Curise Control 2024 Getaway.

Having travelled by Air, Train and Road the only mode of transportation left to experience was to travel by Sea, The cruise experience, was one of its kind. We were very sceptical about travelling and experiencing the Cruise and the Sea Sickness, How were we going to manage on the ship for so long and how do we go about the whole journey?
Fortunately, We bumped into the Man who would make the whole cruise experience seamless and memorable.
From the moment we checked in to the cruise, We had surprises waiting to unfold.
We had an invite sent for the exclusive meet-up with the team and a few guests who were part of the Heaven Suites.
On our first day during the dinner at Manhattan Restaurant, Where the menu changes every day and doesn’t require a reservation, We had a table ready for us.
We had meal suggestions from the chef.
The meal had seafood dishes,0% Alcohol Wine and Mocktails with Meat and desserts.
We had a team who had planned our next few days on the ship including our restaurant reservation for the whole journey.
The first Dock at Cannes – Was another experience of priority guests for the tender boat. ( Cannes is a tender port on Cruises, The Ship docks at a distance Before the tenders are released in Slots and on Reservation only. )
We had the priority to get on board the cruise.
Cannes, We do it again! A city known for the Film Festival is a beautiful stroll in the Promenade de la Croisette, The Cinematic painting on the walls and the walk through narrow steeped lanes while a red carpet awaits you to walk the steps of an auditorium that overlooks the French Rivera.
While that was the glamorous walk on the stage, the walk off to the Marche Forville
A weekend food Market was an interesting experience with so many fresh herbs and cheese available to taste, Before we headed to the beach.
Back on the Ship, We took a break to explore the ship before we headed to change for Dinner.
We explored the Reading Room – The Reading Room had an amazing collection of the new popular bestsellers with a view of the sea. Also a gaming room for ones who like to play chess with their mates.
Walking around the bars, We had a photographer doing photo shoots with backdrops and Art being displayed on the sides while we walked.

The next day we visited another port Civitavecchia and it seemed like the hottest day!


The highlight was Naples! We had made a reservation for Michele’s pizza!Rated as  The World’s Best Pizza.A 150 years old pizzeria `
Just 4 choices on the menu to choose from and order, Margherita being the original.
Legend has it, that the Queen ordered and loved the pizza so much! That it was named the Margherita. If you don’t have a reservation? You can take a takeaway from
The one-mile-long Queue side of the Restaurant. Braving the rain was worth it here!

And for those who are avid Football fans!
Here, is an interesting Trivia. Mardonaa was from Naples, and there is a mural and Fan made space in Naples!

Cagliari, Sardinia though a beautiful town, We hardly had any time here!  
Spain Palma De Mallorca was the surprise city For us! It was beautiful with a mix of the Middle East, Tangier in Morocco and hints of Europe! The cathedral was beautifully built with the best view of the sea and a sunset worth coming back to!
Ibiza! We would have liked to be here overnight to experience the Nightlife, but the day trip! Reminds you a lot about Greece.

Coming back to the cruise!

Each dinner meal was an experience!
Right from Indian delicacy Butter Chicken, Samosa and South Indian style Jumbo prawns and indian style Fish that were specially curated for us. The dessert Gajar ka Halwa! Couldn’t have been a better conclusion to our Indian Meal.
The French Meal at Le Bistro on the Escape ship was esquite with Jumbo size lobster and nice chunks of Sea Bass! With French onion Soup and herbed butter that was made of snails.
The Italian Meal at La Cucina- The pizza was at par with Michele’s we had in Naples!
Our Italian meal were with Risotto fungi mushroom truffles, With Amaretto liqueur and limoncello on ice on the sides.
For dessert, we had one of the best Panna Cotta till date, Tiramisu It was so good, that We went again the next day to Only have one more slice of tiramisu.
Teppanyaki – The Japanese Experience!
This was Very good + Entertainment.
A table of ten with a total of seven of us and it was a fun interactive dinner for us with tricks while our food was being prepared.
Tried a Wasabi Cocktail! And it was a sweet and spicy fusion drink.
The Moderno – The Brazilian steakhouse was reliving our Brazil meal again that we had a few months ago! And it was as good as that one! With meats and bread.
Cagney Steakhouse: a signature Restaurant that is there is most of the NCL cruises was an American steakhouse experience where we had very good Crab Cakes, Lobsters and calamari!  
The last but not the least Bayamo was the best seafood dinner meal with very huge size shrimps! And fish! That just melted away! And the birthday Surprise meal with a huge cake was the highlight of Dad’s 60th.
They also set up the room to celebrate the birthday to an amazement with chocolates, A spa voucher and a bottle of Wine and champagne!

