I thought my time in Paris would be spent alone. Not that I had any problems. With its efficient rail and bus system, Paris is very much geared for tourists and it is difficult to get lost. I covered quite a lot of ground in the three days I was there. Including walking up the Champs-Elysees from Franklin Roosevelt station and the Eiffel Tower from Trocadera Gardens station, just as Jag had suggested (thanks Jag!). I especially loved the Louvre (where my head started spinning after a few hours), the Moulin Rouge, the Basilica of Sacre Coeur and that whole bargain shopping stretch at Montmarte.

It was my last night though on the 26th, and I could hardly believe it when I bumped into Shruti and Param (who I know of online for a while now).

This seemed even more unbelievable, since I had been trying to meet Param in Bangalore ever since he moved from Hyderabad, but had to keep postponing for some reason or another! I met his wife Shruti a few weeks ago instead for some work. So I wouldn’t actually have recognised him. As it so happened, Shruti turned around and said, “Anita?”

It was a freaky coincidence for sure as they had checked into the very same place I was staying in.

Anyway, it was really a pleasant surprise for me as not only did I land up having dinner with them both, but we also met Mahesh, who is currently also in Paris. The last time I met Mahesh was a few years ago, before he left Mumbai for Washington, so he too was naturally equally surprised when he saw me crossing a Paris street in front of him!

So there we were - four of us - all brought together by some strange crossing of our paths in Paris, where we had least expected it! We had a small impromptu bloggers meet at a small diner in Bastille, sitting outside on the pavement (like they love doing!), over champagne, not so good food (mine at least) and a very amusing and charming Israeli waiter who kept us in splits.

We couldn’t help but wonder, “What are the chances?” I guess stranger things have been known to happen!

I left Paris the next day and am now in a very small town called Inverness, in Northern Scotland. Sis and I made our way here from Birmingham via Edinburgh and will go to Glasgow before returning to London. Did a quick cruise on the lovely Loch Ness today, but no sight of the monster. Apparently, it might still be there. :) The drive through the Scottish highlands - rolling hills, beautiful plains covered with orange yellow bracken, desolate stretches of forest and sheep (millions of them!) - was rather lovely, though the weather was a little on the cloudy side.

Spending a night at Inverness and we haven’t decided what to do tomorrow. It’s Sunday, and we found out that the Scots don’t work at all on Sundays so that will create some problems for us. But we should figure out something soon. Currently, on very expensive Internet time (of course, anything is expensive when you pay in pounds and earn in rupees!).

I also have yet to find a place where I download all the pictures I took in Paris and Scotland so far. So that will have to wait. A few more days left of my holiday and I realised that time sure flies when one is having fun!

Time is flying by and it’s already my second last day here in Lausanne. Last evening, we walked by Lake Léman and I caught sight of these sparrows flying and it reminded me that however far we go, we all have to return home at some point of time…

But it’s not that time for me yet. Still have a few more sights to see and things to do, before I fly home like these birds!

Today, we went for a longish drive along the lakeside passing quite a few of the small villages that all border the lake. We drove up the hills and were treated to the most beautiful views of the Lake Léman from atop a town called Vaux in the evening. Three of us - Vrinda, Steph and I - drank in the view, and then had dinner there. A lovely place to go if ever you plan to visit Switzerland.

Some more pictures…

Lausanne is picture postcard pretty - everywhere you turn there is something worth clicking. Steph picked me up from the airport and we came home to grab a bite. I was impatient to meet the cat but Bagha was nowhere around (he was probably chasing a lady somewhere, but Steph said he was more likely asleep!). So we had to leave without finding him.

After a tour of the town, a long leisurely dinner, we made our way back. This time, Bagha was waiting near the door since he’d been out the whole day and probably pretty hungry too! And since I’d been waiting impatiently to make friends with the handsome cat, finally I got my chance. Here we are, the both of us, bonding!

Isn’t he absolutely adorable?!

And Steph took a whole bunch of pictures while I wasn’t looking!

