Ramblings about life and travel

A whirlwind tour of Copenhagen

2014-03-19T04:54:00.000+05:30

I love Europe because most of the cities are so small and compact that you can
a) Walk across them
b) See them in a day

So Denmark is my 47th country and I was pleased that I could make it to Copenhagen. The weather was a bit dull and rainy but that didn't stop us from walking all over town.

Copenhagen is beautiful in its own way. Very similar to a lot of European capitals yet different. There are tons of bikers and they own the road. So if you are in their path, beware cos they are not going to be polite and move aside for you. No way! You better watch out 'cos you are going to get knocked down.

It is supposed to be the happiest place in Europe and they actually have a term for it "feeling the hygge" (pronounced hooga). It is difficult to explain except it is more than a warm cozy feeling. For a better understanding, check out Visit Denmark site.

Copenhagen is home to the famed Tivoli gardens which is Europe's first amusement mark, the Hans Andersen Little Mermaid which is truly "little", Christiania which is a world of its own, Nyhavn the beautiful harbourfront, the Amalienborg palace with the changing of the guards and many other beautiful buildings and parks.

Even though I saw most of it in a day, I am sure there is so much more left to be seen. One day I shall return for a longer visit. But till then enjoy my pictures.

Tivoli Gardens - the amusement park

This building has a thermometer on the side

The facade of the Town Hall

The Main Square

The Town Hall - we went in for free wifi!

The beautiful interiors of the Town Hall

Trolls, trolls, everywhere

The ubiquitous bicycle

Nyhavn

The frozen canal

She's the busty mermaid!!

Cricket gear at the Irish pub, Nyhavn

The Opera House

The palace square

Changing of the guard takes place at noon

The Little Mermaid

Christiania is a self proclaimed neighbourhood of 850 residents in the heart of Copenhagen. It is a freetown where drugs are freely available though not legally (and is a bit controversial). Unfortunately we could not take pictures inside as there are 3 rules:
a) Have fun
b) No running
c) No photography

You can buy varieties of hash in the form of cupcakes, sweets and the regular smokes.

We also came across a wall with angel wings where you could pose and take pictures. Now that's what we call a cool city.

Landskrona.........a quaint little citadel in South Sweden

2014-03-19T03:48:00.002+05:30

Landskrona is more Danish than Swedish. It is a quaint little citadel in South Sweden and we went to visit only because my friend Saloni has her classes there and thought it might be an interesting site off the beaten track.

It is situtated on a natural harbour and was established to counter the Hanseatic League. It was burned by the Hanseatic League in 1428. Over the years it changed rulers several times from Danish to Swedish back to Danish. Now it is in Sweden but with a very Danish outlook.

Walking on the frozen lake

The Citadel with the moat

This is a hospital. What a lovely place to recover!

Fortifications along the coastline

Even the sea is frozen

These surf breakers are ugly or pretty? Mixed reactions.....

Chasing the Northern Lights.......................in Swedish Lapland

2014-03-19T01:53:00.003+05:30

The Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis are one of nature's wonders and if you are lucky, you get to see them.

Abisko, in Swedish Lappland is one of the best places to see them. So they say! I have been there twice and unfortunately they have been elusive. That too in a year of heightened activity which occurs once in every 11 years!

Nevertheless, I am still fascinated about the auroras and will continue to chase them till I am LUCKY enough to see them.

Some interesting facts:

The bright dancing lights of the aurora are actually collisions between electrically charged particles from the sun that enter the earth's atmosphere.

The lights are seen above the magnetic poles of the northern and southern hemispheres.

They are known as 'Aurora borealis' in the north and 'Aurora australis' in the south..

Auroral displays appear in many colours although pale green and pink are the most common. Shades of red, yellow, green, blue, and violet have been reported.

The lights appear in many forms from patches or scattered clouds of light to streamers, arcs, rippling curtains or shooting rays that light up the sky with an eerie glow.

The Maori of New Zealand shared a belief with many northern people of Europe and North America that the lights were reflections from torches or campfires.

The Menominee Indians of Wisconsin believed that the lights indicated the location of manabai'wok (giants) who were the spirits of great hunters and fishermen.

The Inuit of Alaska believed that the lights were the spirits of the animals they hunted: the seals, salmon, deer and beluga whales.

Other aboriginal peoples believed that the lights were the spirits of their people.

The best places to watch the lights (in North America) are in the northwestern parts of Canada, particularly the Yukon, Nunavut, Northwest Territories and Alaska. Auroral displays can also be seen over the southern tip of Greenland and Iceland, the northern coast of Norway and over the coastal waters north of Siberia.

Southern auroras are not often seen as they are concentrated in a ring around Antarctica and the southern Indian Ocean.

Getting to Abisko:

Fly to Kiruna which is the nearest airport.
Take the train or the bus to Abisko.
The town Abisko has one train station whilst the Abisko National Park has another.
You could also arrange for a private taxi transfer but these are expensive unless you are travelling in a group.

I would recommend that you stay at the Abisko Touristation at the National Park as it is extremely beautiful. It is also in the midst of nature which is spectacular no matter if you visit during summer or winter. You also have access to the Abisko sky station which is one of the highest chairlifts in the Arctic. It can get really cold (here we are talking of -30C) so they give you boots, a warm jumpsuit and gloves.

Once you are up there, you can choose to either stay outside, though I guarantee you that you will not last long in the freezing cold or you could look outside the glass windows of the cozy warm café. They do have an explanation of the aurora and solar activity. We were lucky to have a very intelligent and witty guide.

Going up and down the chairlift can be a frightening experience if you have watched the movie Frozen but it can also be a very personal experience if you can absorb the silence and the greatness of the universe. You have to experience it yourself but imagine it is still, completely pitch dark (we are after all in one of the remotest places on earth) and there is no sound around you (we are in the midst of a national park). You are now being transported by chair ski lifts up the mountain and there is nothing else below you, around you. Above you is the clear sky full of bright stars and if you are lucky, very lucky, you will see the aurora.

If the Aurora does not motivate you to make a trip there, nothing else will.

The annual Sami winter market at Jokkmokk

2014-02-23T05:06:00.000+05:30

The Samis are the indigenous people of Lappland which spans the northern parts of Norway, Sweden and Finland. Every year they have 2 annual markets which act as a conference for this wandering nomadic people. We were lucky to be in the area to witness the winter market at Jokkmokk.

The day we decided to visit was a super cold day for us with temperatures at -6 degrees celsius but for the Samis it was a warm day.

Nevertheless the entire place looked like it was a picture postcard and we felt we were in it. That's how surreal it was.

It reminded me of the Christmas markets but on a larger scale. There were over 500 stalls selling different wares - warm clothing made from alpaca wool, fleece, reindeer skin to various cheeses and other sweets.

It was also a cultural event to showcase Sami traditions. There were various parallel programs taking place at several locations and one had to be super organised if one wanted to get the most out of them. Unfortunately walking through the snow is not the most easy thing to do and we had to make do with whatever we managed to see.

There was a political protest taking place in the middle of the market.

Not sure what was brewing on the fire

There was an Elvis too!

This was the venue of the winter games!

But the highlight was the Sami reindeer parade. It was a Sami family with their reindeer all decked up in traditional gear. I somehow was expecting a huge parade and was a bit disappointed with the actual one.

