Cinque Terre

Globezing

VERNAZZA AT SUNSET

The five villages of Cinque Terre.
During our stay in Milan, we had made a decision to go to Cinque Terre that has become one of the hot destinations in Italy. There is so much written about these villages on the cliffs that I will just let you decide with the various photographs, how beautiful this region is.  The people are friendly and very very hard working.  The locals have adapted to the terrain and have terraced the hills to grow grape vines for wine.  The villages are clean. Plenty of cafe’s and food to suit every palate.  Cinque Terre is made up of five small coastal villages of Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso located in the Italian region of Liguria.  We also visited Portofino and Portovenere.  Portofino was made famous with the love song sung by Engelbert Humperdinck.  And we had to go there. We also got a seat on a floating restaurant in Portofino.

Since our trip was in September of 2016, it was high tourist season and the trains that went from one village to another were packed.  We took the train from Milano Centrale early morning to La Spezia.  We had given ourselves only 2 days for this trip.  So we checked into our hotel in La Spezia and left our overnight bag there and headed to the train station to catch the next train to Cinque Terre.  You can buy a day pass and get off between the villages.  You have plenty of time to wander around and take pictures, sit at cafe’s have a drink or lunch or just a snack.  For the adventurous, there are hiking trails along the coast.  The water is blue and you will find people swimming in many places.
The villages have special kind of Italian pasta called “Trofie” that is made locally and served at restaurants which is an absolute must to try.

Every corner has a gelateria, and flavors that are exquisite to the palate. And restaurants on the water with colorful umbrellas that adds to the charm of this region.
Many people hike the five villages.  The trails are designed for hikers and the local tourist office will give the instructions on which areas are easy to hike and the one’s that can be a bit strenuous.  So depending on your fitness you can decide how much you want to hike.  Or like us take the train.  Cinque Terre was on my bucket list for a long time and finally, I had made it there.  Everyone loves Vernazza, which we did too.  But Corniglia was also one of our favorite. High up on the cliff where not many tourists stop as it does not have a waterfront.  On the second day, we took the ferry as we were told that the villages look spectacular from the ocean.  We had lovely weather and the ferry ride gave us a different perspective of how the locals live in this region.  After the ferry ride, we took a bus to Portovenere and were pleased to have made the extra effort to get there.  This quick side trip was nice, and we were happy to get back to home base in Milan leaving the tourists behind and back to being a local in Italy.

The Allure of Northern Italy and Switzerland

Globezing

Beautiful Lake Lucerne


We choose central locations to park ourselves for at least a month, so we get the best opportunity to travel around the region and see as many places as possible.  This can be with trains, buses or the occasional car rental when needed.  Since we had been to the usual tourist traps during our short visits in our working life like Venice, Florence, and Rome, we decided to find an apartment in Milan, Northern Italy.  Milan is a beautiful city which is associated with Fashion and Furniture and Food.  This is true.  We were in Milan during the Fashion week, however, we were told that it was necessary to be in the business to attend the fashion shows.  You can imagine our disappointment. We were hoping to experience one show if possible. But it was not to be, fashion was not on our cards this time.  During our stay, we visited the Sforza Castle and of course, the main Duomo is a tourist stop.  We saw historic buildings, however, my favorite was Milano Centrale train station.  Just a very unique building inside out.  We also went to see Da Vinci’s “last supper”.  A bit of a disappointment, I must say as the staff ushered us out of there in 15 minutes and did not give us a chance to admire this historic painting.  They have only 15-minute slots and you have to be there on time to enter.  We had booked online well in advance as the tickets are sold out usually weeks in advance.  But one gets only 15 minutes to view.

Anyone who goes to Milan must go and visit the Navigli area of Milan.  Locals gather late evening to meet friends, have a drink or dinner by the canals.  Life in this region does not buzz till after  9 -9.30pm and goes on late into the night.  Various cafes offer specials with all you can eat menus.  People watching is a wonderful pass time in this area as you can see the melting pot of people wandering around.  We visited this area twice during our stay and found it entertaining.  We saw historic building but I must say that I think the Milan Centrale train station is a work of art.  We went to the Sforza Castle which was built in the 15th century.  Now houses many museums.
Milan and the surrounding cities are interesting.  We went to Pavia and Bergamo.   Both cities are steeped in history.  Pavia has one of Europe’s oldest universities.   Columbus studied here.  We would have never known this had we not traveled here.  Bergamo’s old town is set up high on a hill.  The cobbled streets are lined with local bakeries where you get their local cake called “Polenta”.  It looks like regular polenta, but nothing like it.  Yellow fondant covered with sugar crystals and the center filled with sweet cream and topped with a marzipan chocolate bird.  This delicious treat is a must to try in Bergamo.  It will definitely satisfy the sweet tooth!
An impromptu decision took us to meet some friends who live in Dietikon near Zurich.  We decided to rent a car and drive through the Swiss Alps.   It was a good decision as we drove through the Alps the scenery is spectacular and went through many tunnels.  What came as a surprise was the “Gotthard Tunnel”. One of the longest tunnels under the mountains 16.9 km’s long.  It was fascinating to drive through this tunnel where the temperature rose to 35 degrees. It was hot.  A bit claustrophobic for me, as it took a long time to get through it.  Just heard on the news that the train tunnel opened last week, 59 km’s long!  Both the tunnels are a fantastic engineering feat!

On our return journey, we stopped at Lake Lucerne, Lake Lugano ( half the lake is in Italy the other half in Switzerland).  A very serene and quiet lake.  Very residential with lots of apartments and housing around the lake.  Some very lucky people live in this spectacular region.

