All posts filed under: Anita Recommends

Links on where to, how to, what to… relating to travel, food & wine, adventure, cycling, trekking and all the things I love to do!

Mammoth Lakes Adventure: The Swim

Published by Anita

To swim, bike and run on the same day is always a challenge. And though I enjoy all three sports, I’m still testing out the waters with shorter distances right now. Last year, I wrote about getting into triathlons and also doing my first triathlon – a sprint distance. This year, I did a slightly longer distance – called Olympic distance at the Auburn Triathlon. Longer distances though are still daunting at this stage. But when one of our coaches suggested we check out the Graniteman Challenge event that involves all the sports, but over three days, I began to think it might be more feasible. Impulsive decisions come quite naturally to me, so I decided to add another one to my list and sign up. The big event, which earns you the title of “Graniteman”, involves half Ironman distances (or nearly) – 2.4 mile swim, 100 mile ride and a 12.4 mile run/walk. However, they also had shorter distances in two categories – 1.2 mile swim, 71 mile ride, while the 3rd category (run/walk) …

The Penland Diaries: Washing dishes and making them

Published by Anita

From washing dishes to making them has been the tagline of these last few days. And I’m borrowing and modifying the phrase from my very talented sister Ranjita (who used to be a chef and is now a potter) who says she went from: “Making dishes to making dishes”. Exhausting. Hectic. Overwhelming. Intense. Fantastic. A few words to sum up my experience at Penland so far. Time flies when you’re having fun and it really did. I have no idea how 10 days went by–it’s like one of those sprint races with Usain Bolt. It’s over before it started. The 18 member group worked at breakneck speed to fire “Rosie”, Penland’s three-chambered wood kiln. After 24 hours of stoking and firing, making sure all the three chambers were heated up, we stopped a bit past midnight on Wednesday. It was a first time for me working together with a team to fire a wood kiln and it was memorable. Now, I can see the reason why people fire these things. It’s tough and challenging–I still …

Pines

The Penland Diaries: Arriving and settling in

Published by Anita

The Penland School of Crafts has been on my “wish” list for a few years now. In 2013, when I was visiting friends in Virginia, I did a 2 month ceramics course down at Manassas. Around that time, I happened to chance upon the school and the workshops it offers and instantly put it down as something I’d like to try and do someday. Workshops are on a wide variety of mediums—glass, metal, wood, drawing, painting, clay – check out the current workshops and also future ones here. A peek at some of the workshops During the last year I’ve been able to explore both jewelry making and ceramics to a greater extent with access to more resources than I had earlier. Some of the artistes I’ve been able to learn from are Edith Schneider (jewelry), Elaine Pinkernell, Linda Mau and Jamie Meador—all three being fantastic handbuilders. And then towards the beginning of the year, I was browsing and came across a link asking those interested to apply for the summer sessions that would be …

Adventures in India: A 12 day trip to the South

Published by Anita

Join me on an adventure of a lifetime! A vibrant and diverse country, India can be fascinating and yet also be pretty challenging for a traveler. Especially, if you haven’t been to the country before. But don’t worry – you’ll be in good hands! I’ve traveled to many parts of the country, on many occasions on my own, and have a fair idea of the dos and don’ts to ensure that we have a great time, and ensure we keep out of trouble. If you did have India on your mind—this could be the perfect opportunity to join in on an active adventure—indulge in fun activities like running, swimming, hiking and cycling (and if we have time, we can even squeeze in a few other local activities). Besides of course, tasting some of the local delicacies—every state in India has a different cuisine, language/s and customs. On this trip, we’ll cover 3 states. Trip Description: An adventure trip and we’ll make sure you keep fit and active with hearty doses of cycling, running, hiking and …

Winter destination: Manali for romance and adventure

Published by Anita

It’s been years but I have some nice memories of the town of Manali. I first landed there maybe 10 years ago for a trek and spent a few days hungrily drinking in the fresh crisp air (after the city, you can imagine the feeling). And then, in 2011, Manali was our base as we prepared for a trip to cycle up to Leh and I got to experience the town again. If I lived in Delhi, I would probably step out much more often to escape the blazing summer heat and spend time enjoying the much needed respite – amidst lofty hills, lush greenery and cool breeze. Or even in winter, for a dose of snow and sub-zero temperatures, perhaps. As a destination, it’s the perfect place. Set amidst a picturesque backdrop of the snow-capped Himalayan range, the only things that should be on your mind are: romance… or adventure! So whether it’s a luxury vacation, a romantic getaway or an adventure filled trip (like it was for me), I would head back to …

In search of the perfect dim sum: An anniversary special menu at Yauatcha

Published by Anita

A dim sum evokes all kinds of feelings in me. I associate it with comfort food. Though traditionally it was meant to be an appetiser, I can eat it any time during the day – breakfast, lunch or dinner. And in between. There are moments I could do anything for that perfect steaming mouth-watering dim sum. It’s a seemingly simple dish – but one bite and you’re in foodie heaven. If you read this detailed guide, it will tell you that dim sum means “touch the heart” – it definitely does something to mine! My fellow foodie in Bangalore, Mukta Chakravorty, braved the incessant rains (and risked being stranded thanks to our infamous local disappearing cabbies of Bangalore), and came back with this report. Enjoy and bon appétit! ~~~~ A Michelin-star restaurant, baskets of steaming hot dim sums and cocktails – perfect combination for a rain-drenched Wednesday evening. We all know how the rains in the city throws everything off course. Afraid it would put a dampener and the traffic already looking menacing, it was …