swetawriter

Day trips you can plan starting from Madrid

noreply@blogger.com (Sweta Chakraborty) — Thu, 2 Jul 2020 13:23:00 -0700

Spain, a country situated along the Iberian peninsula, South Western Europe shelters 48 UNESCO world heritage sites, beaches, vibrant cities and of course saporous, gastronomic pleasures which carves an everlasting experience for the first time traveler. Well, if you start your journey from Madrid, there are some interesting places you can cover in a day trip. You may avail road or railway, depending on your convenience, covering some exciting places of historic importance. If you are interested in the medieval history of Europe, Spain will never fail to enchant you.

El Escorial Monastery and Palace

1. El Escorial monastery and Palace: A picturesque monastery situated at the slopes of Sierra de Guardarrama.

Distance from Madrid: 50 Kilometers

Accessible by: Taxi, roadway, train

Easiest and cheapest way to travel: Bus takes 1hour 30 minutes, (11-18) dollars

While you are in Madrid, make a plan to visit the El Escorial monastery and palace, an idyllic retreat situated at the slopes of the Sierra de Guadarrama. The palace nestled in the little town of San Lorenzo Del Escorial, is a UNESCO rated property. Built in the 16^th century by King Philip II, the palace was dedicated to Saint Lawrence after the Spanish troop won in the battle of Saint Quentin.

The El Escorial is more of a fortress rather than a monastery. Coveted for the architectural style, the classic Spanish baroque trend, the complex has 15 courtyard, 2,000 windows, 1,000 doors, 88 fountains and 1600 paintings. It’s a pleasure watching the picture gallery where masterpieces by great artists exists. You may hire a guide to narrate the historical details and importance of the place. You may easily combine the tour with sightseeing of Madrid. Search for best guided tours with great seasonal offers.

The spectacular view of the medieval city of Toledo

2. Toledo: A medieval city dates back to the 15^th century.

Distance from Madrid to Toledo: 68 Kilometers

Accessible by: Bus, Taxi, Train

Easiest and cheapest way to travel: Train, takes 30 minutes ride, abundantly available throughout the day, costs 13 euros

The presence of Toledo dates back to the 15^th century. The very first scene I glanced just after embarking from the tourist coach was that which was painted by El Greco, the Spanish renaissance artist. The hilltop city with the Alcazar standing tall today, is no way different from the one which the great artists drew centuries back. Overwhelmed by the glance, I photographed and also took selfies of the historic landmark. Toledo, which is rated as the UNESCO heritage site, has been an amalgamation of the Islamic, Jewish and Christian culture. Our guide took us through the synagogues, narrow dwindling streets, cobblestone pathways, mosques and all those stories how one existing power was overruled by another. History seemed to come alive, and we could hallucinate some past characters.

You may take a walking tour to see the church of Saint Tome, Synoagogue of Saint Maria La Blanca, and the monastery of San Juan de Los Reyes. Avoid the hottest months of the year, say July to August, when Spain becomes nearly a frying pan.

Avila, the magnificent walled city

3. Avila: The magnificent walled medieval city known for Spanish Catholicism.

Distance between Avila and Madrid: 88 Kilometers.

Accessible by: Bus, Taxi, Train

Easiest and cheapest way to travel: Bus from Madrid, takes 1 hour 14 minutes, costs 10 euros.

Avila, a Spanish city dates back to the 16^th century, located in the autonomous community of Castile and Leon, will definitely woe you with the cultural influence from Christians, Jews, and Islam rule. The medieval wall, which is 2.5 km in length, is punctuated by 88 turrets and 9 gates. The main attraction is the walls there, the fortified town. You may take a walk around the walls.

You may take a walk around the old town, you will feel the medieval ages in the air. Visit the churches and cathedrals to feel the religious air around. Visit the basilica of saint Vincent, church and convent of saint Teresa, and the cathedral. Visit the Cuatro postes viewpoint, which is a 10-15 minute walk and then take photographs. Visit Avila in September, during the medieval festival where you can meet a monk, a king or a knight walking down the streets.

Aqueduct , Segovia attract millions of travelers

4. Segovia: Segovia, another medieval city of Spain, shelters the cathedral and Aqueduct built in the 50 AD.

Distance between Segovia and Madrid: 69 Kilometres

Accessible by: Train, bus, taxi, share taxi.

Easiest and cheapest way to travel: Share taxi, that takes 1 hour 34 minutes, costs (4- 6) dollars.

Segovia is a city that retains the medieval spirit of Madrid. The monuments got UNESCO rating in 1985. Aqueduct is one of the most spectacular legacies of Spain. Made up of 166 arches and spread up to 17 kilometres in length, transports water from La Acebeda to the Alcazar, which defies the law of gravity in its working pattern. Legend says that, the structure Aquaduct is the result of love between a lady and a devil , who promised delivering water in exchange of her soul.

Have a look at the Cathedral, which the construction began in 1925, marking the boundary between the Plaza Mayor and Old Jewish quarter. Visit the Alcazar, in order to see the Pinarillo, church of Vera Cruz, and other attraction of the Royal palace that became prominent in the 13^th century. Observe the old synagogue, Segovia city walls and of course a walking tour of the old Jewish quarter. Feel as if you are waking that medieval era feeling the mighty spirit inside those walls.

University of Salamanca

Casa de La Conchas or the Shell House

5. Salamanca: Salamanca, situated in the north western region of Spain, is a part of the Castile and Leon region, dates back to the Celtic era.

Distance between Madrid and Salamanca is 176 Kilometers.

Accessible by: Bus, train, taxi, share taxi.

Easiest and cheapest way to travel: Share taxi, takes 2 hour 44 minutes, costs 13 euros

Salamanca, the olden medieval city known for the presence of University of Salamanca. Enjoy the Escuela Mayores courtyard and the beautiful sky of Salamanca painting. Visit the Plaza Mayor, one of the many reasons why tourists visit Salamanca. While the professional guide takes you through the city of Salamanca, get immersed in the story of the historic walls, the education hub where the walls still reverberate the classes of professors like Francisco de Vitoria, Miguel de Unamuno, and Fray Luis de Leon. Get the thrills of standing at one of the oldest education hubs of the world. Visit the Casa De La Conchas or the shell house. If you visit the patios, you will understand why there’s so many shells. You might observe the front of the Clerica church and Pontifical University of Salamanca. Continue with the tour of Plaza Anaya, the traditional building of the University campus, dating back to the 17^th century. Make sure, you tour the inside and outsides of the cathedrals also.

City of Cuenca with its historic walls

6. Cuenca: The city is situated at the mountain of East central Spain, which retains the historic walls founded by the Moors.

Distance from Madrid to Cuenca: 139 kilometers

Accessible by: Bus, train, taxi, share taxi

Easiest and cheapest way to travel: train, takes 55 minutes, costs 16 to 55 euros.

Visit the city of Cuenca, that is built on the rocks between the rivers Jucar and Huecar. You would be captivated at the engineering skills of those houses built, the cathedrals and all on the side of the cliffs. The first gothic façade of Spain’s Cathedral, was rebuilt after it crumbled down in 1902. You might explore the astounding complex of the Hanging houses (Casas Colgadas) which was built on the edge of the gorge in the 15^th century. You will be amazed to see the 16^th century bride of St. Paul, which was designed connecting the old town with the convent of St. Paul.

You will be astounded to see the karst landscape, formed millions of years ago, and of course the underwater scenary that hides the Sea of Thetis. You will have a significant stroll posing beside the stone shaped animals, and also different landscapes quite contrary to what you see in Madrid.

Chinchon, known for the hilltop houses

7. Chinchon: Chinchon , situated in the southeast of Madrid, known for its hilltop houses and medieval Plaza Mayor, is circled by buildings and wooden balconies.

Distance between Chinchon and Madrid is 57 kilometers

Accessible by: Bus, taxi, share taxi

Cheapest and easiest way to travel: Share taxi, that takes 1 hour and costs 3 euros.

Visit Chinchon, an old town located at the Tagus -Jarama river basin, 45 kilometres from Madrid, surrounded by picturesque vineyards and olive groves. You will love the host of venues that will serve you Castilian dishes for a calendar year. The Plaza Mayor situated in Chinchon is a fine example of Castile’s architectural excellence and also being the nerve of the village. Try the star dishes like lamb, suckling pig, chorizo, all roasted in wood fire. Visit the medieval market and the time during the carnival. During the local fiestas, in August, the Bullring turns to be a bullfight arena.

Visit the Clock Tower, which is the only remnant of the old church. Next to the clock tower, stands the Lope De Vega theatre, whose curtain is a large canvas and represents village scenes.

Alcala De Henares known for University of Alcala

8. Alcala de Henres: City in central Spain, Northeast of Madrid, known for the University of Alcala.

Distance of Alcala de Henres from Madrid: 30 Kilometers

Accessible by: bus, taxi, share taxi

Cheapest and easiest way to travel: Share taxi, takes 44 minutes and costs 4 euros.

It’s one of the most important cities of Spain, situated 30 kms from Madrid. The Complutense University, founded in 1499, declared Spanish to be the cultural language. In 1998 , the city was declared to be UNESCO world heritage site. Visit the Colegio Mayor San Ildefonso, the construction which was finished in 1953, and boasts of the elegant plateresque façade and the elegant grills.

Fortress of Manzanares el Real brings the medieval times alive

9. Medieval fortress of Manzanares el real:

Distance between Manzanares el real and Madrid: 58 kilometers

Accessible by: bus, taxi, share taxi

Cheapest and easiest way to travel: Share taxi, takes 1 hour 20 minutes, costs 4 dollars.

Drop in to Manzanares el Real and other interesting sites where you can pay a visit and feel the essence of movies like ‘El Cid’ and ‘ Alexander the great’. You will enjoy the dramatic visit to the castle where characters like Don Lopez de Mendoza and his daughter Brianda will be enacted. You will see an exotic garden, Jardin de los sentidos, having medicinal and other plants that will recreate the feel of the monks garden. The labyrinth or the arena will remind you of the games and tournaments that would be held.

It’s time to make your own buns for dinner

noreply@blogger.com (Sweta Chakraborty) — Tue, 12 May 2020 01:55:00 -0700

Crispy outside, soft inside

Enjoy baked buns for dinner

Baking is just an instinct. And sometimes I feel baking is a huge task. Well, let me be thankful to my 10 year old son who often asks me to bake his favorites. I thought of making a bun for dinner avoiding the mammoth task of frying. Mom and son researched and finally, it was a huge success. Let me share this ‘not so tough’ recipe along with you so that you can enjoy hassle free dinner buns today and whenever you don’t like rolling chapattis. (Pun intended, chapattis are the best thing to do).

Ingredients: ( for 3-4 people)

1. Baking flour ( 2 cups),

2. 1 teaspoon of yeast,

3. 1 teaspoon of salt,

4. ½ cup of warm milk,

5. 1 tablespoon of oil,

6. 250 gms. of cubed paneer,

7. 2 medium sized bell pepper chopped,

8. 1 ½ medium sized onion chopped,

9. 1 medium sized tomato chopped,

10. 2 medium sized carrots chopped,

11. Garlic cloves chopped,

12. ½ cup of shredded cheddar cheese,

13. 1 teaspoon of dark soya sauce.

Equipments used:

1. Oven

2. Rolling pin

3. Brush to spread oil

Procedure:

1. Take a skillet and heat some oil in it. Then add the chopped vegetable to it - onions, tomatoes, carrot and garlic. Saute’ well, and then add the dark soya sauce to it. Add the chopped paneer to it.

2. Warm milk and yeast powder and then keep standing for some time. Add the flour and then mix it nicely. After the dough is completed, let it keep for 40 minutes.

3. Make small divisions from the dough and then round it with your hands. Spoon the dough with cooked veggies and cheese, fill and then press the ends. The vegetable and cheese would remain inside the dough.

Pre-heat the oven and place the dough

4. Now pre-heart the oven. Brush oil over the dough and place the tray inside the oven. Set the temperature at 180 degree Celsius and for 20 minutes. Lay the baking tray with butter and sprinkle some flour for easy removal.

5. Remove the tray and then allow the buns to cool down.

The buns will be crunchy but soft from inside. This no fry buns for a quick meal like dinner.

Vegetable and egg scallop, the easy breakfast recipe ready in minutes

noreply@blogger.com (Sweta Chakraborty) — Tue, 28 Apr 2020 01:47:00 -0700

Mind boggling Veggies n egg scallop on the breakfast table

It was a Sunday, and a COVID stricken morning. I was wandering if I could make an easy breakfast which would serve the purpose of brunch. As such, I am a late-riser for all Sundays, and so is my family. So, after getting back to an active state after a cup of 'Masala-tea', I decided doing something yummy for my kids. Kids are a great lover of cheese, so I thought let’s administer the cheesy love bites to my brunch recipe. With all available ingredient in my home, I prepared this yummy breakfast recipe, which proved to be a ‘melt in mouth’ treat.

Ingredients (for 3-4 people):

1. 3 medium sized potatoes de-skinned and sliced into circular pieces

2. 2 medium sized onions sliced,

3. 1 big capsicum sliced into thin pieces.

4. 1 teaspoon of salt,

1 1 teaspoon of dark Soya sauce

5. Oil for frying,

6. 4 eggs,

7. 4 slices of cheese

8. Chopped cilantro/ coriander leaves.

Procedure:

1. Took a frying pan and cooked the vegetable. Added salt as per taste-bud

Saute the chopped sliced potatoes and veggies to it. Add soya sauce to it.