Lots to write about Barcelona but not much time right now - an absolutely beautiful city - and it´s no wonder why it rates among the top most livable cities in the world.

It rained on the first day and I did a bit of walking around but couldn’t get too adventurous.On the second day I managed to take in a few of the sights including the Palau Nacional, the Montjuic Gardens, Placa Catalunya, La Ramblas, Mercat La Bouqueria and Barri Gotic. I particularly enjoyed wandering around the Bouqeria and Barri Gotic, along the cobbled streets and narrow alleys feeling like I was transported back in time!

What I liked best about the city is that they have a bar in every street and every corner, thus ensuring that you´re never very far away from your next drink! I am actually glad I don´t live here. I would be tipsy most of the time :)

My hosts Emma and Romain have been so wonderful! And Romain’s been cooking up something nice every evening, even as both of them come home after a hard day at work. “It’s hard to find men who can cook in India,” I comment to Romain. He replies, “It’s harder to find women who can cook at all, in the West nowadays”!! On my last evening, we visit a place called Frague, off the Las Ramblas, where we have loads of sangria and I sample a delicious seafood paella.

Time to say goodbye to the city. But I am definitely coming back to Barcelona someday. The wide tree lined avenues, the beautiful people, the ancient architecture blended with the Modernistic influence of Antoni Gaudi - all makes it a combination difficult to resist.

A few pictures from Barcelona

The last 3 days went off in a flurry. I guess it was a little ambitious to see London in 3-4 days, but I still have another 3 days after I come back.

On the first day, after a really late start, we went walking around the Thames river along the South Bank. It’s a really relaxed place with street performers, skateboarders, heaps of tourists and generally people who didn’t seem like they had much to do! Spent a good 4-5 hours walking around and then headed back home.

The next day, drove down to the beautiful Windsor Castle. Located right on the river Thames, it’s quite an idyllic spot. A bridge crosses from Windsor to Eton, home to the famous and expensive school for the rich and famous here in England. The weather has been beautiful - misty and cloudy in the morning but sunny during the day. So, I guess I have been lucky. And now I understand the preoccupation with the weather. You can’t but help be obssessed with it. Everything depends on the weather! What you do, where you go and how you feel :)

We took a walk around the palace grounds, the royal chambers and then around Windsor town. The hall where Camilla and Charles wed are just outside the grounds. We sat for a while and had coffee and lunch at one of the many cafes dotting the area.

Yesterday, I met up with Jag and Sunrayz and spent most of the time roaming around and getting a flavour of the real London. We must have walked everywhere - Covent Gardens (a most charming place), Leicester Square, Trafalgar Square, Oxford Street etc.

Unfortunately, my camera developed technical problems. Jag and Sunrayz both helped me locate a place where it could be fixed but the bottomline was grim - it would cost a bomb to repair so I would be better off buying a new one. So that’s the bad news.

Anyways, around lunch time we were all beginning to get a little hungry when Jag offered to take us to a place about half hour away called Oriental City somewhere near Wembley. A really interesting place too. It’s like a food court with more than a dozen stalls around it. Each stall offers about 100 items (at least it seemed that way) and you can eat anything from anywhere. There’s Korean, Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese, Malaysian and even South Indian! A real foodie’s delight I’d say. I had fried singapore noodles with shredded roast duck, chicken dumplings and then some nice green tea.

After a long lunch, Jag dropped us at Notting Hill and we walked around the Portabella market. Sunrayz was determined to show me the bookshop where Hugh Grant was filmed in the movie Notting Hill. And we finally found it!

I hadn’t been on a bus yet so we caught a double decker to Victoria station. Sunrayz took her leave and I waited for a bus to Victoria station. Little did I know that my real London adventure was yet to begin…

About half an hour later, the bus arrived and deposited me at Waterloo. At the station, I find out that the trains going south have been cancelled/delayed and none of the boards displayed the station where I needed to head to get to my friend’s house. Apparently, there had been a fatality somewhere near Wimbledon station. (I thought that if trains were cancelled due to fatalities in Mumbai, there would be cancellations everyday, what with several deaths on the lines being a regular affair).

