tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26774085439351486892024-03-18T16:15:07.274+05:30TRAVEL TALES of ranarubyTRAVEL TALES, RECIPES, LIGHTING UPDATESBiswajit Senguptahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04502747488677409796noreply@blogger.comBlogger95125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2677408543935148689.post-63201057687250576632022-07-01T20:39:00.017+05:302024-03-18T16:14:33.804+05:30Florence<script src="https://wacklink.com/wacklink.js" type="text/src"></script>
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<h2 style="text-align: left;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></p>
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</h2><h3 style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"></h3><h2><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #660000;">Florence – </span><em><span style="color: #660000;">the capital of the
Tuscany region and the cradle of Renaissance</span><br /></em></span></b></h2><span style="color: #0e101a; font-size: 14pt;"> </span>
<p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: times;">We opted for Flix Bus while traveling
from Venice to Florence. The road journey takes about three and a half-hour. In
Florence, it terminates at the rear end of Santa Maria Novella (SMN) train
station. One of Italy’s busiest stations, it got its name from Santa Maria Novella
Church just across the plaza from the main entrance. We debarked at the station
and refreshed ourselves at McDonald's before hiring a cab for our hotel.
Florence, popularly known as ‘Firenze’ by the Italians, is located in central
Italy. This dreamy city with a romantic name is the regional capital of the
lovely Tuscany region. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: times;"> </span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: times;">Columbus Hotel, where we stayed, is
located in Lugarno District. We always prefer to book our hotels through
Booking.com as we always land up getting good hotels at good locations. Despite
being a little away from the heart of the city and Santa Maria Novella station,
our hotel can still vie for being situated at an ‘excellent’ location. It is in
the proximity of the city’s historic center and a stone’s throw away from the
historic river Arno. We were fortunate to get a room whose balcony overlooked
the river. We could also enjoy the sunset over Arno from our hotel balcony. The
river had more to offer. Eateries and pubs on the river banks, numerous bridges
including medieval ones, and the oldest and the only surviving covered stone
bridge ‘Ponto Vecchio’ from the Roman era. This bridge, free of any vehicular
traffic hosts shops and a marketplace and spans the narrowest portion of the
river. The most encouraging part of our stay was the bus stop which
incidentally was about a couple of minutes' walk from our hotel. Though buses
were more crowded compared to most of their European counterparts, the service
and frequency ensured comfortable rides to all the places of interest. Another great
thing about our hotel was the grand buffet breakfast. In addition, an ice cream
parlor close to the bus stop made our stay more enjoyable. A family-run gelato
shop that had a wide variety of tantalizing ice creams displayed at its
counter. We frequented the parlor so much that we soon befriended the lovely
lady who looked after it. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: times;"> </span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: times;">In the birthplace of the Renaissance and
a city famous for museums, our first attempt was to see ‘David’ of
Michelangelo. The entire Tuscany region is regarded as a cradle of the high
Renaissance. The rebirth from the dark ages started in the 13th century and
peaked in the 16th century. The movement encompassed areas in culture,
political science, philosophy, and art in particular. It so happened that
pioneering efforts to the movements emerged from the Tuscany region. Such as
Niccolo Machiavelli, a historian who later came to be known as the father of
modern political philosophy and political science; Leonardo da Vinci, a
polymath who excelled in a vast range of subjects from paintings, paleontology,
science, and engineering to astronomy; Michelangelo, a legendary sculptor,
painter, and architect. Their art brought about remarkable changes such as a
focus on naturalism and human emotion. The original David of Michelangelo is
located in Accademia Gallery on Via Ricasole (near the Cathedral of Santa Maria
del Fiore). Pietro Leopoldo, the Grand Duke of Tuscany founded this Accademia
in 1784 to initially serve as a place for students of art. Gradually it started
housing important works of paintings and models from the thirteenth to the
sixteenth century. Artists of the Renaissance period. Amongst them Giambologna,
Botticelli, Monaco, Pantorus, Michelangelo. Michelangelo, the greatest
Renaissance artist, sculpted David from a single white marble block. Originally
it was placed at Palazzo Vecchio. This 17 feet tall Biblical sculpture was
shifted to a covered area inside Accademia in 1873 for weatherization. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: times;"> </span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: times;">After purchasing the entry tickets in
the morning we had to wait till the afternoon as per the visiting time allotted
to us. Fortunately, the weather on that day was comfortable and sunny. We had
enough time to loiter in the central square, visit the nearby marketplace,
listen to a street band and try some munchies in between. When we entered the
museum the first sculpture which caught our attention was a plaster model for
the stunning marble sculpture of Giambologna’s Rape of the Sabine Women, placed
in the center of the ‘Hall of Colossus’.
The museum hosts a rich Renaissance collection. At the Galleria’s ‘Hall of the
Prisoners’, I simply could not take my eyes off the tall sculpture of David
that stood at the central pedestal right under a circular skylight. So unique
that I am now unable to recall how long I stood in awed silence in front of the
sculpture, struggling to comprehend how a sculptor could bring out details of
human anatomy like arteries, veins, and muscles on a nude figure of David and
that too from a single marble block. Indeed a mind-boggling situation. To add
to this wondrous experience was the sheen displayed on the white marble
sculpted about six hundred years back as the sunlight glinted off the statue.
The statue was sculpted from a single marble block by Michelangelo when he was
only twenty-four years old, and it took about three years to complete the
masterpiece.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: times;"> </span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: times;">We saw some more works of Michelangelo
such as unfinished “Slaves”, an unfinished statue of St. Matthew, etc., but it
was ‘David’ who stole the show and kept us riveted for a long period. Several
replicas have come up following the original, but I stubbornly believe that the
intricate details and artistry in the original such as subtle veins and
muscles are impossible to replicate. A full-sized replica of this statue now
stands at Piazza Della Signoria, outside Palazzo Vecchio, the same spot from
where the original statue was removed and moved to Accademia Galleria.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: times;"> </span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: times;">On the south of the Arno River, atop a
hillock is Piazzale (Plaza) Michelangelo, a square dedicated to the great son
of Florence. The square is connected to the city center by frequent buses, but
the final stop is a little ahead of the spot where another full-sized replica
of David is cast in bronze stands. When we reached there in the evening, the
plaza was abuzz with revelers and tourists. They all thronged there to enjoy a
band playing out some popular old melodies while waiting there to catch a view
of the sunset. Unperturbed by the surrounding activities, an attractive young
lady in Shakespearean attire was rehearsing a shot for a film.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: times;"> </span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: times;">To me the most exhilaratingly beautiful
region in Florence is Fiesole. A quaint little place, it is at the same time
cute and seemed far away from the madding crowd when we reached there in the
morning hours. Initially, I thought it is an elevated part of Florence city.