This Sami woman has visited Goa

The new church....................

and the Old Church

I love their church decorations

Dog sledding on the frozen lake

Now am curious to see what their summer annual market looks like and hopefully will be able to make it there.

Swedish Glogg

2013-12-10T19:55:00.000+05:30

Last year whilst in Sweden we were treated to glogg and gingerbread. It is a Christmas tradition with the Swedes where they invite close friends and family over to meet over mulled red wine.

Mulled wine is a beverage usually made with red wine along with various spices and raisins. It is served hot or warm and may be alcoholic or non-alcoholic. It is a traditional drink during winter, especially around Christmas and Halloween. Port and claret are traditional choices for mulled wine. (Wikipedia)

I have had mulled wine – Gluhwein - before in Germany at the Christmas markets. However the difference with the Swedish one is that you add blanched almonds and raisins into it making it a very delicious drink. Matteus, who had invited us over, explained the tradition and was very patient when his little kids started munching on the almonds and raisins.

This year, the Swedish Consul General has invited me to her pre Christmas celebration and I am looking forward to raising a toast with my glass of delicious mulled wine.

Recipe for Swedish Glogg is http://www.food.com/recipe/glogg-swedish-mulled-red-wine-my-swedish-mother-in-laws-199791

Snowstorms, Snow Angels, Snow Faces and beautiful Vasa

2013-12-10T16:47:00.002+05:30

We had a free day during the SIMP module and we had made several plans on how we were going to spend the day. Unfortunately that was not going to happen as on the day, Stockholm was hit by the biggest snow storm in a long while. And just how Mumbai comes to a grinding halt when there is an exceptionally huge downpour during the monsoons, similar was the case in Stockholm.

So we improvised. We were probably the happiest people in Sweden. They definitely do not appreciate a snowstorm but for us it was a novelty. We could not sit still in the hotel. We had to venture out. So about 15 of us decided to visit Vasa the museum.

We had a great time admiring the ship and learning about her history. She was the original Titanic. Not supposed to sink but sink she did after being afloat for only 30 minutes! Nevertheless we admired her beauty and the workmanship. And then we reluctantly decided to venture out from the warmth of the museum into the biting cold of the snow. We asked reception to call for cabs as the buses had stopped running, but of course the earliest cab was 5 hours away.

Since Vasa was located on a different island (though adjoining to our hotel's island) it was still a very long walk in the snowstorm. Not advisable said reception. So we asked if there was an alternative. And lo and behold yes, there was one! The ferry. So we quickly collected instructions on how to get to the dock and hoping to get the next one (before they stopped plying) we set off through knee high snow.

It was picturesque! White snow all over, just a narrow path. The minute you wandered off the path, you sunk into the snow as it had piled up quite high. Of course for us Indians it was a treat so instead of rushing to the ferry dock, we had to play in the snow, make snow balls and take tons of pictures. All of us enjoying the moment. Any Swede looking at us would have thought that we were crazy to be out on that afternoon.

Finally we got to the ferry and reached our hotel in one piece. I dread to think what we would have done if that was the last ferry of the day and if we had missed it!

On reaching the hotel we could not sit still either. So we decided to visit the Christmas markets and meet my friend AnnSofie later for a drink. The Christmas markets turned out to be a tad boring so we ended up in the warm restaurant and AnnSofie joined us there. She was so sweet, she had loaned us a whole lot of winter gear for our trip to the Artic and had first dropped it off at the hotel before meeting us. Thoughtful of her 'cos we would never have been able to lug the bag back to the hotel. Don't forget that cabs were not available and buses were not plying!

AnnSofie then walked us to the hotel and we happened to pass by some kids playing in the snow. They were lying down and flapping their arms. AnnSofie asked us if we knew what they were doing and when we said no she said that they were making snow angels. And she proceeded to lie down on an expanse of untouched snow and she spread her arms and then flapped them up and down, making a snow angel. Of course we had to try them! It was so much fun and for a moment we felt we were 8 years old again!

As we walked to the hotel we passed benches covered in snow, cycles covered in snow and walls covered in snow. The Swedes who were rushing home were totally amused at our eagerness to take pictures of everything covered in white powder. AnnSofie then taught us to make snow faces and that was super fun too. You stick your face into the snow and hold still for a minute. It feels prickly and then numb with the cold. When you lift your face you find the impression left behind quite like a Venetian mask! And then your face slowly gets warm again making u want to repeat the process! What fun we had that day!

It truly was a memorable day and I cannot wait to make more snow angels and snow faces.

Christmas Markets in Europe

2013-12-10T16:33:00.001+05:30

There are Christmas Markets and there are Christmas Markets.

A few years ago I was fortunate enough to visit Cologne in December, thereby experiencing the Christmas markets. My friend Chi Mee took me to at least 9 of them in and around Cologne-Bonn. Each of them had a different theme ranging from medieval ones to winter wonderland ones to children specials. I enjoyed all the food and drink, the people watching and the trinket window shopping.

Last year we were in Stockholm for the last module of SIMP and I was excited to experience the Swedish Christmas Markets. They had 2 of them - one in the city centre and the other near the palace. Both were tiny with few stalls and wares on display. Also they shut shop early leaving me very disappointed. Probably it may have been because the day I visited was also the day of the biggest snowstorm in a long while in Stockholm.

Anyway, I have fond memories of the German Christmas markets and I shall hope and pray that I am able to witness some more of them in the years to come.

Sweet as sugar.......my love for sugarcraft

2013-12-01T20:37:00.001+05:30

My love for sugar craft started over 20 years ago when I did a professional course with Hailey DSouza in Mumbai. Since then, I have made themed birthday cakes for my friends' children, cakes for special occasions of my friends and family and of late, cupcakes with different themes. It brings me great joy to make these little morsels of sweetness that others can appreciate and it definitely challenges my creativity to try out new designs.

Here are some of the cakes, cupcakes and other treats I have made.

Animal faces are a great hit with the kids.

Christmas themed cupcake toppers

Harry Potter themed cupcake toppers

Master Chef themed cupcake toppers

Easter themed cupcake toppers

Mini cupcakes

Monsoon themed cupcake toppers

Red velvet cupcakes

Pretty cupcakes

Barbie cake

Castle cake

Castle cake with Princess and Pirate themed cupcake toppers

Chocolate ganache cake

Marzipan Easter eggs

Flowers and Brooches themed cupcake toppers

Heart cakes

Valentine Cupcakes

If you are in Mumbai and want me to make some for you, please write to me elsamarieds@hotmail.com with the title - Cakes or cupcakes. You will have to pick it up from my place.

Trigger the Talk.................Break the Silence

2013-11-29T23:30:00.001+05:30

With all the discussions and debates around the Tehelka episode, I am compelled to reflect and remember my own personal experiences on sexual harassment both in public and at the work place.

One particular incident stands out in my memory. I was 12 years old, travelling by train with my mum and sister from Parel to Andheri. In those days, around 7 pm the ladies compartment would turn into a general compartment. As it so happened, on that particular day, we were still on the train at 7 pm and the compartment suddenly turned from an empty ladies one into an extremely crowded one with lots of men. As we prepared to get off at Andheri, we were crushed at the doorway amidst a sea of bodies. Suddenly I felt my skirt being lifted and a strange hand groping me from behind. I was shocked, horrified and felt utterly violated. I wanted to get off but the train was still moving. I wanted to do something but my arms were pinned against my body because of the crowd. I started to shout “stop it, stop it” but my voice was drowned in the noise. Fortunately for me, Andheri came and I was able to get off and away from the man.