Anyway, after about 15 minutes I called my friend. They were heading to Heathrow and advised me to get there instead. So I headed to the underground and took a train north to a station called Paddington (no direct trains to the airport). From Paddington, I boarded a train and realised it was the wrong one and was going nowhere near the airport!

I got down at the next stop and came back to Paddington. This time, I asked someone wearing an orange coat and he pointed vaguely in the direction ahead.

I found platform 6 where I was relieved to see Heathrow Express (I can well imagine what Potter felt like to find Hogwart!). About 20 minutes later, I finally reached Heathrow and was extremely relieved to find friend and her hubby.

In the space of one day in London, I experienced all forms of public transport possible. And it was a good thing too since I have very little time left! I must thank Jag and Sunrayz who spent nearly the whole day with me and showed me around. I had the most wonderful time.

I am off to Barcelona in a few hours and am looking forward to my 2 days there!

A few photos (taken with cameras borrowed from - sis, Jag, Sunrayz)

My journey started off on a slightly scary note when I reach the airport at 5 am on the 13th morning to find that the Gulf Air flight I am taking to London via Abu Dhabi is rescheduled.

All this due to one pilot who overshot the runway in Mumbai airport, thus causing a large plane to get lodged into the mud, interfering with the functioning of the main runway and also delaying and rescheduling hundreds of flights from Mumbai airport. Four days after the mishap they were still trying to dislodge the plane!

They put 11 of us on an Etihaad Airlines flight to Abu Dhabi instead.

Our flight is 16th in the queue at about 9.15 am. Our London bound hearts miss a collective beat when the pilot announces it might take another hour for take-off. We have a connection at 12.55.

All is well, however, when at about 12 noon, I look down over miles of sand and a rather beautifully stark landscape, suddenly brought alive by shimmering blue green waters below. Like an abstract painting.

We get our connection with about 15 minutes to spare. The Patel family of 4 even manage to squeeze in some quick duty free shopping. I am too nervous and run towards terminal 9. The flight is rather empty. A few minutes into the flight, the lady in front proceeds to down several glasses of wine and giggles furiously. Coochie-cooing with the hubby in between. A rather elderly couple - such a cute sight too! Her laughter is infectious and I can’t resist a glass of red myself. There is something decidedly decadent about sipping wine in the afternoon so many miles above the air.

We touch down at London at exactly 5.20 pm. A familiar face looms up large in front of me - my sister - and much relief for me! Because of one pilot, I nearly didn’t make it in time. Our Pakistani cab driver keeps us entertained through the half hour ride through London’s suburbs. After a filling meal of garlic bread, wine (again!) and pasta, I need to call it a day. It’s been a lot of late nights, wine and enormous quantities of food a few days in a row. And I have a lot to see and do yet :)

Finally, finally!

After much plotting and planning, the vacation I’ve been dreaming of for a while…

My UK and French visas have arrived. The Swiss one is proving to be more problematic. In fact, they now want several supporting documents like who I am visiting in the UK. And how do I know someone in Switzerland! What the hell does it matter and what difference does it make to them?! Really frustrating. (Update: By some divine intervention, the Swiss visa is also through! Yippee!!). I also got an invite from a couple I met while skiing in Auli this year to visit them in Spain where they will be based for a while, so I am also planning to do a couple of days in Barcelona.

Anyway, if after all this, it does come through, I start with a visit to London where my sweet friend S lives.

Then to Barcelona to spend a few days with Romain & Emma, then to Lausanne to meet mon amie, Stephanie in Lausanne and the handsome Bagha!

After that, the plan is to get myself to Paris and spend some time walking around the city. I have 4 days and no plan as of now. And I don’t know anyone. So if any of you have any ideas and suggestions as to what I can see in the city (especially if you’ve been there), please leave them in the comments box. (Jag, thanks a lot for that long mail!).