Later on, I learned that it is a small village tucked in the northern Tuscan
Hills. Very well connected by bus it took about half an hour from the city
center. The place was on a tableland, and the panoramic view of Florence city
was simply spectacular. Here also the entire city including the Florence Duomo
appears to be cradled in a well when viewed from the top. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: times;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: times;">The Duomo is the largest and most
exquisite masonry work in the world. It is a prominent and iconic landmark of
the Florentine skyline. The building of the grand cathedral of Santa Maria del
Fiore was conceived at the end of the 13th century and it took about 150 years
to complete. The cathedral had been under construction for a century with no
solution as to how the dome-shaped roof should be built. Filippo Brunelleschi,
a young goldsmith who had no idea or exposure to architecture finally came up
with a solution that produced one of the great masterpieces that to date has
survived the ravages of time over centuries. The dome is so large that about
four million bricks were used in its construction. The bus terminus is near a
sweet courtyard embellished with some beautiful sculptures.</span></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: times;">At the other end stands a chapel. A
small walk to the left of the courtyard stands Bandini Museum built in mid 18th
century by an erudite librarian Angiolo Maria Bandini. The museum displays
Tuscan artworks from the medieval to the Renaissance period. Some Roman
archaeological ruins and artifacts on the external grounds next to Bandini
Museum are on view when the Romans conquered and inhabited the place in the 2nd
century BC. However, the amphitheater built during that period remains intact.
Since we had to take the afternoon bus to Florence and we still had an hour in
hand, we had a delectable Tuscany lunch in a restaurant overlooking the city of
Florence. While in Florence, we frequented the Santa Maria Novella Station as
it lies right in the heart of the city. As I had mentioned earlier the symbol
of Florence ‘the famous Duomo’ lies right across the square adjoining the
frontal façade of the station. Right across are a bustling shopping complex and
some attractive open-air restaurants. On the left looms the famous Cathedral-an
edifice which boasts as a masterpiece of Florence. We too found it a real
masterpiece from any perspective we looked at it. Apart from this most of
Florence’s bus lines are located at the SMN station, including buses that took
us to Fiesole. And finally, of course, the high-speed, regional, and intercity
trains run by Trenitalia. The station is a terminal station and all
conveniences are properly located, right from ticket counters, automatic
ticketing machines manned by young girls and boys to help you get the tickets,
snack bars, eateries, washrooms, etc. In other words, the layout and arrangement are so
nice that a tourist feels at home and does not have to go about enquiring. From
this station, we availed trains to other places in the Tuscan region such as
Pisa and Cinque Terre, and finally for traveling to Rome. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: times;"> <b>Photo Credit: <i>Arundhati Sengupta (Ruby)</i></b></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: times;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: times;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: times;"><b><i></i></b></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiPyIjZkZdumLfZeaQk_PRWij0AxbNyB6PGZMBzV5PQa4JnQjLegqOrWxdwKjZUpMRVOyi1gYkd-KLDd7CIaI613GmOhf41PWjsfjoDP__i081l8VTXNA7M9cdotKW2ioglD4Mkx_6nRMRdtKDGLco7ShTlI5OknrnLzuol4AwfB7px0tGr4XhIgpUm" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="florence" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="240" height="894" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiPyIjZkZdumLfZeaQk_PRWij0AxbNyB6PGZMBzV5PQa4JnQjLegqOrWxdwKjZUpMRVOyi1gYkd-KLDd7CIaI613GmOhf41PWjsfjoDP__i081l8VTXNA7M9cdotKW2ioglD4Mkx_6nRMRdtKDGLco7ShTlI5OknrnLzuol4AwfB7px0tGr4XhIgpUm=w649-h894" title="duomo" width="649" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Florence Duomo</b></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: times;"><b><i><br /><br /></i></b></span></span><p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjNVnYdqs2x-EWlkO_-9bxwoPogPZZLQ5mdhCipCUi-3_67zbcqsr8E5VLrnQXrNrHQK_3YhhtfdJ5XgIp5EFIyf-zNyB7Z59nm8JusY1N_0khm-uUA1lFSh0HIOi3LqFTye8y1up2cHiOgcrEFaVi8rG3VNihIlC0GfYBk2K-nDNhOlGW_YlkEYCk4=s2592" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px;"><img alt="florence" border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjNVnYdqs2x-EWlkO_-9bxwoPogPZZLQ5mdhCipCUi-3_67zbcqsr8E5VLrnQXrNrHQK_3YhhtfdJ5XgIp5EFIyf-zNyB7Z59nm8JusY1N_0khm-uUA1lFSh0HIOi3LqFTye8y1up2cHiOgcrEFaVi8rG3VNihIlC0GfYBk2K-nDNhOlGW_YlkEYCk4=s16000" title="david" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>David at Accademia - the original David sculpted out of a single marble block by