October, 2020 - Nils Around The World

The Quintessential European Town of Segovia

Europe, Segovia, Spain, Travel / By Nils / October 31, 2020 July 26, 2021

A few kilometers from the bustling capital city of Madrid lies the quaint little town of Segovia. Segovia is the exact picture of what you’d imagine a European town to be like – fabulous architecture, cobbled streets and captivating history. This cute little town awash in history and sporting some of the most beautiful representations of Gothic architecture, is a short day trip away from Madrid (approx. 90kms).

This was one of the best day trips I have ever taken. Read about my other day trips to Pratapgadh (Maharashtra, India) and Sausalito (San Francisco, USA) written as part of Blogchatter’s My Friend Alexa campaign which is how I’m taking my blog to the next level.

Getting There

I boarded a Renfe (Spain’s national train company) high speed AVE train from Madrid’s Chamartín station and reached Segovia Guiomar station in exactly 27 minutes. The train departed at 8:55 AM on the dot and pulled into Guiomar at precisely 9:22 AM as advertised. The journey was a smooth one and I loved the scenic countryside flashing by.

Guiomar station is located on the outskirts of Segovia – about 5kms from the town proper. So, from the station I took the No. 11 bus to reach the city, which took about 20 minutes. The timing of the buses are such that they offset with the arrival of the trains. The bus dropped me off right in front of the Aqueduct.

Tip: Book your tickets online here and exchange your booking confirmation for actual tickets at the station. The two-way ticket cost me ~ € 42 (including a small booking fee by GoEuro / Omio). Bus No. 11 fare is ~ €2 each way.

Tip: Trains depart every hour (or lesser) from Chamartín throughout the day but my suggestion would to be arrive early in Segovia to be able to visit all the myriad attractions it has to offer. Though there are other ways to travel to Segovia from Madrid, this high speed train is the best option in my opinion.

The Aqueduct

The Aqueduct is Segovia’s main attraction and its pièce de résistance. It’s easy to see why people come in from far and wide to admire and gaze at this engineering marvel. As I stepped down from the bus, I looked up at the beautiful arches of the aqueduct and was spellbound. I went up and down its length, climbed up the structure and looked across its breadth taking pictures and simply enjoying its beauty.

The Roman Aqueduct of Segovia was built in the early 2^nd century to supply water to Segovia. It used the principle of gravity and natural slope to convey water from the Rio Frio river to the city. Water was carried on the upper channel and crossed the city under the ground up to the Alcazar. It is considered a masterpiece of Roman hydraulic engineering whose stones are joined by neither cement nor mortar. It has 167 arches in its entirety and a total length of ~16000 meters from its origin in Guadarrama mountain range. The Aqueduct was declared a National Monument in 1884 and a World Heritage Site in 1985.

Tip: You can also visit the Aqueduct Visitor center which contains interactive multimedia exhibit to help you travel through 2000 yrs. of history of the monument.

Alcázar de Segovia

After spending a leisurely time at the Aqueduct, I ventured further into the town. Walking along its cobblestoned streets in the lazy afternoon sun was a joy indeed. Further on, I encountered the city walls and stood and admired the vibrant green valley view spread out in front of me. About 20 minutes later, I arrived in front of my next stop – The Alcazar of Segovia. The Alcázar is basically a castle; it became one of the favorite residences of the then king and queens. Built over a period of 5 centuries (11^th – 19^th) from the reign of Alphonse VI to that of Philip II, this palace was the residence of the Castilian Monarchs during the middle ages. The “Old Palace” was extended in 15^th century when several rooms were added:

El Solio: Throne Room; houses the throne commissioned for visit of Alfonse XIII and Queen Victoria Eugeria.
La Galera: Galley Room; named after its moulded ceiling resembling the hull of a ship upside down.
Las Piñas: Pine Cone Room; named after the 392 peculiar pine cone carvings on its ceiling.
De Reyes: Monarchs Room; decorated with a frieze depicting the monarchs of Asturias, Castile and León.
Del Cordón: Cord Room; named after the Franciscan cord decorating its walls.
De Capilla: The Chapel, witnessed the nuptial veiling ceremony between Philip II and Anna of Austria. It also houses Bartolomé Carducho’s “The Epiphany” painting.

The Alcazar was the State Prison in the 18th century and the Royal Convert of Artillery in 1764. Currently, it houses the Military Historical Archive. Most parts of this monument can be visited including its roof. After visiting all the rooms and fantastic exhibits, I headed to the tower. The view from the Tower of Juan II was terrific!

Tip: Summer hours (April – September) are from 10 AM to 7 PM while the winter hours (October – March) are from 10 AM to 6 PM. Tickets were ~€11 for a palace + tower top visit. Check details here.

The Cathedral of Segovia

My final stop before lunch was The Cathedral of Segovia. I had initially planned to spend about 15-20 minutes in the cathedral – after all how much time can one spend while sightseeing in a cathedral, right? Wrong! This cathedral has the most sublime glass paintings, wall paintings and magnificent sculptures. I was so fascinated with all of the art this place has to offer that I was there for nearly 2 hours goggling at the absorbing creations of the great masters.

The original Cathedral called Santa Maríe was of Romanesque style but after its destruction in the Comuneros War (Communities’ War), the church was rebuilt in Gothic style though its conception echoes the Renaissance era. Constructed on the proposal of Charles V, this church was dedicated to The Ascensión of Maria to Heaven and Saint Frutos (Patron Saint of Segovia). It has a 3-nave structure and an ambulatory.

Some of the most glorious artworks are: the sculpture of St. Andrew, The Descent from the Cross triptych by Flemish painter Ambrose Benson, Renaissance altarpiece with sculptures of The Immaculate, Baroque grillwork by Antonio de Elorza, the Tree of Life etc. Other important works of Pedro Berruguete, Sánchez Cuello and Van Orley are housed in this cathedral.

