Travel Tastebuds

Once upon a time in Leiden Across the creaky bridge Stood a whirring giant Round and round It whacked its arms Tall above the surrounding midge The miller ground the grain The brewer crafted beer The farmer planted bulbs At sun down Gathered seasoned folks Warm bread, the miller’s wife served Sparkling blonde ale, the brewer poured Old Rhine winked and wooed Kissed by tiny ripples, the willows sighed Generations passed by Leiden Landscape blemished yet refined People hurry past Cyclists bike fast Boats float by Sea gulls cry Dressers decorate mannequin Delivery boys ferry Heineken The windmill stands tall in its glory Old Rhine in the canal whispers sweet nothings There is grace in the gentle kiss of the willows Long stalked tulips Decorate wooden tables Cafes serve walnut banana cakes with hazulnoot cappuccino Stroopwafel from the oven is warm and fresh Flavours from the Far East mingle With those at home Bittenballen shares space with Satay Unable to resist an Indonesian layered cake I sit in Cafe Abel, slice a forkful and watch my dreams float by © MMS #leiden #leyden #netherlands🇳🇱 #breakfromroutine #spring #windmills #tulips #heineken #blondeale #travellersnotebook #travelblogger #travelstagram #travelholic #bitterballen #satay #culture #stroopwafel #weepingwillow #rhine #cafeabel #layeredcake (at Leiden, Netherlands)

Once upon a time in Leiden Across the creaky bridge Stood a whirring giant Round and round It whacked its arms Tall above the surrounding midge The miller ground the grain The brewer crafted beer The farmer planted bulbs At sun down Gathered seasoned folks Warm bread, the miller’s wife served Sparkling blonde ale, the brewer poured Old Rhine winked and wooed Kissed by tiny ripples, the willows sighed Generations passed by Leiden Landscape blemished yet refined People hurry past Cyclists bike fast Boats float by Sea gulls cry Dressers decorate mannequin Delivery boys ferry Heineken The windmill stands tall in its glory Old Rhine in the canal whispers sweet nothings There is grace in the gentle kiss of the willows Long stalked tulips Decorate wooden tables Cafes serve walnut banana cakes with hazulnoot cappuccino Stroopwafel from the oven is warm and fresh Flavours from the Far East mingle With those at home Bittenballen shares space with Satay Unable to resist an Indonesian layered cake I sit in Cafe Abel, slice a forkful and watch my dreams float by © MMS #leiden #leyden #netherlands🇳🇱 #breakfromroutine #spring #windmills #tulips #heineken #blondeale #travellersnotebook #travelblogger #travelstagram #travelholic #bitterballen #satay #culture #stroopwafel #weepingwillow #rhine #cafeabel #layeredcake (at Leiden, Netherlands)

Once upon a time in Leiden Across the creaky bridge Stood a whirring giant Round and round It whacked its arms Tall above the surrounding midge The miller ground the grain The brewer crafted beer The farmer planted bulbs At sun down Gathered seasoned folks Warm bread, the miller’s wife served Sparkling blonde ale, the brewer poured Old Rhine winked and wooed Kissed by tiny ripples, the willows sighed Generations passed by Leiden Landscape blemished yet refined People hurry past Cyclists bike fast Boats float by Sea gulls cry Dressers decorate mannequin Delivery boys ferry Heineken The windmill stands tall in its glory Old Rhine in the canal whispers sweet nothings There is grace in the gentle kiss of the willows Long stalked tulips Decorate wooden tables Cafes serve walnut banana cakes with hazulnoot cappuccino Stroopwafel from the oven is warm and fresh Flavours from the Far East mingle With those at home Bittenballen shares space with Satay Unable to resist an Indonesian layered cake I sit in Cafe Abel, slice a forkful and watch my dreams float by © MMS #leiden #leyden #netherlands🇳🇱 #breakfromroutine #spring #windmills #tulips #heineken #blondeale #travellersnotebook #travelblogger #travelstagram #travelholic #bitterballen #satay #culture #stroopwafel #weepingwillow #rhine #cafeabel #layeredcake (at Leiden, Netherlands)

Once upon a time in Leiden Across the creaky bridge Stood a whirring giant Round and round It whacked its arms Tall above the surrounding midge The miller ground the grain The brewer crafted beer The farmer planted bulbs At sun down Gathered seasoned folks Warm bread, the miller’s wife served Sparkling blonde ale, the brewer poured Old Rhine winked and wooed Kissed by tiny ripples, the willows sighed Generations passed by Leiden Landscape blemished yet refined People hurry past Cyclists bike fast Boats float by Sea gulls cry Dressers decorate mannequin Delivery boys ferry Heineken The windmill stands tall in its glory Old Rhine in the canal whispers sweet nothings There is grace in the gentle kiss of the willows Long stalked tulips Decorate wooden tables Cafes serve walnut banana cakes with hazulnoot cappuccino Stroopwafel from the oven is warm and fresh Flavours from the Far East mingle With those at home Bittenballen shares space with Satay Unable to resist an Indonesian layered cake I sit in Cafe Abel, slice a forkful and watch my dreams float by © MMS #leiden #leyden #netherlands🇳🇱 #breakfromroutine #spring #windmills #tulips #heineken #blondeale #travellersnotebook #travelblogger #travelstagram #travelholic #bitterballen #satay #culture #stroopwafel #weepingwillow #rhine #cafeabel #layeredcake (at Leiden, Netherlands)

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I am off then..to Lima!