That incident is so vivid in my mind today and has affected me so deeply that I hate travelling by train. Given a choice, I will never choose it as an option instead preferring to drive by car and wasting time stuck in traffic. I hate the fact that I was not only violated as a child but also robbed of my choice of public transportation. I wonder what happens to those women who do not have a choice and have to travel by train or other crowded transport.

I also remember the incident when I was a young cabin crew of 19 and quite inexperienced, immature, insecure and naïve. My safety instructor (a foreigner) used to play mind games with everyone and I was in particular targeted by him. He first heaped praises on me and then when I was once in a vulnerable position tried to make advances on me. I of course resisted but I was completely shocked. It was not only a personal violation but also shattered my dreams/illusions. Here was my instructor, my mentor, someone I looked up to. There was also an unstated threat that I could lose my job as he had the power to do so if he chose to. Thereafter I stayed far away from him but never once did I think I could complain against him.

Many years later, the same individual returned as my boss. This time I was the instructor. He knew he could not take advantage of me but he definitely stalled my career progression. I helplessly watched as he continued to play mind games with other young cabin crew and dread to think how many of them may have succumbed to his advances. However I could not take up the issue as the system did not allow for it nor did I feel I had the power to do so individually.

A few years later, there was another incident involving a senior management staff who gave me an unsolicited neck massage in the board room in full public view of other staff and he even had the gall to whisper into my ear that he wished he could have known me better before then (he had just resigned from the company). I sat frozen during this entire episode not believing that I had the voice or power to raise it as an issue. I was a manager by designation yet did not have the power to call him out on what I now know is a case of sexual misconduct. I remember that I did not feel that I could take it to HR or the top management as once again I did not feel the system would have supported me nor did I feel I could actually fight the battle on my own.

Reflecting on the Tehelka case, I am reminded that my organisation still does not have a sexual harassment policy. If it has to follow the Vishaka guidelines, there must be a committee with a majority of women in the panel. Given that I am one of only 2 women who head departments, it does once again hammer in the fact that we work in a man’s world, in a system dominated by them and therefore difficult for a woman to feel supported should she be harassed or violated by one of the majority.

As women, we face many such instances throughout our lives both in public and at the workplace and sometimes even at home. As women, sometimes we are left wondering if it was our fault, brought on by us or our dress or our behavior or our messaging. As women, we have the intuition to actually identify that these are uncomfortable incidents and not appropriate in context. As women, most of us never even discuss these personal violations with our family or even our closest girl friends. As women, we have been conditioned by the system to believe it is our fault and never to raise our voice against it.

Last year post the Delhi rape incident, my friends and I started Safecity so that women and men could report their personal experiences of harassment and abuse. As the reports started to come in, I was startled and shocked to find that there are so many women, all over the country who continue to face this abuse. What I faced when I was 12 years old continues to happen to many women even 25 years later. When will it ever stop? If we truly want things to change, if we want the next generation to not face groping or sexual harassment at the workplace, it is important that we start talking about it openly. If we talk about it, more women will hopefully come forward as well. Talking openly about it is the first step, acknowledging it to be a problem is the next. Solutions can then be found.

But it starts with the first step – talking.

Come share your experiences on www.safecity.in and inspire other women to break the silence!

Solo travel

2013-06-23T11:25:00.003+05:30

Travel is an education by itself. Especially if you are by yourself. It not only gets you in touch with your inner self but it brings out the best in you, liberating you from fear of the unknown, testing your resources and strengthening your resolve.

As a single woman who loves to travel, solo journeys are a necessity as not always can one find a travel companion readily available with similar interests. Initially I was a bit apprehensive of taking the plunge on my own but once I ventured down that path, I found there was no turning back.

As a solo traveller, I have complete freedom to plan my route, my dates of travel, the sights I want to take in and overall plan the trip based on my budget. Besides when you travel alone, you actually meet very interesting people who would not normally open up to you if you were part of a couple or a group. That's how I met a dear friend Douglas from Brazil. We were on a guided tour of Ephesus, Turkey and kind of bonded together as we were both solo. Post the tour we decided to hang out in Kusadasi and we had such an awesome time that the memories will forever stay imprinted on our minds.

Similarly, I met a wonderful older couple from Bombay who took me under their wing on a tour of Heidelburg, Germany and a lovely young Indian couple from Singapore on a tour of Cappadocia. I had interesting conversations with an American scientist on the Norwegian fjord cruise and a woman police officer on the Danube Bend in Hungary.

I have undertaken several solo trips - Norway, Switzerland, France, Germany, Turkey, Hungary, etc. There is always someone around to help you, talk to you, click your photograph. Despite that, if you still want reassurance try couchsurfing. I highly recommend you try solo travel once as you will never regret it. It reinforces your faith in humanity and makes you a stronger person.

The Kanheri Caves in the Borivali National Park

2012-11-04T12:29:00.000+05:30

Sometime ago I had a couchsurfer over and I was wondering how to entertain her. Suddenly it occurred to me that I was due a visit to the Kanheri Caves in the Borivali National Park and it would be a great idea to time it during Jo’s stay with me.

Jo is a Jamaican of Indian origin who was brought up in Toronto, Canada and now lives in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Such an interesting history. She is a wonderful girl, very soft spoken, easy to be with, quite accommodating, ever willing to go with the flow and try new things. So when I discussed Kanheri Caves with her, she was keen to go.

It is best to go as early as you can before the hordes of tourists and local Indians descend on the caves. Also it is much cooler in the morning and you can take beautiful pictures. And try and go there on a weekday so that you get the place to yourself.

Kanheri Caves is a popular destination for school picnics. However, I doubt many people living in Bombay actually are aware or appreciate having these historic caves in their backyard. I found them fascinating and I must admit that I felt like kicking myself for not having visited earlier and more often.

The caves are situated deep inside the Borivali National Park. They date back to the 1st century BC. There are about 109 caves carved from basalt rock. Kanheri was an important Buddhist settlement on the Konkan coast by the 3rd century AD. There are quite a few caves which are quite spartan and unadorned which I believe were living quarters for the monks. But there is a huge congregational hall with stone pillars and a stupa (Buddhist shrine). There are beautiful reliefs of the Buddha and his disciples all over.

They say Kanheri was a university centre in the times of the Mauryan and Kushan empires. It connected with many trade centres and ports. Most of the caves were used as Buddhist viharas meant for meditating, studying and living.

We got there by about 10 am and had the place pretty much to ourselves. I was pleased as I could take many pictures with no people in the background. At the ticket office, Jo passed off as an Indian from Kerala. Her Indian blood came to some use after all. We spent an hour walking around, peeking into the caves and discovering the ancient water systems. From the very top of the hill you could see the golden dome of the Vipassana centre at Gorai. The view of the greenery of the national park and then the dense skyline of the suburbs of Bombay brought home the paradox of the city we live in. Truly we need more green spaces to ease the pollution in our overcrowded city.