The mountainous roads are spectacular and we wound down to the confluence of lake Como and Lake Lecco..Bellagio!  A superb location and a must visit, this little romantic village.  The road winds through the narrow streets of the village till you reach the end of the village and the lake.  There are a lot of stairs to climb as well.  So if you plan on going there make sure you have a good pair of walking shoes on.  The streets as most places in Europe are cobbled and hard on the feet.  We were fortunate to find a room for the night in Bellagio, overlooking the lake.  Parking is a problem in Bellagio as the streets are narrow and the township sits on a hill.  But our luck was really strong and we found a parking spot just in front of the hotel lane.  This meant, that we had to haul our suitcases up 20 steps only! LOL!

 



We settled in and went out for a stroll in the town.  Narrow streets were lined with cafe’s and craft shops a tourist’s paradise.  We were here only for one night. So the next day we went to a fishing village called Pescallo a short walk from Bellagio on Lake Como. Due to the topography, you have to walk to this village.  Climbing down maybe more than a hundred steps…which meant climbing them back up on the return.  The location was beautiful.  Only a few people are around and there are ducks in the water and boats pulled up on the shore. Like a picture postcard!

It is here that we met a couple that was traveling in their motor home from Paris to the South of Italy. They were Canadian’s from Quebec.  What they told us was that they had bought the motor home and they travel in it for 6 months every year.  They store it in a motor home yard in Paris or this year they were planning on storing it in Southern Italy.  Then they go back to Canada for a few months.  When they resume travel in Europe next year, they will pick up the motor home and travel north on a different route and park it back in Paris for the following year.  So we felt there are so many others like us traveling in different ways to achieve the same end results, with a twist to the experience.
We returned the rental car the next day when we came back “home” to Milan.  It is so easily said that we came back home as we did consider the apartment our home and that we were living like the local Italians during our stay in Milan. Shopping in local farmers markets and grocery stores and creating Italian cuisine at home.

Life’s little Blips….as the Wanderlust Continues.

Globezing

One of the most beautiful beach in Australia. North of Sydney.
There is a time in life that you have to be your own mentor,
believe in your dreams be courageous and let no obstacles take away your vision and the time is called “Always” – Anonymous

Have you ever traveled with the Sun?  We did. In 2016 we started our travels in Europe.  Covered UK including Scotland, Northern and Western Italy, Spain, Portugal, Gibralter, touched Morrocco-Tangiers, and then Guayaquil, Salinas, Quito in Ecuador, Sydney in Australia and Auckland in New Zealand.  We had glorious 8 months of summer.  The beauty of this period was we did not need any warm clothing during our travels.  No bulky clothes to carry. Just the sun, sea and beautiful temperatures that we very easily got used to.
Then in February…we landed up in freezing Seattle.  Our home for the next 6 months.  Our Son lives here and so we were excited to arrive, only to be greeted with chilly wind and rain.  It’s been a month since our arrival and I think we must have had 5-6 days of sunshine.  A week into our stay in Seattle, I got a severe earache and went to urgent care.  The doctor on duty said I had an ear infection.  So I was prescribed an antibiotic.  Two days into taking the antibiotic, I was not seeing a difference.  I don’t take medicines, so most of the time meds like antibiotics work fairly quickly.  This did not happen.  So called up the doc again.  They told me that they might have to change the antibiotic.  So a new antibiotic was prescribed.  Two days later my state of pain was the same and I was not seeing any recovery.  The second day into the second antibiotic I felt a bit of numbness on the tongue and my right eye was flickering.  This time I took myself back to urgent care. I was very worried as my gut was telling me something is wrong.  At the urgent care, clinic the doctor thought I was having a stroke.  After asking me to move my arms and legs, she said I should head straight to the Emergency Room at the hospital.
We called an Uber, as we do not have a car in Seattle.  Once in ER, the doctor again asked me to move my arms and legs and ruled out stroke.  Which was a relief!  But by this time my right eye was going crazy and my ear pain was intense.  The right side of my tongue had lost its sensation.  So what was this happening to me? The doctor diagnosed it as “
Bell’s Palsy
“.  I was completely distraught hearing this.   I was in the hospital for about 2 hours total.  And by the time I left the right side of my face had completely dropped.  The doctor was trying his best to reassure me that I will be ok.  He even said to me that most people recover from this condition.  I had to take his word. But in the next breath, he said it might get worse first.  (Please read this Bell’s Palsy information.)  Don’t take ear pain lightly.  I went home and straight to bed.  When I woke up the next morning, the right side of my face was paralyzed.  I was in shock. I was not able to drink or eat anything as it dribbled out of the mouth.  My right eye would not close but the eyebrow dropped over it making heavy.  The forehead was numb.  I had never expected a condition like this to happen to me.  Life deals a hand and you have to play it.  Brave it and do the best you can to make things better.  I was in Seattle to go to the Skagit valley to see the tulips and San Juan island to see the Orcas.  How was I going to do this now?  Once again several friends who are doctors assured me that I will recover, but they told me it may take time.
It’s been three weeks now and I am well on my way to recovery.   This is an unbelievable condition, that gives you an insight into what people must feel when they get a stroke and are impaired for life!  This condition once again had humbled me, where you have to face your life, even when things are not in your control.  You can remain positive and keep going.  I am now looking forward to planning the rest of the year!  I will get to see the Tulip festival in Skagit Valley and a trip to see the Orcas on San Juan island.  Maybe even go to Victoria BC to see the Butchart Garden!
Yes, this blip in life is not going to keep me from my travels. I am forging ahead with my plans and hope to continue writing more often.
Stay tuned to some of the destinations we visited last year!