Mesón de Cándido

Apart from the Aqueduct, the other thing that Segovia in known for is Cochinillos or roasted suckling pig. Even though it is available in various parts in Spain and in a lot of restaurants in Segovia, I chose the best and the original – Mesón de Cándido. It is a traditional Spanish cuisine consisting of tender, succulent roast pig fresh from wood-fired ovens. The dish put me in gastronomic heaven! This is a must-do in Segovia!

La Granja Castle

Palacio Real de La Granja de San Ildefonso or the Royal Palace of La Granja in San Ildefonso was the next and final stop of my Segovia trip. It is located in the outskirts of Segovia (approx. 10 kms.) in the town of San Ildefonso. To reach, I boarded a La Sepulvedana bus from the stop in front of the Aqueduct, heading into the hills. It took about 20 minutes to reach La Granja whereupon I de-boarded in front of the castle entrance.

Tip: Visit the La Sepulvedana bus station to collect a bus time table so you can plan your La Granja trip accordingly. Buses leave every 45 minutes from the station.

Due to the long time spent in the Cathedral and my laid-back splendid lunch, I did not have a lot of time on my hands to fully explore the castle. However, I did have time enough to visit all the palatial rooms and the wonderfully kept gardens. I moved from room to room admiring the paintings like the ceiling frescoes and the luxurious furniture (an understatement) like the ornate elaborate four posters and chest of drawers, armchairs etc. Then there was the vast, dazzling collection of gold jewelry, urns, lamps, utensils etc. and finally, the armoury and artillery rooms.

Tip: Photography is prohibited inside the castle so commit everything to memory. You can however take pics of the palace façade and its grounds.

Lost!

After breezing through the castle visit, I made it on time to the bus stop, barely – or so I thought. However, there were no buses to be seen. Usually the buses run like clockwork so I started worrying that I had missed it. Soon, a bus arrived. Initially I was told that I was in the opposite direction, but then that one turned out to be wrong too. In the end, I didn’t board the bus, I contemplated walking, yada yada. Anyway, to cut a long story short, I missed my bus and thereby my chances of catching the return train on time.

I broke out in cold sweat but after a call to my husband, who managed to calm me down, I eventually got my head on straight and boarded the next (correct) bus to Segovia. From Segovia, once again Bus. No. 11 took me to Guiomar for my return to Madrid. Thankfully the very sweet guy at the ticket counter understood my predicament and kindly changed my ticket to that of the next train. God bless him!

Fondest Memories

Although there were a few bad moments at the end of the trip, Segovia was a superb experience which I fondly remember till date. I hope to visit again someday.

Tip: While there are other attractions in Segovia, I feel the above curated list consists of the best ones that can be enjoyed in a day. Do take some time out of your day to simply roam the streets and enjoy the serene beauty of the place.

Bay Area Jewel – Sausalito

San Francisco, Sausalito, Travel, USA / By Nils / October 28, 2020 July 22, 2021

Must-Do Day Trip from San Francisco

Clear sparkling waters, cute little boats and seafood – 3 phrases which best describe the quaint township of Sausalito, the Bay Area gem. Located in Marin County of California, Sausalito is one of the best Day Trip options from San Francisco. You can hike, sail, bike, shop or just sit, eat and drink by the Bay – Sausalito has it all.

Sausalito is known for its views of the San Francisco Bay, especially the Golden Gate Bridge. It consists of both leafy hillside as well oceanic waterfront. It grew as a shipbuilding center in World War II and later attained a reputation as a wealthy and artistic enclave, a scenic residential community incorporating large numbers of houseboats. The town is adjacent to, and surrounded by, the protected spaces of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Sausalito is a small town – 5.9 sq. km in total, of which 78% is land, the rest being underwater. (Source: Wikipedia)

Getting There

I took this day trip to Sausalito in April last year with my cousin who’s a resident of SF. We took a Golden Gate Ferry from the Ferry Building (or Pier 1) on the Embarcadero. The 30-minute ferry ride was fun as it offered splendid views of the Golden Gate Bridge. Chugging across the water with the wind in my hair was a wonderful feeling. (It’s actually really windy so hang on to your hats!)

Port of San Francisco
SF skyline
View from ferry
Golden Gate Bridge
View from ferry
Approaching Sausalito

Tip: The ferry departs sharply on time, so do arrive well before the scheduled time. Tickets can be purchased from vending machines located at the Ferry Building dock. Fares are around $13 one way. You can also travel by the Blue and Gold Fleet from Pier 41 / Fisherman’s Wharf.

Tip: Other options to get to Sausalito from SF:

Drive
Cycle (No electric bikes allowed)
Walk
Hop-on-hop-off Big Bus Tour

The Waterfront

Upon reaching Sausalito and dismounting onto the dock, we set off walking. Strolling along the waterfront, we admired the crystal waters of the San Francisco Bay. The sun glinting off the water making it sparkle like a gem was a sight to behold. On the opposite side, separated by the main street of downtown Sausalito – Bridgeway, is an array of pretty houses and cute shopfronts. The attractive architecture and appealingly decked up houses were a visual treat.

We nipped in for a quick snack of yummy brownies at one of the bakeries before we set off on our walk again. We reached a fork and turned right onto Princess Street and set off into the more residential area of the town. The hike through the leafy, shaded hill-road was soothing and peaceful. We enjoyed the exercise and the calm atmosphere. Finally we rounded onto San Carlos Avenue to double back to Downtown. It was now lunch time.

Tip: Be sure and pick a Visitor Map at the Tourist Kiosk (near the dock where you get off from the ferry). It will give you an idea about all attractions, restaurants, galleries etc.

Seafood Haven

After some quick research on Google, we chose the Seafood Peddler restaurant situated right on the Sausalito Yacht Harbour. The restaurant looked onto the harbor with its myriad boats floating on the turquoise water. We had mixed seafood platter and lobster bisque – melt-in-your-mouth deliciousness! All of this with that magnificent view – heaven!

Sausalito Yacht Harbour

Our last stop of the day was the Sausalito Yacht Harbour. Rows upon rows of boats of all kinds – speed boats, sail boats, houseboats, yachts, dinghies – docked at the harbor in their assigned lots. It was a picturesque sight indeed. We walked about in the docks admiring the shiny vessels and dearly wished we could climb aboard one and zoom across the water.

