"- What I will miss from Mumbai?"

Ok. Let me just immediately assure you: No. I. Am. Not. Leaving. Mumbai.

Well, I will go away for holiday in some weeks - home to Norway and home to Greece, and then I will be back home in India again. But the thing is: when I get back, many of my friends will not be here. Because they will leave Mumbai for good. And the goodbyes can be hard. That pain of hugging a friend for the last time, and not really knowing if or when or where we will meet again.

I know. I know. Expat or not, it can be tough to say goodbye, but for me it seems extra tough here, because the friends I have made, have become really close friends - (maybe a substitute for the friends and family from back home who are not here?). And in between farewell brunches and lunches and gatherings and parties, in between tears and tight hugs, we do manage to celebrate too. Celebrate the funny moments, the laughs and crazy things we have done together. Celebrate good friends and good times. Celebrate friendship. And as we hang out: the good stories are brought back to live, and then the discussions often turn in to Oh, I am gonna miss this and that and Oh, I am so not gonna miss this and that.

Some are happy to leave, some are sad and some are both. Some will miss the food (and that list of dishes is a long one, I tell you), and some will miss the Cash-on-delivery services. Some will miss their stake out cafe, the driver, the festivals and the shopping fabrics and clothes. Some will miss traveling in India, the warm climate, the lady tailor and the guy at the vegetable stall. Many will miss their friends - who either are leaving as well or who will stay behind. Most mention that they will miss people. People they have met through their time in Mumbai.

One afternoon I am in a coffee shop with my friend who is also getting ready to pack up and leave with her family. She is originally from New Delhi, and now after 4 years in Mumbai, they are being relocated to Singapore - Hm, What I will miss from Mumbai? She is thinking, looking out of the window, has another sip of her tea, and looks back at me:
- You know. I always thought I would jump of joy the day I would leave Mumbai, Eli. Dirty, dusty, polluted, with garbage slum and poverty. What was this? Awful. I thought I hated it. And yet. She is mine, this city. She is a part of me, and I can't really say why.   
And as we walk out in the hot hot humid Mumbai evening, she smiles, but still looks a bit sad as she hugs me: - What I'll miss from Mumbai? I'll miss you, my friend. And that is what it's about isn't it? The people. The friends. The good moments. That's what we should celebrate, every single step of the way. So, here's to my dear friends who are leaving and to those who are not..

A true friend is someone who reaches for your hand but touches your heart...  

Happy travels friends - and until we meet again:-)

Traveling is not just seeing the new, it is also leaving behind. Not just opening doors, also closing them behind you, never to return. But the place you have left forever is always there for you to see whenever you shut your eyes. 
Jan Myrdal

Sunset at Chowpatty - pic by my daughter:-) 

A thing for tea

Yes, I am a tea person. Te, tea, thé, té, τσάι, tsai, चहा, चाय, chai, herbata, çay - call it what you like, but it has always been my drink - whether it is that big steaming hot cup I can curl up in the sofa with, on a cold winter night, ready to chat with that good friend, while seeing the snowy wind outside the window. Or how about that feeling: coming home from the beach in the summer and head straight for the fridge to pour a big glass of that cooling iced tea just waiting to be consumed. Or that lovely moment after strolling at the market and sweaty stumbling in to this small cute shop and being welcomed with a big smile and the question: chai?

And lucky me for being in a country where tea is passion and science. Where the varieties are endless, and the spices and aromas divine. India has taken my love for tea - and my knowledge - to another level. For not did I know that the brewing times differ or that the recommended water temperatures varies. Just to make that perfect cup of tea. The one you sense the aroma of  - long before the first taste reach your lips.

Now, let me assure you: I have (had) a firm stand against having commercials or sponsored products on my blog. I have had some - let us call it pretty interesting and tempting offers, but ... nah... I kind of like the free feeling I get by writing only about what I like, and not what I feel I have to...

But then one day, I had an offer which I could simply not refuse (like the Godfather). This small tea company called the Tea Trunk invited me to test their teas.. Oh, The tea lover in me jumped excitedly. That I could do. That I wanted to do.

Go to teatrunk.com

The Tea Trunk is a Goan based company, and they offer Gourmet Tea. I think their products are beautifully presented with their cute little blue elephant symbol that appears on their gift boxes in tin, and on the tea bags. Each tea bag also gives you a small advice on how to prepare that special tea: recommended brewing time, water temperature and whether this tea goes with milk or not.