We then decided to try the “Tiger and Lion safari” in another part of the National park. As we were leaving the caves area, we saw buses of tourists drive in. Boy, were we glad to have had the place to ourselves before the swarming masses drove in.

The safari was a joke. We were asked to wait till there were 25 people enrolled. Luckily we didn’t have to wait for long. We were huddled into a mini bus with grills outside the windows. I was concerned that we would not see the big cats as it was too hot but the guide calmly told me that we would definitely see them as this was the first bus trip of the day. I soon realized why and felt like a complete fool. First stop, the bus halted outside a building with a grill door. We were asked to look out for the lions. I was wondering how could there be lions near a building. Silly me! Suddenly we heard a lot of roaring making me wonder if someone had prodded the lions with a stick or something. Then the grill door was raised and a poor lion walked out. He looked at us and then quite calmly turned his back on us as if to say “Get lost. I am the King of the Jungle and you are but minions in my kingdom”. He then proceeded to rub his back against the bark of a tree and then answered nature’s call. He refused to turn towards us so we had no choice but to move on. We then passed some deer and later we stopped outside another enclosure where there was a white tiger basking in the sun and in another enclosure a yellow tiger hiding amongst the grass. They were too far to see clearly or take any pictures.

I felt sad for these majestic animals as they should be left to live in their natural habitat. They definitely do not deserve to be gawked at by tourists in a grilled bus! I felt cheated as an individual as the entire experience was quite pathetic. Nevertheless, the National Park and the Kanheri caves are a true treasure which every person in Bombay must cherish.

There is always a first time for everything

2012-11-02T14:48:00.001+05:30

There is always a first time for everything. Last evening was my first tango session. It had been on my bucket list for a while, so finally I pulled myself together, got some friends interested and off we went to the milonga at Balthazar.

The “first time” is always made up of a bit of nervousness, tension, excitement, anticipation and expectation. So with a bundle of nerves and butterflies in my stomach, I drove to Balthazar.

As I was driving, I thought of some other memorable “first times”. The first time I watched a cricket match, I was mesmerized by the electric atmosphere of the stadium with the thousands of screaming fans. Though not a lover of cricket, I will forever after jump at the chance of going for another cricket match.

The first time I flew in a helicopter was equally memorable. Bombay looked so beautiful from the air that one quite forgot the squalor, filth and chaos on ground. The pink flamingoes on the mudflats at Sewri and the fishing boats at Colaba made for a pretty picture. Despite the electronic chatter from the radio conversation between pilot and air traffic control and the general noise from the rotor, I felt calm looking at my beautiful city from above.

I have been on many airplanes but to jump out of one at 12000 ft was madness. The first time I skydived, I was numb. It took a lot of courage to go through with it considering that I had a fear of heights. The long wait for my turn was unbearable and nerve racking but once we were kitted up, briefed, photographed, interviewed and boarded on the tiny plane, there was no time to think or agonize. Before I knew it, I was jumping out of the plane strapped to my instructor who kept whispering into my ear to breathe and stay calm. His reassuring words were what kept me sane. My first reaction on jumping from the plane was “gosh, I am going to hit the wing” and later “wow, I am actually floating through the air” and finally “this is so awesome”. Once the parachute was inflated, it was heaven. I felt like a bird, someone disconnected from earth, observing the beauty of the lakes around Roturua – a truly spectacular location to choose to skydive. I was intoxicated from the experience for the next 3 months.

My first hot air balloon ride, recently concluded in Cappadocia, is still fresh in my mind. The peace one experiences floating above the earth in the stillness of the dawn is a personal memory that is special. Once again the unique landscape with its volcanic rock formations and pinnacles added to the surrealism of the experience. You are forgiven if you believe that you have landed on the moon. At some point I was a bit nervous thinking about crashing into one of those pinnacles which looked sharp as needles. Thankfully we floated away for an hour before we safely landed in on a grassy field and popped the bubbly to celebrate.

I still remember the first time I had sashimi. I could not bring myself to eat the raw fish. My mind was blocking my senses. And adding fuel to the fire was the dollop of wasabi that I swallowed! Now, sashimi and sushi are my preferred cuisine. What a long way I have journeyed, from looking at sashimi as a slimy sliver of fish and being repulsed to the present where I savour the freshness of the flesh and enjoy the texture of unadulterated taste enhanced by the wasabi and soy.

I also remember very vividly my first time at the Formula One Race. I had won a prize for two to view the Sepang race in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. My brother was the lucky one who got to accompany me. However my boss heard I was there and invited us to the Paddock Club to cheer his team. The Paddock club in itself was an experience with abundant exotic food and drink continuously flowing as well as entertainment like spas, caricature artists and visits to the pit lane, garages and meetings with the drivers. Observing the pit stop and the precision team work was a lesson in management. From having no interest in Formula One, I was hooked with the entire experience. Since, then I am a keen follower of the races and in particular our team.

So as I drove to Balthazar, I felt a bit reassured with my memories of the various “first times” in my life and my butterflies calmed down a bit allowing me to get there with a positive frame of mind.

The Talent Connector

2012-09-28T13:25:00.000+05:30

Adversity is a time when you introspect, appreciate what you have and see things in a different light.

With all the time in the world, I was able to actually take notice of people and things around me. Many of the people around me seemed depressed, bogged down with the events at work. But there were quite a few others who had lifted themselves up, dusted their backsides and got down to work – work which they loved doing. Picking up on hobbies long forgotten or focusing on areas that they enjoyed, turning their hobbies into money earners.

I was inspired. I wondered how I could help them achieve their dreams. I did what I knew best. Created a blog – The Talent Connector – which is meant to be a repository of all the various talented resources I come across. Easy to access and helps the people featured to promote their services and achieve their dreams.

So please check it out if you want personalized cakes, fancy meals for your loved ones, doggy treats, handmade jewellery, someone to plan your event or learn to dance or even show your guests a glimpse of Bombay.

Cappadocia - a land quite unique

2012-09-27T20:39:00.000+05:30

You are easily forgiven if you believe you have landed on another planet! Underground cities, fairy chimneys, cave houses, secret churches and a unique landscape made from windhewn volcanic rock. These are some of the interesting natural, historical and cultural facets of Cappadocia. It was here that the early Christians sought refuge, practised their religion and flourished in peace.

I spent two days there and managed to get a good feel for the region known as Cappadocia. It covers a large geographic area in Central Turkey and is served by 2 airports - Kayseri and Nevsehir. I stayed in Urgup but most people stay in Goreme or Nevsehir as well. Cappadocia has a markedly continental climate, with hot dry summers and cold snowy winters. Rainfall is sparse and the region is largely semi-arid.

Some of the places to visit and things to do:

Avanos - famous for its pottery

Cavusin - where you can hike through the Rose valley, view the sunset at the Red valley and admire the Pasabag fairy chimneys.
Göreme - fairy chimneys in the rock city

Güzelyurt - historic town close to Ihlara Valley

Nevsehir - capital of the region

Ortahisar - with its rock castle

Uçhisar - with its rock castle

Ürgüp - has many cave hotels and is a good base to explore the area.

Ihlara Valley (Ihlara Vadisi) — lots of churches carved into rocks. This valley is about an hour west of the core of Cappadocia, i.e. Ürgüp/Göreme area

Hot air Balloon ride - this is one of the best places in the world to do a balloon ride. Magical.