Michelangelo</b><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhIVy835onuEFTXpjRH697PHvJ5DZeyXl95yRoVfX_1TnwCZvIqUpHL2FVH9G2GSfNQlu2EAP_Lclq2N7bEBZHArxcj9NmKQu77W1TNqzE89W5igIOLiQxgFpHOsNnun8ZkYfZquCYU_8Su7TJlAViU3IXh76tfwCrJF2G7Ld0JWIwcgR-mOvnw4gjz=s2592" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="florence" border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhIVy835onuEFTXpjRH697PHvJ5DZeyXl95yRoVfX_1TnwCZvIqUpHL2FVH9G2GSfNQlu2EAP_Lclq2N7bEBZHArxcj9NmKQu77W1TNqzE89W5igIOLiQxgFpHOsNnun8ZkYfZquCYU_8Su7TJlAViU3IXh76tfwCrJF2G7Ld0JWIwcgR-mOvnw4gjz=s16000" title="david" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>David (bronze replica) at Michelangelo Plaza<br /><br /><br /><br /></b></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg4qwGT45ttxA24NtnWhZIAMkksSNA3LyCrIRWZNQ-U3rdPazEkcQXh_jvZ2nnpe_apMdeLUraDujUtwxRK0_Ltag0ZFO2QVSr20wfphsyFKrZKsmdOTjz2MvPYgdf1G2vH0d1QVv8FE-tJDYPcQ08wc7aCQjM_B0egWr2Uip7TTJMTee7_vWyuMwZI=s2592" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="florence" border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg4qwGT45ttxA24NtnWhZIAMkksSNA3LyCrIRWZNQ-U3rdPazEkcQXh_jvZ2nnpe_apMdeLUraDujUtwxRK0_Ltag0ZFO2QVSr20wfphsyFKrZKsmdOTjz2MvPYgdf1G2vH0d1QVv8FE-tJDYPcQ08wc7aCQjM_B0egWr2Uip7TTJMTee7_vWyuMwZI=s16000" title="birds eye view of florence" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Florence from Michelangelo Plaza</b></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgccHzGCtaHuEKCFRLI9LuHOjatk2Ill1h39HjpeyhaJe89vrLWA2k7_FuHIS5PHpepTM0RmWEh7SSuHTX5ZK2N7Kxbc8_ZtGB5otqD5Ac1Uv5eMdHhVhlvFPcaOAPdTseL1jhXKHLvI5uiQyLwDuKzWF6UN5433hDMO6rm7hF9PNenSg1Uhy1MGPyj=s2592" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="florence" border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgccHzGCtaHuEKCFRLI9LuHOjatk2Ill1h39HjpeyhaJe89vrLWA2k7_FuHIS5PHpepTM0RmWEh7SSuHTX5ZK2N7Kxbc8_ZtGB5otqD5Ac1Uv5eMdHhVhlvFPcaOAPdTseL1jhXKHLvI5uiQyLwDuKzWF6UN5433hDMO6rm7hF9PNenSg1Uhy1MGPyj=s16000" title="exterior of duomo" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Outside Florence Duomo</b></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhxWyi-nhFrl5xYM597AGDWmPJLsR9KOJtpkgggi52cuzP1ZtjhmZhu5G1q1m-ojPnCVbwYfflUdeO5sS5RJECoOQgKwmB-lEAB5eQEQVEzQYQcU9s2DPXO1esE-EtclEpHc9oPDQcVJDpQLkPerJ3efDnb4Z32bBV17L9vRrOItE7Hq_eWpFMFaCFY=s2592" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="florence" border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhxWyi-nhFrl5xYM597AGDWmPJLsR9KOJtpkgggi52cuzP1ZtjhmZhu5G1q1m-ojPnCVbwYfflUdeO5sS5RJECoOQgKwmB-lEAB5eQEQVEzQYQcU9s2DPXO1esE-EtclEpHc9oPDQcVJDpQLkPerJ3efDnb4Z32bBV17L9vRrOItE7Hq_eWpFMFaCFY=s16000" title="bandini fiesole" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bandini Museum Fiesole</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjQW0x-N4Q2sMiNyVTHguUX5xPU6YNMCmLHtYk_iSc1bjqPiGdE-4jkiRKghtF39sDWKZ2rpRUFvtcJEXwxYBDLpgpwexmLNuKl29df5xDw9ESdC-HUD_2aO1oirXtS1hgAC4LhRVUOlBQpTAZ23Nf9ZJMWcROsiUWzvvVWY7Tp7NdXXfBJV25Nt8gk=s2592" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="florence" border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjQW0x-N4Q2sMiNyVTHguUX5xPU6YNMCmLHtYk_iSc1bjqPiGdE-4jkiRKghtF39sDWKZ2rpRUFvtcJEXwxYBDLpgpwexmLNuKl29df5xDw9ESdC-HUD_2aO1oirXtS1hgAC4LhRVUOlBQpTAZ23Nf9ZJMWcROsiUWzvvVWY7Tp7NdXXfBJV25Nt8gk=s16000" title="florence street scene" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Florence</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi_ZMxDX1fx6fjMWp9Zu_3Xkc2HXuXhoPbfZ8wKpqxfMWWf_Hq6IBm1zLrq2Ojz9LQhia3K5kRexHdfxx7_FS3NA-TeFCBMUoXdtfV25-HU3tWFQt0yGvOCwJ8ZHC96ui-rWMEtll3Okf9mR0W9lRcXxNWhUJ8Vae62nvwfS1HKU8kTJavVQNUGYmb2=s2592" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="florence" border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi_ZMxDX1fx6fjMWp9Zu_3Xkc2HXuXhoPbfZ8wKpqxfMWWf_Hq6IBm1zLrq2Ojz9LQhia3K5kRexHdfxx7_FS3NA-TeFCBMUoXdtfV25-HU3tWFQt0yGvOCwJ8ZHC96ui-rWMEtll3Okf9mR0W9lRcXxNWhUJ8Vae62nvwfS1HKU8kTJavVQNUGYmb2=s16000" title="fiesole" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Fiesole</b></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiYqaOPayc7-2f8lN93ioIiv2Dz20ReDaCU9E90rB9MyXtP9S4irbfOpWAvZU077yESVWZBwaZ_JIqjC_hzxM14AmjEXMmRJHPnVBeipOKW7TlA3PgrYv_R51NkfhjV-n8jOVbzlTqebBrlVQrKpAY-MtVLrzAmv23aIB0z5MoY1qsds9SYIpbLBsKg=s2592" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="florence" border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiYqaOPayc7-2f8lN93ioIiv2Dz20ReDaCU9E90rB9MyXtP9S4irbfOpWAvZU077yESVWZBwaZ_JIqjC_hzxM14AmjEXMmRJHPnVBeipOKW7TlA3PgrYv_R51NkfhjV-n8jOVbzlTqebBrlVQrKpAY-MtVLrzAmv23aIB0z5MoY1qsds9SYIpbLBsKg=s16000" title="fiesole" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Fiesole</b></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhC9uhq-8EuPZAo4KLlv38AKXV7W3tC8HO1SfVkLDADB5Y7TrCOmd6PI01O7O_Q05iyIj-G85nYh2MWKDpe5m_B9M6x-sIdcEN_zp7gEG2rJEZ063rs81wBjy5zv-VsOvONZrROkwVl4GTyb7cRVLCgTw_oNG9IsVHXFodTgTfcFj7OKc-q2QLBwjTi=s2592" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="florence" border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhC9uhq-8EuPZAo4KLlv38AKXV7W3tC8HO1SfVkLDADB5Y7TrCOmd6PI01O7O_Q05iyIj-G85nYh2MWKDpe5m_B9M6x-sIdcEN_zp7gEG2rJEZ063rs81wBjy5zv-VsOvONZrROkwVl4GTyb7cRVLCgTw_oNG9IsVHXFodTgTfcFj7OKc-q2QLBwjTi=s16000" title="david" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>David