Then, it was time to get back to the ferry dock for our trip back to SF mainland. Our return was on the Blue and Gold fleet ferry to Pier 41 via Angel Island.

Major Attractions in Sausalito

We spent an ideal relaxing day in Sausalito; lazy hikes and good food with the best company and lovely views. We gave certain attractions a skip while we missed out on a couple which I would have liked to see. However, I have no regrets because that day was an amazing one!

I suggest you arrive early and plan to spend a full day here and visit atleast a few of the below attractions.

Golden Gate Vista Point: This view point provides fantastic views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the Bay.
Bay Area Discovery Museum: This is an indoor/outdoor museum inspiring kids’ creativity via interactive exhibits, a play space & art classes.
Marine Headlands: A 5 mile stretch of coastal basalt headland & habitat for bobcats, coyote, deer & abundant birdlife
Marine Mammal Center: All types of marine mammals are cared for & rehabilitated at this non-profit facility.
Battery Spencer: Fort Baker 19th-century concrete battery featuring panoramic views of Golden Gate & San Francisco.
Fort Baker: Former U.S. Army post with many historic buildings & trails overlooking the San Francisco Bay.
Rodeo Beach: Pebbly beach popular for surfing & sunbathing, with restrooms, trails, a lagoon & picnic tables.
Point Bonita Lighthouse: Historic active lighthouse reached by a half-mile trail; offers scenic ocean views, not to mention – an actual lighthouse visit!

If you are not inclined to any of these, then simply sit back and relax and let nature weave its magic on you. Sausalito is a must visit day trip destination from San Francisco.

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Durga Puja in Kolkata Part 2 – Pandal Hopping & Pet Pujo

Durga Puja, India, Kolkata, Travel, West Bengal / By Nils / October 26, 2020 July 26, 2021

Durga Puja may be a religious festival but it is also a time for festivities and celebrations, of family and togetherness, of fun and enjoyment. In my last post, I shared with you the religious part of the festival – the rituals and the lores, the prayers and worship. Today I bring you the fun (and my favorite) parts of this grand festival – the gifts, the pandal hopping and the food.

Gifts

Pre-puja we i.e., Bengalis, embark on a mission of vigorous shopping. We shop for clothes, matching accessories and shoes for ourselves and for all relatives – it’s such fun choosing for parents, uncles, aunts, cousins, siblings. Then we visit each other’s houses to gift these clothes and accept ours in return. For me, since childhood, this has been one of the attractions of puja – new clothes! Donning our new clothes and getting all decked up, we then go out pandal hopping.

“Pandal” Hopping

A pandal is essentially a marquee or a tent which is erected during any event or in an open space. But for Durga Puja, a pandal is not a simple marquee – it is an elaborate affair with designs and decorations which are mind-blowing. They are works of art; in fact there are artists hired to envisage a theme and design the pandal. While some pandals are basic structures consisting of interwoven colorful fabric, most are thematic, extravagant edifices which are honestly jaw-dropping. Months are spent in planning and executing those designs which include attention to minute details and the overall picture.

The pandals are the best part of the “pujo” according to me. I brave the sun, the foot aches from the walking and the exhaustion at the end of 5 days just so that I can go around the city and get to see all the marvelous pandals. Below are some of the best ones that I have seen over the years. Pictures speak better than words in describing the awe-inducing craftsmanship and ideation.

Pandal decorations made entirely of balloons
Ballons have inscriptions on them
Idol decoration of balloons as well

Cardboard painting decorations
Cardboard painting decorations
Cardboard painting idol

Pandal decoration to represent activity on the water

Supporting the “Go Green” movement
Supporting the “Go Green” movement
Supporting the “Go Green” movement

Figures made of hemp rope
Figures made of hemp rope
Representing a bee hive
Representing a bee hive

Theme: Colour
Theme: Colour
Theme: Colour

Representing a regional culture in India – food, people, items

Culture of Rajasthan
Culture of Rajasthan
Culture of Rajasthan
Culture of Rajasthan

Woven figures
Handstitched canvas
Woven figures
Woven figures
Woven figure detailing

Origami decorations
Origami decorations
Origami decorations
Origami decorations

Clay lamp chandelier
Various dance forms of India -1
Closeup of the a dance form (in a claypot)
“Chhau” (masked dance form)
“Chhau” (masked dance form)
Ode to music – 1
Ode to music – 2
Cloth flower decorations
“Samundra Manthan”
Theme: Cartoons
Theme: Cartoons
Ceiling decoration – 3D map of Kolkata city
Ceiling decoration – 3D map of Kolkata city
Golden Temple pandal

Lighting

Apart from the pandals, there is the lighting. The whole city gets decked up in colours and lights during this time. Kolkata is never more beautiful than during Durga Pujo. All pujo have fancy lights to brighten up the decorations but some have intricate lighting panels depicting some story or some figures etc. Some examples here:

The Food

We Bengalis love food. We say we “live to eat, not eat to live”. I totally go by that mantra. The pujas just give us another excuse to splurge out and eat all sorts of food. Be it biryani or chowmein or kosha mangsho (meat curry) or our favorite Kolkata street food fare; cuisine doesn’t matter, we love to gorge on anything delicious! Between all that hopping between pandals, we will do our “pet pujo” meaning, worshipping our appetite. My favorites are:

Phuchka: fried puffed flour/semolina balls stuffed with spicy mashed potato and tangy water.
Chicken Roll: rolled flat bread stuffed with spicy chicken mixture.
Papri Chaat: mini flat flour tacos topped with a mix of potato, onions, peanuts and a sweet-tangy sauce.
Fish Fry – deep fried crumbed fish fillets.

A Time to Just Be

In the busyness of everyday life, we barely get time to meet friends or family or to simply relax. Durga Puja is, at its root, a time to take a break from the rigors of life. We catch up with friends, meet our extended family, forget our stresses and just enjoy.