Spread the cheese slices over the cooked vegetable

Place the eggs over the cheese meticulously

Cover the preparation with a lid allowing the eggs to settle

Serve the awesome set up on the table.

Scrap your portion

Remove the lid and serve. When the item solidifies, you may scrap and plate. You can toss black pepper and red chili flakes depending on your preference. Everybody is not a lover of red chili, so he/ she can choose. The taste of the veggies along with the molten yolk overflowing the cheese is not only a mind-boggling sight, but an explosion of taste as well.

Chicken with the tangy taste of orange? Not kidding…!!

noreply@blogger.com (Sweta Chakraborty) — Sun, 19 Apr 2020 08:51:00 -0700

It’s the COVID 19 period and a tough time. Cities are experiencing lockdown and movement restrictions. Kenya, like any other country experiences commuting restriction and limited movement. All restaurants closed down, business area closed down, inter-city movement banned and especially no movement after 7 pm. Looks like life has come to a standstill. We are buying groceries and paying the vendors, who are door delivering. Thanks to this service. I brought a lot of oranges, as per the direction of some health experts. But, of course my kids were tired of eating them.

One fine Sunday morning I thought, let’s make something different with these oranges instead of the boring way of eating them raw. Thank God, we are privileged to the exposure of quick recipes, e- books and websites which I researched and came to a conclusion to satisfy our taste buds. The result was that I cooked ‘Orange chicken’, a never before dish which delivered justice to our taste buds as well as essential Vitamin C. Let me share the recipe with you my friends.

Tantalizing Orange chicken, a difference to the traditional one.

Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking -time: 20 minutes

Ingredients (for 3-4 persons):

1. ½ inch ginger sliced

2. 4 cloves of garlic sliced

3. 2 medium sized onion chopped to small pieces

4. 2 medium sized green capsicum chopped to small pieces

5. Juice squeezed from 5 medium sized fresh oranges

6. 2 table spoon lime juice

7. 1 table spoon balsamic vinegar

8. 800 gms chicken sliced to medium pieces ( you can even prefer boneless variety)

9. 1 egg battered

10. 1 table spoon white flour made to a paste

11. 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste

12. Red chillies sliced into pieces / red chilli flakes 1 ½ tablespoon

13. Chopped cilantro for garnishing

14. Salt

15. 2 tablespoons of tomato puree

16. Orange food colour

17. Oil to fry

18. 1 teaspoon of butter

19. 1 teaspoon of corn flour made to a paste

Preparation:

Prepare the chicken

1. Take the chicken pieces, marinate them with ginger-garlic paste, salt, and balsamic vinegar, egg and white flour paste. Keep them marinated for 30 minutes.

Fry the vegetable

2. Take a frying pan and add oil to it. Release the onion and capsicum to it, sauté for some time till it changes colour. Set aside.

Fry the chicken

3. Add butter to the skillet and the release the marinated chicken. Fry till the chicken becomes partly crispy. Remove them and keep aside.

Prepare the sauce

4. Now it’s time to prepare the sauce. Add oil in a skillet and after it heats up release the chopped ginger garlic, chilli flakes and toss for some time. Then take the mixture of orange juice, lime juice and tomato sauce and cook till they become a thick sauce. You can apply food colour so as to darken the colour and make it luscious. Add the corn flour paste to thicken the sauce.

How to serve?

5. Now take a serving bowl and place the fried veggies to it. This layer id that of the onion, capsicum.

6. Then place the chicken carefully.

7. Now ladle the sauce over it carefully along the sides and see that the chicken completely covers up.

8. Garnish with chopped cilantro and sliced oranges along the sides.

The dish goes very well with steaming rice or tortilla bread. Just an exceptional attempt from the traditional chicken. Definitely, the flavour of orange and chicken is tantalizing and some- thing different.

10 must try ‘edible items’ while you are in Spain

noreply@blogger.com (Sweta Chakraborty) — Mon, 3 Feb 2020 21:33:00 -0800

A walk around the Mercado San Miguel,Madrid is the ultimate of a Spanish gastronomic tour

Spain, a vibrant country is known for the excellent weather conditions, exotic beaches, cathedrals, enormous history and of course a plethora of gastronomical variety. Various regions, various traditional dishes, and various cooking techniques have made this country the most desired destination for tourists, who love relishing the best of food tour. Yes, you will see ‘Mercado’ (market in Spanish), and also street side eatery, where you can have the best of culinary experience.

The Spanish people are a bit lazy by habit (as they quote themselves), late to rise, late to go to bed and of course late lunch and dinner. But, the fortnight I spent in Spain was a great experience and my ‘food hunt’ initiative took detailed turn, until I felt confident enough to pen down on the best 10 food items, which should be a must try for any travel freak, travelling to Spain.

Tapas or the fun filled snack of Spain

1. Tapas: If you are in Spain never go without trying tapas. Tapas, is derived from the Spanish verb ‘tapar’ which means to cover. Before the 19^th century, the tapas were served with posados, bogedas and albugues. The inns used to offer their guests a sample of the dish served on tapa or cover of the pot. Tapas could be of two variety, hot and cold served. According to the concept of ‘Joy of Cooking’ tapas are thin slices of bread or meat which is used to cover their sherry glasses in between slips. Tapas generally comes with a drink, Vermud or Sangria. There are various types of tapas, depending on their popularity and the consumer’s taste buds. Tapas could be served with fried potatoes, cured ham, cheese, olives, calamari, croquets, mussels, pan tumaca, gilda, cuttlefish, octopus and many more.

We had an awesome experience in Madrid’s ‘Mercado de la san Miguel’, where the market specializes in tapas and a number of sea foods. The market starts just at 12 noon and you should see people queueing outside the market waiting to devour eatables inside.

The crunchy bite dipped in chocolaty sauce

2. Churros: When you think about churros, your mouth literary waters up. The luscious bread stick like snacks dipped in chocolaty syrup, will definitely take your heart and soul in the first bite. Well, the history of churros has various explanations. The first theory says that it’s a descendant of the Chinese pastry called youtiao, which looks like two joint breadsticks dunked in chocolate syrup. Others say that churros was an invention of Spanish shepherd, made from a dough of flour, salt and water which resembles the horns of the native Chura sheep.

My experience was truly awesome. While hanging round the streets of Madrid, in the month of December, got to take a bit at the crunchy churros dipped in hot piping chocolate sauce. Hot crunchy churros, beat the essence of mercury dipping below three degrees.

3. Calamari: The calamari is a fish extremely popular in the Mediterranean country zones, is one of the hot favourite food in Spain. Also known as squid, calamari rings sliced, battered in flour and then deep fried, tossed with lemon juice is simply fabulous. There are various health benefits of calamari. They are rich in protein, contain cancer preventive antioxidant, filled with vitamins and minerals and fight anaemia in humans.

I tried calamari many a times, in places like Barcelona, Alicante, Madrid and Granada. It was spread widely as a popular fried sea food in North America in 1975.

Gazpacho soup, the traditional Spanish meal

4. Gazpacho soup: The gazpacho soup is a typical invention of the Andalusian region of Spain. The soup has its own specialty as its made from dried bread, vegetable and fruits all blended together to form a cold soup. The history of the food traces to the era when Spain used to be conquered by the roman soldiers who used to carry dried bread. The bread were ground in a mortar, mixed with tomato, olives, beetroot, olive and apples altogether , which got the generic term gazpacho. All ingredients were readily available in Spain.

The soup has its term derived from Arabic influence, or might be from a term ‘Gazaz’ which has Hebrew origin. It can even be derived from the Latin word ‘Caspa’ which means little pieces or fragments. It’s said that Christopher Columbus preferred this soup when he used to go to voyages from Spain.

I tried this cold soup in Granada, which was really a juicy, tangy experience. In fact a bread along with the soup could be a very desirable option to satiate your hunger at the minimal cost.

Sangria or the fruity Alcohol drink

5. Sangria: Try the cool, refreshing, fruity alcohol drink while you are in Spain. The word Sangria literary means bloodletting in Spanish. The use of the term Sangria can be traced back to history in the 18^th century. The main ingredients are red win and fruit. Later, in 1964, Sangria was tasted in 1964 World’s fair in New York city. It’s made from Spanish wine Tempranillo and other wine from the Rioja, which has added flavours of fruit in it. Basically it’s aromatizing, diluting and fortifying the Spanish wine.

A weekend in Spain is always celebrated by welcoming the guests with Sangria followed by a seafood meal, Paella.

Paella - the Mediterranean sea food wonder!

6. Paella: Paella is originally a seafood meal originated from Valencia. In one word, Paella covers all the flavours of Spain in one dish. A flat dish made with all sea food – mussels, prawns, and rice flavoured with saffron. The dish is served with lemon, which will give a unique taste once tossed upon. In fact, you will find the black version of Paella, which is made from squid ink. The world paella comes from ‘La Paella’, Catalan language which means the plate.

Paella has a very humble beginning where it was known that the farmers cooked rice combined with meat and other vegetable for a meal. Mught be sea food found place in paella plate in the next generations. Today, Paella is a weekend sea food culture. We enjoyed Paella which we has lunch in Valencia.

Tortilla or Spanish omlette

7. Espana tortilla: This is popularly known as Spanish omelette. The dish is made from egg casquaded with potatoes and bread. It’s a filling meal and often served during Spanish breakfast. The origin of this dish is not really known, but tales do like when General Gumalacarrlegui visited the home of a poor farmwife, requested her to feed the troop during the siege of Bilbao. Thereafter, the food became famous throughout Spain. The dish became famous in Mexico in later times.

You may get one of the best tortillas if you visit Madrid. Well, if you want to cook it for yourself, you may bring variation with cheese, herbs, onions and tomatoes.

Patatas Bravas or the cubed potatoes tossed with sauce

8. Patatas Bravas: A bowl filled with potatoes, cut unevenly, chunked and then topped with tomato sauce, is the most favourite and economic dish for Spain. Like the French likes French fries, the British like fish and chips, for Spain there is only one winner and that’s patatas bravas. The potatoes are often accompanied by hot sauce, named cayenne sauce. The origin of this dish comes from Madrid, from two restaurants namely, La Casa Perico and La Casona. They were the creators of white potatoes. While some fry the potatoes, some bake it.

We tried patatas bravas as a snack. It was truly awesome and a fulfilling food for a minimum 3-4 euros.

Jamon Iberico or the spiced grooves of Pig

9. Jamon Iberico: As you visit the tapas bars of Spanish cities, you will see the bar owners prefer to hand the whole leg piece of the pig from the ceiling. The scene looks a bit weird to a first time traveller to Spain, but there is an age old tradition behind this. The pork meat is mixed with salt and then allowed to hang and dried, so that it ensures maximum taste of the piece of meat.

Since Spain has been a melting pot of various traditions, but not necessarily that all were loved equally. The Jews, who were forced out of the country, never ate pig or pork meat. The meat were hanged so that the Jews knew they were not welcome to the country. Jamon Iberico is awesome, especially with tapas. It’s salty, and the dried fat gives a crunchy feel.

Croquets, the melt in mouth wonder

1 10. Croquets: Croquets are small pieces of cylindrical or spherical succulent bite made from eggs and breadcrumbs fried with lot of oil. As per the tales go, the origin of this dish was not Spanish but a French one. The dish was invented at an urgency when meat was left over from the previous day, along with remains of ham which were getting hard; the meat was put together with béchamel, a flour of the 19^th century which was mixed to make the classic item croquet.

The person credited with the invention of this snack was named Antoine Careme, popularly known as the ‘ chef of kings’ presented the dish in a society in the occasion of a dinner, which represented items of European nobility.

Croquette is simply a melt in mouth version. With lots of cheese, potato, egg and breadcrumbs, this dish which can be made with a bit of variation of composition, is rightly a must eat in Spain.

I am a foodie and love to remain so. I travelled extensively across Spain, watched the restaurants, eateries and thereby explored food items ready to create an explosion (taste of course) in my mouth. A trip to a county is incomplete without its characteristic food tour.

10 UNESCO world heritage sites covered in a 10 day trip to Spain

noreply@blogger.com (Sweta Chakraborty) — Mon, 13 Jan 2020 12:52:00 -0800

Alhambra palace is unique of its kind

Spain is all about the sunny sky, food, ‘futbol’ (Spanish pronunciation of football), fun things and historical infrastructures. In this context I must say that I was lucky to see 10 UNESCO rated world heritage sites in a single trip. Well, the trip was hectic, and involved waking up early and going to bed late, but this would surely give goose bumps, when reminisced after 10 years. For people who love history, Spain will be the most desired place for a holiday.

What’s a world heritage site and where lies the importance?

There are about 1121 world heritage sites in this planet, identified and maintained by UNESCO (United Nation’s Educational, Scientific and cultural organization. World heritage site could be cultural, natural or a mixed property, and spread over 167 State Parties. Sites having outstanding universal value, has been denoted as heritage sites. It’s important that these sites cannot be renovated by changing its structure, but can be maintained the way it is. The site could be cultural, scientific, nature or any other significant forms, but it’s generally protected by International legal treaties.

As for Spain, the country proudly shelters 48 UNESCO rated world heritage sites. Well, although my time was limited and my wishes couldn’t follow the leaps and bounds; I managed to see 10 of them.

1. Monastery and site of the Escorial, Madrid: Built at the end of 16^th century, the Escorial monastery, stands as a symbol of martyrdom of St. Lawrence. It is the retreat of mystic power and during the reign of King Philip II it became the seat of political power. The Royal seat of San Lorenza of El Escorial became a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1984. There are 16 inner courtyards, 4000 rooms, 86 staircases and 88 fountains inside.

