Month: October 2013

Tranquil Tranquebar

Tranquil Tranquebar

Published by Anita

Located on the Coromandel Coast, Tharangambadi or Tranquebar as it’s more popularly called – is in the Nagapattinam district of Tamil Nadu. While Pondicherry has French influences, in Tranquebar you will experience glimpses of Danish legacy. What intrigued me was it’s name. Later, I discovered the meaning – “land of the singing waves“. And it couldn’t have been more apt. Being a former Dutch colony means there are quite a few buildings from the yesteryears; some of them well preserved to date. The only place to stay is the Neemrana property, Bungalow on the Beach. Actually, there is one other place – a hotel run by Tamil Nadu tourism. The Bungalow on the Beach is run by Neemrana and is located right on the water front The best part of the resort is the view. It’s on the beach, with a view of the temple on the left and the fort on the right. It was rainy weather when we arrived, so it was good to sit on the first floor porch and enjoy the …

Bicycling Diaries, Part 1: Washington & Old Dominion Trail in Virginia

Published by Anita

So what do you do with miles of railroads from the yesteryears, which are no longer operational? Abandon them? Thankfully, someone had better sense. Today, in the US there are quite a few of these railroads, converted into running and cycling trails. These provide a great place for those who want to indulge in these sporty activities without the hindrance of vehicular traffic. While visiting Virginia, the trail we cycled on is the Washington and Old Dominion Railroad (W&OD), now looked after by the Friends of WNOD.  This particular railroad ferried passengers between towns, from 1859 to 1968. With the increase in the number of vehicles and the improved road networks, the demand for passenger trains came down and finally they closed it down. It is a 45 mile asphalt trail for walking, running and other activities (motorized vehicles are not allowed) and there is a parallel 30.5 mile gravel path for horseback riding and hiking. So there are portions where the two trails intersect.  On weekends, these kind of dedicated trails (W&OD is one of them) …