Wednesday 5 August 2015

Soul travel and beyond

The past one month has been blessed. I got a feel of the glorious European summer. First London, then Vienna, then back to London. Warm, colourful, beautiful, passionate!


Vienna was enchanting, but my whistle-stop tour made it short as I had to get back to London for work and more! The Hafsburg Palace, Schonbrunn Palace, Naschmarkt and many other things that were quaint and beautiful. I even found a 1940s meat mincer, an exact replica of the one I had seen in my grandma's place and which my mother inherited.


In Vienna, over schnitzels and aperol, I spent lovely weekends in the twilight with childhood friends. And I bought the famed 'sacher torte' back to London and India. In fact I had my first sacher torte with a very dear friend, who had first mentioned about it to me, on my return to London in what seemed to be a magical evening. Its amazing how, spending a relaxing time with close friends can be so therapeutic. Never felt so relaxed and rejuvenated in my life!


Back home in India and a week later, I was off to the wonderland called Kashmir, this time with family. There are times I wondered how the Almighty had been extra generous and liberal to Kashmir
when it came to doling out natural beauty. Flowers, fruits, nuts, valley, rivers, lakes, forests- everything was in abundance. A pity that such beauty now has become synonymous with terror and danger.


Srinagar, Dal Lake, Pahalgam, Aru Valley, Betaab valley Jehlum (yes, that's the correct pronounciation) and its tributary Lidder were only the few places I could see. Sonemarg and Gulmarg are still left but a must see on my itinerary.


My travels have touched my soul but the magic I felt is inexplicable. Only I know why.