This may be plainly obvious to many, but it was only a year ago while visiting Helsinki, that I realised just how much a sprinkling of nature amidst a cityscape can enhance my experience of it. No, I’m not about to compare Udaipur to Helsinki, and yes, there are cities like New York which can …
Between the 12th and 17th centuries, the strait of Melaka and the shores of Jawa were swarming with tradesman who went on to pollinate far-away lands with Indonesian spices – some, like nutmeg, literally worth their weight in gold. Trade and the passage of people had of course begun centuries before that. Since the 7th …
The sea wind blew, gently paving the way for a head of salty curls; the crows cawed, only second to the sound of crashing waves; I looked up and saw shredded cotton strewn over the sky, and a dragon fly’s wings glinted in the sunlight. I closed my eyes and called to mind all the …
I left Ooty – so named by the British who couldn’t be bothered to say Udhagamandalam – in a mad rush. I had decided after just one night that her very attractive weather wasn’t enough to keep me interested. I had strained my imagination to picture what Snooty Ooty might have been like in the …
Hola. you’ll find yourself saying that a lot- this two syllable greeting devoid of pretence, and possessing the magical power of establishing instant ease between strangers. A local’s assumption that you can speak their tongue gives you the confidence to try, forming a virtuous cycle of communication. This makes Barcelona especially alluring, in addition to …