UNESCO Heritage
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Malta | Smitten by the medieval Birgu
Birgu comprised of the last part of my Malta itinerary and I was already smitten by yellow limestone forts, grand harbours and azure blue waters that characterised the Maltese landscape. Birgu, also known by its title Città Vittoriosa, is an old fortified city on the south side of the Grand Harbour in the South Eastern Region of Malta. It served as the capital city of Malta between 1530 and 1571, until Valletta was built. The city still retained its medieval flavour with cobbled alleys, stepped lanes, converted townhouses (available for rents!), elegantly renovated art and curio boutiques. The Birgu waterfront was lined with modern cafes and restaurants and buzzed with…
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Malta | Sailing into the beautiful island of Gozo
The beautiful island of Gozo awaited our arrival and we sailed amidst the scenic blue Mediterranean with the cool sea breeze sweeping across my cheeks. The third day of our Malta itinerary (here’s my first Malta post on the fortified cities Valletta and Mdina) comprised of a day trip to Gozo, the second largest island after the main island of Malta. Unlike its sister island Comino, which has officially three residents only, Gozo is relatively large with a population of around thirty-seven thousand people. We boarded a minivan from Sliema to reach Cirkewwa Ferry Terminal on the northern tip of Malta Island via a scenic drive along the Coast Road.…
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Malta | Exploring the fortified cities of Mdina and Valletta
The island basked in more than 7,000 years of history, abundant sunshine, dollops of warm sea breeze and vitamin sea all around. Fortified cities, picturesque coastlines, pretty harbours in an azure Mediterranean surrounding thronged by fishing and leisure boats alike, Malta is regal and stunning. There’s more to this tiny island-archipelago than just picturesque locales in movies like Gladiator, Troy, Angelina Jolie-Brad Pitt’s film ‘By the Sea’ or the legendary series of Game of Thrones. The country checks all the plausible boxes for an exotic travel destination – delicious food, gorgeous landscapes, archaeological relicts, architectural marvels and of course, the allure of history. Malta is the world’s tenth smallest country…
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My Journey Of A Lifetime | Spiti Valley In The Himalayas
I read about Spiti. Over and over and over again. As I read, I felt that I had known this place all along, although Himachal Pradesh is far removed from Bengal, the region I come from. I haven't been in Spiti, but Spiti had been in me ever since I could remember. It is the journey of my lifetime that I want to experience
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Prague On Your Plate | Article In BBC GoodFood ME
A foodie’s diary in the historical city of Prague in December… and a Christmas winter wonderland thrown in! The December issue of BBC GoodFood ME carried an article of mine which traces out my culinary journey of Prague - from street food to fine-dining and all the way to the Christmas markets to an exclusive restaurant that I had visited while I was in Prague. Do read though!
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Istanbul In Pictures | Until Dusk Do Us Part
We love travelling and although each place that we’ve visited holds a special charm for me, Istanbul left me spellbound. I found the city absolutely fascinating – a myriad of art, culture, cuisine and religion. It was like a kaleidoscope and put my senses on an overstimulated mode {reminding me very much of Kolkata, the city that I come from}. The charm of old buildings combined with the quirkiness of the modern Istanbul peeping through it that effortlessly blended into a palpable throbbing that could be felt at every corner, each historic site that we visited and each alley we passed by. Every single brick in each building seemed to…
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Grand Bazaar, Istanbul | Drenched in Turkish Tea And Sugar Cubes
From the moment we landed in Istanbul to the time we left, the two things that come to mind are the constant servings of Turkish tea and Turkish coffee – everywhere and at all times. This post handles only Turkish tea. Turkish coffee, for me, is too much and too strong to handle. Entering the Grand Bazaar or the Kapali Carsi (Kapalıçarşı, meaning covered bazaar), I was immediately pulled into the crowd. The non-stop hankering from the shop keepers trying to lure us into buying their ware, the crumbling ceiling desperately holding on to the main structure and giving away the faint traces of the grandeur of the mosaic art…
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UNESCO World Heritage Sites That I’ve Visited | Tracking My Foot Prints
My love for the decadent past Sometimes I feel that I haven’t travelled much. At other times when I sit back and ponder, I realise that though there are many places in this world that I haven’t yet seen, I must have been blessed enough to have seen and travelled this far. With each little step I take, I realise that the World Awaits Me. Perhaps, that had been the idea behind the title of the parent category under which all my posts had been initially filed. I’ve renamed that category today as simply – Travel. The travel bug had bit me even before I could crawl and I have…
