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Why Bruges is a Must Visit

September 18, 2015

Bruges is a wondrous waterborne city situated in the northwest of Belgium. Bruges, which is called the Venice of Belgium, is renowned for its imposing gothic architecture and intricate canals. The medieval town is a delight for history enthusiasts because every monument and sculpture has a tale to tell.

Bruges walking tourBruges TourismEven though it was raining when we arrived, the city looked all brushed up and festive. The best way to explore this historical town is to hire a guide and go on a walking tour. Our guide took us through all the beautiful cobbled lanes while explaining the art and architecture of Bruges. So fascinating! We started our tour from Minnewater Lake and walked all the way up to the Market Square (Markt).Travel guide to Bruges

Our first stop was the Béguinage (Begijnhof), a convent for Benedictine nuns, which was earlier a place for single or widowed women to live in a pious way. The 18th century buildings surrounded by lush foliage is a sight to see – it’s one of the most tranquil places I’ve ever seen. There’s also a small museum, which recreates the living quarters of Béguinage an absolute must visit.Bruges is a must visit

Another brilliant piece of architecture is the Church of Our Lady, a magnificent brickwork church famous for its white marble sculpture of the Madonna and Child created by Michelangelo. The Old St. John’s Hospital next to it houses the famous Hans Memling museum, which showcases the 19th century artists’ works.

Since the weather took a turn for the worse, we decided to have a quick meal before exploring further. After gobbling up waffles and frites, we decided to wander around Market Square – the lane is dotted with quaint lace shops and outdoor restaurants. Horse-drawn carriages and water fountains are a common sight in Bruges – the city still remains untouched by modern civilization.Market square in Bruges

Horse drawn carriage in Bruges

You’ll love the Groeninge Museum if you are an art lover. The museum has exquisite Flemish and Belgian artists’ masterpieces. You can languish and pore over the beautiful works of art. Though we didn’t get to see Basilica of the Holy Blood, you must make sure to check it out. The Romanesque style chapel is famed for housing a phial of Jesus Christ’s blood. Intriguing, isn’t it?

Romantic weekend in BrugesL & R’s Verdict: Bruges is a must visit! It’s a charming and culturally rich city that is sure to mesmerise you.

Food Travel

Things to do in Brighton

September 12, 2015

Brighton is a place that is not-to-be-missed for those who are travelling to London. The beachy town, which is full of life, is the perfect destination for a weekend getaway. The wondrous backdrop is ideal for a lazy stroll along the shore or to sunbathe under the glistening sun.

Day out in BrightonDay out in BrightonHere are three things to do in Brighton:

Eat: We arrived extremely hungry and after scouting all the places to eat, we settled for the good ol’ Mexican fare at Tortilla. Who can resist moreish guacamole and mouth-watering tostadas? Since we were super hungry we settled for large burritos brimming with extra dose of sour cream…ahhhh heaven! Brighton, like London offers diners a wide variety of options. From Indian to Singaporean, you can get a taste of different cuisines. There are numerous indie cafes with kitschy décor and delicious offerings.

Places to Eat: The Salt RoomThe Breakfast Club, Food for Friends & Solera

Day out in Brighton

Relax: We hired deck chairs and vegetated under the glorious sun. Although I always complain about the weather, I feel giddy with happiness when the rays of the sun warm my skin. I’m like Olaf from Frozen! If you don’t want to waste time sunbathing, you can take a dip in the ocean or walk around to explore the numerous art cafes and bakeries. We stumbled upon a fair that had food stalls, art installations and numerous counters showcasing local wares.

Places to See: Workshop, Brighton Open Market & Snoopers Paradise

London to Brighton Things to do in Brighton

Have Fun: Brighton Pier is a great place to indulge the kid in you! From Waltzers to Turbo Coasters, there are all sorts of rides to keep you entertained. R coaxed me into going on the Horror Hotel Ride, although it isn’t as scary as the one in Disneyland Paris, I being a total wuss closed my eyes tightly through the entire ride. At the Pier, R and I felt like two cool kids all set to raid the candy store. Sigh.

However, if this is not the kind of fun you want to have, the lanes are dotted with cutesy vintage stores selling everything from clothing to records. If that doesn’t float your boat, head over to Lucky Voice to show-off your singing skills or to Komedia Club to laugh away!

Brighton Pier London to Brighton

PS: The ice creams at the Pier are amaze balls! If you have any more interesting suggestions for things to do in Brighton, do let us know in the comments section below.