Salinas and the Coast of Ecuador

Globezing

Salinas Malecon – Sandcastle that we have seen being built during our stay here!
It is our last three days of the three weeks that we have spent in Salinas.  Our visit here was long overdue. Hemant had been reading online about Salinas and how it is a favored destination for retirement for Americans. I believe that Panama City has now lost is ranking and Ecuador is topping the list for an affordable retirement location.
Our first sight of the Malecon or the boardwalk was breathtaking. There are not many people on the streets. The one bedroom/studio apartment that we are renting is basic.  It could have been furnished better and also maintained better.  I will not go into the accommodation details.  Although, we did have a fantastic view of the Yacht club from our side of the apartment as you see in the photo.  Ecuador is on the equator, so the days can get hot. However, the weather is sunny during the year, with little rain.  The sun is strong and headcover is advisable.  Even the locals take shelter under the umbrellas on the beach and wear hats all the time.  The drive from Guayaquil to Salinas is very dry and barren. It is a desert after all!



The Language spoken is Spanish and very few speak good English.  So I was translating everything on google translate, and you know how that goes, sometimes its give you the most bizarre translation and the question mark on the Ecuadorian’s face, is worth noting.  The Salinas Malecon is where we spent most of our time and went for walks every morning all the way up to Chipipe Beach.  The pace of life is
s l o w.
There are two grocery stores, Super Maxi and the larger one in the Paseo Shopping Center.  Milk is UHT.  I have not found fresh milk anywhere.  Will I miss fresh milk?  Don’t know yet.  The supermarkets are well stocked, but due to import restrictions the choice is limited.  There are Mercado’s (Markets ) one in Salinas and one in La Libertad.  Expats rave about organic and non-GMO foods here.   As far as I can see there is little regulation on locally grown food.  Some even wash their veggies in Potassium Permanganate before cooking.  I just cooked normally, I guess I have immunity from India LOL!  The water did smell strange.  We drank only bottled water as we did not want to take that risk. The power can go off anytime and it did once during our stay, however, was restored in 10 minutes.  I heard this was common.
I saw a cinema in Paseo Shopping Center.  Don’t know if they screen English movies or are they dubbed?  There is not much by way of theater. No one mentioned it anyway.  Most are happy watching their American TV programs, and subscribe to Netflix or youtube for their entertainment and communicating via the internet (Skype etc) with family and friends overseas.  And getting together for lunches, dinners or going to the Salinas Golf and tennis Club to play squash or swim. Part of the Davis cup tournament of South America is played in this club.
There is a hospital in La Libertad the next town, however, most people I spoke to drive for two hours to Guayaquil for their doctors.  Medical services according to the locals are affordable, I have not compared it yet.  We pay a high premium for medical insurance in the USA, which is not the case here.  I am told the La Libertad hospital is adequate in an emergency.  But I was told the specialist in Guayaquil, are trained to USA standards.
There is little development by way of retail shops or markets.  But most who are here are happy with this lifestyle.  I wonder if these same issues were there in the USA, would they be tolerated?  People do not pick up after their pets so dodging poop on the Malecon is inevitable.  So right, it is not the cleanest place, but I have seen worse places than this so I would not call it dirty.  We went to an expat Tuesday meet on Chipipe Beach and spoke with many who had been living here for a while or scouting around to figure out if this was a place for them.  A couple of them wanted out of here and others swore they would not live anywhere else.  My little brain was getting kind of mixed messages.  But I guess not every place is suitable for all.  Just like us, others are looking for suitable locations to settle in.
We were fortunate to meet Bettina a Swiss migrant, who has married an Ecuadorian and has been living here for twenty years! We met her in the bank when we had gone to get smaller denomination bills.  As usual, curiosity got the better of us and we got into talking with her.  She and her husband run a fish business supplying to the local resorts.  As lucky as we are, she invited us to Santa Rosa where they had their purchasing area and where they also sometimes process the fish. She drove us there and back.  Thank you, Bettina, for showing us this part of Ecuadorian life.  This was the first time I saw a REAL working fishing community.  The boats were all coming in and the fishermen were hauling their catch out of their boats.  My eyes popped out of my head as I saw four fishermen carrying a large SHARK in, which was their catch.  Bettina told us that all parts of the shark are processed and used.  The fisherman who fish for large catch usually dive and harpoon the fish which is then pulled into their boats.  Soon after that, we saw a large Sword Fish, would have been taller than me!  It was fascinating at the same time nauseating for me, as I am a vegetarian.  The place did not smell bad, but the fishermen were hacking the fish on the beach and the blood all over was a bit gruesome, like in a horror movie.  But it was an experience I would not have missed.  I learned a lot, it was education.  Ecuador does not just grow bananas as everyone knows, but fishing is a big industry here too.  I was also told that some fishermen are attacked by Pirates and their boat engines are stolen.  How do these fishermen venture out every day, knowing that the pirates are out there?  Life is tough. Really tough!

