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  • Books & Stuff,  Europe

    Delft Blauw, Chinese Porcelain: Reading ‘Vermeer’s Hat, Indra’s Net and the Dawn of Globalisation’

    November 15, 2020

    The book is in many ways a joint effort by a Delftman and a Canadian, separated by centuries. Through painting and prose, Vermeer and Brook weave a multifaceted narrative, connecting 17th century Europe to the world.

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    Five Crime Novels to Read this Summer

    June 19, 2019

    Gurgaon’s Secret Paradisiacal Bookstore

    April 30, 2019

    My Favourite Podcasts during this Pandemic

    September 15, 2020
  • Books & Stuff,  Reviews

    My Favourite Podcasts during this Pandemic

    September 15, 2020

    Ever so occasionally I get bored of my music playlist or even Spotify (although I’ve come across a great find for music – Radio garden where you can stream any radio station across the world!), so I love tuning into podcasts especially during this long and difficult pandemic. What is great about podcasts is that you can practically listen to them anywhere – I usually put one on during a run or while I am cooking. And ever since I acquired a new pair of absolutely yummy white and rose gold Bose 700 noise cancelling headphones, I can’t wait to pop ’em on and get on the podcast train (NB:…

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    Five Crime Novels to Read this Summer

    June 19, 2019

    Gurgaon’s Secret Paradisiacal Bookstore

    April 30, 2019

    Delft Blauw, Chinese Porcelain: Reading ‘Vermeer’s Hat, Indra’s Net and the Dawn of Globalisation’

    November 15, 2020
  • Europe,  Reviews,  Travel,  What's the Dish?

    The Best Hummus in Amsterdam

    November 16, 2019

    What’s better on a rainy day than a warm bowl of tangy hummus accompanied with some real crisp pieces of pita and a secret sauce so delicious it’ll leave you wanting more? I am guessing nothing much. Luckily for me, on my last trip to the Netherlands, I found the best hummus in Amsterdam. On a cold rainy day in Amsterdam, after a morning at the Albert Cuyp Market, shopping and munching on some delicious fries with cheese sauce, the stomach was ready for more. Hungry and desperate, the two of us dragged our feet through Amsterdam’s glitzy De Pijp district, known for its top-notch restaurants and brewries. And Sir…

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    Out and About Aarhus on a Boat

    September 15, 2019

    Florence’s Cenacolo di Sant’Apollonia

    July 30, 2019

    Delft Blauw, Chinese Porcelain: Reading ‘Vermeer’s Hat, Indra’s Net and the Dawn of Globalisation’

    November 15, 2020
  • Europe,  Travel

    Florence’s Cenacolo di Sant’Apollonia

    July 30, 2019

    In a city whose narrow streets are bustling with clueless tourists, presumptuous art aficionados and history buffs, the Cenacolo di Sant’Apollonia offers a much needed “off-beat” respite. Located close to the Piazza San Marco, this unassuming and nondescript building seems to blend into the surroundings. Only the stone signboard outside its door gives any indication of hiding one of Florence’s most underrated Christian art pieces. On any average day, the cenacolo (Italian for The Last Supper) is devoid of any lines or crowds that frequent other sites such as the Uffizi Gallery or the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore and is just the kind of hidden gem that guidebooks fail…

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    Delft Blauw, Chinese Porcelain: Reading ‘Vermeer’s Hat, Indra’s Net and the Dawn of Globalisation’

    November 15, 2020

    Budapest’s Széchenyi Baths: Hungary’s Coolest

    August 20, 2018

    The Best Hummus in Amsterdam

    November 16, 2019
  • Asia,  India,  Reviews,  Travel

    Zostel Gokarna – A Review

    June 12, 2019

    Cliffs, beach views and tranquility – Zostel Gokarna has it all. Although not bang on the beaches like most other shacks in Gokarna, this Zostel – perched on a cliff overlooking the Kudle Beach – has something unique to offer budget/backpacking travellers. Gokarna is a great place to spend a weekend and is quite close to Goa (for those who think Goa is too mainstream). The three of us reached here by train from Udupi, only a few hours away. Other travellers here were mostly stopping over for a day or two on their way to Goa. Like most other Zostels, this one too has both mixed and female dorms…

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    Top Coffee Spots in Delhi-NCR