Turasan wine factory - Cappadocia is one of the biggest wine-producing regions in Turkey, and many wineries thoroughout the region's towns offer winetasting options.

Fairy chimneys

Cave houses

Interiors of a cave house.

The unique landscape

A potter demonstrating his work

The famous Avanos pottery

An early Christian church set in the rock

Because they were supposed to be "secret", the symbols and pictures were quite cryptic

In the shape of a rabbit's head

In the shape of a camel

Cappadocia wines are quite famous

Sunset over the Red valley

Urgup town

Amazing how huge these rooms were.

The monastery

Rose Valley

The town amidst the pinnacles

Istanbul

2012-09-25T20:00:00.000+05:30

There are many adjectives to describe Istanbul and small would definitely not feature in the list! It is anything but! It is huge, populous, covers a huge surface area, lies on both sides of the Bosphorus, is old, is new, is traditional, is modern, is religious, is forward thinking, is orthodox, is European, is Asian, is Islamic, is Christian, is trendy and is definitely THE place to visit.

It is currently the hottest (and here I don't mean the weather) place to visit and features on all the travel sites, magazines and wish lists.

So I will do my best to share my experiences without sounding cliched.

The best place and the most convenient to stay would be the Sultanahmet area. Taksim Square is the next best (in my opinion). I preferred Sultanahmet because it is right at the heart of the main tourist area which allows you the most efficient use of time if you are constrained in that area.

I was fortunate that my hotel was right besides the Hagia Sofia and the Blue Mosque.

The Hagia Sophia is a former Orthodox Basilica which later became a mosque and is now a museum. From the date of its dedication in 360 until 1453, it served as the Greek Patriarchal cathedral of Constantinople. Interestingly, between 1204 and 1261 it was converted to a Roman Catholic cathedral and was a mosque from 29 May 1453 until 1931, when it was secularized.

It is famous for its massive dome which is considered to be the epitome of Byzantine architecture and is said to have changed the history of architecture. At the time of its construction it was the largest building in the world and remained so for nearly a thousand years till the Seville Cathedral was completed in 1520.

The church contained a large collection of holy relics and featured, among other things, a 49-foot (15 m) silver iconostasis. It was the seat of the Patriarch of Constantinople and the religious focal point of the Eastern Orthodox Church for nearly one thousand years. In 1453, Constantinople was conquered by the Ottoman Turks under Sultan Mehmed II, who subsequently ordered the building converted into a mosque. The bells, altar, iconostasis, and sacrificial vessels were removed and many of the mosaics were plastered over. Islamic features – such as the mihrab, minbar, and four minarets – were added while in the possession of the Ottomans.

Hagia Sophia was the principal mosque of Istanbul for 500 years and served as a model for many other Ottoman mosques including the Blue Mosque.

The Sultan Ahmed Mosque or the Blue Mosque as it is popularly known is opposite the Hagia Sophia. It is a functional mosque and is open to the public throughout the day. It is known as the blue mosque because of the blue mosaic tiles. It was built from 1609 to 1614 and incorporates the design of both the Ottoman mosque and the Byzantine church development. It is considered to be the last great mosque of the classical period.

The Basilica Cistern is right next door to the Hagia Sophia. It was built in the 6th century and is the largest of the many hundred ancient cisterns that lie beneath the city. Before being converted into a cistern, a huge basilica stood in its place. It was built between the 3rd and 4th century in the early Roman age as a commercial, legal and artistic centre. Later a fire ravaged it and it was reconstructed with gardens and huge colonnades which is rumoured to have been built by 7000 slaves. It was then converted to a cistern which provided a water filtration system to the Grand Palace and other buildings.

The Topkapi Palace was the primary residence of the Sultans for 400 years till 1856. Today it is a museum and has important holy relics of the Muslim world, including the Prophet's cloak and sword. As you wander through the huge sprawling palace, its courtyards and the harem area, you are transported into a fantasy world. The beautiful view of the Marmara sea enhances the feeling of dreaminess.

Another beautiful palace is the Dolmabahce Palace which I passed by when I took the cruise on the Bosphorus. The design contains eclectic elements from the Baroque, Rococo and Neoclassical styles, blended with traditional Ottoman architecture to create a new synthesis. The palace layout and décor reflect the increasing influence of European styles and standards on Ottoman culture and art during the Tanzimat period.

When in Istanbul, don't miss the cruise on the Bosphorus, also known as the Istanbul Strait, which forms part of the boundary between Europe and Asia. It - along with the Dardanelles - is one of two straits in Turkey. The world's narrowest strait used for international navigation, it connects the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara (which is connected by the Dardanelles to the Aegean Sea, and thereby to the Mediterranean Sea.) The strait is 31 km long and is 36 to 124 m deep. It is the best way to see and admire Istanbul from the water. Do not get lured by the various tour operators who will try to sell you a romantic cruise or the best cruise. Instead just head to the Eminonu pier and take the public ferry for a fraction of the price. It take an hour and a half to get to the furtherest point where you can explore a Roman fortress and have a meal with fresh catch.

The Grand Bazaar is a bigger and badder version of our Crawford Market. It has 30 streets with thousands of shops selling all kinds of stuff. Unless you know what you are looking for, it might be a waste of time (for someone from India) or you might get lost or you might just end up buying more than you require. They also have a Spice Bazaar for those who want to buy spices, nuts, etc.

The Church of the Holy Saviour in Chora or the Chora Church is considered to be one of the most beautiful surviving examples of a Byzantine church. In the 16th century, during the Ottoman era, the church was converted into a mosque and, finally, it became a museum in 1948. The interior of the building is covered with fine mosaics and frescoes.

Finally don't miss strolling down the Istiklal avenue which is in the Beyoglu district. It is the Grande Rue de Pera, an elegant pedestrian street three kilometers long, which houses exquisite boutiques, music stores, bookstores, art galleries, cinemas, theaters, libraries, cafés, pubs, night clubs with live music, historical patisseries, chocolateries and restaurants. The avenue, surrounded by late Ottoman era buildings (mostly from the 19th and early 20th centuries) that were designed with the Neo-Classical, Neo-Gothic, Beaux-Arts, Art Nouveau and First Turkish National Architecture (Birinci Millî Mimarî Akımı) styles; as well as a few Art Deco style buildings from the early years of the Turkish Republic, and a number of more recent examples of modern architecture; starts from the medieval Genoese neighbourhood around Galata Tower and ultimately leads up to Taksim Square.

The best way to get to Taksim square is to take the tram from Sultanahmet to Kabatas and then the metro connector up and then walk downhill to Galata whilst window shopping. Or you could take the tram to Karakoy and then the funicular Tunel at the second oldest subway station in the world. Either way, it is an experience.

And if you are Catholic and wanting to hear Mass on Sundays, there is a beautiful old church, St Anthony of Padua, on Istiklal Caddesi.

I was fortunate to witness a show by the whirling dervishes of the Mevlevi Order. They were truly poetry in motion and they had us mesmerised by their silent and continous whirling in praise of God. The Mevlevi believe in performing their dhikr (remembrance of God) in the form of a "dance and musical" ceremony known as the Sema, which involves the whirling, from which the order acquired its nickname. The Sema represents a mystical journey of man's spiritual ascent through mind and love to the "Perfect". Turning towards the truth, the follower grows through love, deserts his ego, finds the truth, and arrives at the "Perfect". He then returns from this spiritual journey as a man who has reached maturity and a greater perfection, able to love and to be of service to the whole of creation.