US dollar is the currency used here.  We had a problem getting smaller change for $100 bills.  Even the banks refuse to give us change initially.  Then they told us we usually do not do this but will make it an exception this time.  When we ran out of smaller notes we had to go to the supermarket where they sometimes accept larger bills.  ATM’s are used by most and they only have $20 and $10 bills.
Taxis are cheap.  Short distances depending on where you are going are from $1 $2 or $3.  We were told to just hand the money to the driver and walk out.  There is a meter on the taxi but it does not seem to be used.  We arrange for a taxi to take us up the coast to Porto Lopez and we agreed with the driver that we would stop at various places to see the sights or views etc.  A set price was agreed. We had a great driver that was recommended by one of the expats. The driver spoke a little English which made it a lot easier to communicate.  We saw the driver turn on the meter as we were leaving Salinas.  I asked him “why?” And he said that if a policeman stops him he might ask why the meter is not on.  I guess there is a meter system which is not used!  Traveling up north, we saw shrimp farms and salt flats or evaporation ponds.  Large mountains of white salt were piled up for processing.  We stopped in Olon and then in Montanita which is the most “happening” town for youngsters.  Nightclub town with disco’s and bar’s all along the waterfront. Also a favorite beach for surfing!

During the season, I am told that one can see Whales from the apartment balconies.  Since we were here in the off-season we did not have that pleasure.  My best past time during my three weeks were the extremely entertaining Pelicans that fish in the ocean.  At first, I could not believe that they just dropped from a height into the water to catch fish.  They look clumsy as they dive and fall into the water, but their purpose is achieved to catch the fish to eat.


Pelicans


Every time we went down from our apartment, we met someone who was living in the building.  We were told by one person that we live in the “Expat Bubble” building called the Alamar.  We visited several apartments in this building and others to check out the various options available.  The expat community was really warm and welcoming.  The warm reception that we were greeted with by this expat community here in Salinas, is something to experience. A big thank you to all we met and had lunches, drinks, and chats with.  We continue our journey and hope to keep in touch with new friends we made here in Salinas. Adios!

Retire to Travel!

Globezing

We are not minimalist, but we sold most of our assets! We have a small 5ft x 12ft storage unit which keeps our treasures that we wanted to keep safely!


Photo credit: Dr.Suhrud Sardesai who captured the moment!

Three years ago, my friends Lynne and Tim Martin said, ” Postpone nothing!”  And this is so true.  Life is meant for living, life well-loved is a life well lived, no matter the circumstances!
I am almost 56 and my husband is 63, we retired in Feb 2015. Why did we decide to retire early? Both of us have a love for travel and we thought that we should see the world while we can still move and enjoy the freedom of health. It was not an easy decision, however, life events made the decision easier. I have cancer in my family and my husbands family has heart disease. When someone in the family becomes terminally ill, the sense of mortality heightens. Sadness is immense.  And that is exactly what happened to me a few years ago. The pain of these events was so unbearable, that my world turned upside down. Over a period of 2-3 years, I was able to reign in my thoughts and accept the reality. Acceptance brought about the decision to retire early. This would give me an opportunity to be able to spend time with my family without the conflict of a job or business. My husband and I talked and with a clear mind took this decision to retire.
Now that we are not working, and have been living in California for the last 18 years, the question came up as to where to retire? We are New Zealand citizens, originally from India and have lived and worked in Singapore, New Zealand, and the USA. We absolutely loved living in New Zealand. We have the traveling spirit and the fun loving attitude! However, working circumstances and the difficulty in finding jobs and the downturn in the economy during our stay in NZ in 1999, forced us to move on and we ended up in the USA. Settling down in the USA was not easy, we were over 40 years old. We struggled initially and were able to settle down in a few years to make a living.  Having lived in different countries is an education in itself. It has trained us to adjust to any situation.
Traveling and working in different countries and having no ties to any one country as a preference is sometimes a dilemma! We have been traveling now for two years.  Read our stories.  We have designed a certain criteria in our minds of what we would like in a place to retire eventually when we are ready. A city with great weather, good local transport, an airport close by, good medical facilities as we are getting older and will need them at some stage.  We also have criteria for our future abode but that I will discuss another time.  We would love to be close to friends and family. But both our friends and family are spread all over the world! So started our search for this place that we might eventually settle down. This also became a great reason to travel to various places and see them from a local perspective. Our motto is “Think Global Live Local”. Home has always been where we, my husband and I, are together, the world is our oyster.

In the meantime, we have decided to travel with our suitcases and live like locals in different places to experience the world and try to identify where we might eventually end up. It’s been two years and we have lived and enjoyed many cities and made new “extraordinary” ordinary friends. Our nomadic life is envied by many. We stay a minimum of one month in each location to get a feel and culture of the place. We rent one or two bedroom furnished apartments which are within our budget that preserves our nest egg. Sometimes they are very comfortable and other times we could have done better. But we accept what we get and live in the apartment like it is our home for that duration. We have been using the various websites to find these apartments like Homeaway, VRBO, Airbnb and others. We try as far as possible to use local transport. There is always an advantage to that,we don’t need to park a car anywhere.
Many tell us that,” this is what we want to do when we retire!” We think the primary criteria that one has to look for is:
1.Traveling the way we do takes a certain mindset and a lot of discipline.
2. Especially to make sure to stay within the budget. There are many attractions that beckon on the road.
3. To enjoy each other’s company as there is no one else to turn to most of the time. We do meet very nice people and believe me people are mostly the same all over the world.
4. Accept different ways of life, languages and cultures, food. I am a vegetarian, and this has been difficult in some places.
5. We read articles on retirement and research places we might want to explore as an option to live. But we also travel to places we want to see as tourists.
6. Make friends in every place we stay.
7. “ Postpone nothing”. ( Thank you, Lynne and Tim Martin)
We get asked one more question. How much does this lifestyle cost?  Our answer: You have to make that decision. Everyone’s lifestyles are different. There is a lot of give and take in this way of life.  But everyone should try to keep close to their needs in life as possible. You cannot give up everything.   You should try to live the way you lived in your own home. Of course, there are adjustments that have to be accepted.
The decision to retire is made more difficult if you have children,  in our case our son lives in Seattle and to be close to him would mean accepting the harsh winter conditions. Also the fact is that children find their own areas of work and in the current work environment may have to move to other locations to further their careers. So binding oneself down to live where your children live is out of the question.
So, again it means, our search continues to find a place to call home once the hands and feet get tired of travel. In the meantime, we will enjoy our home free life and look forward to the next destination!

