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Fuji X100F – Street photography in India

December 28, 2017

Over the past few years, we’ve had the opportunity to travel to many countries and capture magnificent landmarks from the Eiffel Tower in Paris to the bright blue domes in Santorini, but I always felt something was missing and that was capturing the quiet beauty of my hometown – Bangalore. There’s so much character and vibrancy to the city I was born in and I never got around to telling its story through my lens. However, that wish came true when I visited India this summer with my beloved Fuji X100F. I spent many mornings walking through the streets, bustling markets and quiet neighbourhoods to try and capture the true essence of the city. This was truly a homecoming of sorts and these pictures are an ode to my hometown. I post a mix of travel and lifestyle on my Instagram page shot on my Fuji X100F, follow along my journey.  Fuji X100F in India Fuji X100F in India Fuji X100F in India Fuji X100F in India Fuji X100F street photography Fuji X100F street photography Fuji X100F in India Fuji X100F in India Fuji X100F in India Fuji X100F street photography Fuji X100F street photography

 

Travel

A Perfect Weekend in Budapest

December 23, 2017
Weekend in Budapest

R was in Budapest for work, and I joined him to spend a perfect weekend in Budapest. With much to do and just a few days to explore the city, I hit the ground running as soon as I got out of the airport. After dropping off my bag at the hotel, I decided to visit the Vajdahunyad Castle, which, as luck would have it, was less than a fifteen-minute walk from our hotel. Set amidst a beautiful park and a lake, this medieval castle looks straight out of a fairytale – the gothic architecture looks simply magnificent. I was meeting R’s colleagues for dinner that evening, so after wandering around a bit, I made my way to the restaurant. R had chosen a Thai restaurant in downtown Budapest – a thriving district full of restaurants, coffee shops and pubs. Though the meal was average at best, the great company more than made up for it. After bidding adieu to his colleagues, R and I hopped onto the brightly lit Budapest Eye to enjoy the night view of the city.

Day Two

We began with breakfast at the palatial New York Café. This place is perpetually crowded, so I suggest getting there early if you want to get a table. Famous for its Renaissance-style architecture, this place is decked in glittering Venetian chandeliers and gold-plated stuccoes. Since R was at work, I got a table for myself, ordered some English breakfast and spent an hour getting lost in this book. My next stop was the imposing 13th-century marvel – Buda Castle, which sits on the southern tip of Castle Hill. You can either take the funicular (cable car) or trek up there, and I highly suggest doing that because you get to enjoy the spectacular views of the Chain Bridge and Danube River as you walk up. I’m not one for most tourist attractions, but this is simply not to be missed. I spent over two hours just basking in the beauty of this place

The sun had just begun to set, and the city was starting to come alive, so R and I made our way towards the Citadella, a fortification located on top of the Gellért Hill. Again, the trek up here is well worth it as you are rewarded with the most captivating view of the city. There’s seriously nothing more beautiful than the vastness of the city unrolling in front of your eyes. We had worked up an appetite with all the walking, so we ended the day with a lovely meal at a place called Búsuló Juhász Étterem, which is just a stone’s throw away from the Citadella. The main course of chicken breast with beluga lentils and beets was easily one of the nicest things I have ever eaten.

Weekend in Budapest Weekend in Budapest

 

Day Three

We covered as many places as we could on the last day of our trip. After a quick breakfast of buttery croissants and black coffee, we jaunted off to the bustling Great Market Hall. There were rows of delicatessen cheeses, cured meats, and freshly brewed palinka everywhere. I bought a bag of Hungarian paprika on a friend’s recommendation and my, oh my, it packs a serious punch. From there, we headed to the Fisherman’s Bastion before making a quick pit stop at the Gellért Thermal Bath. Since it was fully booked, we went to Széchenyi Thermal Bath, where we hopped from one pool to another for over three hours. Though we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, I wouldn’t recommend it, as the changing rooms are, well, a bit mouldy and dirty. Even if you do go there, be sure to book a private cabin, or you’ll have to share a shower with hundreds of strangers. We did a little more gallivanting before finding ourselves with delicious drinks and food at an Italian place called Perfetto (the name couldn’t have been more perfect). As this idyllic summer getaway drew to an end, R and I realised that we live for experiences such as these.

Weekend in Budapest Weekend in Budapest

 

Weekend in Budapest
Travel

A Blissful Week in Santorini

October 22, 2017
Things to do in Sunny Santorini

Last year R and I spent a blissful week in Santorini, and somehow I never got around to writing about it. The weather was perfectly warm, and since we were visiting during the shoulder months, the streets were marginally less crowded.

Trip Duration:

One week. Unlike most people who make their base as Oia, we spent the first few days in Fira and Imerovigli before finally making our way to Oia. By doing this, we felt like we explored the island properly.

