sLOVEnia | The calm in chaos

Lake Bled | "Its all about finding the calm in chaos !!"

This one comes in the middle of one of the most chaotic times in modern days. These are unprecedented times where the world struggles to fight the novel Covid 19, Coronavirus, with chaos everywhere in health, finances, personal lives & much more. In the midst of the lockdown imposed around the world in various countries and such challenging times I believe at the end, its about finding the calm in this chaos. Only our calmness & patience can help us fight this disease and come out stronger. People find their calm through various things like music, movies, books, work etc etc. For me one way of getting calm is when I am travelling (quite a paradox in these times). So, amidst the travel restrictions around the world, today I want to write about one such place which makes you find the calm in chaos - Slovenia.

I visited Slovenia a couple of years back and fell in love with it instantly. The gorgeous weather, snow, yummy pizzas, good wine, skiing, everything that you can ask for.

How to arrive: Slovenia is well connected by air, rail & road. It is in the Southern part of Europe. You can arrive at the capital, Ljubljana or in the city of Maribor via flights available from all major airports in Europe. Alternately, you can travel by rail or road from Austria or Italy. Its just 4-8 hours drive depending on how far you are staying, the drive is beautiful amidst the mountains, lakes & snow.

Where to Stay: Well we stayed in the Avio Apartments, it is a Air BNB style guest house/hotel very close to the Airport and had a terrific time. Our host was super friendly, the cottage styled fully equipped rooms were in the middle of snow clad valleys and the location is very close to the airport. If you want to stay at the centre of Ljubljana you can try any of the hotels out there all are pretty good and reasonable. You can also chose to stay in Maribor also which is the second largest city in Slovenia.


Eating Places: The foodie experience in Slovenia was extremely satisfying. Due to its proximity to Italy, you can sense the great pizzas and Italian food every restaurant and cafe has to offer. If you are a fan of Indian food like my father, you should definitely try the Taj Mahal Restaurant at the centre of Ljubljana. It offers finger licking selection of assorted kababs & breads. A must try here were the tasty mango lassis, very popular amongst the locals as well it is a uniform blend of yoghurt, Water, spices and mangoes. Another excellent, place to eat was the La Pizzeria in Maribor. It serves the yummiest pizzas, pastas and salads. Keep some room for the                                                                  tiramisu dessert at the end.

One interesting experience I had here was that they gave scissors along with the pizzas to cut your own portions, it was a very satisfying lunch indeed. Slovenia is also known for its aromatic wines. In Maribor, we visited an interesting wine tasting experience, Vinag. Located right at the center, a very intimate and cosy place, it takes you through the wine experience of Slovenia for over 60 mins. Amidst the Internet world today, the most interesting quote we spotted on the walls were “We do not have WIFI, talk to each other”. You will definitely leave this place a little more educated about wine and cravings for a little more.                                                                                                           



Another place we had eaten in Ljubljana was at Cafe Belvedere in Lake Bled, it

gives you a gorgeous view of the lake bled while you sip into a rejuvenating cup of coffee along with the must try cream cakes and cheese cakes, its definitely a serene experience. Lastly, another influence in Slovenian food culture is German and we got to have the golden crispy fried chicken called Schnitzel. You can get it most cafes and restaurants usually served with lime and tartar sauce, every bite is blissful. You can explore many such dishes along side the centre of both Ljubljana and Maribor.

Things to do: The beauty of Slovenia is serene. The picturesque locations, snow clad alps and beautiful weather make this country right out of a painting. Lots of interesting things to do in Slovenia, the first and foremost is lake bled. Approximately, 30-40 mins from the airport, lake bled is the definition of calmness in chaos. It can easily be classified as one of the most beautiful lakes in the world, it is so picture worthy that you can take a picture from any angle and you will still be left mesmerised ( coming from a below average photographer :) ). You can walk around the lake, visit the famous cathedral, relax at the cafes around the lake.