How we met Madonna!

Globezing

This whole story might seem very bizarre, but it’s true and I am trying to pen it as it happened because I think it’s so precious, so precious!
It had been a beautiful day in Grasmere the Lake District in the UK.  We had spent the day walking around the lake and driving through the countryside admiring the views. Our accommodation was at a place called the Dale Lodge
in Grasmere. An old estate house converted into a lodge with its old world charm and quaint rooms.  We had booked to stay here for seven days.  As we drove back to the lodge we noticed a vintage car parked in the carpark.  Curiosity drew us to it.  It was a well maintain green color MG.  We were wondering who would have driven in this car, as we walked into our room.
A Cosy Living Room at Dale Lodge, Grasmere. The living room at Dale Lodge was open to all guests, and in the evening you could have the staff bring you a drink from the bar and sit in the living room chatting with the other guests. Socialize with the guests of the house.  The same evening my husband and I were sitting in the living room and checking our emails when a senior couple came in and started chatting with us. Putting our laptops aside, we sat back relaxed and a conversation started.  After the normal formalities of when did you come here? how long are you staying? The conversation went to where are you from? so we told them originally from India but we live in the USA.  The senior lady was very friendly and asked me if there were really arranged marriages in India?  Now this is a question I have been asked many times?  The other question is, do you travel on elephants! LOL!  So anyway, I did tell her that ours was an arranged match and how it all happened.  She turned around and asked my husband, “Do you tell your wife she is beautiful?”   He replied, “yes of course”.  Then she said to him, you know, when I met my husband, he told me, ” Your mother is more beautiful than you!”  She said that with such a straight face that I was not sure I should laugh or not.  But she was so talkative that she continued by interrupting her husband who was trying to get in a word by saying, “yes you did!”  So I asked her how long they were married?  She then told us that their son had gifted them this trip for 5 days to Grasmere to celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary!  How cool was that, I thought.
An hour into our conversation and we still did not know their names nor did they ask for ours. The conversation continued.  Her husband said that she likes to go on hikes.  But he was unable to go with her because of bad knees.  So I asked her how far did she go for a hike?  We did not even know how old they were, so curiosity had taken over and we wanted to hear more.   So she said,” Oh! I walk about 10-12 miles a day up and down hills, I love to walk”!  I was taken aback.  I asked her if she went alone and she said she did.  Then I asked her what would happen if something happened to her during her hike and she needed help?  She said, “I take my mobile phone with me, and sometimes I stop and talk to myself”!  I was aghast.  I was more worried than this dear lady, in case something happened to her.  But she was happy and fearless!  Soon after, her husband said with pride in his voice, “She is 89 years old and unstoppable!”  So she turned around and said to him, ” I don’t like you telling people my age, why should they know I am 89″. ( Both Hemant and I were laughing by now). She had a serious face when she told off her husband.
More than an hour had passed by and she sat next to me and said, ” Do you know, I have a granddaughter. She is really a nice young lady.  But one day she comes to me and says Grandma,” I have to tell you something.”  And she tells me that she is pregnant.  ” What was I supposed to say?” she said.   She said she kept a straight face and said, “that’s nice dear, but do young people not practice safety?” I burst out laughing again, as she was relating something that had happened a few years back.  She continued by saying, ” do you know what my granddaughter said to me?”  She said, ” Grandma it was in the height of passion, you will not know about it.”  THAT last bit really got her started. I was laughing and she kept telling her story.  “You know I was 19 when I got married, in July. My husband was to go to Asia on his posting in August, as he was in the Army.  And this granddaughter of mine says I do not know what passion was!”  I was rolling with laughter and the next line had me in stitches. ” You know I was like a new present wrapped in a box for my husband”.  ( OMG! I was absolutely crying with laughter). She still had a straight face. I guess she was enjoying my reaction to her story.  There were four other ladies in the Lodge living room playing cards. I guess they had stopped playing the cards to listen in to this conversation and burst out laughing as well.  What an evening it was.  Finally, without even knowing the names of these two dear people who had come there for their anniversary, they said they were a bit tired and wanted to retire. So we all left to go to our own rooms at 11 pm.  What an evening!
Dale Lodge accommodation includes breakfast.  So in the morning, when we came into the dining room, the two dear people were already seated having breakfast. They saw us walk in and waved to us to go and sit near their table. Hemant went up to her and shook her hand and said, “I am Hemant and this is my wife Ashwini”. She looks at us and says, “I am Beryl and this is David, but Beryl is such a boring name.  My granddaughter calls me Madonna. So please call me Madonna. Madonna is a glamorous name. I like it. I always wanted a Glamorous name!”
After breakfast, they got into their MG and drove off back to Scotland where they live!
This is how we met Madonna!