Another great experience is the food which is cheap, healthy and absolutely delicious. There are innumerable stalls selling juicy corn on the cobs, refreshing fruit platters including water melon and a local bread/bagel. They have a local speciality which is like called Turkish ravioli but is more like a rumali roti with different kinds of stuffings. There are plenty of tasty options for both vegetarian and nonvegetarians. You can finish your meal with the local ice cream Dondurma which is known for its texture and resistance to melting.

Finally you can round up your evening at Cemberlitas and soak your weary bones in the hammam.

The Blue Mosque

The blue tiles that give the mosque its name

Hagia Sofia

The cavernous interiors of the Basilica

The ancient mosaic of the Virgin and child

The entrance to the Topkapi Palace

The view from the Topkapi Palace

The sweetmeats

The Tunel

St Anthony's at Istiklal Caddesi

The Galata Tower

The Dolmabahce Palace

A busy street leading to the Grand Bazaar

One of the entrances to the Grand Bazaar

The Basilica Cistern

The Medusa Head

One of the many historical sites that one passes when on the Bosphorus cruise

The ice cream man flipping the Dondurma.

Seems to be the local sport.

Hesselby Slott - our home away from home

2012-09-25T18:00:00.002+05:30

The first week of our SIMP module was held at Hesselby Slott which is a quaint noble house in the suburbs of Stockholm. We were under the impression that we were going to be staying at a castle...........Nevertheless, the quaintness of the place and its beauty charmed us.

Hesselby Castle was built in the mid 1600s and was bought over by the city of Stockholm in 1931. Today it is owned by Tomas Ledin, a Swedish singer and is used for musical events including a music festival. The rooms at the main house are quite comfortable for a conference or a training program with a welcoming library and lovely cosy seating areas. The walls of the common areas are covered with memorabilia of Tomas Ledin, making it some kind of shrine to himself.

The estate has a unique baroque garden which was laid out at the beginning of the 1700s. Every morning we walked or jogged through the park to the lake nearby. The calming environment was perfect for us to bond in and absorb all the gyaan on sustainability. :)

On our last evening, we walked to the lake and came across hundreds of birds.

The walls are covered with tributes to the world's music greats.

In a way, a kind of Nobel prize for music.

Stockholm - a grand city

2012-09-24T22:07:00.001+05:30

Stockholm is one of the finest capitals of Europe. Very statuesque and royal. And on a sunny day, it is really glorious to see the beautiful buildings surrounded by water bathed in the glow of the sun.

Stockholm is also one of those cities which conjures up a lot of images in your mind before you visit. I was certainly not disappointed on the 2 occasions I was lucky to visit.

There is much to see and do in Stockholm, so plan your visit carefully. It is located on 14 islands but unlike Bombay, they did not reclaim land. Instead they chose to connect the islands with bridges. The city originally rose to prominence as a result of the Baltic trade of the Hanseatic League. Stockholm developed strong economic and cultural linkages with Lübeck, Hamburg, Gdańsk, Visby, Reval, and Riga.

Gamla Stan is the old town which dates back to the 13th century and is located on the central island. It is home to the Palace where the King has his offices, the Nobel Museum, the Stockholm Cathedral and the Riddarholm church.

The City Hall is a very impressive building and it is where the dinner for the Nobel Laureates is held.

The Vasa museum and Skansen open air museums are also must sees. Am going to check them out in December when I visit.

Walking on the rooftops is another unique activity that I did not have the chance to do and doubt very much if I can do it in winter.

However am pleased just to walk around this beautiful city and soak in the vibes or take a cruise in the gorgeous archipelago. I look forward to my next visit in December.

The view from the City Hall

The City Hall

Hanseatic architecture

The Nobel Museum

The Dala Horse (Dalecarlian horse) is a symbol of Sweden

The Royal Palace

You must cruise in the archipelago and appreciate Stockholm from the water

The ancient biblical city of Ephesus

2012-09-20T16:41:00.000+05:30

When I had booked the tour for Ephesus, I didn't really know what I was getting into. Nevertheless, I went with the flow and boy, was I pleasantly surprised! I had definitely heard of Ephesus from the various biblical references but I didn't quite make the connection till the tour.

Not only did I make a new friend - Douglas Freitas - from Sao Paulo, Brazil but I also visited the House of the Virgin Mary.

The tour began at the Isa Bey mosque which was quite beautiful and then carried on to the House of the Virgin Mary, followed by a walk through the ancient city of Ephesus which was famous for its library and currently for the amphitheatre, a visit to the museum and finally the visit to the site of the ancient wonder of the world - The Temple of Artemis.

Ephesus was an ancient Greek city, and later a major Roman city, on the west coast of Asia Minor, near present-day Selçuk, Izmir Province, Turkey. It was one of the twelve cities of the Ionian League during the Classical Greek era. In the Roman period, Ephesus had a population of more than 250,000 in the 1st century BC, which also made it one of the largest cities in the Mediterranean world.

The city was famed for the Temple of Artemis (completed around 550 BC), one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Emperor Constantine I rebuilt much of the city and erected new public baths. Following the Edict of Thessalonica from Emperor Theodosius I, the temple was destroyed in 401 AD by a mob. The town was partially destroyed by an earthquake in 614 AD. The city's importance as a commercial center declined as the harbor was slowly silted up by the Cayster River.

Ephesus was one of the seven churches of Asia that are cited in the Book of Revelation. The Gospel of John may have been written here.

The beautiful Isabey Mosque was constructed in 1374-1375 and is one of the oldest and most impressive works of architectural art remaining from the Anatolian beyliks.

It is said that St John the apostle moved to Ephesus after Jesus' crucifixion and since Mary, the Mother of Jesus, was entrusted into his care by Jesus himself, it is assumed she moved with him. The house was discovered in the 19th century by following the descriptions in the reported visions of Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich (1774–1824), a Roman Catholic nun and visionary who had never even visited Turkey. 3 recent popes have visited this place even though the Roman Catholic Church has not endorsed it.

The House of the Virgin Mary

The wall of intentions and prayers

The Odeon is a small roofed theatre that was built in 150 AD for plays and concerts. It could seat 1500 people.

Odeon

The main street

The Godess Nike

Temple of Hadrian

The Library of Celsus dates back to 125 AD when it was built in memory of Tiberius Julius Celsus Polemaeanus, an Ancient Greek who served as governor of Roman Asia (105–107) in the Roman Empire. Its façade has been carefully reconstructed from all original pieces. Celsus paid for the construction of the library with his own personal wealth and is buried in a sarcophagus beneath it. The library once held nearly 12,000 scrolls, making it the 3rd largest in the ancient world. It was designed with an exaggerated entrance in order to enhance its perceived size and faces east so that the reading rooms could make best use of the morning light.

The library of Celsus which was the 3rd largest of the ancient world

Gate of Augustus

The amphitheatre which today still hosts music concerts with the world's best artists.

The Godess Artemis

Artemis the Goddess of fertility

The Temple of Artemis was one of the wonders of the ancient world. Today only one column remains leaving us to imagine its glory.

The ruins of The Temple of Artemis

One of the 7 wonders of the ancient world.