Another first time and a very interesting experience was going to the famous ski resort very close to the airport and our apartment- Kraevec Resort. The thrill of being 3000 Mtrs above sea level, in the alps, covered in white snow was an experience to cherish for a lifetime. We were accompanied by our apartment owner and in conversations we realised that Slovenians take their Skiing very seriously. Kids as early as 4 year olds start their skiing journey, they are active in competitive skiing across the globe as well. You have to reach the resort , buy tickets and go right to the top using a cable car. When you are in the cable car you can actually see the mountains below you and there comes a point where you cross the clouds and are literally on top of the clouds, words fall short in describing this experience. I do not know how to ski, so I was a tourist looking at people skiing from even greater heights, falling on the snow, getting back up to finish their laps. There is a restaurant at the top where we had a quick black coffee before we called it a day.

At the centre of Ljubljana, there are a lot of interesting things to do, you can walk around and explore the local culture. The dragon bridge is famous with mint green color dragons at the entrance of the bridge. The Ljubljana castle is another must visit place during your trip. The 900 years old majestic castle gives an insight on the cultures & history of Ljubljana. The outlook tower in the castle gives a breathtaking view of the Ljubljana city.

The people of Slovenia are extremely warm and friendly. It’s been one of my favourite experiences so far, I assure you will fall in love with sLOVEnia. I have shared some pictures from my trip below. After things across the globe get better, I hope you will chose this as one of your holiday destinations. Till then, take care, stay safe & stay strong.

Cheers !!
Anant

Our products at 3000 Mtrs :)

Cable Car Ambulance

Ljubljana Castle

Vanakkam Kolkata !!

Vanakkam Kolkata !!

I am back with another experience to share. These are challenging times around the world, where we are fighting with probably the biggest crisis ever in modern times, the novel covid-19, Coronavirus. Since, travelling is banned across the globe and we are stuck at our homes in a lockdown, this one is not about travel, it’s about my second favorite thing to do EAT.

Sometimes I wish I could just become a food taster in a popular show like Masterchef Australia, where I just have to taste different types of food and cough out some fancy foodie words and judgements :) So some months back I did my own little food tour of one of my favorite cuisines South Indian food !! The aromatic smell of curry leaves, tangy chutney, filter coffee, South Indian for me is my comfort food, it’s my Sunday afternoon staple, it’s the meal that gets me to a peaceful afternoon siesta. My hometown Kolkata is known to be a foodie paradise and I explored my 6 favorite south Indian restaurants in Kolkata.

1. Jyoti Vihar - It’s hands down my favorite South Indian restaurant. I have been visiting the place for over 20 years now and it’s safe to say that each dish still has the same taste and flavors. They haven't played around much with there menu over the years, they stick to their favorites and are unbeatable in their best dishes. It’s amazingly simple interiors and age old serving people make this place a traditional favorite. My most treasured dish here is the brown crisp donut like rice preparation, Medu Vada. My favorite way to have it is by dipping it in hot sambhar, they serve a variety in which the vada is already dipped in sambhar for a while to soak in the flavours of the sambhar.

2. Raj - Another one of the oldest South Indian joints of Kolkata. Serving in traditional South Indian steel utensils, with the serving staff dressed in simple uniform with a small towel on the shoulder (a South Indian style) the place makes you feel the essence of southern India. The place is called homely raj , and it houses a hotel in the top floors. The place is best known for its South Indian thali, it’s sumptuous meal with favorite delicacies like rasam, buttermilk, South Indian veggies and of course pappadum. The servings are generous, specially for the Thali, they will not stop serving you unless they are confident that you are full & satisfied :) A must visit for every South Indian cuisine lover.

