The mountains whisper....

...and we listen.
* The fresh mountain air infused with the fragrance of wintergreens & euchalyptus.
* Bright winter sun that massages your body.
* Colonial mansions that remind you of a grand bygone era.
* The hustle-bustle of the town square with honeymooning couples, Uncleji-Aunty-ji with Papu, Rinku & Toni with their humongous picnic baskets.
* But, there is also that exquisite red & white Fernhill Palace tucked away high in the mountains.
* The shrill whistle of the toy train chugging along the many valleys.
* Local farmers selling bright juicy carrots at hair pin bends on the climb up.
* The rum & raisin homemade chocolates & fudge shops line the marketplace.
* Slow pace of life, the quaint shops, the shy, smiling, waving school children, the cows grazing in the lush green meadows.
* Wise old men of the mountains with a typical black coat, a woollen cap & an umbrella can be seen walking up steep hilly paths.
* A Bed, Breakfast & Fireplace experience ( read more about it in Rang Decor) and a farmstay*
* Destiny- Yes, that's the name. A farmstay tucked away deep inside the hills where reaching is an experience.
* A road less travelled? I say it again and again.
* A journey where the anticipation of the destination overpowers the state where the organs of your body are shaken by a truck making it's way through a slushy mountain road. ( Did I just say road?)
* Our destination, our destiny, the farmstay where the beauty of the mountains, the shimmering water of the lake, the vegetable patch, the green slopes, the cows, the horses, the ducks, the rabbits more than make up for the ride.
* A place to relax, read, ride, rejuvenate, trek, walk, drink cups of hot chai and do absolutely nothing.
* Truly a great experience in the lap of nature.Cups of chai and more chai...Fresh Ooty carrots...Early morning scenes...

Glistening...
Take your pick....Chugging up the hills...
Fresh green lettuce & cabbages at the farmstay...

See more pics from the trip here & here

Have fabulous weekend friends:-)

Saffron Marigold

I was really excited when I received an email from Anisha Ghosh of Saffron Marigold.

Saffron Marigold~ The words that bring to mind vibrant colour, fragrance and textures...
Ruby Kilim ~ Designer Red Black Queen Duvet Cover
That's the name of this amazing online 'Luxury handcrafted Bedding & Linens store' that is owned & run by Anisha from two home offices, one in California and the other in India.Starry Nights ~ Modern Contemporary Blue Queen Duvet Cover Purple Moon ~ Floral Indian Print Luxury Queen Duvet Cover

Anisha designs and prints traditional blockprinted home furnishings working closely with artisans in India. Saffron Marigold is comitted to the fair trade movement & revival of arts & crafts of India.Spice Route ~ Red Orange Exotic Queen Duvet Cover

Saffron Marigold has a range of products from Bedspreads, Duvet Covers, Sheer Curtains, Pillow Covers, Table Linen, Cushion Covers & many more.
Ivy Lace ~ White Tab Top Cotton Voile Sheer Curtain Panel Ruby Kilim ~ Red Cotton Dinner Napkins & Purple Moon ~ Floral Cotton Dinner Napkins
Tropical Garden ~ Floral Decorative Cushion Cover & Memories of Shalimar ~ Green Gold Decorative Cushion Cover

I am absolutely in love with the beautiful blockprint motifs and the rich colours. If you love a specific print, you can also shop by print...wow, now that is awesome:-)

Do check out Saffron Marigold to bring in that Indian luxury & elegance into your homes...

(images from Saffron Marigold.com)

City of Djinns...

I just happened to borrow City of Djinns- A year in Delhi by William Dalrymple from one of our friends. The book is about old Delhi and I, having lived in Delhi for a large part of my growing years was very curious to read this book...

As I flipped through the pages, the motifs & illustrations caught my fancy and here I am sharing it with you all...

The illustrations are by Olivia Fraser.Do give it a read or flip through the pages in a bookstore;-)

In appreciation of everyday life...

* the shriek of the alarm clock
* packing of lunch boxes
* chai refuelling my system
* the never ending list of 'to-do's
* traffic get's denser, the waits at signals get longer
* rude autorickshaw drivers

the many facet's of daily life...but there are those moments in between when

* you see the season in transition

* the mango trees sprouting blossoms
* raintree rains dry leaves as you walk under it
* the orange ripe fruiti-ness peeps from behind the 'cape' of the cape gooseberries
* plans are made for 'nutmeg doughnut muffins' for a friday baking
* inspiration comes from 'Tuesday's with Morrie'
* that january sunlight comes streaming in through the windows

To cherish all these moments, I decided to post a photo a day for 366 days from my everyday life.