at Accademia</b></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgJZHWTGA8n-WxvtDPS1YyRXGZOA4YAYYQaI7lJGDYjvKva4g-Dt11V1j5fwk-DkD69PHhneX7wdZl1dJytGSNvcLt1etAKH9CAnuawkrzviVg-8UgPV5_jmn9z9otI4Tvi3ivF4Xi8PaXiDuBRyKoK9tTW4UQ3ie998CkzijMCDlDQ_QtPkcuW9__T=s2592" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="florence" border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgJZHWTGA8n-WxvtDPS1YyRXGZOA4YAYYQaI7lJGDYjvKva4g-Dt11V1j5fwk-DkD69PHhneX7wdZl1dJytGSNvcLt1etAKH9CAnuawkrzviVg-8UgPV5_jmn9z9otI4Tvi3ivF4Xi8PaXiDuBRyKoK9tTW4UQ3ie998CkzijMCDlDQ_QtPkcuW9__T=s16000" title="accademia" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Accademia Florence</b></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg40qBOG_1AijJzd5Hbp8Ba2iWuGP2hGRdJjmrvjVcVZB9BEevJQQ1Bx4Qth1c1rKDL5MBU03W3Z02f3tQZJ_2YTbcvO1LeYAnthixLT_4pR4AMrUXi2xcwIjvml7Ym42biaZFq3YJgD_6oD82tTXsds4DYfWYGo7ziFhqs3uE8p3BNGuqvzJO193lm=s2592" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="florence" border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg40qBOG_1AijJzd5Hbp8Ba2iWuGP2hGRdJjmrvjVcVZB9BEevJQQ1Bx4Qth1c1rKDL5MBU03W3Z02f3tQZJ_2YTbcvO1LeYAnthixLT_4pR4AMrUXi2xcwIjvml7Ym42biaZFq3YJgD_6oD82tTXsds4DYfWYGo7ziFhqs3uE8p3BNGuqvzJO193lm=s16000" title="accademia" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhy4y_IBU1Anmg5NkKBZMu-A0oXqUNWLIzNyYdLA5QledxHpSWx6kjCDHlejvBOOVInRIoiGnXKbgx97kIzEdTEGCOz19PwQYx_j2MgaLwJb3bi19cZ80GhFpuIYc9MQNjCgZHL8GDV5bb-IfTSeuA70wYdqhuqSNzo0Z61T-8T3nu3rvP9EtVzHS0n=s2592" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="florence" border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhy4y_IBU1Anmg5NkKBZMu-A0oXqUNWLIzNyYdLA5QledxHpSWx6kjCDHlejvBOOVInRIoiGnXKbgx97kIzEdTEGCOz19PwQYx_j2MgaLwJb3bi19cZ80GhFpuIYc9MQNjCgZHL8GDV5bb-IfTSeuA70wYdqhuqSNzo0Z61T-8T3nu3rvP9EtVzHS0n=s16000" title="accademia" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgkQc6exaZT9EC2iFltf1zc18E_0aL8jdcaIRFs7DHWyYolIeS8hC8BlwbO04LPtA5912Ulp-A4Mk-9K3UxNgg8JVW8RncJjL2-KNDhDmfx3LI9rA0NTqBRNx3PNFDzJZ9ixs7HXsmBw6cDymCz7PGGG1gC8Bal5exnQRpwnBA5zOdptv4fxP1XpYSa=s2592" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="florence" border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgkQc6exaZT9EC2iFltf1zc18E_0aL8jdcaIRFs7DHWyYolIeS8hC8BlwbO04LPtA5912Ulp-A4Mk-9K3UxNgg8JVW8RncJjL2-KNDhDmfx3LI9rA0NTqBRNx3PNFDzJZ9ixs7HXsmBw6cDymCz7PGGG1gC8Bal5exnQRpwnBA5zOdptv4fxP1XpYSa=s16000" title="david" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">David</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEizseS4x_Ct5w5hQRlES3u4HVxIDryO_buH-qZ42jQBI14hiIOyUpk-pAnf34RYivKBbMDr6iVI6x5BW4VMCPXGBfQJvynfciOMauoFH34kEzPdaqsSQTJXEcWhkv3J-Y3ra8CQix-Y33WfrVzl1hPVRB3rBzuJyDQGKHO2sSyXUb7EF4cZpncoiYNa=s2592" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="florence" border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEizseS4x_Ct5w5hQRlES3u4HVxIDryO_buH-qZ42jQBI14hiIOyUpk-pAnf34RYivKBbMDr6iVI6x5BW4VMCPXGBfQJvynfciOMauoFH34kEzPdaqsSQTJXEcWhkv3J-Y3ra8CQix-Y33WfrVzl1hPVRB3rBzuJyDQGKHO2sSyXUb7EF4cZpncoiYNa=s16000" title="pieta" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Pieta by Michelangelo</b></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhbjK6PTUqydhUXc5VpcoQtvKk1PUay4ExHSRZKgD5LcJi13nziS02_a73VSXMk1bAFSgK4VtnSzg5PvgpQz0Ag4CCqOZvOl3mV_15nrygBAuNYv__-X6XkHzsa5JIe7VygyhWLjJmgL5wDZ9sdEyGnqg2eeuJprbLbvw06oWOHSOps41GIi1pca3BN=s2592" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="florence" border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhbjK6PTUqydhUXc5VpcoQtvKk1PUay4ExHSRZKgD5LcJi13nziS02_a73VSXMk1bAFSgK4VtnSzg5PvgpQz0Ag4CCqOZvOl3mV_15nrygBAuNYv__-X6XkHzsa5JIe7VygyhWLjJmgL5wDZ9sdEyGnqg2eeuJprbLbvw06oWOHSOps41GIi1pca3BN=s16000" title="accademia" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Accademia Florence</b></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh_5US0A5OrZLNkBTZ0oYgNX5fVYtT20lLU2eo1VvGZkeDTi-GDAbJy-npFE9vWVK8ejedVVr0Is0Az9Kzj7JEF-NYDK6FpGwK5IL4CbEJwI8jXmVxvv8j05VXxJvqRE8v8rYiuDiVJ-Q-hf6dn1ZF3o3hZ8OHKreeT2clGUGitZe-AI6zWytJLp9-8=s2592" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="florence" border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh_5US0A5OrZLNkBTZ0oYgNX5fVYtT20lLU2eo1VvGZkeDTi-GDAbJy-npFE9vWVK8ejedVVr0Is0Az9Kzj7JEF-NYDK6FpGwK5IL4CbEJwI8jXmVxvv8j05VXxJvqRE8v8rYiuDiVJ-Q-hf6dn1ZF3o3hZ8OHKreeT2clGUGitZe-AI6zWytJLp9-8=s16000" title="accademia" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Paintings at