Do as the Greek!

Lufthansa was the best connect from India for sure

After a number of hours in flight(s), I finally made it to the beautiful island called Santorini. And believe me, it was worth all that travel and what a summer it was! We rented a villa in Fira (Villa Erofili) for a few days and then moved to a hotel in Oia (Nostos Apartments) to experience both parts of the island.

 

The gorgeous bougainvillea are all around the island



White and blue everywhere – so calm and serene

Its turly a white-washed paradise and I’m absolutely in love. The views from every corner are of the Aegean Sea and the food – let me not get into it since it needs a separate post but do not miss out on Lolita’s Gelato. Apart from being a respite from the sun, its delicious and can surely give the Italians a run for theirs! Another must do is a day trip to the red beach and perhaps a visit to the Amoudi Bay for some fresh catch of the day – Dimitris Taverna was where we went and of course, recommend it highly.

Alfa beer – a must try for all the beer-lovers

But believe me, a trip to the islands is not complete until you have been on a boat (a lot more on that coming up).

Underwater from here

  Next stop: Bentota!

A and I drove to Bentota in an amazing radio taxi (which had wifi!). We do not recommend going by the old city route: it was painfully long, bumpy and rickety.

An underwater theme party to bring in 2016

 
 

Isn’t it gorgeous?

 
 

Fresh catch!

 
  

But totally worth that bumpy drive, as you can see!

We stayed at the Vivanta by Taj – Bentota, Sri Lanka and I must say that our room had an amazing view – but honestly, I wasn’t particularly impressed with the hotel rooms. I can’t pin point exactly what it was – basic furniture which looked old or the lack of warmth in the rooms. Let’s just say that I won’t be going back there despite the warmth of the staff who made an extraordinary effort to make the guests feel at home. The food was also lovely and simply, fresh.

I think we spent the entire day at the hotel’s pristine beach. Looking at the sky, water and sun – towards the next adventure in 2016. Sigh.

Hop(pers), crab and champagne!

 

Champagne for breakfast? Yes, please!

A short and sweet trip, we spent 5 glorious days on the island of Sri Lanka. Spoilt by the Galle Face Hotel in Colombo with the most spectacular breakfast buffet in the morning (think champagne!) followed by endless sunshine and sand of the Bentota beach at Vivanta by Taj – Bentota.

A and I went to Colombo to attend my friend’s wedding – the reception was at the Galle Face Hotel. The hotel has a beautiful facade which reminds one of the colonial times – high ceilings, open corridors with the sea on one side and large windows on the other. No one can complain about the location, architecture and surroundings of that beauty but some things are best left unsaid (read service).

Of course we had to have a customary Chinese meal so off we went to the Taj Samudra Colombo. What can I say – chilli chicken and noodles hit the spot every time! After a nice afternoon siesta, we walked along the coast around the Galle Face Greens with a slight drizzle and the evening was just perfect. It did involve a bottle of red, some fried prawn and a 2 kilo pepper crab!

Ministry of Crab – before and after

Sunset views of the Indian Ocean from our room in Galle Face Hotel

Twenty sixteen

The glorious sunset from Bentota

 

The lit up City Palace in Udaipur

 
The year 2015 has been challenging yet fulfilling on many fronts. My husband, A and I travelled to such gorgeous places and how liberating that was! To leave your world (if only for a while) and pretend to be royalty from Udaipur or live like a lazy Italian on the charming island of Capri or in the little lake-side village of Germany called Tegernsee, and many other experiences.

The new year took me to Sri Lanka on it’s very first day, thank you 2016 – looks like we are ‘bff’s already!

Ocean views from our two balcony(ies) at Galle Face

 

The picture-perfect German village, Tegernsee

   

Gelato, apérol, pizza, people and shops in Capri

 

 

A new summer with new beginnings

A change in seasons always makes me think of how fast the year has gone by. This serves as a good reminder for all those “new year resolutions” which we want to stick to (as opposed to those that just look fancy).

To start this blog, I saw inspiration in what my dear friend, Gayatri started off. She invited me to comment, collaborate and brainstorm on her blog and here I am with my very own and all set.

I’m not ready to categorize my blog into lifestyle, fashion, law or anything for that matter. It’s just a mode of expression and it may draw your attention on some days and may not on others – bear with me. I’ve got some requests to share all my research on planning an Indian wedding as also on setting up a new house and my various travels. I plan to start on those (in no particular order of preference) and I’m looking forward to sharing my journey through this blog!

x x x

“Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes, and having fun.” — Mary Lou Cook