The tea trunk sells only tea that are blended with natural ingredients: Our teas are blended with only 100% natural, fresh-from-the-earth ingredients like rose petals, ginger root, and lemon peels. No artificial fragrance. No added color. No nonsense. (from teatrunk.com) The tea trunk also claims that by buying their tea, we get the very best from India’s tea gardens, since they use only the finest quality teas - and delivered directly from tea estates.

So, dear reader, the presentation is great, and according to information on the site: this is quality, but is it enough to satisfy my tea lover? How is the - after all - most important thing - The Taste?

Well, I tasted White tea, Black tea, Green tea with lemon, Oolong tea, Chilli Chai, Saffron Kahwa and Berry Blush. Two other tea lovers in my domestic surroundings: my daughter and a friend was also involved in the tasting process, and some took it more serious than others. We all agreed that the White tea was a bit too light and flowery for our taste, and that the Saffron Kahwa both smelled and tasted d.i.v.i.n.e. But that was all we could agree on. My friend's favorite was the Black tea (which reminded her of masala tea), because that is in general her favorite. My daughter loved the Chilli Chai, but also enjoyed the Green tea. I loved the Green tea and Oolong tea, but I couldn't really say there was any that I did not like. Maybe the Berry Blush, because in general I am not too fond of teas from fruit and berries. Oh, wait, we also agreed that each tea could be perfect for its purpose, right? That Green fresh tea in the morning, and the more spicy ones in the evening? Or the other way around? It comes down to taste, really.

In general, all the teas were very aromatic, and I loved the feeling of opening the box, and just smell the scent of the teas coming out. And great ideas for gifts for people back home, I think. A taste of India - in a cup. 

This was lovely, tea trunk! Thanks for letting me taste, and I'll see you again for sure - my little blue elephant:-)   


More info: teatrunk.com

I wish you a wonderful weekend ahead - with a teacup or two:-)
Ta ta!

Food walking in Dadar

2 days later, and I still feel stuffed: panna, thali peeth, amba daal, bharli wangi, chawli bhaji, matki usal... Need I say more? You get the picture? Saturday I went to explore Maharastrian food, in Dadar.

You know, India is making a huge impact on our kitchen, and I am learning - day by day. I enjoy finding out about the origin of the dishes, be amazed by the variety of flavors and blown away by the use of spices. And let me tell you: Indian food is simply not just Indian food. All over the country there are different ways of cooking, and a bouquet of variations and recipes, from south to north. Lucky me who get to dive in and explore that ocean of culinary threats. And what could be more natural than increasing my knowledge on our local cuisine: Mumbai or Maharashtra. So, off I went on a food walk to find out.

The walk was advertised " for you if you thought that Maharashtrian food starts and ends with the iconic vada pao" Hm. Well, we started off at the popular Aaswad, and get ready to drool, people, because this was yummy:

Batata vada with chutney 

And to go with the food: panna, a drink made by raw mango

After countless dishes at Aaswad, I think people were already started to feel a bit full, but at least we managed to get up, and walk out, and after a short walk we came to our next stop: Gypsy Corner, another place known for serving local food. I noticed chairs were put on the side walk, so people could sit and wait for an available table - another popular place (a good sign). And what do you know? - we did had room for more food after all!! Delicious missal pao, bhareli bhindi, bharli vangi, pitla and aamras:

Divine puris' with the most delicious mango dip ... Ohhhhhhh heaven

Oh, now we are talking filled up: we more stumbled than walked out to the busy streets and headed for some air, exercise and shopping - a chance to buy pickles, masalas and snacks. Pretty impressive that some of my fellow walkers (hello sweetie) managed to buy snacks and start to eat them then and there (and that most of us attempted to try).  

We ended our walk at a Malvani restaurant: Sindhudurg, to get a taste of the food from the coastal region of Maharashtra. So, Surmai thali and prawn fry was waiting for us, and a new miracle happened: we still had some room for those delicious bites..: 

Thali with fried shrimps and kingfish

So, no wonder, dear reader, that I still feel full, right? Delicious food and new knowledge. Our tour was all organised by Finely Chopped. To me the walk was more about food and less about walking, and I was thinking it might benefit with a bit more walking, but on the other hand:  if I then would have to choose less food in return, I am not sure what to give up. For sure, that would not be those puris with mango - they are mine:-) All mine:-)

PS: this tour was not sponsored. And as always: my opinion is mine and mine alone:-) Like those puris:-)

Ta ta:-)

A to Z challenge 2014 - my reflections

So, I did it. I jumped on that Atozchallenge express train, just as it was leaving the station. I had not really planned to take part, but I did. And now, I feel so happy. My first big blog challenge, and I did it.

