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:-)