I don’t have too much time in London. S is heavily pregnant so I doubt she will be able to show me around :) But with London’s efficient tube and bus system, hopefully I shall be able to travel around with any problems.

Will also try and catch up with Sunrayz, Anand and Jag, of course, if it’s convenient and all the stars get aligned in the right planetary positions.

And from there I go onto Scotland with my sister.

And then head back home in November.

So there, I have much packing to do. Final level 2B French exams on Sunday. And a heavy work schedule till next Tuesday. (Update: Work over! Exams disastrous :).

So I’m going to disappear for a while. However, I shall definitely surface wherever I get an internet connection and update.

Please, please do leave any suggestions you might have though! (Thanks folks for all the suggestions! My list is growing by the day).

How dare you dance in Bangalore? says enraged Big Brother (BB).

If Big Brother’s been watching over us wayward citizens in Bangalore, can he but not make an appearance in Chennai?

How dare you kiss in Chennai? BB is enraged.

Though I’m not doing much of any of the two, I am still wondering “What next?”

Imagine, feeling like a criminal because you kissed your husband/boyfriend on the dance floor? Or that you were caught dancing at a club? Caught dancing? Cheee!

Welcome to Chennai and Bangalore. South India’s most happening cities…

I am thinking of what our creative Big Brothers will think of:

- A law that orders us to eat only INDIAN food at restaurants (i.e. if they don’t pass a law before that banning eating in restaurants altogether so people start cooking at home and spending more time in their well done-up kitchens).

- Or one that does not allow you to hold bf/gf/hubby’s hand while walking in public places (Though more men will get affected by this! Have you noticed the number of men who hold hands?!). However, I digress. Make sure you walk at least 10 metres away from the person you’re with. This will of course, make it impossible to walk in a place like Forum or Garuda. Eventually, people will stop flocking there. And then the places will become peaceful and empty. What a brilliant idea! I think BB is onto something here.

- Or one that will put sensors in our houses so we are back and in bed by 8.30. Good model citizens, upholding Indian culture, I say. Watch television. Oops sorry, cablewallah on strike, but I am sure you’ll find another more productive occupation. NO, not that though!

- Or one that says you can only make babies on Mondays, Thursdays and Sundays. Actually, make that Thurdays and Sundays only. (This might also actually bring down our population drastically ;) Though, as a result of keeping everyone home (no kissing, no dancing, no eating, no walking around holding hands) people might just stay at home all the time being good Indian citizens and cleaning their cupboards (anything but THAT, folks!). What a scary thought, that.

I am really wondering if any of these smart folk passing these very smart laws are watching music television these days? I am not sure some of those moves are legal…

So, my fellow citizens in Chennai and Bangalore, get your act together. Stop kissing, dancing and indulging in other such ‘un-Indian’ activities and stick to what you do best. Making India the world’s most populated country of the world in the next 10 years.

Forget the streets and infrastructure going to the dogs. Forget flyovers which take THREE to FOUR years to build (and contractors who run away). Forget the road before my freaking house, which has been under repair for the last nine months (while people have delivered millions of babies!).

Forget the fact that it takes the united force of the Big Brothers a total of 15 years, thousands of panel discussions, and several government changes to decide what kind of a mass public system the city needs. Meanwhile, watch the city disintegrating before your very eyes. It’s harder and harder to get to work (or get anywhere for that matter). But don’t worry about these or any other insignificant matters of life. Law and order issues? No problems! This is India after all. Everything take time, no?

What is important, model Indian citizens is that you don’t kiss and dance. That is the bottom line of all that is IMPORTANT and CRUCIAL to being good citizens. So fellow bloggers (and whoever’s reading this) get your lips off your neighbour, husband, wife or wherever they are planted and your legs off the dance floor, please. In fact, don’t even try doing a jig in the bathroom.

Be scared, be very scared. You never know where they’re tracking you now…