Since I decided almost the last minute to take part, I did not have much time to grasp or prepare for what I was up to. Still, I had some ideas on the first letters - and a few more letters had already popped in to my head. I found the first week easiest, but from week two: DID I feel the heat? - Oh YES, safe to say that I did! Just to manage to get my own posts published was the first challenge, and then to visit the other blogs, commenting, sharing... At some point I did wish the day had more than 24 hours.

Fortunately I have some amazing friends who were willing to write a guest-post. I enjoyed having other voices on my blog, and tagging along to my friends' dream destination was just awesome! A big thanks to my friends who took us along to their special places. If you haven't read them: please have a look:

• 07. April 2014: Leila takes us to Faroe Islands.  Part of atozchallenge 2014/Dream Destinations
• 11. April 2014: Jazz takes us to Jamaica. Part of atozchallenge 2014/Dream Destinations
• 16. April 2014: Farah takes us to New Zealand. Part of atozchallenge 2014/Dream Destinations
• 21. April 2014: Torill takes us to Rosendal. Part of atozchallenge 2014/Dream Destinations
• 22. April 2014: Amelia takes us to Sydney. Part of atozchallenge 2014/Dream Destinations
• 29. April 2014: Arti: Y for Yatra. Part of atozchallenge 2014/Dream Destinations

Back home we have a saying: "Ingen nevnt. Ingen glemt" meaning: "Do not mention anyone, because then you will forget someone." Kind of a one-for-all-all-for-one - philosophy. So, that is why I will not mention single names, but simply scream out a BIG, WARM and heartfelt THANK YOU to every single one who visited my blog during the challenge, left the sweetest and most encouraging words and just kept that travel-sparkle in me alive and kicking!  

Through the challenge I discovered some new blogs, and they gave me that a little bit extra - feeling every day with their themes, way of writing and interacting. You are great:  

• Aditi - for giving me that daily emotional short story
• Jayanta - for giving me wisdom on my adopted country India - and especially during election time. 
• Sunila - for giving me more knowledge on yoga - food for body and soul! 
• Beloo - for giving me deep insight in education in India - a theme close to my hearth
• Meena - for making me want to travel even more
• Vishal - for that amusing trip down memory lane 

And, there you go - I have fallen in to my own trap: I was not going to mention anyone, and when I do, I feel I just want to go on and on, because there were so many talented writers and bloggers who gave me so much - throughout this challenge. I discovered fellow soul mates, I raged, I cried, I giggled, I laughed, I was moved, thrilled, blown away, surprised, happy...You are awesome! So, friends- be proud! We completed the task - the challenge! Here's to us, and atoz2015: bring it on!

Did you have any favorites among my dream destinations? Did you enjoy the ride? Here they are:  

• ▼  April (26)
• Z for Zakynthos
• Y for Yatra
• X for Xenos
• W for Window
• V for Venice
• U for Udaipur
• T for Table Mountain
• S for Sydney
• R for Rosendal
• Q for Quebec
• P for Pondicherry
• O for Olympus
• N for New Zealand
• M for Memory Lane
• L for Lofoten
• K for Key West
• J for Jamaica
• I for Incas
• H for Hong Kong
• G for Golden Temple
• F for Faroe Islands
• E for Egypt
• D for Disneyland
• C for Cappadocia
• B for Banganga
• A for Acropolis

Dosa with veg and chutney - Recipe

After almost 2 years in India, our homely (so called) global kitchen has been pretty colored by Indian flavors, and so has our tasting buds. We have our chapatis, rotis and idlis - with vegetables and chutneys, in endless variations. Dal is a frequent guest, but right now I am deep down in a dosa - phase - both from street-stalls and from our own kitchen. And uncontrollably addicted to chutney... You will find many variations of these dishes. This are versions I enjoy - so I hope you will too. Here we go:

1. DOSA:
You need: 
2 cups rice
1 cup white dal  - (lenthils) ( In India: Urad dall)

You do: 
Soak them in water over night. The next day you crush them in a mixer (to be flour-like). Add a little salt and water (we used 1/2 cup) and mix it well. The consistency shall be like thin pancake-dough. Put the mix in the fridge and proceed to make the other two dishes.