The ship had a lot of other offerings, the gaming arcade, Table Tennis , Pools, The Mini Golf course, a Jogging track, Water slides for the kids or the kid in You! Rope walking For the adventurous one.
For the one’s who like to drink, there are about 15 odd bars to choose your drinks from and many spots you would like to Keep hanging around ,While you enjoy your drink. Many other interactive activities are scheduled throughout the cruise, and you have the freedom to attend or skip them!
If you haven’t cruised yet! Now is the perfect time to take control of your cruise Break.

Cruise Route:

Travel to Barcelona

9 Days

Barcelona – Cannes – Livorno- Civitavecchia-Naples- Cagliari-Palma De Mallorca – Ibiza- Barcelona

Mediterranean Cruise…

Port of Call: #barcelona
Day 1: #Cannes
Day2: #Livorno- #Florence and #Pisa Around the port
Day3: Overnight at #Livorno
Day4: #Civitavecchia – #Rome is close to this port
Day 5: #Naples
Day6: #Calgilari
Day 7: #Palmademallorca
Day 8: #Ibiza
Day 9: #Barcelona

Barcelona sightseeing:

Parkguell

Gaudi

sagradafamilia

Casabatlo

Cafes:
@nomadcoffee

Food:
@tapatapabarcelona

Food:

Churros #patatbravas

Cannes:

Marché Forville -Food Market

Livorno:
Cathedrals

Naples:
@pizzeriadamichele : Bucket list, Done after a decade!

Palma:
Cafes @arabaycoffee @thebarnberlin

Hyderabad Biryani!


Five Years later, Hyderabad had transformed into a city, Since I had last visited for an event in 2019.
Flyovers, so much of construction happening. 
And a Metro too! This city felt like another city altogether.
The huge spaces of cafes, Restaurants the long wait In Queues. Was this Hyderabad? 
The Knowledge City, A landmark that Housed offices, Restaurants and a Cafe was like What BKC is to Mumbai! 
Hi-Tech City and Gochibawli landmarks were like the Magarpata township of Pune. 
The Jubilee Hill cafes and restaurants were like the Indiranagar and Koramangala of Bangalore or Koregoapark of Pune.
And this was just one side of the city I had visited. 
The retail showrooms were huge, and like how  Linking Road Mumbai has standalone stores the Hyderabad city too had them with luxury brands on the main road. 
Katha cafe felt like Subko in so many ways font, Styling of the space and branding too. 
The cafes Toops & Katha two of the ones I visited had Corridor Seven coffee being served, A coffee roaster from Nagpur, Mithilesh V and One of the first Aeropress championship winners from India started this.
Surprisingly Hyderabad had more vegetarian food options, compared to my last visit.
Manam Chocolate Kharkhana. Was an experience. A Chocolate Cafe, Store and Chocolate Factory Experience in Hyderabad. 
You could taste all the chocolates Bars, ice cream, Chocolate flakes and Barks, Hot chocolate too, A complete chocolate Paradise. 
The Hyderabad we know as Charminar, Ramoji Film City and Golconda Fort felt very long from the side we were stationed in Hyderabad. 
The Taj Hotel Falaknuma too was another side. Hyderabad city had become a huge city from what I had travelled to the last time. 
Hyderabad is surely a city to watch out for! 
In India.

Cafes:

Roast CCX

Roastery House

Manam Chocolate

Vienna Roast!

Europe is always a good idea! 

It’s even a better idea if you get to travel to the same destination for work. 

Vienna! The moment you think about that place. There is the background music of Mozart and Beethoven playing behind you. 

The warmth of history, the taste of cinnamon Apple strudel. 

After a journey of ten long hours of an overnight journey, followed by a quick hour layover at Munich! 

Vienna gave us a warm Welcome! 

Thirty-five degrees Celsius this was indeed the warmest day too! The reason the warmest day became the hottest for a couple of us in the team! For me definitely, our bags did not make it with us to Vienna!!! 

And, it was the first time in my life, I reached my destination without my Bag! 

While, We weren’t sure, when will the bag make it to Vienna! I continued sweating it out that day, moving around the Tram and memories flashing back to the last time I visited the place for the first time Eight years ago! With family when we decided to do Vienna, Prague and Budapest! 

Belvedere Palace looked so familiar and nothing seemed to have changed, the Spanish riding school walk refreshed so many of the memories of walking around. 

Passing through the parliament and walking by Mariahilfer Straße stores, with trees on either side felt it was only yesterday, I was here! The day ended at Coffee Pirates, A new addition to my memories! A speciality coffee roaster and cafe in Vienna, that had the interiors of a signature European cafe. Minimalistic use of colour, with interesting art photos and wooden furniture. 

The tram stop at Hauffbonff was a strange memory of arrival and departure to our other destination when we visited the station and enjoyed the Euro Cup atmosphere when Austria was playing on the same day, we had landed in  the city of Vienna! 