We were told by our guide that that present royal couple of Spain doesn’t reside in this palace, but in the palace of Zarzuela, although it’s the official residence of Spanish monarch. The palace is used in times of celebration. The monastery is open from 10 am to 6pm. You may spend evening near the monastery and walk to the Plaza de Oriente, where several restaurants and café line up to welcome the tourists.

San loreza el Escorial

El Escorial, at Madrid

2. Barcelona Gaudi architecture: Barcelona is a vibrant city and the most important place of Catalonia region. Known for its culture, and world class architecture by Antoni Gaudi, Barcelona has been the most favourite place for tourists in Spain. During late nineteenth and early twentieth century, Gaudi has contributed various structures that represent that gothic style with a blend of modernity to it.

We visited the famous cathedral of Sagrada Familia, and other structures like Park Guell, Palau Guell, Casa Mila, Casa Vicens, Casa Batlo, and the church at Colonia Guell. All these works were felicitated as UNESCO world heritage sites. Architect Gaudi used parabolic arches, incorporating Catalan vaults which worked as revolutionary load bearing system. The queue to each site was too long, but you can easily take advantage of ‘skip the line’ tickets by purchasing online. That proved to be a time saver. The architectural legacy of Gaudi is contributed in the present construction of Sagrada familia, a catherdral that’s going to be the greatest in European continent by 2026.

Casa Batlo

Sagrada familia, Barcelona

3. Seville: Seville, the most important city of the Andalusia region of Spain boasts to host three UNESCO world heritage sites in the same complex. The three buildings cathedral, Alcazar and Archivo de Indivas forms the most remarkable complex. The cathedral is a huge imposing basilica over a mosque. You may go to the terrace for getting the best bird’s eye view. The Alcazar is a great architectural excellence and a mish mash of styles and periods, having a fascinating journey through history. The Archido de Indivas is an extraordinary structure that preserves over 40,000 documents and maps; formerly it used to be a stock exchange. The resources refer to the voyages to the new world, covering the last three centuries.

We saw the structures, and posed photos surrounding the places. We were most fascinated by the trees, truncated with oranges almost reaching our hands. The guide told that these oranges are plucked for the purpose of making marmalades. An interesting place indeed.

Seville Cathedral

Alcazar, Seville

4. Poblet monastery: The Poblet monastery is situated at the south of Catalonia, and northeast of Iberian Peninsula. Built between 12^th to 15^th centuries, it’s known for its impressive architecture that includes a fortified royal residence and pantheon for the monarchs of Catalonia and Aragon. The monastery is surrounded by three defensive walls around. The first enclosure was built in the 16^th century, has storehouse, workshop and worker’s house. The second enclosure is a fortified golden door, and the third or innermost enclosure includes church, monastic room and cloister. The defensive monastery is surrounded by a wall of polygonal or square tower, two of which is flanked by the royal doorway. It’s one of the most unique artistry of Cistercian abbeys in the 12^th, 13^th and 14^th century. It was inscribes to the list of world heritage site in 1991.

Poblet is accessible from Barcelona in a day trip. We saw monks around the premises. The trips are generally done in Spanish and Catalan language. You have to buy an English audio guide to get through the structure.

Poblet monastery

5. Cordoba: A city situated in southern Spain, Andalusia region, having a population of 325,000 only has the most number of UNESCO rated world heritage sites. Anybody, if asked over a dinner party, on which city having highest number of heritage sites, the answer probably would be Paris, Rome, Barcelona, Madrid, etc. But, truly speaking its Cordoba. The other notable sites here are the Alcazar, a fortress dating back to the Arab rule, a spectacular visit. The archaeological remains of the caliphate city, Medina Azahara, an Arabic term which means ‘shining city’, an establishment built in the 10^th century is worth viewing. If you visit Cordoba in May, the patio festival starts which is another UNESCO rated distinction. People decorate their houses with summer flowers and that’s a wonderful spectacle. Tourists are invited to see, and take photographs of the same.

The most famous is the mesquite cathedral, which was built in 786 AD, then conquered by the Arabs, converted to mosque and again after 16^th century taken by the Christians. The walls of the cathedral has Arabic inscriptions in it. People who come here offer their prayers, at the same time offer namaaz. We were told by our guide, that many people in Spain has been converted to Christianity, practise Islam in secrecy. The mesquite cathedral is a prominent example of this culture. Cordoba, was the last powerful empire of the Muslims in Spain, bears eminent Moorish influence.

Mesquita Cathedral of Cordoba

6. Avila: Avila is a fortified Spanish city located in the Castile and Leon Community. It’s even regarded as the town of stones and saints. It has the highest number of Romanesque gothic churches. It’s a complete medieval town built in the Romanesque style. Avila was declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 1985. The site consists of walled city and four extra muros churches.

The main wall of Avila was built in the 11^th to 14^th century. The very sight of it was photogenic as we viewed in the afternoon sky. We took photographs from certain view points. The wall of Avila becomes a fantastic sight in the evening as they become totally illuminated. We saw the cathedral and took photographs of the northern façade, western front, interiors, capilla mayor, chapel of san Segundo, and the chapel of santa catalina. We saw various other structures like basilica of san vincente, Iglesia de san pedro, convent de san jose and many more. Walking through the cobblestone city gave me immense pleasure and I could understand the versatility of the city which existed of years before and still prevalent. For gastronomic requirements, try some bun stuffed with sausage, bacon, steak and eggs. ‘Hornazo’ is worth mentioning in this respect.

The walled city of Avila

7. Segovia Aqueduct: Segovia is a medieval town situated in central Spain, the autonomous community of Castile and Leon. The centre is situated at the confluence of Eresma and Clamores River. The Moors, Jews and Christians co -existed since a long period and worked together during the manufacture boom of the 16^th century. The roman aqueduct of Segovia was built in the 50 BC, is remarkably well preserved. Consisting of 128 pillars, the aqueduct stands 28.5 metres above the ground level. The aqueduct of Segovia, is best known for the civil engineering feats, excellent state of conservation and cannot be separated from Segovia as a whole.

We explored the city, posed before the historic remains of aqueduct, and felt as state of satisfaction standing beside of one of the oldest structures of the world.

Aqueduct at Segovia

8. Salamanca: Salamanca, a city situated at the Northwestern Spain, a part of Castile and Leon region, dates back tits presence to the Celtic era. The architecture is made from ornate sandstone and the oldest university, Universidad de Salamanca exists here. Research says that the university was established in 1100 AD and became the centre of education for the intellectuals during 15^th – 16^th AD.

We made a day trip to the place from Madrid and enjoyed exploring the city. The historic city has important Romanesque, Gothic, Moorish and Baroque monuments. We saw the cathedrals, palaces, churches placed at the Plaza Mayor. The stones that has inscriptions of the life of a student, prevents the city from ageing.

We were accompanied by our guide, who narrated stories taking us to the nook and corner of the streets of Salamanca. Needless to say, I fell in love with the centennial stones. We saw the house of shells (casa de las conchas) and loved the traditional ambrosia flavours of the city. We tried some tostas and montaditos for our gastronomic needs. It was an absolute pleasure for a photography freak to click alluring views of the age old city.

Universidad de salamanca

9. Granada: Granada, a city situated in Southern Spain’s Andalusia region, and at the foothills of Sierra Nevada has grand examples of Moorish architecture. The city proudly possess Alhambra, the fortress, reflecting the Nasrid dynasty built in 889 AD. Eminent personalities like Cristopher Columbus stepped in to have discussions with the then monarch. We availed the walking tour of Alhambra, and it was a wonderful experience. The patios, the enclaves, the wooden architecture, the gardens and the lion like structures speak some untold stories. The Moorish poets described Alhambra as’ a pearl set in an emeralds’. On the Eastern side of Alhambra, stands the Generalife, where the Emirs used to reside during the 13^th and 14^th centuries. The Alhambra, Generalife and Albayzin, stand on two adjacent hills separated by the Darro river. The district of Albayzin, constitutes the origin of the city of Granada, is a rich legacy of the Moorish town planning. The Christian tradition co-exit harmoniously. Albayzin district is the best site where Hispano- Muslim tradition exists.

Another attraction that draws tourists to Granada is the flamenco show organized at the caves, which gives a traditional touch. A picturesque city, Granada is a photographer’s paradise. We stayed 2 nights at Granada, and explored the city.

Generalife

Alhambra

10. Toledo: Toledo, an ancient city situated at the La Mancha plains of Central Spain, known to be UNESCO world heritage site from 1986. Known for having a wall all around the city, having Christian, Islamic and Jewish influence. We did a day trip to Toledo from Madrid. The first sight of the city was from a view point where we could see the walled city, Alcazar, cathedral overlooking the Tagus River. We were following our tour guide, along the meandering narrow roads of the city. We learned about the religious history of Toledo, and appreciated the Synagogue of El transito which resembled the Mud’ejar style. We visited the museum of El Greco and museum of Santa cruz. Although , there is no point wasting in shopping, but the steel swords displayed at the shops are truly mind boggling. I bought a miniature sample, as a sign of novelty. We had a guided tour along the Jewish neighbourhood and learnt how they were expelled from the city. We viewed the two synagogues that turned to churches.

Toledo has over 2000 years old history which involves being the capital of Visigothic kingdom, fortress of the Emirate of Cordoba, an early Roman establishment, temporary set of power under the jurisdiction of Charles V, and an outpost of the temporary Christians fighting the Moors in the 16^th century. In one word, its history revisited.

Medieval city of Toledo overlooking the Tagus river

Scotland, the land of loch, Harry Potter and many more

noreply@blogger.com (Sweta Chakraborty) — Fri, 7 Jun 2019 12:33:00 -0700

Edinburgh, a beautiful Victorian city preserves the European culture

Scotland, the land of medieval kings attracted me from a long time, since I was a movie freak, and loved watching fiction based films based on the early ages of Europe. From London we took a flight to Edinburgh and then opted for a 3 day package tour to cover the delights of picturesque Scotland. You may even travel by train at quite affordable rates.

On reaching Edinburgh airport, we took a taxi to reach our hotel near Edinburgh station. I must say that if you are planning your tour, make sure you book your stay at the centre of the city, so that you spend the minimum time commuting to and fro from the hotel to city junctions like airport or train station. Finding hotels through internet and booking could be easily done, while you check the past review and ratings of the hotel.

Hop on hop off bus touring the city

Transporting around the city: Best is to avail the hop on hop off tour which operates throughout the year at vary affordable rates. You can buy tickets online. You may take a private transport or avail city buses.

Edinburgh, the magical city:

Edinburgh, is a bustling city that houses Universities, castles, restaurants and a rich history. Walking though the stony streets of Edinburgh is no lesser than experiencing the history of a once culturally rich Victorian city. Somewhere in my mind, I had a hallucination that Madam JK Rowling, must be sitting in street side restaurant with a cup of coffee, to pen down her next series of Harry Potter.

There are several tour agents, who will help you with a tour guide to cover the main spots of the city within 2-3 hours. Some adventure freaks prefer to go for a night tour with a story telling guide who would narrate the spine chilling horror stories from the past that includes witch rituals, pagan rituals, executions and some urban myths about local monsters. Don’t be surprised to see some awesome magical feat performed by some local witchcraft on the streets.

An English dinner with fish and salsa

Mind boggling Scottish fabric on the plate

St Gille’s Cathedral: Visit the St. Gille’s cathedral, the first parish church in Edinburgh established in the year 854, which was re- conseracted in 1243. Observe the gothic style architecture of the church and find the passionate stories attached to it.

St. Gille's Cathedral, a coveted place of worship

You may avail the rooftop tour which is possible for a group of at least 4 people or more. You will enjoy the spectacular view of the city, as well as enjoy some beverage at the café.

Edinburgh castle, address of the once rulers of Scotland

Edinburgh Castle: Visit the Edinburgh castle, said to be one of the oldest castle that is situated over a great volcanic rock, which according to the guides is 70 million year old extinct volcano. This is not only an infrastructure, but the four walls have experienced history of wars, killing and birth of royals.

Your guide will narrate the magical stories associated with each and every wall, corners of the castle.

Walking past the Royal Mile is invirogating

Royal Mile: Have a walk on the royal mile, a succession of streets that join the palace with its castle. You might be have seen this in various Hollywood movies like ’Edinburgh in the nineteenth century’, which was also published as a guide book.

Magical feats at the street of Edinburgh- not a rare sight

Well, since Scotland is a city of magic, I saw various feats here that reminds of Harry Potter. Don’t be surprised to observe real magic here on the streets.

Princess street garden: This is built in between two public parks situated at the centre of Edinburgh. They lie in the shadow of the castle of Edinburgh. Spend some time around the Nor loch, which is situated on the Northern side of the loch. Edinburgh being a medieval town, you may see various structures quite off the time, but preserved with great care.

National Museum of Scotland

National museum of Scotland: National museum of Scotland is quite an interesting place. You would love to see the grand galleries, art, design, fashion galleries and other archaeological collection of the world. Don’t be surprised to discover the T. rex grinning with it’s 5000 years old skeleton, posing to be your long lost brother ( just kidding). Your kid will definitely love the interactive games and other wonders of science on display in the museum.

Archaeological sights of the Scotland museum

Greyfriars Crik: if you have time in hand, stroll the city to explore Greyfriars crik, the meadows, Holyrood palace and Scottish Parliament building and money.