3. Ramakrishna Mission (Bhupendra Mansion) - Dosas , idlis and Medu vadas are one of the favorite breakfast meals for many people across the globe. This place is the best for South Indian food breakfast. It opens at 6am and shuts close to 1pm everyday, you can mostly find morning walkers and early risers. A very simple seating arrangement with an even simpler menu. You can visit the place every morning and have the same dishes every day but I am sure you still will be craving for more. The highlight in the menu is of course the idlis. The rice cakes are so soft that they will melt in your mouth. I usually prefer having the idlis with coconut chutney and molga podi (spicy powder with ghee) on the side.

4. Sankalp - Its the modern day twist to South India cuisine. Though many restaurants and brands have tried South Indian fusion but never has it been so on point. The restaurant has chains across the globe and is known for maintaining its consistency in every dish through time & geographies. A fun interior with vibrant blue and yellow furniture the place is perfect for a family lunch. The menu has interesting variants of the traditional dosa & idlis like the kanchipuram & chettinad idlis, indian bhaji dosa, nilgiri dosa and more. My favorite is the Cocktail Idlis, this one is similar to the Podi Idlis commonly found in South India. The rice cakes are wrapped in ghee and molgai podi to give it a crunchy & spicy flavor. Another 1 of my treasured items here is the military ghee roast dosa, a ghee roast is again very popular in south India, they use it to make veggies and curries in slow roasted ghee. The use of this in the dosa surely enhances the flavor of the dosa.

5. The Chutney Co. - Another modern day south India cafe at the heart of the commercial hub in Kolkata. Evident from its name the chutney company is famous for the variety of chutneys it offers. So, when you place your orders along with the regular coconut chutney the restaurant serves you with 8-10 varieties of chutneys including tamarind, beetroot chutney, tomato coconut, mysore chutney etc. Each has a distinct flavor and adds a refreshing twist to your favorite cuisines. The rawa dosa is another must have here. The mocktails and shakes are very interestingly curated. To finish a sumptuous meal do try the traditional filter coffee.

6. Rasam - For the longest time, Salt Lake area in Kolkata did not have a dedicated South Indian eatery. Finally, came along Rasam located inside the Stadel Hotel, which is part of the Salt Lake Football Stadium. Rasam is a spicy south indian soup served hot along with south Indian meals. The name of the restaurant is surely justified by the amazing tasty Rasams they offer. I usually drink it as a soup but many people like to have it with steam rice as well. The ambiance is good which servers dressed in white shirts and white lungi . It overlooks the lush greens around the football stadium. I love the buttermilk here, its a finely prepared curd with south Indian herbs, ginger & green chilly. The coriander dosa is also a very interesting preparation here, the use of coriander brings a completely new flavor to the traditional dosas.


Nothing brings people together like food does. I hope this pandemic situation resolves quickly and we can return to our favorite restaurants to indulge in the best food preparations across India. Until then, stay safe and stay indoors.

Cheers !!

Let's do the Haarlem Shake !!!

My tryst with travel goes way back to when I was a kid. Every moment I would find to travel I would grab on with both my feet. The idea of exploring new places, food, people & cultures have all been very fascinating to me since the beginning. Though I haven't travelled a lot but the little trips that I have made, made me think that I should account some of the details. 

So the place I want to write about is Haarlem - This small iconic town is approximately 100 kms from Amsterdam. You can visit the place by road or train. Coincidentally the first Intercity railway connection in Netherlands was between Amsterdam and Haarlem. The city of Haarlem screams about it's medeival culture and aesthetics. We were lucky to have a friend with us who was equally inquisitive to explore the town and was well versed with the cultures of Holland. Fun fact - “Haarlem Shake” the famous song is actually based in a town in the USA with the same name - Haarlem. It was named by the Dutch when they went from Haarlem to the USA. 

It was an overcast day and we arrived by a car to the town. Since it's a small town we decided to park the car and explore the place on foot. The city is well planned and easy to navigate using Google maps or the city map available in all shops.

