Bangalore- The Good, The Bad and The Ugly!

I still cant get myself to say Bengaluru!. It will always be Bangalore for me!. I have often described myself as a diehard Bangalorean!. Although Im not a speaker of the native language of the state- this city has always been "my home". But I haven't lived here since nearly 8 years. I have resigned to being a regular visitor to my city.
Returning this time after a stint abroad, I am in a contemplative mood.

The Good
I love the weather!. Thankfully its still wonderfully pleasant.
I love the way Bangalore has evolved in terms of citizens' parks. They are great places to hang out in the evenings with family.
I love the way so many things happen in the city- from shopping to art to theatre and festivals - you can always find something new and exciting to do every weekend!.

The Bad
Powercuts!- I cant believe we still haven't found a way to solve our power crises issues.
Mosquitoes!- They are naturalized citizens of "Namma city".
Footpaths!- Our roads are bad. But are footpaths are worse. Walking anywhere to anywhere, is  like a pratice run for an obstacle race!. You cant even think of taking your baby out for a stroll in a buggy. Cant imagine how helpless a guy in a wheelchair must feel!.
Autowallahs!- Some rotten apples there. Some refuse you flatly on your face!. Some demand extra fare for travelling at 7 at night!. Some hike up the meter rate as soon as a drizzle begins!. And the worse- one guy just blew his top off when I handed him 100 bucks and asked for change!(say I should have informed him prior to departure that I wasn't carrying exact money!).

The Ugly
The Traffic Sense of people here!- It borders on insanity!. Whats with the incessant honking!. They are maniacs on two wheelers who drive like they are on cocaine. College students, who make use of every flaw in the system to their advantage. Auto-drivers, who make a joke of  traffic rules. And the worse, some crazy mini vans that seem to have no brakes in them!.

Eating out, in and around Jayanagar, Bangalore

1. The Other Cresent- This is a resto housed in an old judge's home. It was under rennovation when we visited it. The interiors were pretty ordinary- like a military hotel with cushioned chairs. The service was slow. The menu was surprisingly unique- living up to its continental tag. The menu was very well written and informative. The food (when it arrived)was the best part. It was relishing!. The chef did a great job!. Cost wise, it was moderate. All in all, I would definitely visit again-just for the unique food!.

2. Eurasia-We had some difficulty locating this place-it is tucked away from view by lots of trees!. There were no neon signs heralding the presence of the resto. It is also housed in something that looked like a remodelled house. Interiors were pleasent. Service was prompt and helpful. Food was yummy!. Cost was again moderate. Cant wait to go there again!

3. President's hotel- Ive been to Gufa twice before and I loved it both times. This time we were invited for a lunch party by vegetarian friends. The food was great!. I'm not a big fan of hotel buffets-but this one time was a really good spread.

4. Village, Soul of India- I got curious about this place when I was shopping at Jayanagar Central. Someone has rated this place to be the best veg resto in bangalore-so claims a huge hoarding in front of the place. We had to take 2 flights of escalators from the food court of the mall to finally reach the place. The place is done up very well- fitting of the theme. We had to first pay at the entrance, and then only go inside for the buffet. We went on a week day and it was about 400 bucks per person. Its free for very small kids. There was a huge party happening inside!. A huge group of people were busy playing "dandiya" in the center of the resto. Loud music was blaring from the speakers!. There was no high chair for my toddler. The buffet had a lot of variety-most of which were fairly ok. The  serving portions were really minuscule!. On the bright side, it was a effective way to ensure no food  would be wasted.There were other stuff like mehendhi/tatoos/puppet shows/ , but all for an extra price!. I wouldn't go there again- very overated place!.

5. Pizza Hut- There is an outlet in front of Sapna Book store in 5th block. We had some difficulty finding some parking place for our car in this busy shopping area. Service was excellent!. Food was great but somewhat pricey!(if you consider the size of the portions). But the place is extremely kid friendly- definitely a place I would consider if I have to eat out with my toddler.

6. Chutney Chang- This one is another buffet resto with a claim of the widest spread in the city. I   have eaten at their Church Street outlet and loved the experience. I expected this one to be no different-except that it was!. Food was just ok. Deserts were the only thing worth a second serving!. Not going there at all again.