    July 17, 2019

    Wandering through the Neemrana Fort Palace

    May 30, 2019

    A Sunny Day at Karnataka’s Kaup Beach

    August 22, 2018
  • Books & Stuff,  India,  Travel

    Gurgaon’s Secret Paradisiacal Bookstore

    April 30, 2019

    It was a typical Sunday. We had finished a hearty breakfast – sandwiches, chocolate cake, vanilla latte, et al –  at Sibang Bakery (it’s Korean) at Gurgaon’s South Point Mall – I tell you this understated mall has THE BEST treasures tucked away. (Try Izu, if you love Japanese. The portions are larger than most Jap restaurants in Delhi-NCR). Anyway, so instead of going back home, we decided to walk around the mall in the hope that we stumble across another hidden egg. And lo and behold, there it was: the best bookstore ever!   Hidden in plain sight, Chapter 101 seems like a pretty nondescript shop from the outside. In…

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    My Favourite Podcasts during this Pandemic

    September 15, 2020

    Delft Blauw, Chinese Porcelain: Reading ‘Vermeer’s Hat, Indra’s Net and the Dawn of Globalisation’

    November 15, 2020

    Five Crime Novels to Read this Summer

    June 19, 2019
  • Asia,  India,  Travel

    In Vasco da Gama’s footsteps – St. Mary’s Islands

    October 8, 2018

    It was a dark stormy night on the high seas in A.D. 1498. The waves were strong, splashing hard against the sides of the ship, sending its inhabitants into a frenzy. To make things worse, torrential rains poured down upon them. Months and months had past sailing on the oceans and now these mariners desperately needed to find land. Hours later, the waves calmed down, the clouds cleared and it was dawn. The sun was at the horizon now, the sky a medley of dreamy colours. And then a scream from the heavens pierced the air. “Land ahoy!” Sure enough, after nights and nights on the stormy Arabian sea, Vasco…

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    Top Coffee Spots in Delhi-NCR

    July 17, 2019

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    May 30, 2019

    A Morning in the City of Dawn – Auroville

    August 17, 2018
  • Asia,  India,  Travel

    A Sunny Day at Karnataka’s Kaup Beach

    August 22, 2018

    I had never stayed near the beach before this. I’ve been a frequent visitor, yes, an  enthusiastic splasher and sunset-photo-taker even. But living so close to one of my favourite things on earth, never until now. Manipal doesn’t exactly own a beach but it’s proximity to many is what matters, as my cousin Nikhita (also my roomie) likes to point out. Nikhita has been a beach babe for practically all her life so naturally she knows the best spots [outside] town. Kaup beach –  actually pronounced ‘Kapu’ in local Tulu – is about 15 kilometres or 30 minutes away from Manipal and the easiest way to get there is by…

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    In Vasco da Gama’s footsteps – St. Mary’s Islands

    October 8, 2018

    Wandering through the Neemrana Fort Palace

    May 30, 2019

    A Morning in the City of Dawn – Auroville

    August 17, 2018
  • Europe,  Travel

    Budapest’s Széchenyi Baths: Hungary’s Coolest

    August 20, 2018

    If you are in Budapest, a day at the Széchenyi Baths is an absolute must. Built in 1913, the baths are the biggest of their kind in Europe with 21 indoor and outdoor pools of varying temperatures, along with various therapeutic saunas and steam baths. It is named after the Hungarian minister Count István Széchenyi de Sárvár-Felsővidék and housed in a very Wes Anderson-style old neo-baroque styled palace. Back in the early 20th century just before the World Wars had scarred this beautiful nation, Hungary was known (it still is) as the country of baths; the very first baths were built by – surprise surprise! – Roman settlers. Later Turkish settlers added to…

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    The Best Hummus in Amsterdam

    November 16, 2019

    Out and About Aarhus on a Boat

    September 15, 2019

    Florence’s Cenacolo di Sant’Apollonia

    July 30, 2019
  • Asia,  India,  Travel

    A Morning in the City of Dawn – Auroville

    August 17, 2018

    My first trip to Pondicherry was with my family when I was a teenager. I don’t remember as well as I probably should but I do remember being in awe with Auroville (pun intended). I remember driving past the sacred Matrimandir which was still being built at the time (back in 2007) and that I was proud of being able to take a clear picture of it through the fine mesh covering one of its gates. And I definitely remember making a mental note to come back again because I loved the peace and quiet in the green ‘jungle’ with its red sandy path. So one morning, 9 years later,…

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    Wandering through the Neemrana Fort Palace

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