Where we stayed:

R went all out and booked the best places to stay as we were celebrating our first anniversary. In Fira, we stayed at Villa Soula, a cosy B&B located near the main street. In Imerovigli, we stayed at Abyssanto Suites & Spa – a luxury hotel with a private jacuzzi and an infinity pool. The best thing about this place was that our room was on the upper level, and we could watch the sunrise from our bed. Saving the best for the last, R truly outdid himself when he booked an entire villa for ourselves in Oia. It was a beautifully furnished cave house called Canava View with a huge jacuzzi on the balcony. We spent every evening watching the sunset from our jacuzzi. Absolute bliss!

Things to do in Sunny Santorini

What we ate:

Gyros, souvlaki, Greek salad. Yum! While we mostly ate at small tavernas, we found some great restaurants. On our first night, we chanced upon a charming garden café in Fira called ‘Kipos‘, and we liked the food and ambience so much that we ate there two nights in a row. There’s nothing more perfect than dining amidst a garden with towering palm trees and twinkling fairy lights. They also offer a wine tasting session where you get to try local wines paired with Cycladic cheeses. Imerovigli Tavern, which overlooks the Caldera is a beautiful spot for a leisurely lunch. Ochre Wine Bistro in Oia offers an expertly curated wine list, and the food is exceptionally good too. Tranquilo in Perissa is a colourful, Carribean-themed beachside café, that’s perfect for a round of drinks and Mediterranean fare.

Getting Around:

The best way to get around the island is by renting a bike. We hired a quad-bike for the first few days and a scooter for the rest.

A Blissful Week in Santorini A Blissful Week in Santorini

 

Top things to do:

Akrotiri: Located at the southern tip of the island, Akrotiri is a Minoan Bronze Age settlement which was buried in a volcanic eruption. You can easily spend a day in here marvelling at the painstaking work that has gone into excavating this place.

Beaches: Of the Island beaches, we visited Red, Perissa and Kamari Beach. We spent an entire afternoon in Kamari lounging under the sun and sipping on cocktails.

Caldera-edge walk: If there’s one thing that we recommend doing, it’s walking along the caldera-edge pathway. It’s a long nine-kilometre walk, so don’t forget to carry a sun hat. The path is peppered with little cafés, antique shops and boutique hotels, so there’s plenty to explore. At sunset, make sure to climb up the Byzantine Castle Ruins, for magnificent views of the setting sun.

Volcano cruise: The boat cruise is a must-do as you get to trek the volcano-islet of Palia Kameni, which was last active in 1950. After that, you get to jump off the boat and swim to the hot springs.

Insta-worthy spots: The whole place! The whitewashed houses with blue domes; sunlounger-filled beaches, cobbled promenades, windmills. I particularly liked walking through the maze-like alleyways of Oia and stopping to snap pictures of all the houses shaded by the fuschia-hued bougainvillaea creepers.

Food

On My Plate: Oat Bran Pancakes + Berries Chia Jam

September 9, 2017
Healthy oat bran pancakes chia berry jam coconut

I know the Internet is full of pancake recipes, and you don’t need another one, but my reason for writing this is purely because I found a way to turn my favourite breakfast porridge (oat bran bircher with berries) into something more indulgent and filling. So here’s presenting the protein-packed buckwheat & Oat bran pancakes with berries and coconut chia jam. Doesn’t that sound delicious? Also, it’s refined sugar-free, so you can happily eat these with gusto.

Buckwheat & Oat Bran Pancakes

Initially, I made the pancakes with just the oat bran, and they turned out quite soggy, so I added a cup of buckwheat flour to get the fluffy texture. You can easily substitute it with plain or wholemeal flour. I really like the nuttiness of buckwheat, and it amps up the flavour of the pancakes.

Makes about 4 – 6 pancakes // ½ cup of oat bran, 1 cup of buckwheat flour, 1 egg, 1 tsp vanilla extract, ½ cup of soymilk, a pinch of salt and two tbsp of stevia (sugar substitute).

Mix all the dry ingredients and wet ingredients separately and combine them together. Heat a pan with a dollop of butter or an oil spray, and scoop out a ladle of batter onto the pan. Cook until browned evenly.

Berries & Coconut Chia Jam

I stumbled upon this recipe while trawling Ohsheglows website for healthy dessert options. I’ve put my own twist to it by including desiccated coconut and stevia to make it slightly healthier. It’s not cloyingly sweet and has the same consistency of a jam. It stores well and is super delish.

100g of mixed berries (I used blueberries & raspberries), 3 tbsp of desiccated coconut, 4 tbsp of chia seeds and stevia

Place all the berries in a saucepan with the stevia and allow them to cook for about ten minutes until they are nice and soft. Then add in desiccated coconut and chia seeds and cook for another five minutes until all the water is absorbed.