Accademia</b></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhAD0MYWWt9VCG6kVa6m7Vt07Xfx3WL4ZjGwNASXAmVaf724cvSw41bs1gLU6ou3JphCNlgUQ0EgCq75EgFih-58y5dA4Q0jGmSvgz_AVE78ehgAxP3miXqsy9KKBueAKbVNy8VbVc0v0k2OrZ9DAhaXVeVAreR41dpr99lm8EhX5DwxVd9UydU2EHF=s2592" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="florence" border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhAD0MYWWt9VCG6kVa6m7Vt07Xfx3WL4ZjGwNASXAmVaf724cvSw41bs1gLU6ou3JphCNlgUQ0EgCq75EgFih-58y5dA4Q0jGmSvgz_AVE78ehgAxP3miXqsy9KKBueAKbVNy8VbVc0v0k2OrZ9DAhaXVeVAreR41dpr99lm8EhX5DwxVd9UydU2EHF=s16000" title="accademia" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiP6iPgf5GCNQstr0WBwNXbwodR1yk2DeEtFPUJWFH4w_0ffJA2HC9C467Lpk5MKenWJ06MrIL0AjxcXQiT5jNtxWw783CMaI4yV5_b2I1213JR9pr23s4AXosATA2QTBKkv0vbhi6_y-NMsBTe59iHZ4uc1kjAeDgCyedliR3HUpHRJ3IqTbL1d5eW=s2592" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="florence" border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiP6iPgf5GCNQstr0WBwNXbwodR1yk2DeEtFPUJWFH4w_0ffJA2HC9C467Lpk5MKenWJ06MrIL0AjxcXQiT5jNtxWw783CMaI4yV5_b2I1213JR9pr23s4AXosATA2QTBKkv0vbhi6_y-NMsBTe59iHZ4uc1kjAeDgCyedliR3HUpHRJ3IqTbL1d5eW=s16000" title="accademia" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEidgElYJIsd1Pi94lApUNrXAY-FrBTEldlg1NZ11vfp9lggrCElLLtelZhpICf66UhxKPyVgvfoVn1fDazNJt1z3dSkkYwQt6N2ZojPRFjbaCQVNDvb2Lpkf7w-yVLf1bnOEcr7wKjwfGOWblEcAoL51-prSbkRp_XJ7Cl0RwmIO1HM4EavqPGhMjOX=s2592" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="florence" border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEidgElYJIsd1Pi94lApUNrXAY-FrBTEldlg1NZ11vfp9lggrCElLLtelZhpICf66UhxKPyVgvfoVn1fDazNJt1z3dSkkYwQt6N2ZojPRFjbaCQVNDvb2Lpkf7w-yVLf1bnOEcr7wKjwfGOWblEcAoL51-prSbkRp_XJ7Cl0RwmIO1HM4EavqPGhMjOX=s16000" title="accademia" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj0BDoiYPWJSvNQ_7N3gyjQsqw4EwWc3i4xeyN_rK_PftQ9tl3zq0FkwXmMTQsjNVmqEBHjchdkUsZ2kTn4CE9DSbqlZOqZelYoAOwmwZiT3UPVr5IELgu_M5g5tOoFSYjqgdJ5t2AUn92cjHhHDyVCjoYiUYD6UCEKcbqA-X6ukfh2CcauzJMt_Tn5=s2592" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="florence" border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj0BDoiYPWJSvNQ_7N3gyjQsqw4EwWc3i4xeyN_rK_PftQ9tl3zq0FkwXmMTQsjNVmqEBHjchdkUsZ2kTn4CE9DSbqlZOqZelYoAOwmwZiT3UPVr5IELgu_M5g5tOoFSYjqgdJ5t2AUn92cjHhHDyVCjoYiUYD6UCEKcbqA-X6ukfh2CcauzJMt_Tn5=s16000" title="fiesole" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Fiesole Courtyard</b></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiR12VYi2v8BGofPGSOuuGoXGrLjM291cRFH7CYHgLrQsZ-5t0KU42XSoXSglxBYIcnVqiRA6CL9aCgWO-MXbKDk3mpn5kom_TJAPdhsC9HF2VbqtkPLUThioBxld80KWl83bAaRhlOYA4ePxkVUnrGVrvnFgQO_sbi6D_uFtIQbCFQ1fYunQlvwXmV=s2592" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="florence" border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiR12VYi2v8BGofPGSOuuGoXGrLjM291cRFH7CYHgLrQsZ-5t0KU42XSoXSglxBYIcnVqiRA6CL9aCgWO-MXbKDk3mpn5kom_TJAPdhsC9HF2VbqtkPLUThioBxld80KWl83bAaRhlOYA4ePxkVUnrGVrvnFgQO_sbi6D_uFtIQbCFQ1fYunQlvwXmV=s16000" title="fiesole" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Fiesole</b></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhW3NdE0ea8ZZt37d0luEK0vzW5nRCis8WbY3kmzo4YhaTfZ2SLxd2DKDI825kc4-MnFHGbdOoT9cSqgjmtGoK7g6e_UefwVKBNfgpam5e9pQr9gGUIQ7sI1yiH6zkfOdsPfmomD1We0xxKWqD1wS_le6NGk23f-0-xp8iLxgqc0IxfYRodxJRQowh_=s2592" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="florence" border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhW3NdE0ea8ZZt37d0luEK0vzW5nRCis8WbY3kmzo4YhaTfZ2SLxd2DKDI825kc4-MnFHGbdOoT9cSqgjmtGoK7g6e_UefwVKBNfgpam5e9pQr9gGUIQ7sI1yiH6zkfOdsPfmomD1We0xxKWqD1wS_le6NGk23f-0-xp8iLxgqc0IxfYRodxJRQowh_=s16000" title="fiesole" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Bandini Museum</b></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgxkh-2Xo-gy8AERe76cwnwKQGFAkb8VsMnB86NvnVAYR9Hw6rrDY8-3Dp74v0mJxgIUmhPd2l-XGoKp1_bbPjkseJJ2r6i4Dnioh2WmB0813zMr3-1m1nzlRZBb--kpNSFjlfyMpWrE4XGL3Fx7Bo2vWrdC6Sl7DPCIKer8z1EIzHLMDI3C3sr4hON=s2592" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="florence" border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgxkh-2Xo-gy8AERe76cwnwKQGFAkb8VsMnB86NvnVAYR9Hw6rrDY8-3Dp74v0mJxgIUmhPd2l-XGoKp1_bbPjkseJJ2r6i4Dnioh2WmB0813zMr3-1m1nzlRZBb--kpNSFjlfyMpWrE4XGL3Fx7Bo2vWrdC6Sl7DPCIKer8z1EIzHLMDI3C3sr4hON=s16000" title="fiesole" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fiesole</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhyqWwFQbz4m2YH9H9XW0rQH3s6zyb2vYZrKVip-oE2VEIOgTyBJMockVldZy408eOPEmwI4M5gaoxd3943laBIe29zH9JV6Se1ODovmBl-UtSYsWqA3BrjkehV9HgDNZaVGV2lCGSh5iMYvQkZDfsCj_EB_ZhKIGvP7Ovp2CO0xTpAvPBHEXb_ZTgk=s2592" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="florence" border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="2592" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhyqWwFQbz4m2YH9H9XW0rQH3s6zyb2vYZrKVip-oE2VEIOgTyBJMockVldZy408eOPEmwI4M5gaoxd3943laBIe29zH9JV6Se1ODovmBl-UtSYsWqA3BrjkehV9HgDNZaVGV2lCGSh5iMYvQkZDfsCj_EB_ZhKIGvP7Ovp2CO0xTpAvPBHEXb_ZTgk=w617-h303" title="fiesole" width="617" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Roman amphitheater at Fiesole archaeological area<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjo7g713S8C_aK5k23Bmmj7kbwuT7wHYJk24yYvLxkXsMRdOIDXPggc_iyYwOc_GQ6O-JEYyr4Kx5FsTKukizIaZB88HcOt3v8vi3tkLIgCzifEOLZfRdBcM07NSKp4OwSkjrs3ZkfN-41wqLPvVxELuKhW3OYqOsK8o_yvqZRPvyAKx2QeUVnur3yu" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="florence" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="270" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjo7g713S8C_aK5k23Bmmj7kbwuT7wHYJk24yYvLxkXsMRdOIDXPggc_iyYwOc_GQ6O-JEYyr4Kx5FsTKukizIaZB88HcOt3v8vi3tkLIgCzifEOLZfRdBcM07NSKp4OwSkjrs3ZkfN-41wqLPvVxELuKhW3OYqOsK8o_yvqZRPvyAKx2QeUVnur3yu=w577-h640" title="fiesole" width="577" /></a></div><br /><br />The following videos were taken at the Michelangelo Plaza before sunset.<br />🔰</b></td></tr></tbody></table><b><br /></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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Biswajit Senguptahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04502747488677409796noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2677408543935148689.post-31339128182389300992022-03-07T20:16:00.009+05:302023-11-22T16:42:55.915+05:30Pisa<title>Pisa</title>