The resort town of Kusadasi

2012-09-20T15:12:00.003+05:30

Kusadasi is a resort town situated on the Aegean coast. It is an ideal place to stay whilst visiting Ephesus, Pamukkale, Hierapolis, etc.

It has quite a few options from shopping centres, fun night life, sandy beaches (including one called Ladies beach) and clear blue waters.

I spent just a few hours here but the highlight was taking a sunset cruise in the bay for just 5 Lira!! What a steal.

Pamukkale & Hierapolis

2012-09-20T14:58:00.002+05:30

If you are visiting Turkey, I would suggest you make the time to visit the "cottony" limestone terraces of Pamukkale and the ancient city of Hierapolis both dating back to 2 BC.

Hierapolis means “Holy City” because of its religious importance and is an ancient Greco-Roman city located on hot springs in southwest Anatolia adjacent to modern Pamukkale. Some believe that it was named after Hiera who was the wife of Telephos, the legendary founder of Pergamum. Women had a very significant place in the social system at that time and therefore it was not uncommon to name cities after them.

In ancient times all religious buildings were built near hot or cold water sources. Also other buildings such as fountains and baths were built for curing. The temples were significant trade centers and Hierapolis had many temples that made people confused about which god they would worship before Christianity. People in Hierapolis worshipped Apollo as their main God. Beside Apollo, Artemis -the goddess- had been very important too.

Hierapolis is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The hot springs there have been used as a spa since the 2nd century BCE, and people came to soothe their ailments, with many of them retiring or dying here. The large necropolis is filled with sarcophagi, including the Sarcophagus of Marcus Aurelius Ammianos.

Pamukkale is a unique natural phenomenon and I doubt there is anything like it in the world. The calcium cascade terraces of snow white stalactites and is known as the 8th wonder of the World by the Turkish people.

The white cotton-like terraces are mineral deposits which come from Cal Mountain’s rich spring waters and volcanic springs that were saved since thousand years. To keep the travertine white and to prevent crush and damage on them, in 1997 it was forbidden to walk on them and the water is allowed to reach the terraces periodically according to weekly watering schedule. But you are permitted to walk on the south part of the travertine with barefeet.

Sad that these travertines have dried up due to man's folly!

Beautiful and dreamy.......

A photograph can never capture the true beauty.

Swimming in the Cleopatra pool where there are ruins in the water.

Gotland - Sweden's largest island

2012-09-19T15:05:00.001+05:30

Gotland is Sweden's largest island and Visby its capital, is a UNESCO world heritage site.

Gotland is unique as it is different from mainland Sweden. It has different flora and the very fertile soil permits vegetation like kiwis, mulberries and almonds to grow. Though we personally didn't see any kiwi fruit trees, we saw loads of apple trees.

"Visby is an outstanding example of a Northern European walled Hanseatic town which has in a unique way preserved its townscape and its extremely valuable buildings, which in form and function clearly reflect this significant human settlement." From the grounds cited by the World Heritage Committee for inclusion in the World Heritage list.

The city is enclosed by a ring wall which is approximately 3.5 km in length. The wall is built of limestone, has three main entrances and over 50 towers, and is surrounded by moats. It was built not only to protect the city from its enemies but also to wall it off from the surrounding countryside. Within the walls are old stone buildings, churches and streets dating back to hundreds of years.

Throughout the ages, merchants, industrialists, Vikings, kings and members of the nobility have visited this medieval city. Membership of the Hanseatic League made Visby enormously wealthy. During the 12th and 13th centuries, Visby became one of the foremost cities of the Baltic area.

The townscape is dominated by magnificent buildings of stone. Almost 200 stone buildings dating from the Middle Ages have been completely or partly preserved. At several places in the city, trading houses, with their impressive stepped gables, vaulted cellars and gothic-inspired façades, stand to this day.

We visited the Lummelunda Cave which is famous for its stalactites, created by drops of water falling from cold underground nooks and crannies, and runs for several kilometres right into the rock.

Visby is so pretty that it now specialises as a wedding destination. Whilst we were having tea amongst the ruins of St. Clemens, we saw a bridal couple walk in to take a few pictures.

We also visited Slite which is home to Cementa, one of the world’s largest cement works and one of the biggest employers on this part of the island. Here there are plenty of shops, a port, a holiday village and good bathing just a stone’s throw from the centre.

Gotland and Visby in particular, makes for a very interesting weekend trip or even a summer holiday getaway.

The picturesque town of Visby

The sheep is the mascot of Gotland.

We saw so many of these statues all over the place.

The limestone formations in the Lummelunda Cave

The botanical garden

The ruins of St Clemens

A tribute to Olof Palme

The Cathedral

An impressive facade which dominates the landscape

Are these post boxes or not? Am confused.

The drawbridge at the Northern wall of the gate.

The ancient stone wall that rings the city

View from the highest point in Visby

We caught the sunrise at the harbour

View of the port from the top of Cementa at Slite

Cementa

Beautiful flowers at the organic restaurant that we had lunch at.

The Nobel Museum

2012-09-19T12:30:00.000+05:30

"Why was Gandhi never awarded the Nobel Peace Prize?" asked one of my colleagues.

Honestly, I had never thought of it. But it certainly put our tour guide under pressure. He believes that it might be one of the few decisions that the Nobel Peace Prize committee might have regretted. His assumption is based on the fact that no Peace Prize was awarded in the year 1948, the year Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated. Probably in honour of him and for the fact that it is not awarded posthumously in general.

The Nobel Museum is located in the Old Town of Stockholm called Gamla Stan. It is an impressive building and the top floor houses the committee's offices.

On 27 November 1895, Alfred Nobel signed his last will and testament, giving the largest share of his fortune to a series of prizes, the Nobel Prizes. The Nobel Prizes are given out for outstanding achievements in Medicine, Physics, Chemistry, Literature and Peace. As described in Nobel's will, one part was dedicated to "the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses".

The first of these prizes were given out in 1901. Each prize consists of a medal, personal diploma, and a cash award. As per the stipulation of the will, the Peace Prize is given decided and given away in Norway whilst the other prizes are given away in Sweden.

The Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel is awarded by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Stockholm, Sweden, according to the same principles as the Nobel Prizes that have been awarded since 1901. The first of which was given in the year 1969. It is interesting to note that this prize was not part of Alfred Nobel's will but was instituted by The Sveriges Riksbank.

We visited the City Hall in Stockholm where the dinner commemorating the Nobel Laureates is held.

Some interesting facts:

The Nobel Prize cannot be shared by more than 3 people in any discipline.
It can be received by individuals or institutions.
The Curies were a very successful 'Nobel Prize family'. Marie Curie herself was awarded two Nobel Prizes.
From 1974, the Statutes of the Nobel Foundation stipulate that a Prize cannot be awarded posthumously, unless death has occurred after the announcement of the Nobel Prize. Before 1974, the Nobel Prize has only been awarded posthumously twice: to Dag Hammarskjöld (Nobel Peace Prize 1961) and Erik Axel Karlfeldt (Nobel Prize in Literature 1931).
3 Nobel Laureates have been under arrest when they were awarded the prize.