Lot more interersting things at Edinburgh

Well, this is not the end. If you are a bit interested in paranormal activities, you have a very interesting walking tour at night. This is a group tour led by a tour guide who will narrate stories of treachery, murder and suicide. Well, you might be so much indulged in his stories that you can come across a couple of Victorian character while in hallucinated state. (I am kidding again). Everything depends on your thoughts. But exploring a land of the unknown, a Victorian city which races with modernity and a vibrant city is a matter of chance. A travel freak like me never leaves behind an opportunity to see the unseen.

Exploring Windsor castle (Berkshire)…….! Where the royals reside!

noreply@blogger.com (Sweta Chakraborty) — Tue, 16 Apr 2019 13:22:00 -0700

Walls of the Windsor castle

Day trips from London are literary endless. On our sixth day of the trip, we decided to explore Windsor castle, much-desired trip after the celebrated Prince Harry and Princess Meghan tied their knot. There are various ways to visit Windsor castle from London, situated 24.4 miles from the city heart. You can self -drive which takes 30 minutes from the city center, or might take a taxi which will bill around £65- £75. The cheapest and easiest way is to alight a train and you can reach Eton riverside within 54 minutes.

There was a huge queue when I visited the fort at 11 am. People from around the globe wait outside the gate to buy entrance tickets to explore the iconic structure denoting British royalty. Windsor castle is one of the most photographed structure and gets telecasted whenever the media wants to focus any event emphasizing the royal family of Britain. The flag (Royal standard) hovering at the top of the structure denotes the presence of Queen The mother inside her residence or if she has left for the day. You may purchase an entrance ticket from the queue or look for skip the queue tickets online.

The dome of the tower

A brief history of the Windsor palace: Sneaking a peek into history, the original castle was built way back in the 11^th a century after the Norman invasion took place. It’s been in use by the British monarchs since the reign of Henry I. The rooms in the palace are the finest expression after Georgian taste. The fort was used as a military headquarter by the parliamentary forces during the time of English civil war. The castle was rebuilt and reconstructed in several eras and different rulers. There were several damages done to the iconic fort form wars and attacks it suffered. When King Edward VII came to the throne in 1901, he was obsessed with the modernization of the Windsor castle with zest and enthusiasm. In 1992, a part of the fort suffered from fire attack where 9 of the staterooms were worse affected. Today some parts of the castle are open for public viewing thereby attracting large funds required for maintaining and restoration process of the iconic residence of British monarchs.

The royal choir busy performing

The day was hot and the queue was long. I had to wait a long time before the ticketing counter. The ticket cost me £22.5 per person, the charge of touring the Windsor castle. The various divisions inside the Windsor palace are- middle ward, upper ward, state apartment, lower apartment and the park outside the fort.

Middle ward of the castle

Middle ward: At the heart of the Windsor castle is a middle ward, where a bailey is formed around an artificial hill. The round tower, based on the top of the motte, was originally built in the 12^th century. Then again in the 19^th century, it was rebuilt by architect Jeffry Wyatville, which imposed more height and silhouette to the structure. The recent height of the tower is criticized to be disproportionate to its width. The Norman gatehouse resides to the Eastern exit. The gate was heavily decorated and had medieval lion masks, which is a traditional symbol of majesty.

Articles in use in the stateroom

The Windsor castle in my camera

Upper ward: The upper ward of Windsor Castle has a number of major buildings enclosed by the upper bailey wall. The structure forms a quadrangle. The buildings situated in the upper wall are characterized by the usage of flint and mortar for galletting, and that originally started in the 17^th century. We saw the main entrance and the royal guard on duty. The scene was much recollected when the media covers any event inside the castle. During 1992, a massive fire broke out thereby permanently damaging some rooms of the state house, but restoration work went on in full swing.

The grand state apartment

State apartments: Major parts of the upper ward is occupied by the state apartments. The modern buildings follow medieval foundations which were laid by King Edward III. The ground floor comprises cellars and the grander first floor comprises the main part of the palace. The interiors of the state apartment were designed by designer Wyatville. The rooms are of Gothic, classical and Rococo style. The grand reception has the best design.

Windsor castle gallery

Lower ward: Lying below and west to the round tower is the lower ward. Most of the portions are medieval design, and they were reconstructed during the Victorian era by Edward Salvin. On the western side of the chapel, there is a grand Victorian staircase, which is used during the ceremonial occasions.

There is a curfew tower, which is one of the oldest surviving parts of the lower wards that was in use during the 13^th century. They serve as the secret exit of the occupants during the time of siege.

Park and landscape: The park area extends over a longer stretch. The castle garden stretches eastwards to form the upper ward across and surrounded by chestnut and plane trees. The Eton College is placed a half mile from the palace, across the Thames River, which reflects the royal foundation by Henry VI. Well, there are tour agents who arrange for an afternoon tea session after the palace tour.

Royal tea in the royal palace. Nothing compared to it.

The quick potato rose snack- let your kid explore his culinary skills!

noreply@blogger.com (Sweta Chakraborty) — Mon, 25 Feb 2019 09:38:00 -0800

Potato rose snack- the easy, yummy choice!

Well, when your child bothers you at the kitchen, its high time to get him engaged in a creative deal. There are some recipes, which you must involve your kids. Well, let them stay out of the fire and oven, but let them explore their creative ideas along with your culinary skills. This was a weekday when I was wondering what to prepare for my child's sizeable appetite when he inculcated this great idea.

Preparation: for (2-3) people

Ingredients:

1. 5 large sized potatoes, skinned and peeled into roundish size,

2. 1 cup of cheddar cheese shredded,

3. 1 medium sized onion chopped,

4. 1 medium sized tomato chopped,

5. 1 pinch of salt,

6. 6 eggs, yolk and while separated.

Equipment used:

1. Baking tray,

2. Brush for putting oil,

3. Oven

Procedure:

1. Take a baking tray and brush oil in it. Place the potatoes in the cups. One at the base of the cup and the others to be lined longitudinally so that it resembles a rose.

2. Remove the yolk of the egg and then place over the cup in between the potato rose shape. sprinkle the chopped tomato and onions into it.

3. Now brush some oil over the potato rose petals and then place in the oven at 240-degree Celsius for 7 minutes.

4. Remove to see that the egg yolk is already settled. Then place the shredded cheddar cheese over the egg yolk and again place inside the oven.

5. This time bake for another 5 minutes till the cheddar cheese melts. You may sprinkle some oregano over the baked potato shaped rose petals.

Remove the tray from the oven and then carefully scoop the snack from the cup. The rose-shaped potato snack is ready and you will love to take the cheesy bite. This is a wholesome meal with a twist of egg, cheese, and chopped veggies. Well, cooking can be relaxation and enjoyment when your kids' creativity is involved.

Spinach and Egg quiche- when you are downsizing with the ‘keto’ way!

noreply@blogger.com (Sweta Chakraborty) — Fri, 22 Feb 2019 12:05:00 -0800

Spinach and egg quiche topped with nuts - always yummy!

I was following an article on weight loss when I was introduced with the term ‘keto diet’. The concept follows that when the body doesn’t have any carbohydrate to burn, it burns down fats for energy. The result is that excess keto body is produced and the break-down of food begins. Now, the most important part of the diet being the energy from each meal should be on the basis of 80% fats, 15% protein, and 5% carbohydrate. Well, as I was flipping the pages of a keto website, an idea clicked my mind and I thought, let’s give it a chance. With all available things in my house, I could prepare a very easy and palatable dish, a quiche made from spinach, egg and other veggies.

Preparation: For 2 people

Ingredients:

1. 4 eggs, battered

2. 1 bunch of spinach blanched,

3. 1 medium sized onion chopped,

4. ½ tomato medium sized chopped,

5. ½ teaspoon of salt,

6. ½ cup of cheddar cheese shredded,

7. 1 green chili chopped,

8. Sliced 2 garlic cloves chopped,

9. 2 and pecans sliced,

10. 1 teaspoon of butter.

Equipment used:

Microwave

Preparation:

1. Melt butter in a skillet and then add the chopped onion and tomatoes to it. Toss gently until they get softened. Add the chopped garlic and cook again.

2. Add the blanched spinach and then cook the veggies with the cover on. The veggies will release water and get softened. Remove and allow to cool down.

3. Now add the eggs to it and fold the mixture till they get evenly mixed.

4. Now place the mixture in a microwave safe container and then cook for 3-4 minutes.

5. Top the shredded cheese over the egg content and again microwave for 2 minutes, till you see the cheese melt completely.

6. Remove and then garnish with sliced nuts.

The idea of the quiche topped with nuts is not a general one; but trust me, my friends, the taste was just out of the world.

You may give this awesome ‘keto’ breakfast after you come from a walk or work out. Try this recipe even if you are not planning to shed some weight. It’s a healthy and yummy breakfast.

Greenwich – thrills of standing at zero meridian!

noreply@blogger.com (Sweta Chakraborty) — Tue, 29 Jan 2019 12:25:00 -0800

View from the Royal Observatory

A visit to the UK, without a peek at Greenwich is truly incomplete. I planned my journey in such a way that I could cover a place or two in a single day. A trip to Greenwich would take a full day. The city is a combination of fascinating museums, parklands, mesmerizing architecture, bustling markets, and much more galvanizing experience.

Getting to Greenwich: Greenwich, located at south east London and South bank of London. This city is rated as the UNESCO world heritage site which stands as the symbol of British culture and naval power for 400 years. We started from London and took a cruise over the Thames River till Greenwich Pier. There is accessibility by underground as well as rail and airline cable car.

· From the Tower of London, getting to the Greenwich pier will take 20 minutes.

· From St. Paul’s Cathedral, Greenwich will take hardly 25 minutes.

· From Bond street luxury boutiques, North Greenwich is hardly 20 minutes.

· Starting from the Monument, it will take 30 minutes to reach Greenwich by DLR.

In case you are planning to visit the place, take a closer look at the transport system, get updated via google and chalk out your journeys.

Things to see in Greenwich: Once you land at Greenwich make sure you see the meridian line, the royal observatory, Maritime national museum, Old Royal naval college, Greenwich Park, Greenwich market and the O2 arena. From the pier, we walked all the way through Greenwich Park to reach the Royal Observatory.

The Royal Observatory: This is an observatory overlooking the Thames River and situated over a hill. Having played a great role in navigation and astronomy, this is best known as the prime meridian passes through. It cost us 15£ per adult and 6£ for a child ticket.

The Timekeeper, a site near the entrance

We followed the queue to enter inside. This was founded by King Charles II in 1670, who founded the importance of seeking better navigation for country’s sea trade.

Observing the city from the viewpoint of Royal Observatory

Since 1884, Greenwich stands as the landmark of zero degree meridian. It was great fun to stand amidst the historical line of Meridian with two foot towards each side. It was an elating experience to discover the home of Greenwich mean- time.

Camera obscura view

We saw the great equatorial telescope, which was a 250 years old working observatory in Greenwich. We enjoyed the view of Camera Obscura, which was a dark room with an arrangement to see the views of the Thames River, Royal naval museum, National maritime museum, all through a panoramic view.

Standing at the prime meridian

Where the time zone starts

We saw the timekeeper of John Harisson’s which was used in the 18^th century.

The trip was regarded as an experience of a lifetime.

National maritime museum, a great attraction

Maritime national museum: We saw the National maritime museum in Greenwich which was established in the 17^th century AD. The historic building is a part of the maritime Greenwich world heritage site. This place is open daily from 10 am to 5 pm. The cost of entrance is 10 £. Once you get inside there is a lot of attraction for the visitors. Never miss seeing the Nelson’s Trafalgar coat, Turner’s battle of Trafalgar’s gallery, Ship in a bottle, Caird library and archive, history of four new galleries, and the Jutland 1916 gallery.

Greenwich Park, a peaceful abode

Greenwich Park: We walked past the Greenwich park which is a great walking space where you can spend the day picnicking or lazying around. The park is roughly rectangular in shape with sides measuring 1000 meters by 750 meters. The park has two levels having a number of dips and gullies. You can have an uninterrupted view of the Thames River, Queen’s house and the closet of the museum). If you follow the steep walk uphill, that will reveal a flat area which is an enclosed extension of the plateau of Blackheath.

The old Royal naval college: This is regarded as the architectural centerpiece of Maritime Greenwich. This is regarded as the UNESCO world heritage site. Previously there was a Greenwich hospital which was created for the sole purpose of treating wounded soldiers. Anyways, in 1869 the hospital was closed and the remains of the soldiers were removed. In 1873, after completion of the hospital, the building was converted to training establishment meant for the Royal Navy.

Painted hall of Old royal naval college seems familiar? Recollect Harry Potter

In fact, we were told that various Hollywood movies were filmed here at the Old Royal Naval college including Sherlock Holmes, James Bond, and Harry Potter.

Greenwich market, a busy site

Greenwich market: This is considered the only market place of London inside a world heritage site. There is no single thing on earth which you won't see here. There are stalls of antiques, jewelry, fashion garments, and accessories.

There is no dearth of places of interest surrounding London. In fact, you should take your time to travel and experience the various flavors of the city. The prehistoric sites will definitely attract you and you will fall in love with the variedly cosmopolitan culture.

Barbequed fish skewers – a quick deal to spice up your Christmas meal!

noreply@blogger.com (Sweta Chakraborty) — Wed, 19 Dec 2018 13:47:00 -0800

Barbequed fish skewers!What more for a festive season?