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<h2 style="text-align: left;"><br /></h2><h4 style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Pisa - <i>the Leaning Tower</i></span></h4><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">There are several trains from Florence to Pisa Centrale. We took the morning train. We were at Pisa Centrale station in about a little more than an hour. Pisa station is one of the major railway junctions of Tuscany. An old station, which opened in 1871, has a beautiful exterior. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">We boarded a bus from just outside the station, which took us directly to the Leaning Tower. Located at the Piazza Dei Miracoli (Square of Miracles), this walled area is regarded as one of the finest architectural complexes in the world. The most astonishing monument at this UNESCO World Heritage site is a campanile (a free-standing bell tower) 186ft11inch tall on the higher side and weighing around 14.5 tonnes which started tilting during its construction in
the 12th century. It went on leaning through the centuries until remedial measures were taken about 25 years back to arrest further tilt. Finally, the tilt has been reduced to about 4 degrees. The construction of the tower took almost two centuries. Seven bells were installed in the belfry. Each bell represented a musical note in the major scale. The largest bell was installed in 1655. Galileo, who lived in Pisa between 1589 to 1592 dropped two cannonballs of different masses from the tower to demonstrate that their speed of descent was independent of their mass in keeping with the law of free fall. Though modern tools and tackles have been used to arrest the chances of the tower toppling over in another 200 years, the mystery remains as to how this most vulnerable bell tower remained intact even after four strong earthquakes since the year of its inception i.e. 1200 AD. Besides the free-fall experiment of Galileo Galilei, the tower was used as an observation post by the German army during WW II. The Allies knew about it but refrained from any sort of artillery strike which could inflict irreparable damages to the heritage site. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">We spent almost half a day inside the complex awestruck by the strange Romanesque and Gothic-style campanile, taking photographs from various angles of the Leaning Tower. What is remarkable is that despite a tilt of hardly 4 degrees which would be an unobtrusive angle if drawn on a standard A4-sized paper, becomes a dizzying sight when blown up to the height of the tower. Yes, the leaning was so perceptible that I felt scared when I went close to the tower. We also went over to the other three religious edifices in the premises such as the Pisa Cathedral, the Pisa Baptistery, and the Monumental Cemetery. When we came out we bought some souvenirs on the Leaning Tower from a shop run by a lad from Bangladesh. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgPscjMY_TbSy2aw7a8JhUR98x23dFII2HxmQNaEwcNlYWp-MbECdle3du-Blu6DELNLB3SnM2wMYdV78FTt0Prj_7W8sE8a8lPYUON2tuCv9LFfRpmWWu_5BrBgpw122KZlUo0VTUf10TF9o5IttNy4xOXYOC9nLX52xsg8DDAicfT04ofA08JjWP_=s2592" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="pisa" border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgPscjMY_TbSy2aw7a8JhUR98x23dFII2HxmQNaEwcNlYWp-MbECdle3du-Blu6DELNLB3SnM2wMYdV78FTt0Prj_7W8sE8a8lPYUON2tuCv9LFfRpmWWu_5BrBgpw122KZlUo0VTUf10TF9o5IttNy4xOXYOC9nLX52xsg8DDAicfT04ofA08JjWP_=s16000" title="miracles square" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside Square of Miracles</td></tr></tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiCTPcr8BnH74QJiCGMecSQ26fitmaLm2OMpGbzxSHZ3aWIKj7FjNAgGXf74B4GrTMfWq2tn3K6X19_7aA5gASdCipHsgkTtAKsZ3RCdR_nOSs5X006GlQrPJQhO7isU4giM0RbHybFoFC8YuQq3xclnNL7ItmlFMT1MOjXx27vj64cd1BYPOmLqDJk=s2592" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="pisa" border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiCTPcr8BnH74QJiCGMecSQ26fitmaLm2OMpGbzxSHZ3aWIKj7FjNAgGXf74B4GrTMfWq2tn3K6X19_7aA5gASdCipHsgkTtAKsZ3RCdR_nOSs5X006GlQrPJQhO7isU4giM0RbHybFoFC8YuQq3xclnNL7ItmlFMT1MOjXx27vj64cd1BYPOmLqDJk=s16000" title="cathedral" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj8vQKOUmk4IiqSGU1fFHfsm02yBLhNSVeVmZkgEOdLk9xBi9KlvBYqlbqIRkzhNLXJRQp4ezbnaH_iLugaHWiehbaPCktaGWrzVnB4iMkftutdkPMNyYRB42sKM1W98yuOWzycungkkVqzg5hgV7ZKzh5SD5co_YkxHuAJk5ehtMCcyHW5MgjsFfBa=s2592" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="pisa 