Life Lately Travel

Scotland Road Trip

August 10, 2015
Tomatin Distillery in Scotland

Edinburgh

We planned our Scotland road trip in summer so we could enjoy the austere beauty of Scotland in all its glory without bundling up in heavy woollens and hiding indoors. Our friends Ravi and Shweta joined us all the way from the States to make this trip happen. After landing in Edinburgh, we set out to explore the fabled town that’s steeped in history. Instead of being enveloped by the warmth of sun, we were welcomed with a gush of chilly wind. Not what we were expecting!

Scotland Road Trip

Inside Edinburgh CastleWearing a fit and flare dress on a windy day is definitely not advisable. I walked all the way up to the castle holding my dress. The castle looks majestic against the Edinburgh skyline; no words can describe this vastness. We strolled through the castle marvelling at the richness of history – The Prisons of War Museum is particularly captivating. From the crown jewels to the military artillery, the museum is full of stories of yore. It was a fascinating start to our weeklong journey.

Zizzi Ristorante Edinburgh

We trudged upon a quaint Italian restaurant called Zizzi for lunch where we indulged ourselves in a rather large meal. Post the satisfying meal, we headed to our hotel MotelOne for a siesta. Since it was the Champions League finals between Barcelona and Juventus, we went to watch the match at a local pub. The raucous crowd and the overflowing beer served as the perfect antidote to Barcelona’s win. The best way to experience the true culture of any place is to watch a football match with the locals in a pub – the experience is metamorphic. Before we bid adieu to Edinburgh, Ravi and Shweta wanted to listen to Scottish folk music so they headed to Captain’s Bar. R and I were too exhausted so we had dinner at a Nepalese Restaurant and headed back to our hotel.

Edinburgh Waverly station

Fort William

Next morning, the sun was out in full force. We kicked off our Scotland road trip by renting a Nissan Qashqai and drove towards Fort William. On the way we stopped at Stirling Castle – a historical castle surrounded by steep cliffs. The Great Kitchens and Stirling Heads Gallery are the only high point of this castle. After spending the better part of our day at the castle, we headed to Crown Hotel in Callander for lunch. Hungry and happy, we sat down to have the standard American fare. Except R being the fancy one had Salmon with Garden Vegetables

View from Stirling Castle

Crown Hotel in Callander

Stirling Castle review

Scotland Road TripWe drove towards the Three Sisters to bask in the magnificence of nature and also for a photo op. These forbidding mountains are considered to be the highest peaks in Argyll. Silhouetted against a saffron and azure sky, it was a breathtaking sight. Sigh! The beauty of countryside.

Ben Nevis

After a particularly unappetising breakfast, we decided to do the Gondola Ride at Nevis Range. The ride which offers a breathtaking view of Aonach Mor is a value-for-money experience. Since it was a last minute plan, I was dressed in the most inappropriate attire. I trekked all the way up to the vantage point in a tulip skirt and loafers. Fashionable choice? Yes. Sensible choice? Non. Post the trek; we headed to board the ferry to Isle of Skye. Handy Tip: Always book in advance, or you’ll have to wait for hours to board the next one. We were lucky that in spite of telling us they were full, they let us in because there were a few cancellations.

Gondola Ride at Nevis Range.

Fairy Pools walk on the Isle of Skye in Scotland.

Isle of Skye

Our first stop on reaching Isle of Skye was Fairy Pools; by the time we got there it was cold and drizzling. We bundled up in all the clothes we had and hiked our way to the first pool. The vividly coloured pools are famed for having a bright turquoise-green hue to them. After spending an entire day amidst nature, we retired for the day in a cosy Bed & Breakfast called Grasmhor. Though the hosts weren’t very welcoming, it’s a lovely place to stay. Another Handy Tip: Stock up on food before you reach Portree because everything closes by six. We were tired and hungry and all the restaurants were closed. Thankfully we found a takeaway joint called Fat Panda that served us delicious semi-authentic Chinese food.

View from Old man of StorrAs the morning dawned bright, we drove towards the picturesque Old Man of Storr – a series of rocky pinnacles that look mighty and majestic. The unadulterated air and the hustling sound of the winds were like a balm to our souls. Next, we drove to Kilt Rock, a scenic beauty that’s a must-visit! The cliff formations are said to resemble the pattern on Scottish kilt, hence the name. The waterfalls, boats on the horizon and the mighty creations of nature are all a sight to behold. Magical! Before heading to Elgol, we stopped at a charming café in Staffin called Ellishadder Art Café – a quaint and rustic place with a very homemade vibe. After stuffing our faces with a little bit of everything on the menu, we set out on our next grand adventure. We rerouted to head to Elgol (when I say we, I mean Ravi – he drove while we snored.), which had vertiginously steep roads peppered with numerous blind turns.