“Dram”ing

Globezing

For Hemant Parulkar and all his Whisky Connoisseur friends!
After a short stay in Truro, we headed north towards Scotland.  Land of Whisky, and a
pilgrimage for Hemant.  A drink that has been his all time favourite from the time I have known  him.  Arriving in Edinburgh by train, we headed to the rental car company office where we had booked a car, which would be our mode of transport for the next 3 weeks.  There was a long line of people and we had to wait for one and half hour to get to the counter.  Once we presented our booking we were asked to see how much luggage we had.  After seeing our bags , the staff tried to upsell us to a bigger car which we politely refused.  We had booked a Fiat 500.  Please do not laugh, it was ,we thought, the most practical car for Scotland.  The rental car company did not have a Fiat 500 and they told us that they would give us a SmartCar.  I was a bit taken aback.  How would we fit our bags in this car!  Not knowing that it was actually a 4 door SmartCar.  With apprehension, we accepted it and went to the bus to be driven to the car lot to get the car.  I waited by the luggage while Hemant went to get the car.  He drove back with this beauty.  We travelled approx 1600 kms in this vehicle.  Our first stop was in a small village called Nethy Bridge in the Majestic Cairngorm National Park.  The drive took us through a terrain that I had not experienced before.  Big mountains with purple heather like a carpet spread on the earth.  August seems to be the heather flowering season and can be seen from Lilac to purple.
DRAM
Whisky as everyone already knows is  the national drink of Scotland and is proudly displayed in cabinets all over the world.    “Dram” as I was explained is a measure of whisky poured to drink.  In other parts of the world its called a “peg”  or  “shot” or “tot” and I am not sure why?   Some in India called it a “Patiala Peg” !  What I found out was that a Dram is an immensely flexible unit of measure.  I am sure Hemant’s friends out there will be happy hearing this. And you know who you guys are! The size of the Dram can be described as
wee over healthy to
stiff.  Depending on the mood of the person pouring it might always end at the stiff end of the scale. As you can see, even when trying to define a “Dram” as thoroughly as possible, its flexibility in volume is hard to grasp.  Much to Hemant’s delight that even the Scottish don’t really measure the whisky when they drink it!  I even asked one of the staff as to the quantity of a Dram and they were confused as to what I was asking looking at me like I should know what a Dram is!
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
The Famous Single Malt
Distillers in Scotland have perfected their distillation process.  The basic ingredients spring water, barley are transformed into this precious spirit that is poured in oak casks that come from America and are tucked away in warehouses to mature.  Whisky kind of goes into a long sleep in these cask’s …sometimes for decades.  What we found out on this trip is that because the markets are now so competitive, the distillers now give fancy names to their whisky and blend several different stored casks, that is differently matured whisky, and market it so cleverly that it is difficult to tell the actual age of the drink.  The whisky is blended by experts and they are familiar with their markets.  They do not mark these bottles with a year.  So only the Whisky that has a year noted on them are matured that long.  Single Malts seems to be the most prized than any other Whisky.
The first Distillery visit was Glenlivet.  One of Hemant’s favourite and was not far from Nethy bridge in Speyside.  Speyside whisky trail is the most famous for its single malt whisky.  The distillery tour and tasting is free at Glenlivet.  Most other distilleries have an entrance charge or tasting charge.  The process is fascinating, to see the Stills of liquid and to see the various stages of how the barley is converted into this golden liquid.  We had decided not to see each and every distillery from the inside but to visit every location close to us.  Like the vineyards of California, every distillery had its own gardens and charm.  Of course, Hemant tasted every possible Whisky he could get his hands on.  A true single malt connoisseur!  Every step of the way remembering his friends from school and college, and thinking of how to convince his friends to visit Scotland on a trip together.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
Cooperage is also in the same area.  Cooperage supplies all the oak cask’s to all the distilleries.  They import the cask’s and distribute them.   Did you know that a Cooper is a person who makes the oak casks?
Glenlivet or Gleann-Liobh-Aite in Gaelic means “Valley of the smooth flowing One”.  Hemant agrees!
A visit was made to each one of the following in the few days in Scotland, Glenfiddich, Dahwhinney, Aberlour, Glen Moray, Ben Nevis, Cardhu, Knockando, Tomatin, Talisker and Oban.  I may have missed a few names as I could not keep up with the number of distilleries around.  Varied price range as well, some prices making the mind boggle.
Where they say never drink whisky without water and water without Whisky!  I am not exaggerating  when I say there is a Whisky there for everyone. So many to choose from!