2. CHUTNEY:
You need: 
1/2 fresh coconut
4 garlic cloves
1 inch ginger
1 green chili
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp curry leaves
1/4 tsp hing (some kind of magic spice - good for digestion, I was told..) 
2 ss yogurt
lemon sauce (we used apr 3 ss)

You do: 
Add coconut, garlic, ginger and chili in a mixer and blend well. In an oiled pan fry the mustard seeds, curry leaves and hing for a few minutes, and set aside. Mix together the coconut mix with the spice-mix, and then add yogurt and lemon sauce. Place in the fridge. Proceed to:

3. FILLING:
You need: 
6 boiled potatoes (you can use vegetables instead: capsicum, beans, onion, broccoli, cauliflower etc)
1 green chili
2 onions
2 garlic cloves
1 inch fresh ginger
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
1 tomato

You do: 
Cut the potatoes in small squares. Chop the rest of the ingredients separately (finely). In an oiled pan fry mustard seeds, garlic and ginger. After 2 minutes add the onions (be careful it doesn't get brown), the tomato, turmeric and garam masala. In the end, add the potatoes, and let it cook for 5 minutes. Set aside.  

4. The Grande Finale
The last thing you do is to fry the dosas! If you want to really impress - try to copy the professionals from the stalls in Mumbai: Put out the filling and chutney, gather your family, friends, neighbors (and whoever) around. Then heat up the pan, put some oil in and fry those dosas. They shall be like very very very thin pancakes. (Tip: make some fry-test-rounds before you call everyone to watch your dosa-master-skills)

The beauty of this dish is getting that piping hot crispy dosa on your plate, fill it, splash on some chutney - and dig in! OH YUUUUUM!

 
Nah...... not sure I'm coming out of that dosa-phase for a while...

Except for digging in my dosas, I am back on track in Mumbai after an intense April blogging month. Around the world in 26 days..What a month! But what fun it was:-)

Happy to see you here, dear reader, and thanks for following. Good evening from Mumbai!

Z for Zakynthos

The last letter, Z, is here. The challenge is coming to an end, and it feels like saying goodbye to a friend. A friend who has stayed for a month, but who you are sad is leaving (and yet you are also a tiny bit relieved). Hmm. I could play the Norwegian card... - because our alphabet doesn't end with Z. After Z comes the letters Æ, Ø and Å ..So if I want, I can keep the party going for 3 more days. But what's the fun in partying alone...?

No, let us do the farewell party together. And you know, to my own surprise I discovered that I have yet to take you to one of my top favorite places on earth: the Greek islands - the perfect place for a party, even a farewell party. Conveniently enough, one of the island, (and a beautiful one) starts with Z, so today I am taking you to the white beaches of Zakynthos. What do you say dear reader? Are you in?

Greece has over 3000 islands, and the Greek islands is a concept itself. Hoards of tourists are every year attracted to the crystal clear blue waters, the white beaches, the food, the culture and history of Greece. And most of them go to one of the islands.

Zakynthos is in the Ionian sea and is the third largest of the Ionian islands. It is an island with green hills, gorgeous beaches and villages packed with atmosphere. It has its name after Zakynthos, the son of a legendary Archadian chief Dardanus. Zakynthos' nickname is To fioro tou Levante meaning The flower of the East, given by the Venetians.

VisitGreece.com

So, lets gather at one of the beaches, stretch out in the white sand, and just be.. Hearing the waves coming in, feeling the soft sand between our toes..And - look: there is someone joining us with a bouzouki  - and warm music fills the air .. At sunset we can do barbecue, get some refreshing drinks, dance and the night is still young under the stars on the beach of Zakynthos......

And you can stay here for a while, if you like, dear reader? You can jump with parachute, or just relax and rest a bit. We do need it. Our grande world tour of 26 dream destinations in 26 days has come to an end. I am feeling a bit melancholic. But this doesn't have to be Goodbye... I am going to head back to Mumbai now, and you are so very welcome to join me and follow my tales from there. I hope you will.