3" border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj8vQKOUmk4IiqSGU1fFHfsm02yBLhNSVeVmZkgEOdLk9xBi9KlvBYqlbqIRkzhNLXJRQp4ezbnaH_iLugaHWiehbaPCktaGWrzVnB4iMkftutdkPMNyYRB42sKM1W98yuOWzycungkkVqzg5hgV7ZKzh5SD5co_YkxHuAJk5ehtMCcyHW5MgjsFfBa=s16000" title="pisa" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjZszk2k3p_PdB1GMbxhxD7wg52X2lMVUMJOLYeLlhF31woDZmpFXPHDVf28qjSDdyc5LUlSw9_UZuVWaSdcQ72lW45mOOXSJjxUVm9WuLKIn-aLw8NPvRwhrfTlDWzJFBH3DmzjY41Np48fhYwOAYmVyl6kPE2VP5P_0gz1aIqni9hJ9XntBiwU7Oe=s2592" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="pisa 5" border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjZszk2k3p_PdB1GMbxhxD7wg52X2lMVUMJOLYeLlhF31woDZmpFXPHDVf28qjSDdyc5LUlSw9_UZuVWaSdcQ72lW45mOOXSJjxUVm9WuLKIn-aLw8NPvRwhrfTlDWzJFBH3DmzjY41Np48fhYwOAYmVyl6kPE2VP5P_0gz1aIqni9hJ9XntBiwU7Oe=s16000" title="pisa" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgMAF6TeAnZbNdApAJ9E8x8qKHtrbw_Y3WHjW975hUdGw43HrYBOsd-M-nBfBut19KNMcTiqfVnNCcgpbvAf39q20rQZBEADBZ1be0hXM_Q2MpCfmptJ5RGMMRQ-d1O1xLv1eZnvW_YuqtiOoDajMovN8fhq6JJXCVkNa8qo30i_DJcQOUsxdh4nTNZ=s2592" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="pisa 6" border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgMAF6TeAnZbNdApAJ9E8x8qKHtrbw_Y3WHjW975hUdGw43HrYBOsd-M-nBfBut19KNMcTiqfVnNCcgpbvAf39q20rQZBEADBZ1be0hXM_Q2MpCfmptJ5RGMMRQ-d1O1xLv1eZnvW_YuqtiOoDajMovN8fhq6JJXCVkNa8qo30i_DJcQOUsxdh4nTNZ=s16000" title="pisa" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh4oWlAB1KdB-RpjejNL7OlokEeHeRZIatIhCvYla1fSXtDoVWF-2xM-FeymNEWN07VOC7WQ3UY6qBTDp17ZMjT4M9h2eiLVqtRkNEtrME5mwUIALNsvfNLH2ZJECxlbe3CZ416V6YfGaiBCdjA4d3oqrN8qFUl9y7hacy3N5tcoUOgMjVKufXQHoui=s2592" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="pisa 7" border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh4oWlAB1KdB-RpjejNL7OlokEeHeRZIatIhCvYla1fSXtDoVWF-2xM-FeymNEWN07VOC7WQ3UY6qBTDp17ZMjT4M9h2eiLVqtRkNEtrME5mwUIALNsvfNLH2ZJECxlbe3CZ416V6YfGaiBCdjA4d3oqrN8qFUl9y7hacy3N5tcoUOgMjVKufXQHoui=s16000" title="pisa" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhtGbqgHtO4VzV3_JUAiWF_Z7d9m4TmVwxWqO2lDR9hRQyohRoR7T-jQ3dyBK_VOGq4SgktOekTiv7G7PHqeL37JltxgFr2tOtggYMqUXMsOI0-pNwP4NCIJAOut1vVfEZheW-73nA6wdp0aDgqhCUaOyPTQNOZtMxiPINTZbj2qmx9IcHnlJeysMZ1=s2592" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="pisa 9" border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhtGbqgHtO4VzV3_JUAiWF_Z7d9m4TmVwxWqO2lDR9hRQyohRoR7T-jQ3dyBK_VOGq4SgktOekTiv7G7PHqeL37JltxgFr2tOtggYMqUXMsOI0-pNwP4NCIJAOut1vVfEZheW-73nA6wdp0aDgqhCUaOyPTQNOZtMxiPINTZbj2qmx9IcHnlJeysMZ1=s16000" title="pisa" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjG1uTtErpLTHoXqVPdbCc-wBtZw8vMsjtzrlpdTkIDsJeZMfQIUm0XSPydJjz3woZZ-eNCaz4ktjesipifiCzN4nmK-XF3czAh5yVmC7T060_t55TTzCq5m59mFAl2tHhI9qf82PgQXkD4mUvxChQxvJ27R5o67NwE39CaA8-J9jArPYsYylYJS-WD" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="pisa 10" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjG1uTtErpLTHoXqVPdbCc-wBtZw8vMsjtzrlpdTkIDsJeZMfQIUm0XSPydJjz3woZZ-eNCaz4ktjesipifiCzN4nmK-XF3czAh5yVmC7T060_t55TTzCq5m59mFAl2tHhI9qf82PgQXkD4mUvxChQxvJ27R5o67NwE39CaA8-J9jArPYsYylYJS-WD=w640-h480" title="pisa stn" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Photos by</span> <span style="font-size: large;"><i>Arundhati Sengupta</i></span></b></div><div><br /></div>
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Biswajit Senguptahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04502747488677409796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2677408543935148689.post-71717838354335115232021-12-06T18:28:00.004+05:302021-12-07T14:06:04.478+05:30Durga Puja in Stuttgart, Germany<meta content="Durga Puja in Stuttgart, Germany" name="title"></meta>
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Durga Puja in Germany – from Calcutta to Stuttgart</b></span><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><i>Calcutta, India</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Only after marriage did I take interest and started delving more deeply into the insights of the timeless social phenomenon of 'The Generation Gap'. My wife belongs to a family who hails from Choto Kalia in Bangladesh. The Sen family from this small village in Bangladesh is referred to as ‘Choto Kaliya Sen Parivar’, a distinction only because of families' unbounded stint in maintaining close-knit relations generation after generation. In fact, when I first visited my wife's ancestral house Harrison Road (near College Square) in Calcutta, I was surprised to see photographs/ painted portraits of forefathers of my father-in-law decorating the walls of the living room. Another reason which brought prominence to this family is Durga Puja, which, I understand is almost 200 years old. The Kalia Sen Bari Puja shifted its venue mid-1960s and ever since continues to be held at Mitra Institution (formerly Ripon College, where Swami Vivekananda was felicitated on his return from Chicago after delivering the historic address on World Religion), Mirzapur Street for over 50 years.