Hope you'll join me in this journey:-)

inspiring photos on flickr

* let there be light.

* No structure

* Afternoon

* whiterose

I haven't forgotten:-) I still have another post from my winter break, so do visit me again:-))

“Life forms illogical patterns. It is haphazard and full of beauties which I try to catch as they fly by, for who knows whether any of them will ever return?”
~Margot Fonteyn

Have a great weekend friends!

Bed, Breakfast & Fireplace...

...said a small wooden board below the name 'King's Cliff'.King's Cliff~ Yes, that's the name of one of two places we stayed during our trip to the beautiful hills of Nilgiri in Tamilnadu.

I absolutely love places with a history and this old colonial mansion which now is a hotel is charming. The well manicured green lawns with white wrought iron chairs & exotic varieties of flowers almost takes you back hundred years when butlers in white served hot cups of high grown Nilgiris tea to the 'Sahebs'. Well, they still do:-)
So we sat back and soaked in the beauty of the view of the hills through the windows of 'Earl's Secret'- The restaurant which lives up to it's reputation of serving delicious food.

Sinfully delicious brownie with ice cream & chocolate sauce which they serve you on the porch after a heavy afternoon lunch & before you doze off reading a delightful novel.

The nine rooms are named after the works of 'Shakspeare' and each comes with a fireplace. *sigh* well it's been a while since I have been near a fireplace and slept to the sound of crackling wood.
A live-band playing our all-time favourite rock numbers, the bright winter sun, the chirpy birds, the waiters serving hot tea with chocolate cream cookies... Night falls, temperature dips, peaceful silence & a knock at our door. In comes a man with chocolate-mint candies, an extra woollen quilt & firewood to light our fireplace:-)

We were in heaven:-) Sweet dreams people, next post when I wake up;-)

Kolams, Kutcheris & Kaapi*

* I step out of the train, my nostrils are welcomed with the familiar humidity.
* The healthy, sweaty, hot & humid weather. Yes, it is December in Chennai.
* Fragrance of Jasmine flowers isn't the same anywhere else.
* Early morning walks on the cool sands of the beach.
* The symphony played by the aromas of various brands of filter coffee emanating from the kitchen windows of hardcore 'Kaapi' drinkers.
* Mammoth hoardings of the southern superstars compete with beautiful 'kohl' eyed models in traditional Kanchipuram silk sarees.

* 'Margazhi Mahotsavam'- a series of Carnatic Music concerts by vocalists & instrumentalists during the month of December grips the city.
* Mami's in their silk sarees can be seen rushing to various concerts in the evening.

* Large 'Kolams' ( Rangolis) adorn the entrances of homes.
* A trip to Chennai isn't complete without tiffin at 'Saravana Bhavan' & savouries/papads from 'Ambika Appalam'

* Relaxing with family, solving 'The Hindu' newspaper crossword, hogging on homemade 'Murukkus' & having freshly brewed filter- coffee is a great way to unwind:-)Here are some images of Chennai seen through my eyes:-)Larger than life hoardings of Silk Sarees

The various popular coffee brands displayed.Saravana Bhavan for a quick bite:-) Crunchy MurukkusA great place to pick up papads, pickles, sambar, chutney powders etc

* Translated Rangolis, Carnatic Recitals & Coffee

Wishing all a fabulous New Year 2008!

Hope you all had a blast:-)) I surely did!

This always happens to me after a beautiful vacation...getting back into the daily routine. So please bear with me while I gather all my magical memories that are floating away like bubbles in my mind and share it with you in a more comprehensive form:-)

I spent a good amount of time doing absolutely nothing at home, then I was on a train to the land of temples, filter coffee, silk sarees & Kacheris (Carnatic Vocal Recitals) and then again a magical journey to the hills, cabbage picking in a farm, drinking loads of nilgiris tea, warming ourselves infront of real fireplaces, devouring homemade Ooty chotolates & chugging up the hills on a toy train....

Do come back soon have loads to share with all of you:-)