Well, Christmas nearing and you must be thinking where and how to celebrate this festive season. While there are various options to celebrate at restaurants or a plethora of home delivery option from the nearest food joints, why not take a chance to decorate your table with some awesome dishes? Trust me, I tried this fish barbeque and it was truly awesome as my friends loved it madly. I used air fryer and the minimum possible oil. Let me share with my food lover friends’ who are planning to spice up their Christmas meal.

For: 3-4 people

Ingredients:

1. Fish fillet ( 3-4 packets),

2. 1 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar,

3. 1 teaspoon of ginger garlic paste,

4. 1 teaspoon red chili paste,

5. ½ teaspoon of salt,

6. 3 tomatoes chopped roundish

7. 2 onions chopped roundish

8. 3 bell peppers chopped roundish

9. Lemon juice for topping

Equipment used:

Air fryer, brush for putting oil.

Procedure:

1. Marinate the fish fillets with vinegar, salt, red chili paste, and ginger garlic paste. Keep in this condition for 30 minutes.

2. Now place them in the air fryer and cook for 15 minutes on both sides. Remove and set aside.

3. Place the chopped vegetable- tomato, bell- pepper and onions inside the air fryer and cook for 10 minutes.

4. Take bamboo skewers and skew the fish and vegetable in a series. You can make your own series.

You can top the beautiful, luscious skewers with mustard paste and some freshly squeezed lemon juice. Well, your Christmas palette cannot be more colorful without this barbequed skewed fish.

A day trip to Roman bath, the ancient city, travelling back 2000 years

noreply@blogger.com (Sweta Chakraborty) — Tue, 27 Nov 2018 05:50:00 -0800

Roman bath - a prehistoric site

The Roman baths are a historical site, well preserved for public viewing and the construction dates back to the 18^th century AD. While you dig into history, the archaeological evidence testifies that fact that the site must have been a center of worship that was practiced by the Celts. The springs are just an artifact of dedication to Goddess Sulis, who was identified by Romans as Minerva.

Means of traveling to the Bath city from the center of London: The city of Bath is situated 100 miles west of London and the same is 16 km East of Bristol. You must explore the enticing city on foot. You get frequent trains from London city to the Bath and the time taken to travel depends from 1 hr 15minutes to 2 hours 10 minutes. Traveling by bus will prove to be a cheaper one and that will take 3-4 hours to reach the city. The coaches do run an interval of 90 minutes. Traveling by taxi, private cars area lays permissible. You may explore the town in bicycle or on foot.

https://www.romanbaths.co.uk/getting-here

(for your reference you may see the map that clarifies the various routes.)

You have to pass various areas before reaching the historic bath.

The entrance of the Roman bath

Entrance: The entrance is a well decorated are with huge sized paintings all over. You can buy your tickets here, afford audio-guides and hire a courtesy child carrier for your toddler.

Terrace depicts statues of political celebs

The terrace: You will be elated to visit the terrace which is lined with statues of British governors and Roman emperors. Well, this is a great scope to have worthwhile memories and get pictured around. The statues were constructed in 1894. The site is actually a huge area and found under the modern ground level.

A roman slave of the then era ( enacting although)

Meeting the Romans: There is a great attraction here in the Roman bath. You actually get to see people who once lived here. They are no other than people who study the Roman history well and enacts like the ancient people living 2000 years back. Don’t be surprised when these people dressed in ancient Roman robes introduce as they come from time machine. They say they were slaves or warriors and answer all your questions in the ancient world. Well, the figures are quite near to the ones you observe in pictures. Don’t get scared. They are not ghosts.

A coffin of the then era

Temple pediments: While you see the front of the temple, the statue of Goddess Sulis Minerva was housed, and the area recently portrays the roman time looks which are quite evident once you go through the animation show.

Visuals of the changing room

You will be going through the era when men and women used to bathe naked in the same pool and avail some massage and other body relaxing services. Well, this is a lesson to learn from that person from that era used to be open-minded and progressive.

Hot water originating from the bath

Skeleton of the then era

Gorgon's head - a figurine

You may see the head curved over the wall which is called the Gorgon’s head, that stands as the symbol of power for Goddess Sulis Minerva.

Tourists observe the courtyard from suspended metallic bridge

Temple courtyard: You may take a walk around the temple courtyard along the suspended metallic bridge. You can observe the stones which still have a bit of grass and fern in it. They were believed to belong to the Roman era and the time where sacrifices were made towards God. Truly, I felt like I was observing a sprawling civilization that came to an end with no notice from the destiny makers. Still, I am fortunate enough to observe the place which was conserved with great care.

Souvenirs for yourself: While exiting from the historic place, you may observe some stalls displaying beautiful souvenirs that include artifacts, show pieces, books, pens, and other stationeries which bear the logo or any symbol of the Roman bath. Carry home some great memories at the mere cost of some pounds.

Visiting the 3500 years old Archaeological structure, the Stone Henge :

Stone Henge observed from a distance

One of the most popular sites that existed around 5,000 years before and rated as one of the most popular UNESCO heritage sites is Stone Henge. It’s an enormous structure when a single stone rests over two other, thereby justifying the power of balancing act which is empowered by the divine power. The archaeologists say that it was first constructed 5000 years back and thereby it underwent another phase of construction at 2500 BC. Sources say that the structures were developed during the Mesolithic era and consist of several barrows that date to the 3500 BC.

You are not allowed proximity to this huge structure and expected to view it just from some yards away. The complex is open to tourists until 5 pm and it’s better to buy tickets online so as to avoid the length of the queue. There is a various arrangement to be picked from the center of London, else you can make it on the way back from the Roman bath.

Well, I was happy as I have toured some pre-historic sites and to my understanding, London and surrounding have been the bull’s eye of settlement since ancient civilization that dates back from the Roman Empire. As the saying goes, ‘Rome was not built in a day’, similarly, London and surroundings are evidence of the fact that civilization was a long built road in history.

Touring Oxford, the education hub of United Kingdom

noreply@blogger.com (Sweta Chakraborty) — Mon, 8 Oct 2018 14:02:00 -0700

Oxford, the epitome of a learning center.

We set for Oxford, the education hub of United Kingdom the next day. Oxford is accessible by train or by bus from the center of London. In fact, there are various day trips organized by professional tour agents. They pick from central London and after the completion of the trip drop at the same place. The trip might cost you $52 per person excluding lunch. Touring the city bustling with International students was really fun. Moreover, summer is the best time to visit places of interest in Europe.

Oxford has more cycles than any other vehicles

While entering Oxford, my eyes caught series of the cycle by the roadside which the students use to move around. In fact, there is no single university, but a group of colleges under the same University. We opted for a walking tour and passed around the famous Trinity College, Keble College, Balliol College, Wadham College and many more.

Trinity college ( collected)

Read the notice near the entrance

The Trinity College: The holy college of Trinity founded by Sir Thomas Pope in 1555 is the target for many International as well as students based in the UK. The college was an all-male one till 1979 and then became a co-educational one. Various movies were filmed over here including the Brideshead Revisited, Last Enchantments, Lewis and Endeavour. It’s a medium-sized college over a spacious site in the city and enjoys harmonious relation with the student and teacher. The college is located in the main entrance of Broad Street and at a stone throw distance from Bodleian Library.

Keble College

Keble College: This College was established in 1870, as a monument to John Keble. The original teaching of the college was theological but the college reflects a wide range of subjects presently that reflects the diversity of degrees. After the Second World War, the trends of the college were towards science subjects. The college has four squads- Pusey, Haywards, Liddon, and Newman. The brick complex was designed by Butterfield. The college has approximately 425 undergraduate and 246 graduate students. The college offers a supportive environment that enables not only academic excellence but also supports music, sports, and drama.

Balliol College: This College was founded in 1263, and it’s one of the constituent colleges of Oxford University of England. The college alumni have three former prime ministers. Noble laureates, numerous philosophical and literary figures once highlighted the benches of the famous college. In 1979, the college accepted the admission of women in its premises. We saw the front quadrangle and garden quadrangle. We were taken through the dining hall, the long stretch if tables and chairs where the genius was once seated to have meal and chit chat with fellow students.

Spotted the Mathematics department

We passed through the famous museum road and various departments that were scattered all over the city. Students who are regular visitors are quite versant with the buildings. We saw both professors and students used cycles for communication.

Bus to Oxford city tour

There are regular tours for tourists over buses that read ‘Oxford tour’. In fact, the city was vivacious with students, tourists, and teachers. We were lucky to see some students dressed in graduation gowns.

Skeleton of Dinosaur

The museum of natural history has much to explore

Oxford Museum of Natural history: We entered the Oxford Museum of Natural history where we were taken through an invaluable specimen of 4.5 million years of the history of the earth. I was just amazed to see the skeleton of dinosaur towering over my head, the label read ‘Iguandon’ and ‘T- Rex’. These must have been enormous creatures that dominated the world in pre-historic times. I posed with my grinning face over the closely similar ‘T–rex’ supposing it could have been my sister once upon a time. The first dinosaur that was described by scientists were Oxfordshire’s Megalosaurus. We experienced the evolutionary history of fish, birds, reptiles, mammals and even more. We were taken aback by the display of whale striking from the walls. We went to see the British bird display on the first floor.

Dinosaur head to imagination

We got an opportunity to see how the minerals were formed beneath the earth surface, stratified in the quarries. The paleontology section had wonderful collections of fossils around the world. The area is a rich source of marine fossils starting from the late Jurassic to the middle ages. There was the presence of 20 touchable specimens that included animal skulls, fossils, and snakeskin.

It was an exciting tour to experience the remains of various prehistoric species.

Bodleian library, the greatest collection

The Bodleian Library: Libraries of Oxford are amongst the most celebrated ones in the world. Some of them are known to be from during the middle ages. The Bodleian Library group were attached to faculties, and it’s been a legal deposit over 400 years. It has a deposit of over 12 million items. Situated in Broad Street, it has a collection of books, newspapers, journals, magazines, maps, prints, drawings and manuscripts. There is a special occasion to be a reader of the library. The venue is open for various exhibitions and other events. Only the people who are affiliated to a college, department of Oxford University receive membership for Bodleian Library. Reader’s cards are not available to anybody.

Radcliffe camera

Radcliffe camera: The Radcliffe Camera is a dome-shaped building of Oxford University, which was designed by James Gibbs and built in neoclassical style during 1737- 49. The word camera comes from the Latin word denoting ‘room’. It’s house to the Radcliffe library. The building was named after Radcliffe, who’s the most successful physician of England. The easiest way of accessing Radcliffe Square is from High street, besides the St. Mary Virgin church. Spending a few pounds, it’s possible to climb the tower to a platform above Radcliffe square.

Bridge of sighs, Oxford

Bridge of sighs: the bridge is a link between the old and new quadrangles of the Hartford College. The architect of the structure was Sir Thomas Jackson. It’s supposed to have similarity with the Bridge of sighs of Venice.

St Mary Virgin church

Church of St Mary virgin: This is situated on the northern side of the high street. The best part of this church is that it allows a north view straight to the Radcliffe.

Something interesting

The ghost tour of Oxford: As I passed the city, a hoarding attracted me which read’ guided ghost tour’. Well, for some people who are adventurous enough, this can be a golden opportunity. Well, the tour costs 12£ per person and it starts at 6:30 in the evening. A guide wearing a mask will take you through the nooks and corners of the city which are believed to be haunted. The tours generally start from the gate of Trinity College in Broad Street. Well, you will be taken through the dark chapters of history that reins in the walls of the colleges. These are the stories of agony, horror, torment as well as terror.

Iconic buildings standing tall for years

If you are lucky you might be a shadowy figure while whizzing past (although it’s a matter of belief). Well, I feel this is just a marketing gimmick and a policy to attract tourists. But, all you see if what you believe. So, if you have an open mind and heart, you will definitely love to explore the opportunity of meeting some English ghosts.

Some souvenirs as memento

The souvenir shop: You will come across numerous souvenir shops across Oxford. You may shop various displays that include fridge magnets and oxford accessories. You may buy glasses and mugs with printed oxford icons, as well as buy hoodies, keyrings, pens, spinner bell, mugs, and T-shirts.

The quick triple layer snack- power packed yummy deal!

noreply@blogger.com (Sweta Chakraborty) — Thu, 27 Sep 2018 12:55:00 -0700

The three-layer power-packed meal

Being a mom is no joke, truly! Sometimes it feels hectic with loads of responsibility and dearth of energy to fulfill it. It was a tough day for me traveling almost 90 km. and back at home to cook something yummy for my kids. I had an innovative idea and implemented that with ease. The snack was just a triple layered one; carbohydrate, vitamins, and protein-packed meal. It’s wholesome and tasty. Well, now my kids demand it almost every day. Well, with some boiled potatoes and some cooked veggies, anybody can make this yummy meal.

Preparation: For 3-4 people

Ingredients:

(For the first layer)

3-4 medium sized boiled potatoes, de-skinned and mashed.

(For the second layer)

A ½ floret of broccoli (medium sized),

2 medium-sized onions chopped,

1 medium sized tomato chopped,

1 medium-sized bell pepper chopped,

½ cup of sweet corn,

(For the third layer)

3-4 eggs

Salt,

Garlic paste,

Soya sauce (3 teaspoons),

Three slices of cheddar cheese,

Oil for cooking,

1 teaspoon of mixed herbs.

Equipment required:

Microwave

Procedure:

1. Put all the chopped vegetable- onion, bell pepper, tomatoes to a container and cook them with the slightest oil. Add garlic paste and the toss all the vegetable nicely. Add soya sauce to the mixture and leave. Keep the cooked vegetable aside.