Yummy in my Tummy 

When in the market you definitely can’t resist the yummy street food of Holland, first up was Kibbeling, it’s a popular Dutch snack consisting of battered chunks of fish commonly served with mayonnaise based garlic or tartar sauce. My love for fried food just quadrupled after having this one. Next, I tried another popular fish based finger food called herrings. It is a raw herring fish soaked in vinegar, sometimes the marinade may contain cider, wine or herbs. Other than these you should definitely grab your hands at the traditional French fries which are famous across Holland. 

One of the counters of the market serves delicious freshly baked pizza tossed right in front of you. For desserts, you should visit any small cafe, the smell of cinnamon (commonly used in most desserts in Holland) will surely mesmerise you. You must try the apple cake and the Dutch cookie. 

Exploring Haarlem 

St Bavo Church - So right at the centre you come across a must visit gothic styled Protestant church- St Bavo. There is something pleasant and beautiful about this one when you see exquisitely decorated wooden ceilings, stained glass work all across the walls depicting the ancient times and historic artefacts around the church. One of the most interesting facts is the beautiful organ that is placed in the church, it was once played by Mozart himself when he was 10, it is still played at regular intervals. However, the most interesting fact was that the floors of the church were actually graves, where people were buried along the times. Earlier times, people of Haarlem were actually allowed to be buried in the church. Spooky as it may sound but yeah people walk on them and you can actually see the name of the people buried on the floors. Now, I believe due to shortage of space people have started to cremate. 

City Hall - Next up is the City Hall, it’s a very short tour but totally worth your time as they have some nice artefacts from the earlier times of Haarlem and they have a very nicely made movie to show you about the history of Haarlem and why it was an important town for the trade route of Holland. 

Grote Market - In dutch , Grote means Grand. This big market was in the centre right next to the St. Bavo Church. A very popular place and since it was a weekend it had many families who had come there for shopping and eating food etc. Being brought up in India I am well aware of bustling markets called bazaar here, I got to experience a  typical Saturday market in Haarlem. Families were celebrating Saturday afternoon by coming out to explore the market. 

Frans Hals Museums - I’m not a very big fan of museums but this one surely was worth while. So as the name suggests, the museum is named after Frans Hals the famous Dutch painter, after his death he was also buried in the St Bavo church that I was talking about earlier. The museum was home to many famous painter’s works. Depicting paintings and portraits of different ages and time zones p, wars, life at the palaces and much more. 

Teylers Museum - Teylers museum was another popular stop during the visit to Haarlem. This museum had real artefacts from the history of Haarlem and Holland. It housed all kinds of weapons, war & military artefacts and much more. 

Molten de Adrian - Holland is famous for its windmills and this one is a special one. Overlooking the water body it looks serene to be near the windmill. It also has the medieval machines still intact which were used to pull the boats on to the shores. A fascinating experienced for sure. 

Hofjes - These are actually beautiful garden courtyard homes spread across the town. We had spotted an interesting hofjes that was actually an old age home and I can safely say, what a home to retire !!

Shopping - While exploring the cobbled streets of Haarlem, you come across many cool and edgy fashion wear by the local designers. The famous Holland shoes are also available in shops here.

I hope you liked my small attempt to highlight some of the amazing moments I had in my trip to Haarlem. I will see you soon in my next travelogue.

Cheers !!

Anant

A Vietnamese Escapade

"So much of who we are is where we have been" 

The hustle bustle of Ho Chi Minh City , old town feels of Hoi An and the warm cultures of Hanoi. Vietnam is a perfect mix of experiences that has something for everyone. Its been overdue for a long time, that I wanted to blog about my travel escapades !! I thought I would start with this one. So below I mention a small snapshot of the places that I recommend for every traveler to Vietnam, of course each person has separate interests so your likings may differ from mine but I have just mentioned my point of view. I missed out on a few locations which I also mention briefly. FYI this is my first attempt at blogging so please pardon my mistakes.

Ho Chi Minh City

Since I explored the country from South to North my first stop was Ho Chi Minh City , previously known as Saigon. The city is full of life and bustling with energy. 