Spectacular Cornwall

Globezing

Blue water, high cliffs, hidden beaches, hundred-year-old pubs, cornish Pastie, scones with jam and clotted cream and Elderflower Presse, will definitely tell you that you are in Cornwall.  I can say that our stay in Truro, Cornwall was one of the best location on this trip. I guess I am biased.  I have a close friend who lives here.   I was getting a two in one deal! Besides, I was not aware that the Cornish coast is so spectacular.  The water is sparkling blue and the cliffs so high that you can see the ocean stretched before you for miles.  The cliffs have many coves in between them  and if you are a hiker, you can climb down to the most private beaches one can come across. July was a bit windy on the cliffs but not cold. A light jacket to keep the wind out was adequate.
Old World Charm
We must have eaten in the most exquisite places possible.  A 16th Century Pub called
Miners Arms
was first on our friend’s agenda for dinner.
Pandora Inn
in Falmouth a 13th Century Inn with a spectacular setting on the water for lunch. Cornish food of high standard and a very mystic ambiance was the order.   Drinking the local beer, and getting it by a pint or a half pint was another new ordering term for us.   Seating outside during summer is also nice. An extremely friendly popular location for the locals.  All old world charm in the 21st Century.  How can one resist?  The only thing one must remember is to book in advance as the places get booked up quickly in summer.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
Cliff Walks
Our visit was made really special because of our friend in Cornwall.   He had planned on taking us out to various cliff walks and drinks and dinner at some of the most favored places in and around Truro.   These cliff walks are so spectacular that I cannot even put it in words. One has to visit Cornwall and take this memory back.
We went on one of a cliff called Rosepletha Cliffs, and the views were breathtaking from the top.  Narrow paths to walk on, not for someone who has a fear of heights.  We saw people sitting on the edge relaxing.  We also made a new friend who was a colleague of our friend.  He accompanied us on a couple of walks.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
Minack Theater
We went together to
Minack Theater
which was built on a cliff by Rowena Cade.  Rowena’s mother had bought a house in Cornwall, Minack House.  Rowena who lived here in this house decided that the cliffs behind the house would be a good location to have drama enthusiasts perform.  So with the help of her gardener Bill Rawlings she moved the earth and boulders to create terraces.  She carried sand from the beach in bags up the cliff to make the terraces.  She has even carved names of the plays in the granite and its seen on some of the seats in the theater.  The Tempest was the first performance at the Minack theater.  Rowena was an amazing woman who created this fantastic theater in such a splendid location, all with her creative ideas and hard work.  She has left a legacy that one wonders, how this was accomplished and how lucky we are to have it.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
Marazion – St. Michaels Mound
The Cornish Dialect is not easy to understand. I found this in one of the shop windows.  And so now you will know why it is not easy to understand.  We spent one day at home due to rain and caught up with some writing and emails and communications with friends and family. Then the next day we went to St. Ives.  The day after and to Marazion another day and climbed up St. Michaels Mound.   After arriving in Marazion, you can walk to the mound during low tide and can come back by boat if the tide comes in.  We were lucky that we walked there and back and did not have to take a boat back.  It was busy, as it is a tourist destination.
Unforgettable Time
We drove to Falmouth and to Pendennis Point near the Pendennis Castle.  Pendennis point was my favorite during this visit.  Just a very tranquil area and one could sit there and be at peace.
I tried a local drink called Elderflower Presse.  A sparkling fizzy drink with a fruity flowery flavor…a bit on the sweet side…an unforgettable taste.  But I had to try it once and thought it was interesting to make a drink out of a flower.
On our last evening, we decided to go to a restaurant on the coast called
The Cove
.  It is nestled on Maenporth beach with fabulous views of Falmouth Bay.  The food exquisite, and sharing that with our close friend is  a memory that will be etched in our memory forever.  Our trip to Cornwall was short and we know we will return.