Loch Coruisk Misty Isle Boat Trips

Boat Trips on the Isle of Skye from Elgol to Loch CoruiskAfter a backbreaking two-hour drive, we reached just in time to get onto the Misty Isle boat ride. The boat took us to Loch Coruisk, a secluded rocky island in the heart of the Cuillin Hills. We spent an hour exploring the island basking under the high altitude sun. On our way back, we made a short trip to the magnificent Eilean Donan castle, which sits right in between where the three lochs meet. Though the castle was closed, we admired its beauty from the outside.Eilean Donan Castle

Having eaten very little since morning, our stomachs were grumbling for some good food. We chose a Thai Restaurant in Inverness without looking it up on Tripadvisor (blasphemy), but we were proved that best things in life are those that are unplanned. Albeit a little expensive, the food was heavenly. Scrumptious Pad Thai, Chicken Red Thai Curry and Chicken & Cashew Stir Fry were gobbled up in seconds. No Thai meal is complete without Sticky Rice Pudding with Mango, so we rounded off our day with just that. We retired for the day at a castle-like place called Ballifeary – probably the only place in our entire trip where we had a good breakfast.

Edinburgh to London

This was our last day in Scotland, with heavy hearts we vacated our rooms to head to Loch Ness. What a fail! We drove around in circles trying to find the viewpoint. We were running out of time, so we decided to skip it and head to Tomatin Distillery. The guided tour of the distillery is quite educative, they take you through every stage of the process. There’s a little tasting session after the tour where you get to taste different varieties and try to assess the flavour. Though we had to rush to the airport to board our plane it was one helluva trip which we will cherish forever.

PS: The next road trip is already being chalked out

Life Lately

Renting a house in London

August 1, 2015

Renting a house in London is like trying to herd cats – it’s an experience filled with shock and awe. Even the smallest studio apartment costs an arm and a leg, so we wanted to take our time before renting a house.

Renting a house in London

After scouring all the real estate websites, we found out that there was a vacant flat in the apartment we lived. We went to look at it and were welcomed by a sketchy looking real estate agent. The one bedroom flat was really shabby – paint was peeling off, kitchen was extremely dirty and there were no lighting fixtures. The real estate agent promised us he’d get the house in shape if we were willing to make an offer, however, we told him to get the house sorted and we’d consider.

Renting a house in London

After a week, he called us to take a look at the house again. We were expecting to see the house fully done but all we saw was a patch of paint on the walls. He told us that work was underway and it’d be done in a week’s time. But the house looked like it needed more than a week’s worth of work. He kept pushing us to make an offer, in fact he even proposed to loan us the money needed to make the down payment.We became a little suspicious by his behaviour and asked him to provide us with more details. When we asked him who the owner was, he fumbled. We asked where his office was and he fumbled more. He gave us his business card but said his office had shifted; all this instantly raised our suspicion. He was shifty as hell and R sensed something was wrong, so we didn’t pursue it any further. We didn’t even hear from Mr. Shady. A couple of days later, R and I were talking about him, and I randomly googled his name.Guess what we found? This article.

Renting a house in London

He’s a fraudster! No wonder he was pushing us to make an offer. Sometimes you have to trust your gut feeling and I’m so glad we did. Post this eye-opening experience we became wary about the whole house hunting process. We saw tons of houses but they were either too small or too far.

Renting a house in London

But one fine evening we went to look at a property and it was love at first step for me. The house was spacious, beautifully furnished and had mirrored closets. What more can one ask for! Housesimple made the whole process seamless and transparent for us. In fact we even saved on the agency fees because they charge a very nominal fee unlike the high street estate agents. We moved into the house the following week and the rest, as they say, is history.

PS: Here’s an interesting read on doing things the right way before renting a house in London

Life Lately

My Love Hate relationship with London

June 25, 2015

This post is a long time coming and I’ve finally found time to jot down my thoughts. If you’ve read our previous post, you’ll know about our struggle to get my visa. So this post is what followed and my love hate relationship with London.

It seems like a blur now when I think about what was going through my mind when I got onto the flight to London. It was such an emotional moment; my cousins, parents and in-laws came to see us off and it felt like I was leaving a safe haven to step into the unknown.

Bengaluru International Airport

When I sat in the flight, I didn’t know what the future held, all I knew was I was starting over.  I was excited that I was starting a family of my own with my loving husband, but the fear of being away from ‘home’ is an inexplicable feeling. Seeing my mum control her tears and my dad trying to hide his sadness is a memory that’ll linger always. I have a lump in my throat as I wrote this; it’s just too hard to say bye to your loved ones.

Big Ben

London Eye

When I landed in London, I was still too numb to process what was happening. It took me a couple of days to digest the fact I was in a different country. Though London is not the most charming city, I love how there’s so much character to it. Everything is so picturesque and instagram-worthy. I love the buzz of rush hour and the maze-like tube system. Though I initially hated the quiet neighbourhoods, I’ve come to enjoy them because I can hear the gushing sound of winds, birds chirping and the swoosh of trees in HD clarity.