7. 1947- Its right on top of a mall- so it has two great advantages- one, parking and two, great view of the city. Its also another veggie resto and is mainly focused on north Indian cuisine. Nice ambience- not great but pleasant. We ordered babycorn for starters and we were left searching for the babycorn in the "bhajji"!. But the rest of the meal was great- especially the naan and paneer currry- which was recommended by the waiter. The best part was the aam ka panna and the superb paan which came at an extra price!. Not a bad place for an occasional meal out.

8. Mainland China- I was really happy to find an outlet of Mainland China so close to home!. I took my family there, one saturday evening.

9. Subz-

Destination Paris

Paris is supposedly the most visited tourist destination in the world! (with 45 million tourists ever year). My trip to Paris, was my first real experience of traveling on international territory solo!, that too with a toddler in tow!.
My journey from Stuttgart to Paris in a high speed TGV train was a first- of- a- kind experience, with the train zooming part the French countryside at speeds crossing 300 kmph!. My ears were ringing all along!. The train made only two stops on its journey- Karlsruhe and Strassboug.
My first view of Paris was from the portico of the Gare de Est railway station- a majestic looking building with a beautiful foyer buzzing with activity. Paris looked like a city in a hurry- people rushing for taxis and trains. But there was a wonderful old charm in all the modernist activity. The architecture was amazingly quaint, so preciously preserved along the ages.
But the streets were all confusing!. Narrow and heavily signed, they were a maze for any newcomer. My taxi driver had no problem maneuvering his way through all the mayhem. The city as such was not very clean and green like most European cities.
Its true what they say about the Eiffel Tower- one can see it from anyway in Paris!. It is so towering- so unique and eye-catching- it stands out in the Parisan landscape like nothing else!. Especially at night, with its lights glittering away- its no wonder that the Eiffel tower is the most paid monument in the world!. Its even more awesome that a monument of such stature was built in 1889!.
Getting around in Paris by bus was easy but also long and tiresome. The locals were surprisingly friendly. Even more surprising, were the numbers of immigrant population- seems ethinic minorities in Paris account for 30% of the population.
The Lourve Museum, bang in the middle of Paris, was a huge disappointment. It was HUGE!- just too HUGE to see! (one may need at least a week to see it in toto!). And it was anything but kid-friendly!. Even after spending a good half day in the Lourve, I came out feeling like I hadn't seen a thing!.
The most memorable sight from my Paris trip was the palace of Versaillis. Absolutely splendid!. Everything about the place reflects the aristocratic arrogance, it once housed.

Our first family road trip: Stuttgart to Switzerland via the Back Forest

Long weekends without any travel plans are wasted; long weekends without any travel plans with good weather are the worst kind of wasted weekends. We had a long weekend in mid-May. Thankfully we were blessed with good weather for more than half the days.


We left home on a Saturday morning at 9AM, with the car packed with food, utensils, few clothes and all weather jackets.We made a quick stop for gas and air.

The weather was near perfect. The sun was blazing down on us. It was 23 degrees outside!. The autobahn was flooded with cars and mobile caravans- all indications that every one was going on a holiday here. We made another stop for breakfast, in one of the autobahn pitstops, at Schønbuch West. Bread & jam/ peanut butter and mixed vegetable salad in quark made a wholesome breakfast -on- the- go.


Our first stop enroute to Switzerland,was Lake Titisee. Titisee, is the largest natural lake in the Black forest, named after the Roman emperor Titus (who reportedly was enchanted with its beauty), situated at an altitude of 845m at the foot of Mount Feldberg. The last 30 kilometers or so, of the route to Titisee, takes you spiraling around the hills that are home to the "Black Forest" or Schwarzwald, as the Germans call it . The paths are so well sign-posted, that you really do not need a navi here. One is left gasping at the picturesque views of vast fir forests, meadows and green fields, along the drive.