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Durga Puja in Kolkata (Part 1)

Durga Puja, Kolkata, West Bengal / By Nils / October 23, 2020 July 22, 2021

It’s October! This means Durga Puja in Kolkata to me. Durga Puja is my absolute favorite festival. This is the time of the year I most look forward to – when I take a trip back to my hometown to celebrate the festival with family and friends. This post is dedicated to “Pujo”, as we Bengalis fondly call it – the “pandals”, the food and the rituals.

Durgotsav

Durgotsav literally translates to “the festival of Durga”. Held during the Bengali month of ashwin (gregorian calendar months of September/October), this festival celebrates Goddess Durga’s victory over the demon, Asura. The lore says, Durga was created by the gods to defeat the king of demons, Mahisasura. She was shaped as an epitome of female strength and was empowered with weapons in her 10 hands for the battle. She fought and emerged triumphant over evil.

Every year Durga, along with her children Lakshmi, Saraswati, Kartik and Ganesh, travels to her maternal home for 10 days. These 10 days mark the occasion of Durga Puja though the main celebrations are held from the sixth day, “Shasthi. Five days of festivities follow, at the end of which – on the 10^th day, Dasami / Dussera – she returns to her marital home in Kailash (abode of Lord Shiva). This is symbolized by submerging the deity in the waters of the holy river Ganga.

Durja Puja is a sarbajanin festival meaning it is held for the people / masses. Generally they are held in para (colony/block) / area/ locality wise or in apartment buildings /societies rather than in individual houses. In older traditional zaminder families/houses, they are held in respective houses usually in their ancestral homes.

The Rituals

Puja (prayer) is conducted on each of the 5 days of the festival twice a day – morning and evening. Additionally, there are various special rituals carried out each day. Alongside all rituals and prayers, one traditional custom is the beating of drums or “dhaak“. Every year when I hear the dhaak bhajna sounds, it fills me with excitement and joy!

Puja ceremony in a traditional ancestral household

Bringing home Durga maa – on Day 5 *“Panchami”*

Shasthi (Day 6)

This is when the festival officially begins. The devi’s face is unmasked on this day as part of the opening ceremony called bodhon. Then we carry out the“astradaan” ceremony wherein the goddess is armed with her weapons formally. She holds sword, chakra (discuss), trishul (trident), axe, bajra (thunderbolt), khitaka (mace), shankh (conch), padma (lotus), bow and arrow, snake in her 10 hands. Each of the weapons were gifted to her by each of the gods.

Traditional idols of Durga and her family.

Saptami (Day 7)

On this day, we bring home the wife of Ganesh – by bathing and worshipping her on the ghats of Ganga – lovingly called “kolabou snan”.

Ashtami (Day 8)

This day – considered to be the most auspicious day – sees us holding prayers at midnight “shandhi puja” by lighting 108 diyas (lamps) and offering 108 freshly bloomed lotuses (Padma ful). This is the day we offer our prayers with flowers at the goddess’ feet – “anjali” – in the morning. “Kumari puja” is also observed on this day when we worship a young girl whom we consider to be the form of the goddess Durga.

Navami (Day 9)

This is the day we perform the well-known “dhunuchi naach” where evening prayers (“aarti”) are accompanied by dance with incense lamps. This dance is art form in itself. One must watch to know the mesmerizing beauty – and fun! – of it.

Dasami (Day 10)

The last of the week-long festival (day 10), Dasami, is when womenfolk worship all five gods and goddesses, feed them sweets and water as a final goodbye ceremony. Then there is the playful “sindur khela” where we put vermillion (meaning: sindur) on each other’s faces and foreheads as a form of good wishes. This is a fun ritual which I love to participate in!

The idols are then taken to nearby pools / the Ganga as a procession which goes round the streets with people dancing accompanied by dhaak and shankh sounds as part of the goodbye ceremony. Finally, we immerse the idols in water – “bisarjan” – and bid the goddess and her family adieu with cries of “Bolo dugga ma-i ki jayy!” (meaning: Hail the Mother Durga).

Aasche bocchor abar hobe! (meaning: until next year).

Dasami rituals – last prayers and sweet offerings and sindur-khela. From my apartment puja.

Shubho Bijoya!

After immersion, we take our elders’ blessing by touching their feet and exchange sweets to end the festival. Over the next few days, we visit family and friends, bringing home made sweet meats and offerings our well wishes and greetings for the year ahead.

So this was about the holy rituals and ceremonies observed during the festival. In the next post, I will be writing about the most fun parts of the “pujo” – the pandals and the food! Happy Puja everyone!

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Tennis Passion – Davis Cup & Wimbledon

London, Tennis, Travel / By Nils / October 17, 2020 July 22, 2021

Last Sunday, my favorite tennis player Rafael Nadal won his 20^th major and 13^th French Open title. I was ecstatic! I can’t explain this happiness people derive from sports but we sports fanatics get immense joy when our favorites win. This inspired me to write about the 2 instances of my brushes with tennis personally: the only time I watched a live tennis match –Davis Cup – and when I visited the home ground of one of the biggest tennis events – Wimbledon.

Davis Cup – India vs. Spain

Dreams do come true. And when they do, you still can’t quite believe that they have. For me, since the day I became a tennis fan, it had been a dream for me to watch Rafael Nadal play live. This dream came true one fine day out of the blue, when everything fell into place!

“When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it” – Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist.

How it came about

Pre-match Arrangements

One random day, while reading the newspaper, my husband saw an advertisement announcing that India’s Davis Cup tie with Spain was to be held in Delhi a week hence. He remarked as a joke: “Do you want to go?” Let me say here, I don’t live in Delhi – it’s a 2 hour flight away. But when I heard this, I jumped and said “Yess, let’s!!” (Husband had probably thought I would scoff and say duh!)

I was never going to get such an opportunity so I took the chance with both hands. Tickets were free!! However, they had to be collected in person from the venue! Thankfully, a relative of mine who’s a Delhi resident very kindly obliged to collect them for me. And, in the blink of an eye, flights and hotels were booked and we i.e. my husband and myself were ready for a weekend trip to Delhi! I am a very non-impulsive person and believe me this was not a small feat.