Sight Seeing

War Museum: You enter the place all happy seeing actual tanks , helicopters etc that were left over by the US Army after the infamous Vietnam War, but as you progress and visit the museum you are bound to feel extremely sad for the horrific life during & after the war for the people of Vietnam. I felt happy seeing India's name in the list of countries that revolted and more so a Bengali poster showing a protest in Calcutta against the war. It is inspiring to see how the country and its people lifted themselves up after the mammoth war and rebuild Vietnam to such a beautiful country. 

Reunification Palace: We then moved a few metres ahead to the reunification palace which was built to mark the reunification of North and South Vietnam. It gives a great insight of how a president's/king's home feels like. The tour is nice and informative , do not miss the helicopter place on the top floor.

Post office: We then walk further to discover the old post office. The streets around this are buzzing with shops and food. The building itself is quite nice with with colors of yellow & greens. Some people still use the post office to post letters, fascinating. 

Notre Dame Cathedral: Our last stop was the Notre dam cathedral. It is loosely based on the original french Notre dam cathedral. The entire area around the cathedral has a very french colonial feel to it. It is refreshing to walk around these streets and discover the vietnamese culture. 

Bars & Lounges 

Chill Sky Bar , Champions Sports Lounge , Cafe Bulldog , Lots of other bars & lounges in the walking street. The walking street is relatively clean than the other Asian walking streets. The streets are lit with lanterns and lights. 

Places to Eat

Al Fresco's , Bollywood Restaurant ,  The street food is a must try specially the grills & the Vietnamese sandwich. Vietnam is also famous for its coffee, Highland coffee is a popular brand across Vietnam offering amazing coffee, you should also try the various local coffee shops. 

Places to Shop

You should visit the Banh Tanh Market for a good essence of the local shopping. Be ready to bargain well as shops bargain from 20-40% in all items. Around the market you find many local boutiques good for shopping designer wear for men and women. 

Hoi An

Our next stop was Hoi An, a one and a half an hour flight from Ho Chi Minh , you have to land at Da Nang airport first. From Da Nang you can take a taxi to Hoi An which takes around 1 hour to reach. While on the road you see the majestic marble mountains on one side and the clean white beaches on the other. Da Nang is famous for its marble mountains, Bana hills (the one with the famous golden bridge held by 2 giant hands) and sun world (a theme adventure park). But due to shortage of time we couldnt visit these places and straight drove to Hoi An. 

Sight Seeing

Hoi An is the definition of a perfect holiday. Excellent beach side resorts , a small village with colorful streets. The best part is you can travel the entire village in a bicycle which easy to rent from your hotel/resort or outside for as low as $2/day. Another tip, you should visit the various places using the traditional map instead of your smartphones or google maps, its far more exciting and you end up exploring breath taking places. 

You should visit the An Nang Beach , most resorts have a tie up with the beach cafes so it's best to grab a recliner and enjoy the clean beaches. If you are lucky you can actually spot multiple rainbows in the beautiful skies. 

Other than the above there are a series of 7 sight seeing places which showcase different aspects of the Vietnam culture like the silk production, Japanese covered bridge, Chinese temple etc.Each element is a spectacle to watch and learn about. In the night the old town lights up like a fairy tale. The river running at the centre of old town is lit up with lanterns which are actually wishes made by locals & tourists. You can purchase one with the shops along the river and they will float them on the river. You can also try a river boat ride which takes you along the old town. 

Places to Eat

Another must try in hoi an is the street food - Vietnamese Sandwich at Banh Mi Phuong. It actually got famous when super chef Anthony Bourdain covered it in his show and since then it has been visited by many celebrity chefs. The place actually has queues of people waiting to have a bite of this Vietnamese wonder.