We reached Titisee- Neustadt a little before lunch time.The lake and the town was no less enchanting, than the forests around it. Like Titus, we were blown away by the scenic beauty of the place. We went on a pedal boat for half an hour. This was a fun experience, (especially for my toddler son who steered the wheel like a ship's captain) and also a great way to work up an appetite for lunch!.

Lunch was simple- tomato and cheese baguettes and a plate of Kråuterquark (potatos with sour cream), all less than 10 euros. I have said this before- Germans are the kings of potatoes - the simple, low cost, dish was awesome!.

We spent some time collecting souvenirs, shopping for a cuckoo clock and just lazing away in the sun. The town even had an antique market, full of kitschy stuff.While here, we discovered that the famed Black Forest cakes are called so, not because they resemble the forest landscape under a blanket of snow, but rather from the specialty liquor of this region, known as Schwarzwälder Kirsch(wasser) that is distilled from tart cherries. This is the ingredient, with its distinctive cherry pit flavor and alcoholic content, that gives the cake its flavor. Every souvenir shop was selling the traditional Kirschwasser.



Post lunch, we were back on the road. In about an hour's time, we reached the German-Swiss border near the district town of Weil am Rhein, which is the most south western town in Germany,  situated in a border triangle between Germany, Switzerland and France. At the border, we were required to have a vignette (car toll) affixed on the car windscreen. Surprisingly, the Swiss issue vignettes for 1 year duration only, for a rather hefty sum of 33euros!. Wonder why they don't issue lesser costing vignettes suitable for shorter trips?.

Across the border, in Swiss country, the first major city we passed was Basel. The Swiss highways were nearly on par with their German counterparts, except for being narrower and with speed restrictions, many tunnels and green sign boards. The signboards indicating Swiss towns and cities are all abbreviated with the initials "CH", standing for "Confederatio Helvetica", the Latin name for Switzerland. The name is also inscribed on all Swiss currency (some shopping places take euros thankfully!).

Our plan for the Swiss holiday weekend, was selected by my brother. Being a seasoned tourist, and having seen more than half of Europe in his nearly 4-year stay here, we left the decision to him.My brother made a rather off-beat choice- a holiday home in Lungern, high up in the mountatins.
Driving up the mountains, the views were breathtaking!. Unfortunately, the closer we got to our destination- the more "confused" our navi got!. Eventually, we gave up on the navi, and asked for help- the old fashioned way!. We followed a tractor, up on a narrow, winding path, up the mountains to our destination. At first it was scary. But over the course, we got more used to its twists and turns. The same road was to be used for coming down!.

The house itself was warm and cozy!. It had 3 bedrooms, a living room with a fireplace and a modern kitchen. We spent the first night at home celebrating my brother and sister-in-law's 10th wedding anniversary.It was a first of a kind experience, living high up in the mountains!. There was no TV and no wi-fi, which left the kids disappointed. All around the house were absolutely amazing sights of waterfalls, dense pine forests and winding mountain paths.

On our second day, rain played spoilsport in the morning. Drizzle and gloom kept us indoors in the morning. Thankfully it cleared up in the morning and we decided to explore the cable car drive up Mount Pilatus, which was a short drive away. The hour long journey in the cable car was a heavenly experience.

Switzerland is all about scenic beauty- and one never runs short of it here. Everything here is so amazingly picture perfect. On our last day in Switzerland, we traveled by train along the panoramic route between Lungern and Interlaken (a scenic town between two lakes).

 Interlaken was absolutely stunning!. It is no wonder, this picturesque town is a famed destination for our movie moguls. We wandered around the little town. It is a made-for -the-tourist kind of town!. It has wonderful gardens blooming with flowers. It has tourist shops filled with kitschy merchandise.

On our way back, we made a stopover at Mettingen, to get a look at the Sherlock Holmes museum. That was a wee bit of a disappointment- it was a small place in a basement of a church. Although small in size, it gave us a lot of information about the world famous fictional detective- almost making him seem surreal.

We also made a pit-sop at the beautiful Lake Lungern- its breathtaking, turquoise blue, still, sparking waters, making a perfect background for the final photo shots of Switzerland.

All in all, our Swiss vacation was a scenic wonder- a real paradise-on-earth experience.