A BLIND DATE IN VIENNA His name was Fredrik. We met, we spent time and we parted but not before leaving an indelible mark on me. As my tour guide, at an exhibition 'Dialogue in the Dark' that transports you to a distant invisible land as a blind passenger to experience it with all your senses except your eyes, Fredrik is no ordinary man. A tall lanky Swede, well versed in 7-8 languages, knowledgeable, articulate, with a varied experience, independent, holding on to his own and most importantly with a handshake and a voice that conveyed warmth and a feeling of "you are safe with me". Fredrik was always around; leading, listening, speaking, a gentle soul, guiding throughout the 1 hour interaction as we weaved our way through a maze bathed in complete darkness. The concept of 'Dialogue in the Dark' was simple. With a cane stick in my hand and Fredrik in the lead, we moved through specially designed darkened rooms.  My other senses kicked in with the sudden withdrawal of my sense of sight. Claustrophobia and fear were taken care of by Fredrik's reassuring baritone and "all is well, I am here" guiding touch. "Feeling" my way through pitch-black alleyways, "looking" at ebony objects displayed in a pitch-dark market place,"crossing" a jet-black busy street with horns blaring and cyclist zooming past, "slipping" on an unlit rickety wooden bridge onto a "rocking" boat-cruise over inky waters. Depending on Fredrik, all the way, as my perfect guide, I ended my tour with a drink at the pitch-black bar. Fredrik offered me an orange Fanta and we drank in the dark. I could imagine the orange colour of the cool Fanta even in this clingy black darkness. Smells, sounds, warmth, textures and taste conveyed the characteristics of the surroundings. I was getting comfortable in the darkness and the fact that I would be going out in light soon was reassuring. For me darkness still had a colour- black. For Fredrik everything was the same. All was dark for him. My tour guide was blind- visually impaired. A world without pictures and colours  took on a new dimension. Simple deeds like 'seeing' and simple words like "vision"and 'sight' had a new meaning now. 'Dialogue in the Dark' was an "eye opener" into my "world of darkness" in order to appreciate how life can really be for the visually handicapped. The tour with Fredrik lasted for an hour but the effect was for a lifetime. It was one of the most humbling experiences of my life. # Dialogue in the Dark #Vienna #traveltastebuds

Prague- “she breathed in the sweet sizzling August air!” A whiff of warm sweet aroma pulled me into this tiny shop selling Trdelník-traditional Czech spindle like sweet pastry being grilled over charcoal, topped with sugar, jam or nutella. The shape of the Trdelník reminded me of a springy bracelet and the thought of wearing one around my wrist did cross my mind :) but I gave it a miss when I thought of my husband and daughter disowning me in Prague ;) The sizzling heat of Prague limited me into buying only 2-one plain and the other with a coating of Nutella. Had it been a cold wintery morning I would have cloaked myself in the aroma of the freshly grilled Trdelníks, whafting from this tiny shop along the cobbled streets of old Prague. # Prague #Trdelnik

Budapest- Hot spirits,“hot” guides, hot springs and a missed Goulash! #Budapest #Unicum Finally, my trip wouldn’t have been complete without a drink- Unicum of Budapest. Unicum was perfect for a cool drenched Budapest. This dark sweet spirit, bitter and spicy herbal liqueur was created to alleviate the indigestion of the royal family! (Well, they could have asked for our herbal classic ‘Pudin Hara’ ;) ) “das ist ein Unikum!” (this is unique!) cried the Emperor and the name “Unicum” stuck. I am a well-informed person now! ;) Our “hot” looking guide, Andrassy, on a walking tour, wove stories, around the beautiful Baroque architecture of the “Paris of East”, of the Germans-Austrian-Hungarian handshake of WW II, the horrors of the holocaust, the soviet takeover, the unsung reformist, Imre Nagy and of course of the Americans who can’t be far behind when the Russians are around :P! I could visualize Budapest as an ideal backdrop for Hollywood WW, coldwar and 007 Bond thrillers! Budapest, the 'City of Baths’ has healing thermal waters springs galore. The indisputable highlight of Budapest was the Szechenyi thermal baths. Rains from the heaven above and the hot spring pool formed a perfect concoction of cold and hot water therapy! A visit to the incredible Nagy Vasarcsarnok market and to the Ruin pubs at the Jewish quarters is a must for a piping hot bowl of GOULASH, a dish I gave a miss for the meats used in it despite my urge to sample one. This hot, filling, peasant’s stew is made in cast-iron kettle hung above open fire, out in the fields, they say. It soon became a gastronomical delight and topped the chart as number one tourist-must-try dish. Alas, for my un-steely nerves for certain meats! The “Pearl of Danube” has a lot to offer- the 2 cities of Buda and Pest on its either bank will call me back. (To wrap it up, you wouldn’t want to miss “Bhai(Salman khan)” in Budapest ;) )

I couldn’t leave Vienna without trying the national dish of Austria- the Wiener Schnitzel, a speciality of Viennese cuisine. I let the Beethovens, Mozarts, Klimts and Schieles hang on the walls and museums! Schnitzel was my priority! ;) We barely had an hour to go before the train arrived. Only 2 thoughts circled my, otherwise hyperactive, brain. A Wiener Schnitzel and a “perfectly timed ;)” delayed European train. I wasn’t disappointed by my former wish. (Anti)climax:- Schnitzel is just a thin, breaded and fried chicken cutlet (a flat chicken pakora!!!!) :) (An after thought: They should visit India…on an extended trip. A short one would be insufficient to sample the plethora of specialities in Indian cuisine.)

Blue train of soviet era! A photo shoot opportunity for me 2 weeks ago at Budapest station. Today, it is a train of hope for an overwhelming number of migrants as they swarm the Keleti station on their onward journey. Have seen similar “upper half window open” trains in WW2 movies loaded with people heading to a different location…it still gives me shivers. Not much into the politics of the world but as a human being it’s a relief to hear, in the news, that their destinations are homes and hearts of people who want them to be an ingrained part of their society.