London Underground

The Shard

Most of London is still wonderfully lush and is not a concrete jungle like New York. One thing I still miss is the convenience of tuk-tuks, the transport system here is like a puzzle. You can’t get to a place without traversing through all of London’s transport system. Too tedious, but it’s great for people watching though. I finally get why people here always talk about the weather. Never have I used the weather app as much as I’ve used it after coming here. If you step out without checking the weather, you either run the risk of getting to work completely drenched or with your dress billowing in the wind and exposing a little too much. Ask me, I’ve experienced it. A handy tip is to always carry a pair of tights and umbrella to combat London’s moody weather.

DSC03023

The Walkie-Talkie

Come rain or sunshine, Londoners definitely dress with flair. Though blacks and greys are the most preferred colours, they certainly do know how to dress chic. London is a potpourri of culture that has a lot to offer, but one thing that disappoints me is how difficult it has been to get my first big break. Hopefully that’ll change soon! Please keep your fingers crossed for me.

Hum Tum

Life Lately

Tier 1 General Dependant Visa

April 30, 2015

We applied for my visa right after we got married. R and I had all the documents ready a month before we got married so we could fly together. The month leading to the wedding was stressful and chaotic as we were running from pillar to post to get the documents in place. Since the information online is very ambiguous, we thought we’ll pen down our experience. I applied for the Tier 1 General Dependant Visa and here’s how to go about itour experience. I applied for the Tier 1 General Dependant Visa and here’s how to go about it:

1. You need to fill the online application form and schedule an appointment. Apply here –https://www.visa4uk.fco.gov.uk/.  The visa fees were approximately £944 (87,000 INR) Print out the application and submit them with supporting documents.

2.  To prove the legitimacy of our relationship we submitted:

  •      Email transcripts and call records over a period of time. We submitted skype and viber call records
  •      Original marriage certificate
  •      Wedding photos
  •      Wedding invitation

3. The main applicant needs to submit the following documents:

  • Council Tax/Utility bills
  • 3 month’s payslips with signature from the HR or bearing the company stamp (stamp should appear on every page of the document)
  • 3 month’s bank statements printed on the official stationary or if you are producing an electronic copy, bank logo must appear on the statement with official signature or stamp.  (stamp should appear on every page of the document)
  • Reference letter from the employer
  • Evidence of maintenance fund (If you’ve lived in the UK for less than 12 months, you must show that you have at least £2,835 funds or if you’ve lived longer than that you need to show proof of £1,575 in your account)
  • Copy of the pages of passport
  • Copy of Biometric Residence Permit (commonly referred to as BRP)

4. Rental agreement is not mandatory. There’s a lot of confusion over this but we didn’t submit the document as R lived in a shared accommodation and didn’t have a rental agreement on his name.

5. Air tickets are not mandatory. We booked the tickets only after we got the visa.

6. The dependant needs to submit the following documents:

  • Chest x-ray certificate (Important note: If you’re applying from Bangalore, India VFS accepts the X-ray certificate only from Fortis Hospital, Bannerghatta Road or Elbit Medical Diagnostic Ltd, Queens Road)
  • Two passport sized photographs complying with the UK guidelines
  • Original copy of degree certificate
  • Passport
  • Certificate of proficiency in English is not mandatory unless your spouse is on an Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) visa. We didn’t produce this document.

When we went apply for the visa we had two hindrances – we hadn’t done the chest X-ray from the approved clinic and I had mehendi on my hands. They don’t take your fingerprints even if there’s little mehendi on your hands.

We had two options – one was to reschedule the appointment or apply for a fast track visa application. We could have rescheduled the appointment but we were running short of time and I wanted to fly with R, so we opted for fast track application. We had to shell out extra 12,500 INR for the process. If you’re applying for fast track you can walk in any time without having to take an appointment online. However, since I had mehendi on my hands we waited for two to three days before applying again.

From bleach to chocolate to hydrogen peroxide, we tried every possible remedy under the sun, but none of it worked. In the fear of burning my hands, I started to wash my hands every few hours. In spite of all the effort, the mehendi faded very lightly. We took a chance and applied the following week and thankfully it was smooth sailing.

Once you enter the VFS office, you’ll be given a checklist to tick all the documents you’re producing. After submitting the documents, your biometrics and photograph are taken. Once you are done paying the amount (they accept only cash), you are given a receipt which you’ll need to show along with a copy of your passport when receiving the courier.

I received my visa in just four days when we were having lunch at Primrose Villas. It was such a perfect start to our honeymoon!

Please leave your comments below if you have any doubts or queries. We’ll be more than happy to answer them for you.