German pacifist and journalist Carl von Ossietzky
Burmese politician Aung San Suu Kyi
Chinese human rights activist Liu Xiaobo

2 Nobel Laureates declined the prize.

Jean-Paul Sartre, awarded the 1964 Nobel Prize in Literature, declined the prize because he had consistently declined all official honours.
Le Duc Tho, awarded the 1973 Nobel Peace Prize jointly with US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. They were awarded the Prize for negotiating the Vietnam peace accord. Le Doc Tho said that he was not in a position to accept the Nobel Peace Prize, citing the situation in Vietnam as his reason.

Leonid Hurwicz, was the oldest Laureate till date, who at the age of 90 years received the 2007 Prize in Economic Sciences.
The youngest Nobel Laureate is Lawrence Bragg, who was just 25 years old when he received the Nobel Prize in Physics with his father in 1915.
The Peace Prize has not been awarded in the following years 1914, 1915, 1916, 1917, 1918, 1923, 1924, 1928, 1932, 1939, 1940, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1948, 1955, 1956, 1966, 1967, 1972 mainly due to war.
830 Laureates and 23 organizations have been awarded the Nobel Prize between 1901 and 2011.
Minutes just before the announcement, the Nobel Prize awarding institution calls the Nobel Laureates to inform them that they have been awarded the Nobel Prize. These calls can come at unexpected times and reach Nobel Laureates in unexpected places.
Richard Ernst was on a flight from Moscow when he was informed by the captain that he had been awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
Amartya Sen heard the phone ringing at 5 a.m. and thought something tragic had happened.
James A. Mirrlees asked politely for some proof when he received the call.
Alfred Nobel, was a bachelor, extremely rich, lived all over the world, owned companies in several countries, was the creator of dynamite and died in San Remo, Italy.

A hot air balloon ride

2012-09-19T11:34:00.000+05:30

For long it has been my wish to ride in a hot air balloon. I guessed it must be less risky than sky diving (which I did in New Zealand some years ago) and better than flying in a tiny aircraft (which I did in Peru to see the Inca lines). But nothing prepared me for the magic that I was about to experience.

A hot air balloon ride in Cappadocia is a "must do", given the unique landscape and it is very very popular. There are many companies offering a ride but I chose Anatolia Balloon company as they have the most experience.

I was picked up from the hotel at half past 4 by the balloon company and taken to a huge field on the outskirts of Urgup (the town that I stayed in). There were hundreds of people already waiting. The balloon company had organised hot tea, coffee and snacks for everyone as well as portable toilets which I thought was pretty thoughtful. So whilst we filled our stomachs, the crew went round preparing the balloons for flight. It was quite a sight to see these huge canvases start to fill with gas and glow in the darkness of the night.

Soon it was time to get into our individual balloons. There must have been about 16 people per balloon. One had to climb into the basket and each basket had 4 sections with the Pilot and his gear in the centre. I was wondering what my mother would have done if she had been there cos she definitely would not have been able to climb into the basket. Which would have been a pity to miss something so beautiful!

Then the pilot gave us instructions on the landing and how we should crouch to the floor and lean forward whilst holding on to the handles provided. Finally it was time to lift off. Oh, what a sight to see tens of balloons of various colours take off. We gently lifted off and rose to a decent height before floating over the magical landscape of unique volcanic rock formations. Witnessing the sunrise was the highlight which I will remember for a long long time to come.

Post the safe landing, we popped the bubbly and shared experiences!

Popping the bubbly!

Helsinki

2012-09-19T10:26:00.001+05:30

Helsinki is one of those cities which is beautiful, compact, lively and pleasant to visit. During our short stay there, we managed to see most of the sights.

Uspenski Cathedral towers over the other buildings near the harbour. Its gold cupolas and redbrick facade invite you to visit. It is the largest orthodox church in Western Europe and is quite impressive both on the inside and the outside. I have always been fascinated with the Russian Orthodox Church which comes across as mysterious. This one clearly is a symbol of the Russian influence in Finland.

On the other hand, you can find Helsinki's most prominent building - the Lutheran Cathedral - at the Senate Square. The Senate Square and surrounding buildings form a unique and cohesive example of Neo-Classicism. The Cathedral is Finland’s most photographed and recognisable building. It celebrated its 200th anniversary in 2002. It is impressive on the outside and quite stark on the inside which in itself lends to the beauty of the building.

There was a political rally taking place the day we visited.

We even managed to take a cruise to the Suomenlinna maritime fortress which is one of the world's largest. Built on six islands off Helsinki in the 1700s, the garrison town is one of the most popular sights in Finland. Suomenlinna has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1991. It is a charming place, ideal for a day trip with museums, cafes and restaurants. We came across ammunition warehouses that looked like houses from Hobbiton.

These iron chains were handmade and they are part of the old anchors.

The Cathedral

The Hobbit's houses

Helsinki has some beautiful buildings and one could walk around the city just admiring them. The city’s architecture is typified by Nordic minimalism and refinement. Modernism, functionalism and the largest concentration of Art Nouveau buildings in Northern Europe make Helsinki a major city of architecture.

We visited the market place near the harbour where there were many food stalls selling local delicacies. Fresh salmon, crayfish, shrimp and smoked fish were quite popular.

Helsinki is the World Design Capital for 2012.

We passed a garden where all the tree trunks were covered in lace.

Wonder what is the story behind it.

Definitely made for a colourful picture.

The Finnish Archipelago is also very beautiful.

Overall, the trip was a success and I am glad that I went with the flow.

Cruising in the Stockholm Archipelago

2012-09-18T23:06:00.000+05:30

After the course in Stockholm, I had decided to spend the weekend in Helsinki. Initially I had thought to fly there and back. But when I told my friend AnnSofie about it, she offered to join me and suggested that we do a cruise to Helsinki and back. I was a bit skeptical about it considering I was flying out of Stockholm on Sunday afternoon but AnnSofie reassured me that I would have plenty of time to make it to the airport from the cruise terminal. So I went with the flow and it turned out to be a superb plan over all.

Pranati and her sister Ankita joined us on the cruise making it a lively foursome. We had 2 adjacent cabins booked and the accommodation was pretty comfortable. We hardly spent time in it as we had so much to see and do on the ship.

The Gabriella is part of the Viking Line and has excellent live entertainment, a range of restaurants and duty free shopping.

Some of her statistics are:

Built: 1992 Split, Croatia
Ice class: IA SUPER
GT/NT: 35,492/22,542
Length: 171.2 metres
Breadth: 27.6 metres
Draught: 6.4 metres
Speed: 20.5 knots
Main engines: 4 x Pielstick 12PC 2E
23,760 kW
Passengers: 2,420
Berths: 2,402
Cars: 400
Cargo units: 900 metres

Being on a cruise was a "first" for me. It certainly was cheaper and more exciting than taking a flight to Helsinki and staying in a hotel. It was great value for money and the food was awesome. Pranati and Ankita who are vegetarians had many options to choose from. We danced the nights away to the music of the live bands performing hits from the 70s and 80s.

I was told to expect a lot of drunk Swedes and Finns but I didn't see any. I did see a lot of older people and a lot of families who were there to have a great weekend.

Cruising in the archipelago off Stockholm is a real treat. It is the largest in Sweden and the second largest in the Baltic Sea. It comprises of almost 24000 islands, some inhabited and some deserted.

I am glad that I went with the flow and experienced something totally out of this world.