2. Take the eggs in a bowl and prepare a batter. Add salt and herbs to it.

For the first layer:

1. Take a bowl and layer with the mashed potatoes for the bottom layer. Add one slice of cheddar cheese and then microwave for 2-3 minutes till the cheese melts.

For the second layer:

2. Place the second layer with a ladle of cooked veggies. Add another slice of cheddar cheese and then microwave for 2-3 minutes till the cheese melts.

For the third layer:

3. Take the battered egg and put some herbs to it. Place over the layer of veggies and then microwave for 5-6 minutes.

The egg layer will settle and then it’s ready to be served. The meal should be scooped and put in a plate to enjoy. The three layers become distinct. Trust me, the taste is simply heavenly. Simple ingredients put together to form a delicious wholesome meal.

Jewels of London that allure the tourists ( part 5)

noreply@blogger.com (Sweta Chakraborty) — Thu, 27 Sep 2018 00:32:00 -0700

Hop on - hop off buses are a great way touring London

London is a place of varied culture and preserved heritage. Starting with the Romans of the historic age and ending with the modern immigrant, London has been the best place to settle. The city embraces people from various diversities and made a place for each community. The beauty of London lies in the eyes of the beholder; yes, but she has some iconic landmarks that call tourist from beyond boundaries. I was almost completing the tour of the city, and the last day I accomplished a walking tour and saw some famous landmarks without which my tour would have been an absolute zero.

Piccadilly Circus when bustling with tourists

Piccadilly Circus: We strolled across Piccadilly Circus to have some views of the place and I felt like this place is so known to me, courtesy the media. Eventually, the word circus refers to animals, acrobats, and tents but there was nothing that sort. The word circus is being derived from the Latin to mean circle. This is around the junction with a famous statue at the center and surrounded by videos and neon signs. The British lexicon Piccadilly Circus is used to refer to a place that means exceptionally busy.

The iconic angel stands amidst the busy crossing

The word Piccadilly has been into existence since 1600 as ‘piccadills’ or a type of fancy neck collar used to be available. There’s mention of the place in various novels including many of Charles Dickens. The place has six illuminated screens which are switched off at regular intervals.

A screen that is the trademark of Piccadilly square

The famous screens are of Coca-Cola, TDK, Mac Donald, Hyundai, Samsung, and LG. The place is accessible from other attractions like Leicester Square, Trafalgar Square, National portrait gallery, National Gallery, and St. Martins in the fields.

Strolling along one of the busiest streets of United Kingdom

Oxford Street: Next, we started strolling along Oxford-street. Oxford Street is one of the busiest places of London which is home to almost 300 shopping centers. I was basically wooed to see the brands flashing, hoardings and yes, I was lucky to avail the special summer discounts for some brands. The famous brands that jostle space are – Selfridges, John Lewis, BHS, House of Fraser, Debenhams, Marks & Spencer and many more. We were told that Oxford Street gets specially decked up for Christmas. This is the major road of the city of Westminster situated in the west end of London.

Where brands jostle space

The road runs from Tottenham court road to Marble Arch. Almost half a million visitors come here every day to satiate their shopping spree.

Great landmarks that denote the city's opulence

There is no dearth of restaurants and cinema complex in Oxford Street. It’s a thrill to walk among the busiest streets of the UK.

Trafalgar Square visited by tourists

Trafalgar Square: We whizz passed the Trafalgar square while on the Big Bus tour. Then took some time to explore the iconic place of the Queen’s city. This is a public square situated in central London, which was formerly known as Charing Cross. The iconic structure was built to commemorate the battle of Trafalgar where the British naval won victory against France and Spain in the Napoleonic War. The famous place is surrounded by galleries, museums, historic buildings, and cultural spaces. This place is famous as any political party holds their rallies and demonstrations. The Mayor supports this democratic tradition. The main attractions here are Nelson’s column, fountains, statues, and the fourth plinth. The statues in the display are General Sir Charles James Napier, General Sir Henry Havelock, and King George VI. It was fun to loiter across Trafalgar square. We had a great photography session. Nice to capture great moments at great places.

St. Pauls Cathedral, media's favorite

St Paul’s Cathedral: We came across St. Pauls Cathedral, the awesome dome-shaped religious center which marks an iconic structure across the skyline of London. There is a collection of awe-inspiring history once you step inside the cathedral. This was mostly viewed when royal marriage and other State events were telecasted. Oh yes, how can I forget the fairy tale marriage of Charles and Diana? The entry fees to the cathedral are £18 per person.

Inside St. Paul's Cathedral ( collected)

It is accessible by bus from various corners of the city. The attraction is covered in the city tour plan of Big Bus, Original tour and other hops on - hop off city tours. St Pauls is an Anglican church and the seat of the bishop of London. They offer free guided tours on arrival. The audio guide is available in eight different languages.

In one word, London can woe any visitor with her charm and elegance. The more you see the more you feel short of words describing her opulence. A quiet stroll near the tower bridge, a panoramic view of the city from the Shards or might be a cruise along the Thames River is not enough to realize the magnificence of the Queen’s city. She has a rich history, a great future and presently the bull’s eye of travelers and International students. Yes, London has a wide array of options for any cosmopolitan crowd and you will simply love the varied culture she offers.

The next day, we decided to visit Oxford, the education hub of the United Kingdom.

Jewels of London that allure the tourists (Part 4)

noreply@blogger.com (Sweta Chakraborty) — Tue, 18 Sep 2018 12:56:00 -0700

360 view of the Queen's city from Shard

The aim to visit London was to look at the Queen. Yes, I was excited to see the official residence of the Queen, Buckingham Palace. Looks like the gate, the balcony is so known to me although I saw that for the first time. We were so excited at the view of the historical palace. There is a tour conducted by travel companies that take you into the Staterooms as well as observe the change of guards. Change of guards is a colorful ceremony and you have to be present 45 minutes before the march takes place. The march starts exactly from 11 o’ clock in the morning. In fact, the time can change depending on weather, but it is generally informed to the visitors. The ceremony is beguiling to watch.

Buckingham Palace tour and change of guards: Observing the change of guards is an enthralling affair. But, there is a long queue, entry ticket for the palace. It’s better if you can buy the tickets online. The State house of the palace is open to the public for two months, starting from 27^th July till 30^th September.

Buckingham Palace gate

After observing the change of guards, the visitors are taken inside the palace. You will definitely get goosebumps. There’s a lot to see and feel. Those moments when the British channel broadcasted special moments like Lady Diana’s interview, Queen’s interview and of course the family get together, are all here.

Throne room @ Buckingham Palace ( collected)

In fact, cameras were not allowed in general. All photographs in the blog are taken from special sources. The visitors are generally enchanted to see the throne room, ballroom and there are other State rooms of the Palace.

Royal corridors ( collected)

There are 19 staterooms out of which one is working, where the Queen meets her guests. There are priceless decorations inside the staterooms that include paintings by Rubens, Rembrandt, and Canaletto.

Historic chariot in vogue from King George VI

It’s enchanting to view the royal coach that is displayed in the royal mews. It’s fascinating to view the State Gold coach which was used from the time of King George VI. The rooms are just a combination of aristocracy and style. The coach is now used during official ceremonies like engagement, coronation, baptism, and weddings. It's a great chance to observe from a close distance.

The Royal garden @Buckinghamm palace ( collected)

There is an arrangement where the visitors are taken to Doubletree Hilton or the Grosvenor house for afternoon tea. This arrangement is included in the ticket. Tea and snacks are served. You will be fascinated with the taste of scones, pastries, and sandwiches along with tea. It’s a great feeling to be royal among the royals in the royal garden.

The breath-taking view of the city

360-degree view of London from Shard, the highest point of Western Europe: Afternoon I was off for Shard, is the highest point of Western Europe. We bought tickets at the gate for the family to visit the observatory tower. In fact, Shard is the address to various restaurants and offices. A view of the city from here is truly breath-taking. You may cherish a dining experience and also enjoy the disco. Well, all you can do is experience is taste the world-class champagne available here. Various events and festivals occur here and tourists from around the globe desire to pay a visit here.

In fact, apart from the glass covered watchtower, there is another open sky deck from where you can see the Queen’s city. In fact, this was one of the best views I saw and took photos. I have seen cities like Paris and Dubai from the tallest manmade structures, but London is just ‘wow’. It’s a lifetime experience that will be framed in golden in my memories.

Jewels of London that allure tourists ( part 3)

noreply@blogger.com (Sweta Chakraborty) — Fri, 31 Aug 2018 10:58:00 -0700

Bird's eye view of the city

London is a vast city and it takes quite a long time to explore the famous landmarks. Well, if you have seven days in hand, that might not be enough to cover the famous landmarks. In order to see everything in details, you need to plan and choose your hotspots.

Attractive entrance, a terrifying cliche

London Dungeon: This is a tourist attraction, and was founded in 1976, situated along the South Bank of England. This was meant to recreate various gory and macabre through various historical events. It used to be a wax exhibition but after the mid ‘80’s and ‘90’s the shows became theatrical and shows on the great fire of London and Jack the Ripper was exhibited.

Capital punishment of prehistoric era

The London Dungeon will take you through 1000 years of history and the enactment of various historical events will take place. You have a chance to enjoy almost 18 shows and you a chance to experience history with a comedy twist; might be you can be enacted being the victim and get falsely executed. It’s fun after all. Tickets can be purchased online or even form the queue.

The Gallows

The place is open almost every day from 10am in the morning to 6 pm except on public holidays. You may book tickets online for the best possible discounts. Standard tickets start from 21 pounds.

Plague show

There are various shows like The Descent, The tyrant boat ride, The city gates, Guy Fawkes gunpowder plot, The torture chamber, The plague doctor, The great fire of London, Sweeney Todd, Mitre Square, Whitechapel labyrinth, Jack the Ripper, The courtroom, The great escape, Halloween and the Tavern. You can check the scary score and review of the shows before you decide to visit them.

Sweeney Todd show

The London Dungeon is accessible by bus, metro, tube or even tram. Photography is restricted in certain cases due to the actor’s guidelines. But you can buy a special photo and preserve that as a souvenir. All images in this blog have been collected from special sources.

The British Museum: The British Museum is located in Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury in London. You can get here by tube route, by bus or even by cycle. Be prepared for an entire search of any bag or rucksack you are carrying while entering the British Museum.

Egyptian Naukrits

It’s open from 10 am till 5:30 pm, except Fridays when it’s open till 8:30 pm in the evening. This is one of the famous landmarks which you won’t be charged while entering. The museum has ten distinct curatorial as well as a research department.

Ashurbanipal Assyria King

The collections are distinguished as- Africa, Ancient Egypt and Sudan, Asia, Britain Europe and prehistory, coins and medals, Greece and Rome, Middle East, portable antiques, prints, and drawings.

Ashoka Pillar

Clovis spear point Olduvai

The museum which is led by a trustee of 25 trustees and directors is an object of wonder.

The British Museum is simply the world history in miniature form.

Head of Augustus

Statue of Shiv Parvati

The human remains are preserved with care and respect. Founded in 1753, the British museum preserved two million years of human history.

Writing tablet of Middle East

You may opt for the audio guide, that will help you to understand the significance of the structures exhibited in the museum.

Potato n cheese roll. Calories??? Some other time please…!!

noreply@blogger.com (Sweta Chakraborty) — Mon, 27 Aug 2018 08:32:00 -0700

Potato and cheese roll- the yummy bite!

When weekends strike, I am always in a mood to innovate something. I am a foodie and in spite of repeated warnings on my intake of calories, I just give a damn to all these ideas. Well, I am sure there are friends who are foodies as well, and my recipe is dedicated to all of them. Well, there is no harm to work out or live on a salad diet the entire week, but if you love yummy snacks, your mouth will simply water at the idea of this. So, let’s share it with all my foodie friends.

Serves: 3-4 persons

Ingredients:

1 7-8 medium sized potatoes deskinned and mashed,

2. ½ cup of shredded cheddar and mozzarella cheese,

3. ½ teaspoon of mixed herbs,

4 1 medium sized onions chopped,

½ Batter made of white flour and water,

6 1 cup of breadcrumbs,

7. 1 teaspoon of salt,

8. ½ teaspoon of grated garlic,

9. Oil for frying.

Procedure:

1. Boil the potatoes, deskin and them mash the entire content.

2. Dash little oil in a small pan and add garlic, mixed herbs to it. Cook till it emits smell and then remove it from the gas.

3. Add with the mashed potato and make a nice dough; dough should be firm and care should be taken that there are no dumplings.

4. Now use your hands to make the dough and flatten out the mashed potato.

5. With the help of a spoon place the cheese mix inside the mashed dough and then roll to close.

6. Dip the structure inside the batter and then roll on breadcrumbs.

7. Heat oil and then release the dough inside the oil and make sure it deep fries. Ensure it obtains the golden brownish color.

8. Remove and place on a serving plate. Soak the extra oil with a paper.

Try tearing the roll from the middle and you will see the mozzarella cheese pop up from inside. This is luscious and a real treat for the eyes. Enjoy this yummy snacks and make your weekends truly memorable.

Jewels of London that calls tourists from around the world ( Part 2)

noreply@blogger.com (Sweta Chakraborty) — Sun, 12 Aug 2018 14:34:00 -0700

The Tower of London ( collected)

London is a huge city to be explored. I was back on track the next day for touring the city. My Big bus ticket was valid for 48 hours and I boarded the vehicle from nearby Waterloo station. London has excellent connections with the suburbs. I wanted to see the historical sites of London that reflect Britain’s history. I decided to see the Tower of London.