Sugar Sweet Mauritius

Globezing

Black River Gorge Mauritius
A Big Thank You to my Friend in Pune
My friend and her family took utmost care of us during our ten days stay in India.  I spent many hours with my brother and then it was again time to leave Pune, hoping to return again soon.  After visiting family and friends in India we boarded a flight early morning from Mumbai to Mauritius.  Since it was a very early morning flight from Mumbai, we stayed at the Airport hotel in Mumbai called
Niranta Hotel
and were pleasantly surprised at the facilities they offered.  We avoid early morning flights, however, there was no choice as there was only one direct flight to Mauritius from Mumbai. A week is what we had decided to spend in Mauritius.
Newly Weds
Besides being an island paradise, Mauritius is a honeymoon destination for newly wed from from India.   We had at least 5-6 newly wed couples on our flight.  The distinct henna on the hands and feet and large number of red and white bangles sported on jeans or western wear can be a horror story for designers.  Some of the grooms also had henna designs on their feet. Maybe this was a new trend in a wedding in India now!  Brides giving secret looks to their new husbands, thinking it was not obvious to the people around them.  I was laughing. I recalled something that Mrs. Mani my school teacher used to tell us in class , “Life begins after that Mills & Boon ends”.  ( Mills and Boon – Romance fiction).  I laughed again.
We checked in and got our boarding passes.  I usually book seats in advance and did not pay much attention to the seat numbers as I expected I would get the seats that were selected by me when I had booked the flight.  Once on board, we found out that our seats were changed and we were given seats in the middle row instead of the aisle and window.  The ground staff had changed our seats without informing us and given them to a newly wed couple, who might have requested this while checking in.
Since not much could be done we settled in for the 6-hour flight.  Before the flight took off we looked at this couple and they had opened up the blankets.  The temperature in the plane what quite warm at that time.  Then the young man was explaining to his bride how the plane would take off.  Soon it became apparent to us that this was going to be an amusing flight.  Once the flight took off the blankets went over their heads, the bride trying to lean against her groom, trying to get comfortable.  Once the food arrived, the “feeding each other” ceremony started.  They were oblivious to the fact that others were looking at their activity.  My husband and I were chuckling and thinking how things will pan out in a year for this young couple!  Regardless, it ended up being a very amusing flight to Mauritius.  We were chuckling all the way unbeknownst to this couple that was sitting across the aisle from us. Wishing them a Sugar Sweet Mauritius in our
minds
.
Sugar Cane
Talking about
Sugar
, if ever you want to see sugarcane fields, go to Mauritius.   We drove with a friend up and down hills with sugarcane growing on either side of the road.  I felt it was like being in a sugarcane maze.  I asked my friend how do you know which road you are on?  They all look the same to me.  She laughed.  ” One gets used to it” is what she said.  Sugarcane was one of the biggest industries in Mauritius and the sugar manufactured here was mostly exported to Europe.  We visiting a Sugar museum where they had the history dating back to when the Dutch started growing sugarcane.  The most interesting part of the museum for me was that the different colors of sugar that are manufactured.  The color is determined by the different levels of molasses in the sugar.  The taste also varies.  Yes, we got to taste all the different samples and got completely
sugared
out for the day!
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
Conservation in Mauritius
My friend’s husband is a conservationist in Mauritius.  He has conserved a complete island with native birds and turtles.  He told us one day that he will take us to the island.  Once by the water when I saw the boat that we were to go in, I was in a bit of a panic.  It was a windy day and all other boat trips were suspended.  My friend was calm and said she had done this many times.  So I braved my nerves and stepped into the boat with a single outboard engine.  The rest of them climbed in as well.  Once the boat started moving I saw that the water was shallow and crystal clear.  I could see the sand floor of the ocean below.  It was an experience I will never forget.  Once on the island, we started walking up a path in a shade was information of the bird species that lived on the island.  While I was reading this, my friend’s husband pointed out to the turtle.  It was a GIANT turtle that I had never seen before.  The turtles were introduced on the island as they were also indigenous to Mauritius.  This one must have weight 290 kgs.  He went close to the turtle and patted his neck and woke him up. The turtle stretched out this neck to the fullest like a dog would when petted by an owner, and stood up on all four feet.  Wow! That was an amazing thing to see! So the boat ride was so worth it as I got to see a giant turtle, this one I was told is a bigger species than the ones in Galapagos Islands.
We also visited a place that has 7 colored earth. A strange place with shades various shades of the soil.  You cannot really tell the 7 colors as they blend into each other. I was told nothing can grow in that soil.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
Lots of choice in Resorts
We stayed at the Intercontinental Resort for two nights, to relax by the ocean, looking out on this beautiful blue water.  There are many resorts in Mauritius and difficult to choose which one to go to.  The locals told us that when they need a break they also go to one of the resorts as a vacation for the weekend!  The resorts always have specials. Welcoming visitors from all over the world as this is the main tourist industry in Mauritius.  We did not leave the resort once we checked in.  Taxi is expensive in Mauritius.  But my recommendation is to Google a taxi company and get them to come out instead of using the expensive resort taxi’s if you want to explore the island.  Our short stay in Mauritius was interesting as we saw how the locals live as well as experienced a resort where all we did was eat, relax in the cabana and sleep.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
No trip is complete without visiting Port Louis and its main street decorated with colored umbrellas.

Denver – The Mile High City

Globezing

A Panoramic view from the top of the Red Rocks Amphitheater
We started travelling again this year end of June 2016.  Our goal this year was to meet as many friends as possible, make new friends along the way and go to places we have not been before.  Our first stop was Denver, Colorado.  Having lived in the USA for over 17 years, we still have so many places to see.  Our friends who we spent a lot of time in New Zealand when we lived there had moved to Denver.  They had been asking us to visit them for some time. But as everyone knows, when one is  working you get only limited time to travel.  The mad dashes of one week travel that we did were not enough to spend time with friends and see new places.   Almost after every one of those trips we felt we needed a vacation!  I am sure many of you identify with this phenomenon.  Anyway, we got this fantastic opportunity to meet up with our NZ friends in Denver the “Mile High City”.  From they time they picked us up at the airport till the time we left we were reminiscing our time in NZ.    We had a great 5 days.
Garden of the Gods
We went to the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs and were in awe of the beautiful terra cotta coloured mountains.  A place  that was discovered by Malancthon Beach and his friend Rufus Cable. Malancoth thought it would make a great “Beer Garden” some day, however, his poetic friend Rufus named it the “Garden of the Gods”.  The beautiful terracotta mountains are different and yet alluring.  It is truly a “Garden of the Gods”.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
Rocky Mountain National Park
The next day we drove to the Rocky Mountain National Park.  Enroute a drive through Boulder University and its beautiful campus also built with the local stone.  Very impressive. All who get to study there would be privileged to the beautiful views of the Flat Iron Mountains which unmistakenly look like flat irons, hence the name.
A drive up to Estes Park and the beautiful lakes in the National Park was a real treat after the heat that we left behind in California. The lakes were still like a mirror, reflecting its nature in a quiet way in the water. The mountain range is one of the tallest in the USA, and also know as the “Continental Divide”.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
Red Rocks Park and Amphitheater
It was 4th of July weekend and our friends had bought tickets to the Red Rocks Amphitheater for a concert celebrations.  We had absolutely no idea as to what to expect.  A short drive from Denver and we arrived at the Amphitheater.  As  you will see in the pictures it’s an open air theatre which has red rocks around it and was created with acoustics and fantastic views towards Denver.  Unfortunately, Denver is known to have many seasons in one day.  It was windy and did rain during the concert.  The theatre is at 6000ft above sea level and seats more than 9000 people.  This venue has hosted performances by well-known artists like Dave Mathews band, the Moody Blues, Stevie Nicks, The Beatles, Jimmy Hendrick and many more.  But we were there for the experience and that did not deter us from staying on and enjoying the evening.  Not only did we experience super music, but saw all the 4th of July fireworks that were taking place in Denver City from one location.
Our travel in 2016 has started with a super time with friends and we saw all these beautiful places that we had not been to before.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.