So, sitting on that beach with sand between my toes and with a chilled glass in my hand, I am signing off atoz 2014. But what is a party without music? I give you a favorite of mine, a song of Giannis Ploutarchos: To Fonazo. ( = I scream it: my love). With love to you dear reader who came along to all my dream destinations. I hope you will enjoy:

  

And always remember: Chase the dreams wherever they may lead, and live today. Enjoy your moment. Be blessed and happy.

Bye bye dear fellow travel companion - my humble thank you - for coming along!

1-30 April I participate in the A to Z blogger challenge, and this post is written as a part of that challenge. Check out some amazing participating blogs here. My theme for the challenge is Dream Destinations. I hope you had fun coming along. 

Go to a-to-zchallenge.com

Y for Yatra

One of the first fellow bloggers I discovered was Arti's My Yatra Diary. The way she took me along on her travels and made it more than just travel - went straight to my heart. Arti brings you right there. She captures those valuable small moments of life, and is one of the most awesome bloggers I know. Kind, humble and she puts her heart out. Therefor I am thrilled to present a guestpost by her today. Thank you so much dear friend Arti for saying yes. And dear reader: I am sure you will be as blown away by her writings as I was. Buckle up for Arti's Y for Yatra:

**************************************

Let’s explore the letter Y today,

 “Y” … Y is for Yatra …

But, what is a yatra?

Yatra is a journey;

Picture & Caption: Magh Mela Yatra

I was nervous as I had seldom seen crowds of such huge intensity, let alone be a part of it. But I was mentally prepared for the battle, if ever there was one and my gut feeling told me this was going to be deep and exciting. And thus, began a journey, on the auspicious occasion of Hindu festival Makar Sankranti, to the sacred confluence of the Triveni Sangam in Allahabad. A journey of me, with people – one in belief, one in faith, one in yatra.

Yatra is having experiences;

Picture & Caption: River Ganga in Himalayas

I sat rooted on the cold boulder, staring into infinity, mesmerized. From somewhere beyond, she seemed to rush forth in delight, dancing to the wind, tumbling over rocks, and singing to the mountains, even opening my senses to an exquisite experience. I witnessed all this in a small hamlet in the Himalayas when I touched her with my hand. She responded by softly comforting it back with hers. I was with mother, not mine but of the entire humanity that has ever been in existence. She was River Ganga, an enigma, so beautiful and pure, all set to take me along her own little journey of sharing, caring and loving since times immemorial.

Yatra is learning;

Picture & Caption:  Manikarnika Ghat, Varanasi

Vishnu Kaka circled his oars up and down, patiently explaining the significance of each ghat as we crossed them. Until here, where as if in a silent tribute, he rested his oars down. Close the lens of your camera, he motioned to me and began explaining the significance of the place. Far in the distance, I could see fire leaping out towards the skies while a strange decaying odor billowed in the atmosphere. I was taking a boat ride in Varanasi, the land of salvation, and this was the Manikarnika Ghat, a place bustling with death… death here, I learnt, was not the end but a new beginning.

Yatra is a dream; alive and breathing,

Picture & Caption:  Mount Fuji, Japan

I had stood there on the airport with my passport in hand, wondering if this was indeed happening for real. Even before I could gather any answers, I felt a strong rush of emotions running down within me. My first visit to a land outside India, the land of the rising sun, Japan and little did I know then, that those 6 days, of a dream I had never seen, would make cherished memories of a lifetime.

What is a ‘Yatra’ … ?

Yatra, is a journey,

… of learning, experiences, moments and dreams …

Picture Collage & Caption: My Yatra diaries.

My journey, where I am getting lost, each day…

A journey where I will find myself… someday…

********************************

I hope you enjoyed our yatra destination today, I sooo did. You can follow her travels at MyYatraDiary. Thanks again dear Arti:-)

So, we are almost at the end of our 26 dream destinations in 26 days challenge, dear reader. We have been a bit dreamy the last few days, so it's about time that we finish our world tour with a real rocking farewell party, I think! So please; gather your party gear, dancing shoes, dress up and let' me take you away to the amazing Z.........

1-30 April I participate in the A to Z blogger challenge, and this post is written as a part of that challenge. Check out some amazing participating blogs here. My theme for the challenge is Dream Destinations. I hope you had fun coming along? Please stay tuned for a new destination tomorrow, and that will be our last one for AtoZ - 2014. 

Go to a-to-zchallenge.com

X for Xenos

Once we leave our home country we turn into a foreigner.. Isn't that so? We can be a tourist, traveler, visitor, guest, explorer - but we are still a foreigner, a non-native..

