Know what I did this summer (II)

Pune, a visit after a gap of two years. Changes, yet, familiarly unchanged. It was gladdening to weave through the once-familiar roads and haunts, and memories flashing by. And the best part was catching up with friends. Precious friends, untouched by distance or time. Realised how true the adage that goes, some leave footprints in our lives, never to be erased.

The usual rounds of shopping, (and yes have to concede that Pune’s fashion sense is awesome!) got tad boring, and so went for a small drive and up the hill, to the Murugan temple. The drive along the Bombay-Pune highway was again suffused with memories, and the fresh, green trees and foliage, which followed us all along was a beautiful sight, to be etched and relived in the desert land.

Goa in the monsoons, well, enough has been said I guess. It was a leisurely holiday at home with family, and a short break at the resort. Love the place, and enjoy the walks and cycle rides immensely. 

Went to this 'Saptaha mela\ at Vasco, and it was fun. The bustling crowd, the quaint little wares spread out, the entire scene was very endearing. And the lunch at a small but popular joint I gathered, was amazing. The ‘fish-thali’ was finger-licking good, and vowed to make this place a regular, next time around, and ofcourse the solkadi was the icing on the top. Loved the spread. Lazily walking back, in the drizzling rain, was a wonderful way to wind up the holiday, gratified.

As an old proverb goes, 'He who returns from a journey is not the same as he who left', and so it seems. Feel filled, enriched and blessed.

Summer 2010

It's as good as an extinct blog now, this blog of mine! Sad indeed, it had to happen this way, but still glad there's a place I can come back, log in to anytime, and share my thoughts and experiences, or maybe just put them down!


So the annual trip went on fabulously, and days seemed to have just whizzed past. Feel quite blessed that we were able to do the countless things, we got to do. Ofcourse being with family and friends being the best part, and the endless drives and short trips and long ones too; catching up with the gol gappas,kachoris and paniyarams and vada paavs!! The amazing part was that we were able to enjoy and savour, the best of all the places we visited, as a visitor. But strangely enough was left with this rankling feeling of, trying to grapple for our roots and maybe branches too, while we seem to drift along with the currents, to an unknown destination!!


Well, back to more prosaic sections of our trip, ofcourse touched and lined with unfathomable beauty and pleasure; Our stay in Trichy, my hometown was hectic to say the least, so didnt actually get to have the usual quota of lo..ong leisurely days which seem to stretch endlessly...but still was lovely to be home, coddled and cosseted, basking in an onslaught of memories of yesteryears. We made a short trip to Delhi, more for the kids' sake, to get the taste of Indian history and grandeur, which seems to be under hiding many a times. It was a wonderful experience, with its own highs and lows. Glad we made it. The next trip was to Kodai, a dear old place, and the stay amidst the misty-clouds-clad hills and amazingly vibrant flora, with family was a gratifying experience.


Pune, such an interesting mix of the old and the new. A place where tradition and history seem to hover around, as you catch glimpses of it amidst the glitz and glamour. It is heartening to observe traces of the old city, with her gentle but strong influence still running deep. Caught up with friends dear, and some shopping; walk down Lakshmi Road was a walk down memory lane.

Goa, a wet, wet one, robed in green was a magnificent sight, one I would gladly trade in for, seated here in an arid barren desert!! Monsoon drenches the coastal land and she drapes herself in foliage that seems to burst forth from literally, every nook and corner, almost like an invasion of green. Dona Paula was the only place we got closest to the beach, and it was all calm and serene surprisingly. Was able to make frequent trips to Panjim, and visit all the quaint little shops and get a whiff of the real ethnic flavour of the place, and also peep into the lives of this sleepy little, laidback, endearing place spelled Goa!

A visit to all these places, leaves one not just satiated but also yearning for more! As R.Frost rightly said, "The woods are lovely, dark and deep..."!

Closer home

The route from Goa to Pune was awesome, rain and mist playing havoc with the hills and cascades of the grand Western Ghats, whipping up a stunningly beautiful landscape. The pictures would say it all I guess. Monsoon again, though was on the wane, so got to feast on some steaming hot corns and delicious vada paavs, enroute.

Meeting old friends with lots of catching up to do (both for us and kids), visiting our usual haunts, observing the growing changes, were all part of the short trip. Getting back to your old friends is such a lovely experience, its like getting back to your own self; where one’s thoughts, aspirations, fears and triumphs are voiced out, only to be totally understood and empathised with, and the huge gap of time and distance becomes, as good as non-existent. I would think maintaining and keeping alive old friendships, is such an important and special chore, in one’s life, that gives such a fulfilling and an enriching dimension to our otherwise routine life.

My train trip from Pune was like experiencing a slice of India indeed, in its true sense and spirit. Be it the change in terrain, the shades of the soil, the flora and fauna, the village scenes - they are all so different, as you cross the so called borders (of states); but each one of them be it the brightly painted yellow ‘lorries’, or the ambling, rattling six-seaters, the eclectic crowd thronging the countless stations strewn all over the country, the language or the dialect, each bursting with its individual identity and pride. The entire experience offers such a diverse, exciting adventure of sorts, to say the least. And this being the scene outside the metal windows, what one can expect on the inside is your own guess! Never a dull moment, nothing like a train ride, as it whistles and rattles past, the much worn tracks traversing huge sections of our homeland. Was constantly reminded of the lovely lovely, 'From a railway carriage’ by RLStevenson. This was an interesting link on the net - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jCoigg77Y4

Trichy, my dear home town, where we had a family meet, was a memorable experience. And so was left with not much time to do our usual shopping, restaurant and cinema hall hunts! There was this slight and sometime not so slight showers that played spoil sport too. Anyhow family did get to visit the famous ‘Ucchi pillayar koil’ the Rockfort Temple as its called, sans me. So have some lovely pictures of Trichy/Tiruchirapalli from atop, not a bird's view, more like a goat's view!! The splendid Cauvery weaving its way in the background, the imposing structure of Srirangam (temple), and a portion of the Pillayar koil where there is a small connection with the inroads.

Looking back,it was a terrific trip, and now loaded with pictures and memories to last for a while, frozen and preserved.