The day I awaited with bated breath finally arrived. We took a flight at an ungodly hour (caught it by a narrow margin) and landed in Delhi on D-day bright and early. After spending the day with aforementioned relatives, we made our way to the RK Khanna Stadium. It was match time!

The day before, various news sources said that Rafa had caught a stomach bug and probably wouldn’t play. I despaired but held hope. Davis Cup matches don’t have fixed players since it’s a country match-up; contenders are announced moments before the match starts. So, praying with all my might, I entered the stadium. And, the first thing that met my eyes was – Rafael Nadal in a blue sleeveless t-shirt practicing on court!!! I stood transfixed. For a few (long) moments, I truly forgot everything else and just stared. Eventually I came round and we proceeded to our seats. The matchup was announced on the screen and Rafa would be playing!! It was a doubles match; India’s Leander Paes and Saketh Myeni vs. Spain’s Rafael Nadal and Marc Lopez.

THE Match

The match was an amazing contest. There was some superb tennis – long rallies, unbelievable DTL forehands, slashing backhands, powerful smashes and cheeky drop-shots. There were tense moments especially in the tie-breaker which lead to even more astounding tennis. That was my only live tennis match and the experience is unforgettable not just because I was watching Rafa but also because I realized what high quality tennis looks like at close quarters. The adrenaline was high and the atmosphere in the stadium was electric. Spain won 4-6, 7-6 (2), 6-4, 6-4. Read detailed play-by-play here.

This was the only time when I did not root for India in a sporting event – sorryyy! However, while I was already a Rafa fan, that day made me a Leander Paes fan too. I knew he was a great player but that day I saw what he was made of. He played a high level of tennis and almost brought the match home to India. But Rafa was just too good. Rafael Nadal was pure poetry in motion. Powerful shots, calculated angles and that famous topspin! It was really a dream come true for me. I cheered for him throughout the match but I did applaud any and all good shots. Tennis won that day. It was truly the experience of a lifetime.

Wimbledon

I visited Wimbledon 2 years ago during my trip to London when I accompanied my husband on his office tour. While he was busy with his work, I went about exploring London. On one of the days in my week- long trip, I had the pleasure of taking the Wimbledon Tour Experience. Also included was the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum tour.

The Tour

I used my London Pass for booking the tour. The 90-minute long tours start every 30 minutes in front of the statue of Fred Perry, the famous British player. The tour guide explained about the history of the club from its foundation as All England Croquet Club and eventually to what it is today – home to the most prestigious Grand Slam, The Wimbledon Championships.

Starting from the outer small show courts – only viewed from the outside lanes – we moved on to the media center including the BBC studio from where the tournament is broadcast and commentators relay the game to the world. Next we walked through the players’ entrance – oh what a thrill it gave me! We were then taken to the main Press Interview room and each of us had a turn sitting at the table pretending to answer journalists’ questions. And, finally, the Centre Court! Though we weren’t allowed to actually get onto the court, we could access the upper galleries and look down upon the brilliant green court which still displayed the score from the last match held – the men’s single final of 2018 Wimbledon Championships. The feeling of awe and reverence held me in its thrall for a long time.

The Museum

The museum contains various tennis artifacts, interactive displays and films/videos about tennis history and/or events. There are tennis equipment used thought the ages, their evolution, tennis fashion, trophies and varied players’ souvenirs. The Museum tour comes with an audio guide (included in the overall Tour & Museum ticket) which gave further information and guided me through the museum. It took me about an hour or so to cover the whole museum. At the end there is a Museum Shop which sells Wimbledon themed collectibles and mementos. I have a purple-green umbrella and some pens.

Helpful Information

The address for Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum and Tour Experience is:

All England Lawn Tennis Club (Championships) Ltd., Church Road, Wimbledon, London SW19.

Nearest railway station: Wimbledon (15 minutes from Waterloo)
Nearest metro/underground: Southfields (District line)
Buses: 39. 93, 200, 493

Tours are held daily from 10 am to 5.30 pm except on The Championships days and 24-26^th December + 1^st January. Upon arriving, make your way to the Museum Shop to collect your tickets and guides.

My two tennis-related experiences occupy a special place in my heart and memories; experiences any tennis fan would feel privileged to undergo. I’m sharing it with you now as I take my blog to the next level with Blogchatter’s My Friend Alexa.

Day Trip to Pratapgadh Fort

Asia, India, Maharashtra, Pratapgadh, Travel / By Nils / October 9, 2020 November 7, 2021

Valour. Honour. Integrity. That’s what the Marathas stand for. Pratapgadh Fort situated in the Satara district of Maharashtra – land of the Marathas – is a statement of the Maratha courage and loyalty and one of the founding stones of the Maratha Empire.

A weekend trip to Mahabaleshwar turned out to be a mix of relaxation, fun, food and history. This was the only trip we were able to take in 2020 before our world got confined to our homes. 25 kms. away from the popular hill station of Mahabaleshwar lies the historical Pratapgadh Fort. We made a day trip to the Fort from Mahabaleswar and spent most of the afternoon learning about its fascinating history.

History

Located at 3500ft, Pratapgadh Fort is a veritable bastion of Maratha bravery and craftsmanship. It was built in 1656 by the talented architect Hiroji Indulkar and Prime Minister Moropant Pingle on the directions of Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. It marks the site of Shivaji’s famous win over Afzal Khan in the Battle of Pratapgadh. Afzal Khan’s tomb is located nearby (can be seen from the Fort) as an act of respect by Shivaji.

Battle of Pratapgadh

This battle was fought between the Shivaji’s Maratha forces and Afzal Khan – a 7.5ft tall giant weighing 285Kgs. It is said that Shivaji invited Afzal Khan to his Fort as a sign of truce. However, Afzal Khan betrayed the truce and brought along his army hidden at the entrance to the Fort, displaying use of guerilla warfare tactics. He then tried to kill Shivaji with a concealed dagger after Shivaji had welcomed him into this chambers. Shivaji retaliated and instead fought and killed Afzal Khan with his bare hands (so it is said). The Maratha army defended the fort and defeated the enemy. The cleverly constructed Fort was especially helpful in guarding the King and his armies.

