili and vinegar. The fish had a nice crisp texture, though dunked in a fiery gravy. Later in the day we managed to find Bebinca, the famed Goan dessert at Cidade. It sure had Sig –O babbling. Bebinca is a layered sweet made of milk, egg and chocolate and is really quite delicious.

Colva was a lovely, long, clean beach. Good for swimmers and for water sports enthusiasts as well. This was the first time that I had visited a beach outside Mumbai and the difference was stark. No crowds, no meddlesome peddlers and no filth either.

The next day we lunched at “Mum’s Kitchen” , which  serves Goan cuisine. Tasted Prawn Humman a “Hindu Goan Curry” and a sweet made from dal, jaggery and coconut; enjoyed both. Mum’s Kitchen is run by a couple, intent on preserving Goan cuisine.

After the harried pace of life, the traffic, the sheer number of human beings, the unsightly buildings and the general edginess in Delhi, Goa soothes and delights. The pace is unhurried, the view a mix of lush green and water  – the sea, the rivers and the backwaters; the houses are  pretty – sloping roofs, archways balconies and ofcourse the pretty colours. Even the Dental College  building had a lot of bright orange highlights! Rua de Ourem and the Mandove riverfront  in Panjim are beautifully maintained. We did not do any sightseeing this time, the idea being that we would have a completely relaxed holiday.Glad to have some unfinished plans - not that one needs an excuse to visit Goa :-)

To Roopangarh, Udaipur & back

Often thought of writing about our weekend and other getaways and so here goes-

This is meant to be last year's annual break. The only rule we followed was that it was to be a road trip. After tossing between Jaisalmer, national parks in Madhya Pradesh and Udaipur, we finally settled on the latter.

The various travel portals were just what one would like for information regarding parking, pool and view etc. Just before setting off, we thought of spending two days at the out of way Roopangarh fort.

The drive form Delhi to Jaipur was as usual i.e. fast, efficient and well maintained highway, plenty of pit stops for those so inclined. It was the highway from Jaipur to Ajmer that took one by surprise. Smooth roads, public conveniences, emergency telephones et al. A lot of Gujrati eating joints on the way - the Gujrati Jain circuit I presume.

Roopangarh was off the highway. The road meandered , green and gold fields lined it, low hills just a short distance away, graceful Rajasthani men and women visible just once in a way – you get it I'm sure. The hotel is not for those who long for city lights. We were the only occupants for the first of the two days that we were there. However, if a quiet candlelit dinner under a starlit sky beckons, then this is the place for you. The service was affectionate and efficient, the cooking home-style and the room much larger than a badminton court. The wake up call is handled by the resident peacock family and paintings of the Kishangarh royalty in the Kishangarh miniature style offer an interesting sidelight.

We walked around in the village for a while – heading away from the main bazaar street. Too many little children begging for “one chocolate” “one pen” “ one photograph”!!

Husband spent time taking pictures, I read and painted. Came away feeling restful and tranquil.

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The highway to Nasirabad and onwards to Bhilwara, Chittorgarh and Udaipur loops out of NH 8 just short of Kishangarh. The run from Roopangarh to Udaipur is some 360 km. In late March,the landscape had a severe beauty. Wheat was ready for harvest is most villages, and the fields were a mix of gold and green. The central verge is planted with bougainvillea and some pink and yellow flowering shrubs ( my botanical knowledge is not too substantial);red tesu flowers grace the vista every now and then. We stopped to take pictures of two unnamed small forts, one that was inhabited and one , with some chhatris close by, which was abandoned and falling apart

There were hardly any people visible anywhere. Occasionally, there would be a herd of goats being tended by a wiry man in a spectacular turban. Some women , wearing coordinated lehngas and odhnis worked the fields, mainly harvesting wheat, but mostly, there was not a soul visible. The little hamlets adjacent to the highway were some distance away from the road, and had none of the filth and ugliness that one associates with highways. There were no public conveniences though and that was difficult!

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We stayed at The Chunda Palace. While we had booked a room through the web portal, the hotel upgraded us to a suite. The décor in the suite was quite spectacular, hand painted walls, black and white marble floors and a loo in pink marble.

Meals were at the rooftop restaurant. One could spend hours gazing at Lake Picchola, the Jagmandir palace and the Lake palace. The view was especially beautiful by night, the palaces lit up and reflected in the water. We tried the Mewari food on the menu – deliciously smoky dal, the unusual and very tasty papd ki sabzi with bati rather than roti. A satisfying meal indeed.

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We drove to the city palace through impossibly narrow roads encountering every obstacle possible. The locals helped out in the particularly tricky spots, but both of us could have done without all that cardiac activity. Will probably take an auto-rickshaw during our next trip to the old city. The old city is impossibly touristy – more places selling pasta than rajasthani thalis. We bought some camel leather bags at what seemed a reasonable price to me. Shopping gets the husband into a bad mood – for which he was christened Barkus Barkus yesterday!!

The city palace has a large and very beautiful collection of miniatures and larger paintings in the miniature style. Battle scenes, processions, hunts and festivals in large panels. Would have happily given the rest of the City palace museum tour a miss, because by the time you reach the paintings there is already some sensory overload.

The palace complex is well maintained. The gates Tripoliya and others are grand as is the 104 pillared courtyard complex.

We strolled down a ghat close to the complex. It was presumably for the local populace. Sadly, rather ill kempt.

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The next day, we hired a guide. Since we had already seen the city palace on our own, we now elected to be “guided” around the other sights. The Fateh Sagar Lake was delightful. Would have loved to stroll on the serene banks, so far removed from the general sad state of water bodies in the country – strewn with garbage and overpopulated with hawkers.

Lunch at the Garden Hotel was a well priced, delicious Rajasthani Thali, accompanied by a tour of the royal vintage car collection. The highlight were a His and Hers 1938 Cadillac, the Maharani's version with a dark windscreen on the driver's side to allow her to drive while in purdah! Like the rest of Udaipur, the gallery was spotlessly clean, immaculately painted, the staff courteous and hospitable.

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There was obviously a lot to see in Udaipur and one should have ideally spent a week there to take in everything and also to unwind, but it was time to go back. Sadly we had to give the crystal gallery and island palaces, ( Lake Palace & Jagmandir Palace) a miss.

The drive back was a dream till we hit NH 8, and a nightmare thereafter. NH 8 started well enough - Lunch at Dayal restaurant was superb value for money at Rs 140 for two, tips included. Thereafter, it was an unending stream of trucks, jams and diversions because of the construction of the expressway. It was great to be back home – Udaipur had smoothened “ the ravelled sleeve of care”

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I am not sure what is more amazing – all kinds of traffic including tractor trailers driving towards you, even after dark OR the fact that five policemen at Pavta, a hamlet on the highway could let this happen under their noses. Guess, it is the same selective vision that lets four storied, electrified, piped water supplied “ unauthorised” colonies come up all over Delhi.