Travel

Top Things to do in Dubrovnik

September 8, 2017
Exploring Dubrovnik

To help with your planning we’ve highlighted our top things to do in Dubrovnik

Why visit: Crystal clear water, uninhabited virgin islands, fresh seafood and Mediterranean weather.

Where to stay: We stayed at Neptun Hotel in Babin Kuk, which is just 15 minutes away from the Old Port. This upscale hotel has a spa, four swimming pools and three in-house restaurants serving delicious local cuisines. The seafront room we stayed in was literally ten feet from the Adriatic and it doesn’t get better than that.

What to Do:

1) City Walls: All the guidebooks tell you that the City Walls is a must-do – and it’s true. If you hike up the serpentine staircases of these historic walls, you’ll be rewarded with a breathtaking view of the sea, changing in hue from azure to emerald by the shadows cast by the clouds above. There’s nothing quite like the joy that accompanies the sight of the endless horizon.

2) Hidden Coves: If you want to escape the heaving crowds, then this is the perfect thing to do. We found several secluded coves around the city, but the one next to the Nautika Restaurant is breathtaking, to say the least. A beautiful idyll that feels like a world away from the hustle and bustle of the Old Town. There’s a dizzying flight of stairs with a metal railing that leads you all the way up to the vantage point. We spent the day swimming in the crystal-clear waters and basking in the beauty of this hidden gem.

3) Island Hopping: Dubrovnik offers plenty to explore, a day trip to the neighbouring islands is an experience unlike any other. Roughly 15 minutes from the city, Lokrum is ideal for snorkelling or hiking up the vertiginously sloping paths. This uninhabited island is home to pines and cypress trees, which fills the air with a lilting scent. There’s an idyllic salt-rich lake that’s perfect for those of us who are not brave enough to swim in the sea.

4) Cable Car: While the cable car ride is all too brief, the view is nothing short of sublime. We booked a table at the Panorama Restaurant and watched the sky turn hues of gold and amber as the sun went down. The food, the ambience and the pavonine sky made it a surreal affair. It was a magical experience. Anything I say would be too little, so I’m going to let the pictures do the talking.

5) Boat/Ferry/Yacht Ride: You can opt for a private yacht tour or hop onto a boat cruise to go island-hopping. We visited Elaphite Islands, which is a small archipelago consisting of several islands. We made quick pit stops at Šipan, Koločep and Lopud – although they aren’t very different from each other, they are beautiful nonetheless. The highlight of the cruise was the freshly cooked meal we had aboard while basking in the sun.

6) Cliff Bar: Nestled in the tiny bylanes of the old walled city, Buza Bar provides sweeping views of the Adriatic sea. Buzzy music, local beer and friendly staff make this place an absolute must-visit. This hole-in-the-wall dive bar is perpetually crowded, so get there early if you want a table with a view. Or can grab a drink and sit on the cliff to watch the waves roll in against the sunset.

7) Game of Thrones tour: This walking tour takes you to many filming locations of the HBO series Game of Thrones. Some of the guides appeared as extras in the show and they bring the whole thing to life with first-hand experiences and juicy anecdotes.

What to pack: Hiking shoes, summery dresses and a chic pair of sunglasses. You can read about what I packed here.

Where To Take A Great Instagram: There are plenty gram-worthy spots, but my top two recommendations are the charming stone alleys of Old Dubrovnik and the rock staircase carved through the cliff near Brsalje.

 

 

 

 

 

Top Things to do in Dubrovnik


Things to do in Dubrovnik

 

 

 

 

Travel

Three days in Paris – An Itinerary for first time visitors

April 2, 2017
The Louvre

Here’s our three days in Paris Itinerary, do bear in mind as this was our second visit to Paris we skipped Notre Dame, Arc de Triomphe and Champs-Élysées. To discover some cool Instagram worthy spots in Paris head over to the first part of our post

Day 1

Checked into Hotel Eiffel Turrene

Eiffel Tower aka The Iron Lady

Grand Palais / Petit Palais

Musée d’Orsay

Day 2

Montmartre

Wall of Love

Sacré-Cœur Basilica 

Montparnasse Tower

Day 3

Musée du Louvre

Home Sweet Home

Eiffel Turenne

Eiffel Tower composition Petit Palais - Three Day Itinerary to Paris Taking a close look Palais Royal stairs Instagram worthy spots in Paris - Musée d'OrsayThree Day Paris Itinerary Instagram worthy spots in Paris - Montmartre Artist in Montmartre - Three Day ItineraryArtist in Montmartre - Three Day Itinerary Eiffel from Montparnasse Tower - Three Day ItineraryLouvreInstagram worthy spots in Paris Louvre Instagram worthy spots in Paris Louvre Paris - Three Day Itinerary to Paris