Pravesh Dwar
The Fort
Ramparts

Fort Architecture

The Fort was constructed as a place of ruling for Shivaji but more importantly as a defense line against enemies. This is clearly visible in the architecture and layout of the Fort. It is perched atop a hill which makes approach difficult anyhow. Then the entrance is built in such a way that soldiers can observe all entries to the fort but are themselves invisible to the newcomers. The higher ramparts contain concealing places for the soldiers who could attack would-be invaders long before facing an attack themselves. The Fort drops away to sheer rock face on all sides which makes it impossible to access it from any angle.

The Fort includes a 350 year old Hanuman Mandir where Hanumanji’s statue has a full face blessing hand and the Sadariya Khalbat Khana or the Diwani-i-khas. It also houses the Vijay cannon which has a 2.5 km range, now moved from its original position atop the hill to the entrance passage. The gomukh gate is located atop the Balli (meaning, small) killa. On display near the temple is a sword owned by a soldier which has stars on it to indicate killing of a 1000 men!

There are a total of 475 steps to reach the very top!!

Present Day

Today the Fort is home to 40 families descending from the soldiers or the staff of the royal house. It is a tourist attraction due to its rich history and its scenic location. The view from the top of the fort is beautiful. The fort offers 360 degree views of the impressive Western Ghats. There are shops selling food, souvenirs etc. run by the aforementioned families. They are the caretakers of this Maratha jewel.

In 1957, a 16 ft. statue of Shivaji riding a horse was built in his honor. A beautiful garden has been constructed surrounding the statue.

Indian Haat: When we had visited in February, there was an indigenous “haat” being held there. Local handicraft goods like bags, toys, hats, jewelry etc. were on sale. The colorful merchandise was very tempting and I bought a few knick-knacks.

Tip: Make sure to hire a guide to tell you about the enthralling history of the fort and the Maratha Empire. All the above information was gleaned from our guide who was a descendant of a Maratha soldier.

To Reach: We drove from Mahabaleswar which took around 45 minutes. You can also reach via train, nearest station is Satara.

Watch road trip video here.

Tip: Make sure to reach early to get parking near the entrance, otherwise it will be a bit of a hike to reach the fort if you park further down the hill.

Other activities in Mahabaleswar

Trek to Elephant’s Head viewpoint – this is the most famous viewpoint here, you can see the mountain shaped like the head of an elephant. To be honest though, after several attempts we could not figure out where that elephant was! The view in general though was picturesque.
Ride a boat on Venna Lake – Surrounded by mountains, this lake is a lovely spot for a serene boat ride.
Visit Mapro Garden – Mapro offers a wide range of squashes, jams, ketups etc. They have a processing unit in Mahabaleswar (outskirts) and it is now a tourist attraction with restaurants, shops, picnic spots. A must try is their strawberries with cream.
Eat strawberries – Mahabaleswar is famous for strawberries and produces 80% of the country’s output! So be sure to try out some.
Buy leather shoes – This area is also known for its leather goods, especially shoes. There are shops galore so choose well.

While we did do the first and last activities, we chose to skip out the rest and relax at our hotel, Jameson Villa. It was a colonial era cottage with big grounds, large leafy trees, 2 cute dogs and good food. We enjoyed a game of badminton in the cool evening air before unwinding with a hot cup of tea on the verandah. Ah, pure bliss. It was a weekend well spent.

Tip: It gets quite cool after sunset so remember to pack your jackets.

I’m taking my blog to the next level with Blogchatter’s My Friend Alexa.

Potter Mania – Warner Bros. Studio Tour, London

Harry Potter, London, Travel / By Nils / October 4, 2020 July 22, 2021

Would you like to climb aboard the Hogwarts Express? Walk through the Diagon Alley, maybe stop at Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes? Visit Godric’s Hollow? Try a Butterbeer maybe? You can go crazy doing all these and more at the Warner Bros. Studio Tour – The Making of Harry Potter, in London.

A Little History

Harry Potter is a phenomenon that has left few people untouched. The story of an orphaned boy who discovered he was wizard – a very famous one – took the literary world by storm in 1997. Soon, it pulled millions of readers – be it children or adult – under its spell. The book series – seven in number – were made into a movie franchise – consisting of 8 movies – which became equally big (if not bigger) than the books.

Harry Potter book set. Pic credit: Pinterest

The films were almost exclusively shot in the Leavesden Aerodrome (converted into studios) on the outskirts of London. Warner Brothers opened up the studios for public view to showcase the enormous talent and hard work that went into the making of one of the biggest film series in history.

Every Potterhead has, at some point or another, wished that they were a witch or wizard. They kept hoping an owl would one day bring them a letter informing them that they could attend Hogwarts from September 1. They dearly wanted to try leaning against the ticket barrier between platforms 9 and 10 (at whatever train station) and see if anything happened – maybe they’d fall through and come face to face with the Hogwarts express? Each one of you have tried, haven’t you?

The “Making of Harry Potter” Studio Tour will give you a chance to do all of the above and more, much much more. So dive into the Pottermania along with me as I take my blog to the next level with Blogchatter‘s My Friend Alexa.

Making my way to Leavesden

How I got there

The closest station to the Studio Tour is Watford Junction. I took the train from London Euston which is a 20 minute journey. At the Watford station there are shuttle buses available leaving for the Studios, which depart every 30 minutes. This leg of the trip took 15 minutes. The last return bus is when the Tour closes at 10PM.

Tip: The bus ticket costs £3 but a Tour entry ticket/booking confirmation is needed to avail this service. Entry tickets cost me £41 each; current price is £47 + £9 for a digital guide and paperback souvenir.

Book entry tickets on their website (here) and convert to actual tickets at the Studios. Train tickets can be booked via trainline.