Entrance to the majestic Tower

Tower of London: The Tower of London can be approached by bus or metro. You have to get down at Tower-hill station to reach the tower. It is open for public viewing from 9 am to 5:30 pm on weekdays. Anyway if you reach with family, it’s better to buy a family ticket worth 75£. You may opt for an audio guide which will take you through the castle. According to the guide, the tower dates back one thousand years when the Normans entered the land. Thereafter the tower was regarded as a fortress, home for the Royals and also the infamous place where prisoners were executed for reasons of treason. You can opt for a walking tour or a group tour where the English speaking guide will dramatically take you through the chapters of history and familiarize with the castle.

Bed chamber of King Edwards

Never miss the separate buildings like the white tower, the salt tower, the bloody tower and the crown jewel section. We explored through the stairs to see the bedchamber of Kind Edwards and then the armor. In fact, each and every room is equipped with writings which you can go through for better understanding.

Stories of executions during world war II

We saw the salt tower which was said to be developed in 1230 and named after Julius Caeser. The modern tower is a modification and construction had occurred at various ages. We went through the history which reflected the brutal side of mankind; probably this is another side of the autocratic rule.

The dark walls of the tower

Carnivores were kept in the Victorian era

The white tower is the dome-shaped tower built by William the Conqueror. The building reflects Norman architecture. We saw the royal armor which was said to be used by Henry VII. It’s known as one of the strongest structure of medieval England.

The chain used in the armor

The bloody tower is said to be the place where two minor brothers Edward V, 12 years and his brother 9 years old were kept imprisoned and later were murdered in a mysterious way. The guide took us through the stories of torture at the lower Wakefield tower.

Queen Anne Boleyn executed here in 1530

During the 15^th and 16^th century AD, prisoners were taken through a series of torture with instruments that gave them unbearable pain. Manacles, rack and scavenger’s daughter were used as torture instruments.

The means of torture

Looks like there was a tradition of delivering unbearable pain before the prisoners gave up with the names of conspirators. A method very close to the modern day third-degree torture.

Story of torture

We saw the traitor’s gate, which had stories of treachery during the 12^th century. We were taken around the place where Queen Anne along with other royals was executed.

The traitor's gate tells stories of treachery during the 12th century

We saw the Ravens at the tower. The guide told us that they are fed with meat and blood-soaked bird biscuits. There used to be a zoo during the Victorian age where royal beasts were displayed to the visitor.

Ravens are the guards of the tower

The Ravens are the only animals present till day, and it’s believed that if the ravens leave then the kingdom will fall. Visitors are instructed not to feed the Ravens.

We moved towards the building where the crown jewels are kept secured. This is the most interesting place as the precious jewels, robes and crowns are preserved. We saw the Kohinoor or the 'mountain of light's. In fact, we were not allowed any photography as a security measure. The guide took us through a bit of history as the Kohinoor, that originates from India passed hands before it came to Queen Elizabeth.

Entrance to the crown jewels

The main purpose of the visit

The Yeoman warder guards the chamber of the precious stones, which are displayed as the Queen’s glory. The property of the Queen are enjoyed by her but looked after by the British Government who pays for royal family’s expenses till date.

Guarding the crown jewels since ages

We managed to take a snap with the Yeoman Warder. In fact, there is a tradition of the key ceremony which is a 700 years old tradition still followed in London. We could get a nice view of the iconic tower bridge while we climbed the towers.

With the Yeoman Warders

We took great pictures, shopped some souvenirs and then prepared to leave. Oh! the experience was like recapitulating history.

Jewels of London that allures tourist from around the world ( Part 1)

noreply@blogger.com (Sweta Chakraborty) — Sat, 11 Aug 2018 03:17:00 -0700

Skyline of London during dusk ( collected)

London is simply a magical land. Anybody visiting her for the first time will be in love with her for the cosmopolitan ambiance, the food, the landmarks, the public transportation system and the ‘jewels’ or the famous landmarks that the tourists are crazy to visit. Basically, you can take the tourist transport system like the Big bus or other means to go around the city. Ig bus gives an array of choice of places you can visit. You may choose to buy tickets online for the places you would love to see. In case you buy from the Big bus officials that might have a good deal for the day or be cheaper than the price displayed online. While touring London, you have to be very tactical and buy tickets which comes with discounted offers. Research is all yours, and you have to choose to form the array of options. I had literary 9 days to cover London. Initial two days were spent in touring the city from the terrace of Big Bus, and the rest days were spent in viewing the hotspots.

1. Madam Tussaud’s museum: Madam Tussaud’s museum is situated in Marylebone Road, London, NW1 5LR, UK. The museum is a multi-storeyed building which has several floors displayed with wax models of celebrities around the world. The brains behind this, Marie Tussauds, a French by birth learned the art of sculpting from her mother’s employee Dr. Phillippe Curtius. The first wax sculpture was of Francois Voltaire. Opened in 1835, the museum attracted each and every visitor in London who desires to pose with their favorite character or rub shoulder with the wax bodies. Each model was invited for a sitting, and then measurements were taken. Madan Tussaud was said to be imprisoned during the French revolution where she made death masks for the executed nobles. However, the museum underwent losses when hit by a bomb during World War II

Posing with my favorite Bollywood heroine

Posing with the ' Queen of hearts'

Basically, you have to be sure to be standing in the long queue before entering the museum. After you get your entry you will be exposed to a wonderland where you can find each and every personality from any niche be it entertainment, royal family, politics or sports. I chose my favorite Bollywood and Hollywood heroes to pose with. I liked the chamber which demonstrated the method of making molds.

Demonstrating on the molds

The Royals and popular figures in a line

Never miss the 4 D show that will never fail to amuse you. The last attraction of the museum, London ride is an interesting one, which will take you virtually through the various ages and evolution of London. Visit the gift shop and buy some souvenirs for you to remember.

T Thames river cruise viewing the tower bridge and other landmarks:

If you want to see London, buy a ride on the cruise along the Thames River. There are a regular cruise and the timings can be noted from the information online. We bought tickets online and the cruise started at the Tower Pier. Generally, the hop on, hop off cruise starts from the Tower Pier, Westminster Pier, Greenwich Pier and London Eye pier. 24 hours valid tickets are also available from the same counter. I boarded the vessel, chose my seat and comfortable corner.

Tower bridge standing tall

There was ongoing commentary which enabled to understand the importance of the landmarks. I am very keen on photographing cityscapes and has some exclusive shots in my collection. The best part was to see the tower bridge open.

Viewing Shard, the highest point in Western Europe

We enjoyed the panoramic view of important landmarks like Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, Shakespeare globe, Shard, Gherkin, Houses of Parliament, London Eye, and the Millennium Footbridge.

The cantilever bridge opens

It was a splendid experience floating over the weaving Thames River. Something that sparked my mind was that London was old but a planned city since the Roman times as it was accessible by the water and road transport as well.

3. Westminster Abbey and Big Ben: Westminster Abbey is one of the rated tourist spots of London. The iconic building has been the seat of the British monarchy and also the symbol of British politics that the world looks upon. There are regular tours that last for 3-4 hours, thereby explaining the importance of the Elizabeth tower, statue of kings reflecting over the Thames River and also the house of parliament.

Westminster Abbey as seen from the cruise

The iconic structure is important as it has seen important coronation ceremony starting from William the conquerer in 1066 and ending with Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. British monarchs were wedded here.

Inside of the Westminster Abbey ( collected)

The world has seen the wedding of William and Kate in this iconic building in 2011. You will simply feel like standing amidst the rich history of Britain since the time it was called Britannia.

Big Ben: Big Ben is the nickname to the clock tower situated on the northern side of Westminster Abbey. Originally it was called the clock tower and it was renamed as Elizabeth tower in 2012. The big ben is said the chime every hour and there is a quarter bell that chimes every fifteen minutes. Or visiting Beg ben, it requires a permission from the British parliamentary authorities and tickets are sold six months in advance.

Big Ben under renovation

Presently the Big Ben is undergoing repairs and the renovation is expected to be completed by 2021. We were not lucky to go inside the clock tower but just have a fair view from outside.

London – the confluence of tradition and modernity

noreply@blogger.com (Sweta Chakraborty) — Tue, 7 Aug 2018 13:04:00 -0700

London attracts millions of tourists every year

London, the capital city of England and the United Kingdom, has been the bull’s eye of tourists for ages. It’s said that London is a friendly city and has embraced migrants for a long time. The city which is the headquarter of British politics, the epitome of Royalty, has faced terrorist attacks and threats in the recent past. Well, getting a visa for the UK either for work or tourism could be the toughest thing on earth, but when your intention is to see the beautiful city, the hazards are just a minute affair.

Planning the visit: While you plan to visit the city, the best thing is to know the geography of the city, especially how the public transport system connects places. There is ample scope for a visitor to use the train, bus, water transport and underground to reach the various places of interest. Well, when I was planning to visit, my friends intimated me about the high price of traveling intercity and suggested me some easy and economic measures to see the city. There are various tour companies that launched city tour buses, enabling easy travel of any newbie to the city. You may choose any hop- off buses like Big Bus, City tour or Original tour. Prices are competitive and depend on which plan you are buying.

Easy ways to see the beautiful city

You can get the bug bus map as soon as you get onto the bus, which will enable you to understand the sketch of the megacity. Well, there are lot many options but not that all the places are covered or important. But a seven-day trip should be choosy and you should be skeptical about the money spent on any visit. A deluxe ticket that includes a 3-day pass, 4 different routes, walking tours and return river cruise, with an additional night cruise will cost 125 £ for a family.

The other options are to purchase a travel card, Oyster card, and London pass. You can plan your visit to various places of interest with ease and in an economic way. Well, people’s choice differs, but some places that are a must visit according to me are discussed. Well, many Londoners have never seen the city in such details as a visitor does in just a week.

Understanding the geography of the city

1. Madam Tussaud’s wax museum:

It's not only wax museum, it's just a wonder

2. River cruise and the tower bridge:

The iconic tower bridge

3. Westminster Abbey and Big Ben:

West Minster Abbey from Thames cruise

Big Ben, the iconic landmark presently undergoing renovation

4. Tower of London:

The historic tower of London

5. London Dungeon:

Dramatic sequence

6. British Museum:

Knowing the rich past of the country

7. London Eye:

All eyes on London eye

Birdseye view from the Shard, the highest tower

Shard, the highest tower

Bird's eye view from the Shard

9. Buckingham Palace:

The official residence of the Queen

1 Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly circus:

Hanging out at Trafalgar square doesn't attract any extra cost

Piccadilly Circus, the famous landmark

1 . Greenwich Observatory:

Giggles when standing at meridian zero

These are the must-visits of the city. All the places of interest are generally covered by the Big bus tour except Greenwich. St Paul’s Cathedral and Kensington Palace was covered within the Big Bus itinerary, but my time schedule didn’t permit a detailed visit inside.

Herbed chicken wings and cheese - a twist to normal chicken !

noreply@blogger.com (Sweta Chakraborty) — Mon, 28 May 2018 13:03:00 -0700

Chicken wings and cheese

Generally, I am tired of eating leg pieces of chicken. I went to the supermarket to pick chicken, and for a difference and I picked a pack of chicken wings. Well, generally chicken wings cannot be cooked to a curry or any other preparation. But, I thought ‘Let’s do justice to this pack of chicken wings’. And some innovative idea clicked my mind. I air fried the chicken pieces, sautéed with herbs and ultimately garnished with cheese and then microwaved. Trust me, when I kept the dish in front of my children, it took just two minutes to be depleted. Well, now I get repeated orders and chicken wings get some justice in my home. Let me share the recipe for some of my food lover friends, who feel that no part of a food item should go for a waste.

(This is for 4-5 persons)

Ingredients:

1. 2 packs of chicken wings

2. 1 teaspoon of ginger paste

3. 1 teaspoon of garlic paste

4. 1 teaspoon of ground oregano,

5. 1 teaspoon of rosemary (fresh),

6. ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper,

7. 1 ½ tablespoon of balsamic vinegar,

8. Oil for brushing,

9. 1 teaspoon of salt,

10. ¼ the cup of grated cheddar cheese,

11. 1/4^th cup of grated mozzarella cheese,

12. ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper.
1 1 bell pepper chopped,
11/2 can of sweet corn.

Equipment’s required: Air fryer for cooking, brush for putting oil, and microwave for cooking.

Procedure:

1. Marinate the chicken wings with vinegar, ground oregano, salt, cayenne pepper, garlic paste and ginger paste. Keep in marinated condition for 30-40 minutes.

2. Place the marinated chicken pieces inside the air fryer and cook for 20 minutes. Change sides and again cook for 15-20 minutes. The chicken pieces should be removed and then brushed oil on either side before you set them for cooking.

3. Remove the chicken pieces and place them on the plate.
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Cook the bell pepper and sweet corn separately and then add the chicken pieces.

4. Sprinkle the mixture of cheddar and mozzarella cheese and then microwave for 5 minutes.

5. Top with shredded rosemary leaves. Can microwave again for 1-2 minutes so that rosemary emits its characteristic smell.

This a mouth-watering starter. If you are expecting guests at your house or might be during weekends, trust me this is one of the easiest dishes you can make. Who says that to be prepare tasty food you need to be a chef? In fact, you are a chef yourself and your ideas are the sources of your recipes. Just enjoy the dish!

