medieval squares of eastern europe

Posted on January 5, 2014 by Rama Arya

On my way to Český Krumlov – South Bohemian folk Baroque architecture (18th-19th Century) around the village green of Holašovice

The fairy tale continued as I traveled deeper into Eastern Europe, the castles becoming more romantic, the squares prettier and the churches more quaint. Meandering cobbled streets worn over the centuries, red tiled roofs competing with the surrounding green hills, and the lone church spire characterize these pockets of history frozen in time, many of them today UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Continue reading →

hiking in the tatra mountains

Posted on December 27, 2013 by Rama Arya

Last year I traveled through Eastern Europe, through fairy tales, castles, medieval squares, expressionless communism, and the other side of Eastern Europe – the mighty High Tatra Mountain range with its granite bulk towering over the skyline of Slovakia and Poland, as I drove through gentle undulating hills to reach its midst. Continue reading →

goa travel tips

Posted on December 8, 2013 by Rama Arya

If you planning to go to Goa for that perfect holiday this Christmas, hang out at the beach, chill, laugh, smile without a care…

Do not miss (in no particular order) 🙂 : Continue reading →

the backwaters and fort in aldona

Posted on November 16, 2013 by Rama Arya

This is the life.

So you thought the backwaters were synonymous with Kerala. Think again 🙂

The Goan backwaters start at Aldona, a small sleepy village in Bardez, North Goa, and gently flow through lush green mangroves all the way to Panjim where it meets the Mandovi river. It is a different world here. The serene glass like waters mirror the landscape to uncanny perfection, the silence broken by the cry of a cormorant… Continue reading →

the 12th century mahadev temple at tambdi surla

Posted on November 16, 2013 by Rama Arya

The headless nandi in the center of the mandap, poignant yet serene

At times it’s all about taking the road less travelled…

Driving through miles and miles of forest of the now Bhagwan Mahaveer Sanctuary, I finally reach a tiny exquisite 12th century temple dedicated to the Lord Shiva, its basalt slabs brought from across the Deccan. Till recently the only way to reach the temple was by trekking through the dense forest. Continue reading →

museum of christian art, old goa

Posted on November 15, 2013 by Rama Arya

The subtleties of facial expression carved into ivory
(Crucifix, 18th Century, Ivory, wood, paint, gilt and mother of pearl)

If there is only one museum that you visit in Goa, let it be the Museum of Christian Art in Old Goa. One of the very few of its kind in Asia, the museum, housed in the convent of Santa Monica (1627), is a treasure trove of Indo-Portuguese statues, paintings, and sculpture used in the celebration of Holy Mass. Dating from the 16th to 20th Century, each object is a piece of art revealing the depth and splendor of an era; Created by Hindu artists they represent a style unique to Goa alone. Continue reading →

a walk through old goa and fontainhas

Posted on November 15, 2013 by Rama Arya

The Indo-Portuguese Basilica of Bom Jesus, Old Goa’s most revered church

I am not too sure what I expected when the cab driver dropped me off in Old Goa by the gates of the Jesuit Basilica of Bom Jesus this morning. Jostled by women selling candles and marigold garlands with the cheerful assurance “aapke prayers bhagwaan zaroor sunega (god will definitely listen to your prayers),” how could I say no to their strategic saleswomanship 🙂 Continue reading →

a village called colva

Posted on November 14, 2013 by Rama Arya

“You are going to Goa??? Wow.”

“???”

“Hey, Goa is all about rave parties, bikinis, testosterone laden men, unbridled booze, sex, beaches, the sussegado way of life… Lucky you!”

Yup, lucky me. 🙂 It is said that you see what you want to see. I saw swaying palm trees snugly holding in its folds a rich Indo-Portuguese history, happy families taking pictures of each other, groups of college kids creating ‘dil chahta hai’ memories, and innocence. Continue reading →

south bank: my favourite walk in london

Posted on September 27, 2009 by Rama Arya

My favourite walk in London. 🙂 It is also a long walk—from St. Katharine Docks to Westminster, by the South Bank, meandering over London’s many bridges and through the cathedrals, theatres and pubs that line the edge of the River Thames. The nicest part is that as you walk, the sun starts to set and the lights come on and it is like walking through one huge painting.

St. Katharine Docks were once the Port of London’s most central docks Continue reading →

beautiful wells and mystical glastonbury

Posted on September 26, 2009 by Rama Arya

Early Saturday morning and all of London seems asleep. The only sounds I hear are that of my running feet on their way to the tube station. It is a good few hours to Wells and Glastonbury. And when you leaving in a few days, oh well, sleeping in on a Saturday morning is the last priority on one’s list. 😀

England’s smallest cathedral city, Wells, derives its name from the three wells within its walled precincts, which during the Middle Ages were believed to have therapeutic qualities. Its other key attraction, for nearly a millennium, has been its cathedral [Cathedral Church of St. Andrew], and understandably so. Continue reading →