Tip: There are other indirect trains to Watford as well but they will take longer.You can also drive – directions are provided on their website. Bus Transfers are also available from Central London (prominent stations) in partnership with Golden Tours. Learn more here.

Magical Beginnings

The Great Hall

With nerves pinging with excitement, I entered the premises and was shepherded towards the start point of the tour. Rows of chairs sat facing a wall in front of which stood our guide. She explained something about the history of the studios which had been the home of these actors for more than a decade. As she finished her welcome, the wall behind her magically faded away to reveal the unmistakable doors to the Great Hall of Hogwarts! We all gasped. It was a wonderful beginning to what already promised to be a blast. Alohomora!

The Great Hall was occupied with the four house tables all laid out with cutlery (no, unfortunately they did not magically fill with food). Behind each table stood a shield to denote the house it belonged to. At the end of the huge room stood the top table with the teachers standing in front (life-sized mannequins) with Dumbledore leading with his speech. The walls were adorned with the Hogwarts crest while from the ceiling hung Hagrid’s carved pumpkins. The sheer amazing-ness of the Great Hall set the tone for the rest of the tour.

Tip: It is not a guided tour, you are allowed to roam around freely as you wish. You can however, book an audio guide as I mentioned above.

Rooms

Dormitory, Classes, Burrow

From the Great Hall, I moved into the next part of the tour which was basically the whole of Hogwarts. The starting aisle displays pictures and quotes from the movies, some videos of the actors’ experiences etc. which opens up to this huge room broken into sections / parts. This is where I wished I had a thousand eyes to look in every direction possible at everything at once. Wherever I looked, there was something unmissable.

There was the Announcements wall with framed notices beside which was the moving staircase. Then I looked up at the huge Hogwarts Clock beside which stood the stone griffin which guards Dumbledore’s office. One can also see the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets with the snake puzzle thingy. Press a button and the snake slides to open/close the door! There was also the Mirror of Erised. What do you think you’ll see in it? I’m keeping mine a secret.

Announcements Wall
Staircase to nowhere
Prefects’ bathroom taps
Fat Lady’s portrait
Dumbledore’s office entrance

Further ahead was the Gryffindors’ dormitory with 5 beds made up. It was fun identifying which was whose. Then there was the Gryffindor common room. Next came the classes – especially the Potions Class with self-stirring cauldrons. I then darted to the next room – Dumbledore’s office which stood complete with the books, portraits, the memory cabinets and the Pensieve. There was also Hagrid’s hut with pots and kettles hanging from the ceiling.

Harry Potter’s dormitory bed
Potions Class
Ministry of Magic
Umbridge’s Room
The Burrow
Chamber of Secrets entry
“Magic is Might”

I also found a scene from the Burrow living room. To magically make things happen like they do at The Burrow, I press a button and the iron automatically presses clothes and the knife chops the carrots automatically! Heee!! Then there was the Ministry of Magic (with green fireplaces) and Umbridge’s room (with pink belongings).

Before leaving this room, I took wand classes from an actual human teacher – swish and flick etc. movements and words! It was a fun 10 minutes.

Props

Costumes and Equipment

Scattered throughout this huge room were glass cases and shelves of props – the Time Turner, the Remembrall, the Golden egg from the 2^nd task of Triwizard Tournament and what have you! Looking at these brought to mind the stories attached to them. On the side stood the box of Quidditch balls – there was Harry’s favorite the winged snitch! There were handwritten letters, the Marauder’s Map, school books, Daily Prophet papers and innumerable other small and big things. The sheer scale of work involved can be understood when you look at these props which were used to make the books come to life on the silver screen.

Assisting the props were the brilliant costumes. The room was interspersed with mannequins wearing Harry, Ron and Hermione’s costumes – be it their school robes, their Yule Ball fancy clothes or their Gryffindor colours.

Lastly, you can also view the Knight Bus, sit atop Hagrid’s bike or inside the flying Ford Anglia.

Animals and Creatures

Goblins, Dobby, Fawkes

The magical world includes a number of creatures and animals which were an indispensable part of the stories. Amazing special effects, prosthetics, make up and sheer talent that went into creating the incredible movies. From Dobby to Goblins to Lord Voldemort, all prosthetics, model animals were preserved for visual treat of viewers.

Places

Godric’s Hollow, Diagon Alley, Enchanted Forest

Enchanted Forest came at the very end of the huge room. The setup is so real and life like that I literally felt scared to enter and when Aragog descended from the ceiling suddenly I actually shrieked and ran. Anyway, I moved on eventually to bow before Buckbeak who bowed back at me!!

The penultimate part of the Studio Tour included famous places of the Harry Potter saga. You can pay tribute to Lily and James at the Potters’ residence in Godric’s Hollow or jump and catch letters at No. 4 Privet Drive.

But my favorite place was Diagon Alley. The narrow crooked road with all kinds of magical shops on both sides was breathtaking. It was as if it had come alive directly from the pages of the book. Gringotts, Ollivanders, and Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes! I went mad with excitement and joy, it was so brilliant.

Hogwarts Express

9 ¾ and Hogwarts Express

The absolute showstopper of this Studio Tour is Platform 9 ¾ and the Hogwarts Express. The shining scarlet train was brilliant to look at. I clicked what seemed like a thousand photos and posed with it as well. You can climb aboard it and walk down the passage to peer into the compartments, which has some props set up to awaken your imagination. At the very end is the food trolley filled with the students’ favorite sweets.

The Castle

Model, drawings

The last part of the Studio Tour is Hogwarts itself. These set of rooms are dedicated to the castle because an unimaginable amount of work went into making the castle what it was. Drawings, manuscripts with calculations, small scale model parts and a HUGE scale model of the castle and its grounds. This part of the tour will blow your mind away. You have to see it to believe it!