Some people are more concerned with the term foreigner than others. I am not one of those people. For me, the chemistry with - and personality of - the person I meet on my path will always overshadow where the person is from. And let's face it: we are each and one of us a foreigner somewhere....

The word xenos in Greek means foreigner, but it can be interpreted as (the more hostile) enemy/stranger but also as guest friend ... and that takes us to:

Xenia - which is the ancient Greek concept of hospitality: the generosity and kindness shown to those who are far from home. You remember our Greek gods right? Well, people back then believed that the gods mingled among them, so a foreigner could be a god or a goddesses in disguise. That is why they were always kind and respectful to a stranger, because if he/she was a god, they could be blessed by him/her (and if they were not, there was a risk of incurring the wrath of the god in disguise as a humble xenos). Even though the origin of xenia was around the gods, it became common practice with the Greeks to incorporate xenia into their customs and manners in their everyday life.

Xenia consists of two basic rules: The respect from host to guest. The host must be hospitable to the guest and provide him/her with food, drink, bath, shelter and protection if required. The respect from guest to host: The guest must be courteous to the host and not be a burden.

So, where does my dream destination come into this, dear reader? Well you see, for me, some of the best destinations has been the places where I have met new people. New friends. Foreigners, like we all are really. Wherever I go. Whether it is on a beach, on a mountain top, on a plane or at my local supermarket. That meeting between people, regardless of background, home-country, faith or beliefs, that makes it just my favorite place to be. There and then. That moment. With that xenos. 

So, I let myself inspire of the ancient Greeks: treat every foreigner with kindness and respect, because you never know if it is a god or a godess in disguise... 

********

There are no foreign lands. It is the traveler only who is foreign.
― Robert Louis Stevenson, The Silverado Squatters

I am a foreigner, but I like to hide the fact. I'd rather people be prejudiced against my personality. 
― Bauvard, The Prince Of Plungers

But I don’t think of myself as a foreigner or a Frenchman! I just think of myself as a director. Whether I’m French or Australian or whatever, it’s really not important.
— Michel Hazanavicius

In Paris, one is always reminded of being a foreigner. If you park your car wrong, it is not the fact that it’s on the sidewalk that matters, but the fact that you speak with an accent.
— Roman Polanski

**************************
So, as an expat I feel the foreigner concept can be even more confusing. Norway will always be my home country, but living so many years in Greece makes it my home too. And now India, my dear "adopted country" - it also feels like home... And when you live so many years abroad... can it also be that you may feel a bit foreign in your original country? I'm just asking...

A post on the philosophical side today dear reader. Only two more days to go, and I am sooooo excited about taking you to Y.... tomorrow. For me it will be one of the big highlights on this world tour, and I am pretty sure you will enjoy it immensely.

See you soon, guest-friend:-)

Have a relaxed afternoon:-) 

1-30 April I participate in the A to Z blogger challenge, and this post is written as a part of that challenge. Check out some amazing participating blogs here. My theme for the challenge is Dream Destinations. I hope you had fun coming along? Please stay tuned for a new destination tomorrow. 

Go to a-to-zchallenge.com

W for Window

He is watching the rain trickle down the window in his room. It is dark and misty outside. The window is dewy on the inside. He stretches out his finger and touch the surface. Slowly he draws a face on the dew. A sad face. He sighs and looks up at the poster on the wall. Thierry Henry. The best. The one and only. 

It doesn't hurt so much today. The new medicine helps. He closes his eyes and picture himself running on the football field. Dribbling, tackling, hearing the cheers of the fans, focusing and then shooting: Goal! He smiles with his eyes closed. 

The door opens and dad comes in. He looks exciting, waiving with an envelope. He sits down on the edge of the bed and reads the letter to him. He feels the tight hug of his dad and hear his voice whispering in his ear: You got it son. The foundation granted you your wish. You are going to Wembley! A VIP dream day. You will meet the whole team. Arsenal.

His eyes wander off to the window again. He is trying to prevent the tears from running. He stretch out his finger and touch the sad face, slowly making the sad mouth into a smiling one. He is going to Wembley.

Wembley - the home of Arsenal football club. Pic from: e-architect.co.uk

She is sitting at the kitchen table watching her grand-kids run around in the sun on the green grass out there. Through the open window she can hear them giggle as they chase each other. A honey bee is trapped inside, and she gives it a gentle push out the window opening and watches it fly off and land on her rose bushes. Her hands tremble again as she looks down at the ticket. A gift from her son. 