What was different this time was the access to two Venues that were also part of tourist sightseeing, but we had the privilege of being part of an event that was hosted at the venues with some of the best in their businesses. One of the best Wedding planners from India, MEW! Motwane Entertainment and Weddings, to one of the most well-known Indian catering company Foodlink. 

To collaborating with the best Viennese food services Any Act to the best catering division of a very well-known coffee brand Dallmayr collaborating with a Michelin star Paul Ivic chef, chef at Tian Vienna, which is one of the 4 world’s best Michelin vegetarian restaurants started and the only one in Vienna.

The Palais Lichtenstein, the space where the After Party was hosted and an exclusive tour organised for the guests, to view the Art Pieces were some just of the highlights of the experience. The Viennese locals, even mentioned. Locals & Tourists don’t have the privilege of viewing each of these rooms. 

While meeting the local official In charge of the venue! I had a glance of his wrist from a distance and noticed him wearing a freelancer Raymond Weil! By which he was pleasantly surprised and wasn’t expecting this conversation, during the walk-through. 

Belvedere: A palace that would be open for the public while our baraat procession and wedding ceremony would be going on, a typical touristy crowd gathered around to witness, the grandeur of a traditional Indian wedding. The floral decor on the Mandaps to the DJ music playing on the DJ Van! An unusual sight for some of them to have experienced at the Belvedere on a Saturday. 

Spanish Riding School( SRS) had a complete makeover. If we hadn’t seen the venue without the decor. It would be hard to imagine, how the space was transformed from a ground for the horses to a stage for an experience of a lifetime with entertainment options of a pianist, playing the instrument in the middle of the stage, A band from Paris singing Hindi Bollywood tracks, like Hindi being their native language. Ballerina dancers and Waltz performance took over the audience completely. 

And while all the entertainment was going through a fine dining experience in all sync was planned out and smoothly operated by Dallmayr and food plates were prepared by the chef Paul Ivic The Pumpkin pinenut Ravioli and the Ricotta cheese Ravioli had the sweetness and Blandess enhanced by a special sauce poured over them. 

The Golden Kiss: The Signature dish of the evening was a mushroom-filled Filo pastry with Truffle and oyster that had a good balance of all three tastes. 

The Pistachio Ring: The Dessert  Had the tangy-ness of the passion fruit with the dark chocolate in the pistachio ring that was a base of the dessert, which not only looked tempting, but was also very flavourfull. 

A day of understanding the difference between The local ‘Demela’ of Torte! Or Sacher Torte 

Pens!

 
Where have they gone? In the digital age! 
It could be hard to recall! When was the last time you used a pen? 
Pens, for me, have always been a tool to write and to have a piece of design, Art flowing through my fingers in hand. 
But, it’s been a while since I have noticed anyone buy a nice pen or have one in their pockets.
Since childhood, I have been fascinated with these beautiful Parker Pens, for their packaging and colour combinations and design. 
Every few months, I would stare and plan to buy one in the coming year. 
Flair, Meter Pens, Was a rage once. They could last a 1000-meter of ink flow. 
Even when in school, I would be very particular about those Reynolds Racer Gel pens, that were beautifully thick. Then the Trimax were launched like the Uniball Vision pens that were priced at ₹50 for a pen. For at least half the price, You Could get the Trimax one and they would last as long as the examinations. 
A few years later after school, Lamy pens were always an aspiration. 
I started using them to write my diary entry. 
In between over time had got a Pelikan pen too! 
And All White fountain Pen to write. 
Cross pens have always been there to use. But,  Today it’s hard to find a pen anywhere you go, only places like the hotel keep a pen in the room. In any other place, it’s hard to find one pen with a person. 
I remember Pilot Pens were a craze too! But in the digital age the only pen one is using is the one on the tablets and portable devices to sketch, Draw or highlight. 
Where have the Pens gone? 

Indian Reader


Does India Read? Do Indians Read? 
And if they do what do they read? 
Well, India is slowly getting into the habit of reading books! And a lot of them have been enjoying reading books. But, this India that I am talking about is not the one that is into literature books. But, a new emerging audience of readers is discovering reading books is not for the joy of it. But, to improve my English speaking skills, Vocabulary and diction. These readers are the ones who make up the large population that we have. But again are we growing in numbers? Who enjoy reading Mythology, Romance, and Young Adult books. The authors who have successfully managed to capture their audience are the likes of Chetan Bhagat, Preeti Shenoy, Durjoy Datta, Ravinder Singh, Anuja Chauhan, and Robin Sharma to name a few…Others like Amrish Tripathi and Devdutt Patnaik are Gaining popularity amongst new readers who are interested in reading books. 
But, what are the avid literary Indian readers reading today? 
They are the ones who like reading Amitav Ghosh, Sudha Murthy, Chitra Banerjee, Arvind Adiga, and Arundhati Roy, which are some of the books which the other Indian audiences are reading. 
But, the positive side of the reader reading in India is they have started reading books of Indian authors from India.