Its winter in Ahmedabad, India, and the minimum temperature has been hovering between 10°C-16°C. Huddled at my desk, feet tucked in thick socks, I shivered and bemoaned the ruthless cold during a telephone conversation with my best friend. Imagine my indignation when she burst into laughter rather than express sympathy over my frozen toes! “Rapti, if you are shivering in…
On March 6, 1989, a 44 year old and his colleagues boarded a British Railway train at the Edinburgh Waverley railway station. The group of six men – all town planners from developing cities of India – was headed to Glasgow as part of a government initiative facilitating knowledge exchange. Among them was my father who returned thrilled with the…
Around the time I had been reading about Scotland, especially Edinburgh, I remember stumbling upon the statement “But Edinburgh is a mad god’s dream.” Now I don’t know about mad gods and goddesses but I do know that it is a city of Good Samaritans. Do you remember where we left off in the last post? That bit about me…
I confess. I have a crush on Edinburgh. I have been in love with Amsterdam from when I first set foot on that gorgeous slice of heaven on earth. But now Edinburgh, with its cobbled streets, mix of old-new structures and a skyline that gives off a broody Gothic vibe on a cloudy day, has found its way into my…
It’s a common enough complaint of a child of any age that his/her parent nags and tends to hover. I shared the same sentiments. But all of that came to a screeching halt – albeit temporarily – when it came to the trip with my parents to Scotland. Because with startling clarity, I realised I’d been hovering. I’d been overly…
Ask me about the most ‘stressful’ part of travelling and I would say understanding the local habits/culture to avoid a faux pas and buying souvenirs for those at home. Overtly concerned about the first before my Scotland trip since I was travelling alone, I spent a major chunk of my time at the Bristol Airport – while waiting for the…
Why is it so difficult to write about food? No. I don’t mean it’s difficult in the sense I can’t find things to write. I say difficult in the sense that there is way too much to write, to share, to praise, to describe, to… you get the drift. A long time ago – when I was a grumpy 5-year-old…
Conversations about travel make me nostalgic not just for the place but for the food too. I may not mark my attendance at the ‘must visit’ places but I always find my way to the ‘must eat’. Little wonder then that writing about Scotland (read Scotland: Why, When, How) has me craving some whiskey and the sinful Sticky Toffee Pudding.…