‘Watching wild life staying in a Treehouse’- an imagination which was implemented in reality!

noreply@blogger.com (Sweta Chakraborty) — Thu, 4 Jan 2018 04:47:00 -0800

Treetop hotel

I have always heard stories about tree house from my very childhood. Hearing stories about Phantom ( Aranyadeb, famous to all Bengali kids) who is a superhero and stayed in a tree house with his family, I always desired to stay in a tree house at least once in my lifetime. Well, Kenya has to offer a lot of comfortable bungalows, lodges, and hotels inside the wildlife area to satiate an adventure freak's spree. After a lot of research on Google and other modern means of deciphering information, we chose Tree Tops Hotel to be our next destination to satisfy our adventurous wildlife spree. Since I stay in Nakuru, the journey was quite comfortable and lesser time taking to reach Aberdare National Park. There are separate routes from Nairobi and also might be Kericho, if you prefer a roadway to the wildlife conservation area.

Routes that lead:

( while traveling from Nakuru)

Map Nakuru - Aberdere National Park

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Nakuru/Aberdare+National+Park,+Ndaragwa/@-0.2668497,36.1987986,10z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x18298d90cf610bef:0xf2f21833bc7cc21a!2m2!1d36.080026!2d-0.3030988!1m5!1m1!1s0x18285dfed09e0ebf:0xaa26adee44d5741e!2m2!1d36.6666989!2d-0.4169027!3e0

Nakuru to Aberdare National Park: There are three routes you can follow:

Bus route: ( via A 104 Nakuru – Gilgil- Njeru – Aberdare national park)119 Kms which take 3 hrs 40 minutes to reach. Bus route might be slow due to traffic condition.

Car route ( via C 69 Nakuru- Tumaini- Aberdare National Park)125 Kms which takes 3 hours 32 minutes

Car route ( via B5 Nyeri – Nyahururu road, Nakuru- Subukia- Nyeri- Aberdare National Park)which 4 hours 7 minutes, distance 180 km

( while traveling from Nairobi)

Map Nairobi- Aberdere National Park

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Nairobi/Aberdare+National+Park,+Ndaragwa/@-0.8226491,36.3574201,9z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x182f1172d84d49a7:0xf7cf0254b297924c!2m2!1d36.8219462!2d-1.2920659!1m5!1m1!1s0x18285dfed09e0ebf:0xaa26adee44d5741e!2m2!1d36.6666989!2d-0.4169027!3e0

Car route ( via A 104 Nairobi- Kikuyu – Kijabe-Aberdare National Park ) is 149 km and takes 3 hrs 25 minutes

Car route ( via A2 route Nairobi – Ruiru- Thika- Nyeri- Aberdare National Park ) is 200 km and takes 3 hrs 56 minutes.

Kericho to Aberdare National Park:

Map Kericho- Aberdere National Park

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Kericho/Aberdare+National+Park,+Ndaragwa/@-0.3402198,35.446613,9z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x182a5778a70a0e19:0x9e111200e6923897!2m2!1d35.286286!2d-0.3688967!1m5!1m1!1s0x18285dfed09e0ebf:0xaa26adee44d5741e!2m2!1d36.6666989!2d-0.4169027!3e0

The fastest route is the Nairobi route 228 km, takes 5 hours 6 minutes ( Kericho- Kuresoi- Londiani- Molo- Rongai- Nakuru- Ol Kalou- Aberdare National Park)

The times have been calculated considering there has been enough of traffic. But journey times, in reality, differ with variation in traffic congestion.

Aberdare National Park is an abode to endangered wildlife with mesmerizing landscape:

The Aberdare National park is rightly called a heaven for the wild endangered species of Kenya. It's characterized by steep forest ravines and moorlands. Sprawling over 766 square kilometers and being a part of Aberdare mountain range, this park has attracted tourists all over the world. Flanked by hotels and lodges with modern state of the art designs that make the guests feel at home, Aberdare National Park established in 1950 is rightly called the abode of wildlife. During the migration season, tourists from all over the globe rush to enjoy the treasures of the wild area. There are various hotels which have been the top choice for tourists. The national park contains the full range of mountain peaks ranging from 4,300 mths and also V-shaped valleys and streamlines which intersect the land. The landscape is characterized by moorland, rainforest, and even bamboo forests. There are two gates (Aberdare National park Mutubio gate and Aberdare National Park gate), and the entry fees are as such:

East African citizens ( adults): 300 KSH

East African children and students: 200 KSH

East African Residents (adult): 1500 KSH

East African Residents (children and students): 500KSH

Nonresident (adults ): 52$

Nonresident children and student: 26$

Gate - Aberdere National Park

Animals found in Aberdare National Park: The various animals found in this park are- African elephant, buffaloes, wild boar, spotted hyenas, black rhino, black and white colobus monkey, olive baboons, African wild dogs, warthogs, and bushbucks. Among some rare sights are-giant forest hog, bongo, golden cat, Serval cat, African civel cat and blue duiker. There are almost 250 species of birds available in this park. Some notables are- Jackson francolin, sparrow hawks, goshawks, eagles, plovers, and sunbirds. One of the rarest and endangered species is the leopard. Our guide told us that back in 2007 all the lions were relocated to other national park and conservancies. The reason being that the number of herbivores including buffaloes was being reduced as they were constantly being hunted for food by these lions.

Black Rhino

Buffalo

Baboons

Balck and white Colobus monkey

African Elephants

Spotted hyena

Animals found in the Aberdare National Park

There is a range of activities that can be enjoyed here- bird watching, trekking, game viewing, horse riding, photography and camping in the lap of nature.

Places to stay in and around Aberdare National Park: The hotels that deserve special mention are the Treetops hotel, the Ark Hotel, Aberdare country club , Aberdare cottages dream (Gacharageini), Legacy gardens ( Nyeri), Outspan hotel (Nyeri), Green hill hotels (Nyeri), White rhino hotel (Nyeri), Outspan hotel ( Nyeri), Giraffe Ark game lodge (Nyeri), Rhino watch safari lodge (Nyeri)and many more.

The triumphs of visiting a tree house: As I had the opportunity of visiting in Treetop lodge, I enjoyed every bit of it. There is a waterhole beside the lodge and animals from the national park come in groups to drink water. It was a wonderful sight to enjoy from the terrace of the hotel. The best part is that the hotel is well illuminated and we watched wild animals throughout the night as I came near the water body to quench its thirst. Each room is flanked by huge windows with glass fitted thereby ensuring a great view of the animals. I took photographs throughout the day. The sunrise was a great observance and a photographer’s delight.

Sunrise @ Aberdere National Park

Mount Kenya peak as seen from Aberdere National Park

The hotel itself had several proud moments while the eminent personalities like Queen Elizabeth and royal family members visited the hotel in 1959. That time it was a watchtower with two rooms and a dining hall meant for the visit of rich and famous enjoying wildlife occasionally. Eric Sherbrooke Walker was the man behind the idea of building the famous Tree Top hotel. Other VIP's visiting the renowned guesthouse were the President of Malawi and the Moi family. History says that the Queen of England entered the hotel as a princess and when she stepped out, she got the news that her father King George VI passed away. She became the queen officially and the longest reigning monarch of England till date.

Some moments with the royal family

Tree top hotel when Queen Elizabeth visited

When President of Malawi visited

Remarks and signature of celebs

Some historic moments encrypted on the walls of Tree Top hotel

The entire structure is a 36 roomed hotel which rests on the wooden structure and supported by pillars. The second and third floor has spiral stairs which are used by the staff. The hotel décor was unique with murals and remains of herbivores once devoured by the carnivores of the park. There are no stairs but an elevation made from wooden floors that leads to upper stories. The topmost level contains rooms for the guests and a viewing point ( terrace) which is open 24 hours for getting the best view of the animals and park. Each room has a buzzer which rings in a moderate volume and alerts the guest if any wild animals come near the waterhole. Food served in the hotel was a wide range of Pan African, continental and also Indian cuisines. The arrangement was superb, and nobody could ever get back home disappointment. The chefs took care of each and everybody's taste bud. You can watch the waterhole and animals from the dining room too. In one word, it was a thrilling experience, a mixture of adventure and the comforts of a 5-star facility. The décor was rustic yet bear a modern touch. The furniture was age-old but was maintained meticulously, the way Queen enjoyed the hotel first time on her visit.

A buffalo in front of waterhole

An elephant in front of hotel

Observing wild animals from the hotel room

I took some shots of the mesmerizing sunrise, sunset, wild animals and national park as well.

The primary activity that we enjoyed was a walking trail along the borders of Treetop hotel within the premises of Aberdare National Park. We were accompanied by a gunman during this time.

Experiencing a walking trail with armed guard

Wise men will never ignore the note

If you decide to walk without an armed guard in the restricted area is like inviting trouble for yourself. The electric fence is just security but has chances of being broken down and smashed by buffaloes and elephants struggling. If ever you encounter with these wild creatures on the way of your morning walk, the hotel management is not to be blamed. Hence, it appeared that wild animals are wild and they should never be trusted. Moreover, buffaloes and elephants are aggressive animals. Even hyenas can enter the encroachment at any time.

Observing a baboon from the terrace of hotel

When buffaloes come for water- from the terrace of hotel

It was a great experience, being in the wild area among the wild beauties, and enjoying their moves intimately from the comfort of your room. We were pampered by the hospitable staff, the food and of course the excursion experience. There is nothing more exciting than staying two nights in a tree house, perhaps an imagination and a childhood fantasy which became true in my life.

Front view of Treetop hotel

Experiencing a buffet luncheon at Sarova Spa and Lodge, Nakuru is definitely worth of it's kind!

noreply@blogger.com (Sweta Chakraborty) — Sun, 24 Dec 2017 10:58:00 -0800

Sarova Woodlands- the lastest addition to Nakuru life.!

Nakuru has seen an upward graph in investment and various other segments in the recent past; tourism and hospitality being one of them. Nakuru is overwhelmed with experience launch of a new 5-star hotel. Situated near the Nakuru – Nairobi highway, sprawling over the upscale region of Milimani near State House, Sarova Lodge stands tall attracting any visitor who plans a visit. I planned a visit with my family and had the opportunity to explore this lavish hotel and of course, it’s cuisine. The building is an excellent architecture with warm and welcoming staff, which greets and guides you up to the dining room. We stepped into restaurant Cinnamon, a fabulously spaced leather finish furniture decorated arena. Cinnamon serves Pan African, Indian as well as the continental menu.

The first glance: There is no doubt that any first-timer will be impressed by the lavish entrance of Sarova Lodge and Spa. Splurged by gracious semi-automatic doors on both sides, the looks is obviously a royal one.

The lavish entrance

The warm and hospitable staff seated at the reception will attract you with her warm smile and explain you the services. If you are looking for a stay in this luxurious 5-star hotel, you will be directed towards the rooms. Basically, there are standard rooms, suites, and restaurants under the same roof, you may pamper yourself in the spa or take a dip in the swimming pool. There is no dearth of services that can make you feel lesser than a ‘royal’. Suites are classified as State suites, studio suites, and executive suites. There is a leather bar, which indulges you to experience the special blends- cognac or single malt while relaxing or having an unwinding business chat. There is a Courtyard, - where guests meet and enjoy light eclectic tea, freshly brewed coffee and a selection of light meals fresh from the oven.

Cinnamon restaurant

We were directed towards the Cinnamon restaurant, which a fabulous place with a capacity to accommodate at least 100. Bearing a quite authentic look, wooden furniture, spacious tables and attractive cutlery, are definite to make your visit a memorable one. Combining some facilities like a boardroom and conference room, Sarova Lodge is undoubtedly an impressive image to any visitor in Nakuru.

The backside of hote- a nice place to hangout!

The service: The staffs were quite sincere and hospitable. We opted for buffet arrangement, although there was a choice to order food from the menu card. The restaurant specializes in Indian, Pan African and continental dished, and that was clearly visible. Restaurant staff helped us serving the food from respective areas. Children were taken care of and were served the special menu. The waiters were quite active in the offering, clearing and helping with any special requirements.

Hospitable staff

The food: The buffet cost 2,200 KES per person. There was the choice of welcome drinks- lemon water, soda or fruits juice. I was tempted by the choice of freshly chopped salad. With an array of potato sautéed in white sauce, black and green olives and other veggies tossed in olive oil, it was a good start. There was a good range soup as starters – carrot and ginger and green peas soup. Well, if you are a vegetarian, you won't be disappointed.

Lemin drink- it's rejuvenating!

Lip smacking pea soup

There is a range of vegetarian side dishes- penne pasta, roasted vegetable and potato wedges. I loved the Indian variety of dals- rajma, chola and paneer bhurji. After completion, I proceeded towards main course- jeera rice, mashed potatoes ugali and chapatti. Well, I guess nobody will ever be disappointed as they have taken care of all types of taste buds. Being a non-vegetarian I couldn’t restrict me from trying the roasted pork. It was awesome.

Freshly chopped salad

Side dish of your choice

For the carnivores

Some dessert at last

The other choice was beef and lamb chops. Pick your choice of sauce from the displayed on the shelves. All ends n a sweet note. There was a wide choice of desserts – chocolate mousse, carrot cake, and cheesecake. You may pick a bowl filled with your choice of seasonal fruits kept over the shelves. It was an awesome experience.

The verdict: The luncheon experience was unique. The restaurant was unique in its kind and visiting the newly opened five-star hotels in the town was itself a matter of pride. Nakurians love exploring new places, discover new restaurants, new dishes and end up in a permanent relationship with the venue. My rating to this restaurant, food, and service will be 4.5/5 stars.