She had always said she wanted to go back, and here it was. The opportunity. She takes off her glasses and presses the palms of her hands on her eyes - to stop the flow of tears pouring down her wrinkled chins. Her birth city. Her beloved Warzaw which was bombed to ruins. Totally destroyed. Her home gone. Her town that was occupied and where the enemy had put up that awful camp. The camp which stole her loved ones. Killed them. Only she survived. But just like her dear phoenix city she rose from the ruins. 

She had walked away and never looked back. But then the dream. The dream about seeing it again. Night after night, and at daytime too. Sitting by the kitchen window, looking outside and seeing only her: Warzawa. Her city. Her home. She wanted to go back didn't she?

Slowly she gets up and with the ticket in her hand she walks out in the garden. She sits down at the bench by the roses, and the bright sun feels warm on her face. The kids' laughter fade away. She smiles and closes her eyes. 

Facts: Warzaw, Poland was almost completely destroyed after the World War II. The city dates back to the 12th century, but the whole city was reconstructed after the war. You can find more info here. 

Dreams....  -  are they always where we expect them to be? A different take on my theme today, dear reader. I hope you came along and that you found my www: Window-Wembley-Warzaw enjoyable or interesting? What else is there to say but: Chase your dream and live today.

So, another AtoZ week is coming to an end, dear reader. This week we started off in Rosendal and then headed off to Sydney, Table Mountain (with a detour for those Indian mangoes), majestic Udaipur and then lovely Venice. On Monday we are traveling off again - the last 3 dream destinations are coming up. And this should be interesting, because X for x.....?

1-30 April I participate in the A to Z blogger challenge, and this post is written as a part of that challenge. Check out some amazing participating blogs here. My theme for the challenge is Dream Destinations. I hope you had fun coming along? Tomorrow Sunday we have a challenge-free day, but please stay tuned for a new destination on Monday. 

Go to a-to-zchallenge.com

V for Venice

When I was living in Athens (many years ago) some friends and I decided to do a road trip to Italy. We took the ferry from Patras and arrived Brindisi early morning. The sun was just up and as we hit the roads and the landscape opened up in front of us I got this intense feeling of...  belonging. You know, one of these places on earth where you just feel like home the moment you arrive. Italy was that kind of place.

We visited Bologna, Florence and the mini state of San Marino on our trip, but the highlight for me was the one and only magic city of Venice.

Venice consists of 18 island and the whole city is listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The city is unique because of the canals going in between the houses. It is often threatened by flood tides pushing in from the Adriatic Ocean. Six hundred years ago, Venetians protected themselves from land-based attacks by diverting all the major rivers flowing into the lagoon and thus preventing sediment from filling the area around the city. This created an ever-deeper lagoon environment.

What I love about Venice ( and get ready for this one:) - is that it is the world's only pedestrian city. So No. Cars. Anywhere (!), something that makes strolling around sooo enjoyable. If you want to get around quicker, you can take the vaporettis (water buses) or the water taxis. If you go to Venice on a romantic trip or honeymoon (we were in neither categories), going for a gondola ride on the canals is a must. (but not advisable if you are an impatient non-romantic soul wanting to get from A to B as soon as possible)

When we went, we stayed close to Piazzo San Marco. I was enjoying the strolls in the narrow alleyways, and over the picturesque bridges crossing the canals, the art work and just sitting for a coffee at the large open squares (though really expensive coffee)  - watching the doves fly up. It was early spring, the weather was beautiful, and I was thinking to myself: yes, this feels right. This could be home.

Masks - the big carnival in Venice is in February. 

But just as I left Udaipur behind yesterday, the time to leave Venice behind, caught up with me back then also. I did leave.

And as sad as it may be, now it is our time to fly away from lovely Venice - our dream destination for the day. What? You don't want to leave? Come on, dear reader, I will take you with me to another place which I think you will find interesting.. Trust me. Pack your bags and get ready for W...

1-30 April I participate in the A to Z blogger challenge, and this post is written as a part of that challenge. Check out some amazing participating blogs here. My theme for the challenge is Dream Destinations. I hope you had fun coming along? Please stay tuned for a new destination tomorrow. 

Go to a-to-zchallenge.com