2 places I recommend to dine are morning Glory and Mango Mango (The Craft beers are a must try). The Vietnamese mango and the Vietnamese platter are food experiences worth trying. The ambience in both these places are serene with Chinese lanterns, soft live music and Riverside experience. Other noteworthy restaurants are Bahn Thien, Soul Cafe.

Places to Shop

The old town is on the other side of the village, famous for it's shopping from fashionable clothes , cotton wear, beach floral wear, home decor and much more. One of the unique shopping points is the tailor made suits & dresses which you can order and receive within 24 hours. The must try is the Bebe store , they have some exquisite collection of suits for men and women and is a very popular joint for tourists.

Hoi An is a UNESCO world heritage site and was easily one of the best destinations I visited for a long time.

Hanoi

My last stop in the trip was Hanoi the capital city of Vietnam. The best place to stay in Hanoi are the old quarters. The place has small lanes and is very busy. The metropolis of Vietnam has a very distinct French colony due to a long term rule and influence of the French. One distinct sight seeing which you just should not miss when you visit Hanoi is the Halong Bay. We again missed this one in this trip but we surely will make a visit to this place the next time. 

Sight Seeing

Hoa Lo Prison: This was a one of a kind episode in our Vietnam chapter. It was the first time I was visiting a prison museum. Built by the French for political prisoners , it is now converted into a museum. It showcases all aspects very well, from the way prisoners were kept during those times, the way they ate, used the toilet and so on. Some exciting write ups are placed in various walls of prison breaks. They also show a special area where prisoners who were sentenced to be hung to death were placed. Its an hour tour and surely is worth visiting. 

Hoan Kiem Lake: So this is a popular lake in the centre of Hanoi. It is surrounded by bustling shops and eating places. In and around the lake there is a park where you can spot people doing all sorts of activities like playing a popular street sport - Shuttlecock which is basically badminton with feet , you play with a birdie. There are people doing zumba , or just enjoying an evening walk. 

Ngoc Son Temple: It is a temple in the centre of the Hoan Kiem Lake, you have to cross a wooden bridge to enter this temple and is a popular tourist and local destination. 

Places to Eat

We tried our hands at Khazaana which is a popular Indian restaurant in Hanoi, Old Quarters. The restaurant is popular and the flavours & preparations are very close to food back home in India. You will surely feel at home away from home at this junction. 

Another exciting place we visited was Trung Nguyen Coffee Shop. They claim to be one of the best coffees in the world and rightly so. Firstly, it is fascinating to see the menu card with so many types of coffees each with a specific purpose. Like, they have coffee for lifting your spirits, for enhancing creativity etc etc. Next, once you select the coffee it comes in a fascinating cup where you can see it brewed to perfection in front of you. And lastly, the taste is one of the finest enriching coffee experiences. 

Avalon BBQ Garden was a perfect choice for a dining feast. It is next to the lake and situated on the 5th level, so you can see a beautiful view of the lake and enjoy live barbecue cooking on your table. So they have each table fit with barbecue sets and the cooking for the most of the food items of the menu happen in front of you on your table itself. 

Places to Shop

Again street shopping is wonderful in Hanoi with shops open till late at night. Be ready to explore some exquisite silk and cotton wear. Do not miss the funky Vietnamese tshirts available at less than $3. 

For high end shopping you should try the Trang Tien Plaza close to the Hoan Kiem Lake which houses the most popular brands like Burberry, Gucci etc etc. 

The currency that works in Vietnam is the Vietnamese Dong and US Dollar. You can carry US dollars and get exchanges in the airport/hotel for best exchange rates or use a forex card. Getting currency exchanged from local unauthorized shops can be risky. Traveling in Vietnam is convenient, most of the in city tours can be done on foot. For distances you can use the taxi app Grab (similar to Uber) for the most affordable rides. 

Overall, the vietnamese trip was mesmerizing and had a little something for every day. Its hard to imagine that just some decades ago the war had devastated this country. Hoping to visit again very soon and continuing my new found love in blogging. 

Cheers, 

Anant