Shops

Wands, clothes, Butterbeer

Before you leave, don’t forget to do some shopping for mementoes and take-aways. There are 3 shops in the tour. Enchanted Forest shop has forest themed souvenirs; Studio Shop has wands, confectionary, clothes etc.; Railway Shop has train related gifts and clothes, sweets, house themed souvenirs. I bought a Hogwarts scarf, a Gryffindor notebook and a Slytherin ball-pen. I was so pleased with my loot. You can also check out their online shop.

Tip: Do try the Butterbeer, its supposed to be yummy; I unfortunately ran out of time to do that. It’s my one small regret.

Felix Felicis

The tour ends at the life-size model of the castle but what you saw will stay with you forever, it will keep you dreaming and star struck for ages to come. What I have mentioned here is only a part of what there actually is to see and imbibe in the tour. The 4 hours spent there seemed to fly by like that. It was like a little dose of Felix which kept me happy for a long time after I left the tour with a smile on my face.

Tip: I would suggest you consider to be there for at least 6 hours so you enjoy each and every tiny detail there is.

Traveling Digitally During Lockdown

Travel / By Nils / October 1, 2020 July 22, 2021

History was, and still is, being made. We all went through unprecedented times which aren’t over by a long shot. We were locked down inside our houses barely able to venture out except for essentials. Even though we are now in “unlock” phase, life has by no means returned to normal. It’s a doubt it ever will. For travel lovers like me, times are even tougher. Wanderlust is biting at our heels but there’s nothing to be done to appease it. Or is there?

Itching to travel?

Well, there is a close substitute we can opt for. We are in the digital age where all information is available at the tips of our nimble fingers. We can use this to our advantage to feed our travel thirsty cells.

The whole world has simply gone online – whether it is their work or shopping or socializing or entertainment. That is the only way to travel right now. Even if tourism, hotels etc. are opening up, we have a long way to go to be safe and free from this deadly virus. Until then, “virtual” is the way to be.

The various ways in which we can do so are enumerated below…

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

The social media and internet is filled with images of anything and everything. I choose to look at travel pictures posted by individuals or groups whether it be Insta or Twitter or Pinterest or blogs or plain old Google images. I follow Insta accounts of avid travelers who have been to places I would someday like to visit. Just ogling those images brightens my day.

For example, the picture below. It’s like I am there in Manarolo – walking along that brick path, hearing the chugging of that boat coming in to shore and feeling the impact of the amazing blue waters against the sheer rock face.

Manarola Italy — Manarola, Italy. Pic credit: cinqueterre.eu.com

Reflections…relive 10 days in 10 minutes

Revisit your own memories and travel back into that vacation again. I like to take out my pictures and scroll through them – it brings backs those experiences as if they were yesterday. It spawns a conversation like: “Remember when we climbed those 100 steps?“, “Hey wasn’t this where we ate that yummy chilli chicken?”, “We got stuck in the snow here, remember?”, “We shopped till we dropped“. It’s like you live that trip again in those 10 minute conversations and pictorial memories.

Spiti, Himachal Pradesh, India – from my trip last year

Live Vicariously

Visit blogs and read about/see another person’s journey. Blogs about travel, about exotic or ordinary places, about experiences will take you on virtual tours of places known and unknown. There are a few blogs and vlogs which I follow; through the narration of their visits, their experiences they take me to those places, help me get an idea of what a place looks, feels and sounds like.

Some of my favorite blogs are The Ordinary Traveler, Earth Trekkers, Wanderlust Crew and Our Escape Clause.

You can also look at the posts on my blog 🙂 I’m taking my blog to the next level with Blogchatter‘s My Friend Alexa.

Knowledge is Power

Read up on the history, geography, culture, weather of places you would like to visit someday. Know more via Wikitravel, Google and similar websites, travel books etc. Knowledge helps you visualize, helps you create a picture of the place and will ultimately help you plan for your future travels.

Virtual Reality

You know what I discovered on a social media site?! There are virtual tours which you can go on! These are of varied locations, monuments etc. This particular one I saw was of Africa – a guide and a photographer will take us along and introduce us to an African national park and a prominent city. That sounded so exotic to me! I aim to join this and learn about the culture, heritage and simply enjoy a new country while sitting in India.

Think Ahead

The best thing to do now, in my opinion, is to plan for your next trip. Dream about where you want to go when the cursed lockdown is finally over or at least things are back to normal. Use this time effectively to make up your travel calendar – when to go where. The points I mentioned above are steps towards planning for your vacations. Research to your heart’s content while you’re working from home.

Look up images
Read up on the history of your destination
Know about other people’s experiences via TripAdvisor or,
Visit personal travel blogs. The blogs I mentioned are part of what I use to plan my trips actually.
Take virtual tours to understand more about the place before you even visit the place. Were we ever able to do this in the old times?

Planning keeps you satiated but also keeps you motivated to pursue your goal to visit lands unknown or revisit known places like maybe your favorite holiday spot.

I hope this post made your day a little bit happier and helped to not lose hope but look forward to the future.

“The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper.” ~ W.B. Yeats

October 2020

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Must-Do Day Trip from San Francisco

Getting There

The Waterfront

Seafood Haven

Sausalito Yacht Harbour

Major Attractions in Sausalito

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Gifts

“Pandal” Hopping

Lighting

The Food

A Time to Just Be

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Durgotsav

The Rituals

Shasthi (Day 6)

Saptami (Day 7)

Ashtami (Day 8)

Navami (Day 9)

Dasami (Day 10)

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Davis Cup – India vs. Spain

How it came about

THE Match

Wimbledon

The Tour

The Museum

Helpful Information

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History

Battle of Pratapgadh

Fort Architecture

Present Day

Other activities in Mahabaleswar

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A Little History

Making my way to Leavesden

How I got there

Magical Beginnings

The Great Hall

Rooms

Dormitory, Classes, Burrow

Props

Costumes and Equipment

Animals and Creatures

Goblins, Dobby, Fawkes

Places

Godric’s Hollow, Diagon Alley, Enchanted Forest

Hogwarts Express

9 ¾ and Hogwarts Express

The Castle

Model, drawings

Shops

Wands, clothes, Butterbeer

Felix Felicis

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