It is a great show, a grand show- a reunion and get-together on a festive occasion. I enjoy the spirit and atmosphere so much that I prefer to stick around in the Puja premises all four days of Puja whenever I am in Calcutta.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><i>Stuttgart, Germany</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Saikat Sen, my wife's cousin, and an IT technologist joined his new job in Germany in 2018. Prior to that he was based in Calcutta, and actively participated in Kalia Sen Bari Puja. His attempt to retain the spirit and fervor of Durga Puja while in Germany resulted in a Pooja initiation near Stuttgart. Durga Idol made of fiberglass was flown in from Calcutta in 2020, but due to the Covid19 outbreak, the Puja could not be held. This year, ie. 2021, they performed it with all the warmth and jubilations associated with Durga Puja. By mere coincidence, we had come to our son's place in Heidelberg during the Puja season. Knowing that we had plans to come to Germany, Saikat had already invited us much in advance to the Pujo at Stuttgart.
Eager and excited to see the first Puja outside India, that too Germany, we started off early. From our son's house in Kirchstrasse, Heidelberg central rail station is hardly a few minutes' walk. The train to Stuttgart took around 40 minutes. From Stuttgart, which is a terminal station, we took a local train to Boeblingen. From Boeblingen station we took a bus to the venue of Stuttgart Maitri Durga Puja. The final lap was a rejuvenating walk down a lane lined with maple trees radiating a blossoming beauty of red, green, yellow just before the Fall. The venue was nestled cozily and comfortably in the bounty of nature. The Pujo was held in a rented hall with covered tents placed on the lawn for lunch, dinner, and cultural functions
in the evening. Saikat and his friends in and around Stuttgart put up a wonderful show on their very first venture.
Their success lay in creating an aura similar to the ones
one finds back in Calcutta. Right from Bhog offerings, Dhak beats, Anjali, Prashad distribution followed by lunch. Even dinner was arranged for those who stayed back till late evening. Since we had to return back to Heidelberg, we had to very reluctantly forgo the entertainment functions as well as dinner.
We had been there on Nabami, and the lunch served was delectable, especially the 'Malpoa'. The most satiable and pleasant sight was a sizeable gathering of families from and around Stuttgart.
The young purohit (priest) was one of the major attractions. An Engineer with the EV Department of Mercedes Benz, he was meticulous in performing the rites such as Anjali and Arati.
Making of ‘Maitri eV’ & Stuttgart Durga Puja 2021
The Club ‘Maitree eV’ is registered at Stuttgart,Germany since November 2019. The founders of the Club had planned to hold a Durga Puja in 2020 but had to wait till 2021 due to pandemic restrictions. On its inaugural Puja in 2021, the total footfall recorded was over 500 for 3 days of Puja. This is a very impressive figure considering the first Puja of the club in Germany.
The Crew for the first Sarbojanin Durga Puja comprises founding members from eight families located in Stuttgart, Esslingen, and Aalen areas in Germany.</span></div><div><br /><div><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;"><b>The Maitree Crew 2021 </b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: times;">Subhrajyoti Bose –President</span> </span></li><li><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Manas Ganguly - Vice President</span></li><li><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Abhishek Dey - Secretary (also credited with meticulous handling of logistics, one of the most important assignments that contribute to the success of an event). </span></li><li><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Soumanta Banerjee – Purohit (priest).An ex-student of Mitra Institution where Kalia Sen Bari Puja is held every year since 1967. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"> Rakesh Maji – Cashier </span></li><li><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"> Aritra Ukil- Auditor </span></li><li><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"> Anasuya Banerjee – Bhog </span></li><li><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"> Priyanka Sahu – Bhog </span></li><li><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"> Paromita Chakraborty – Bhog </span></li><li><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"> Deepra Mukherjee – Bhog </span></li><li><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"> Bani Banerjee – Bhog </span></li><li><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"> Debopriya Deb – Bhog & Cultural </span></li><li><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"> Abhijit Das – Cultural </span></li><li><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"> Ankita Ghosh – PR & Cultural</span></li><li><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"> Kuntal – Logistic </span></li><li><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"> Saikat Sen – Food & Kitchen </span></li><li><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"> Rushy Sen – Food & Kitchen</span></li></ul></div><div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Photo courtesy: Arundhati Sengupta</i></span></b><br /> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vCcvHMJQZ98/YayXyqxFmuI/AAAAAAAAj64/pl6s7VFgNOgwC6Z2SC-XXuDHF_CeyBICwCNcBGAsYHQ/s1280/kalia%2B03.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Maitree Stuttgart" border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="590" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vCcvHMJQZ98/YayXyqxFmuI/AAAAAAAAj64/pl6s7VFgNOgwC6Z2SC-XXuDHF_CeyBICwCNcBGAsYHQ/s16000/kalia%2B03.jpg" title="Durga Puja venue" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x6sXzhjap7Q/Ya32Krz5M2I/AAAAAAAAj-Q/RifYQZxi4_4FNqGVVL3hVJeNu0npGaj3QCNcBGAsYHQ/s1280/kalia%2B22.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="kalia" border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="590" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x6sXzhjap7Q/Ya32Krz5M2I/AAAAAAAAj-Q/RifYQZxi4_4FNqGVVL3hVJeNu0npGaj3QCNcBGAsYHQ/s16000/kalia%2B22.jpg" title="kalia 1" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Kalia Sen Bari Puja 2021, Mitra Institution, Calcutta (Pic courtesy: Anirban Sen)</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z-xParRgDXU/Ya32T562yzI/AAAAAAAAj-U/fdPaESFVtocMSbXmOwPQheoGTvAVxUdoACNcBGAsYHQ/s720/kalia%2B21.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="kal" border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z-xParRgDXU/Ya32T562yzI/AAAAAAAAj-U/fdPaESFVtocMSbXmOwPQheoGTvAVxUdoACNcBGAsYHQ/s16000/kalia%2B21.jpg" title="kalia 2" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Kalia Sen Bari Puja 2021, Mitra Institution, Calcutta (Pic courtesy: Anirban Sen)</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ehu-c28dm3U/Ya32mO4ePwI/AAAAAAAAj-g/_NVKcNo4tQ4NaLoKLKw0rqTV6K7VjeS2ACNcBGAsYHQ/s720/kalia%2B23.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="kalia" border="0" data-original-height="332" data-original-width="720" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ehu-c28dm3U/Ya32mO4ePwI/AAAAAAAAj-g/_NVKcNo4tQ4NaLoKLKw0rqTV6K7VjeS2ACNcBGAsYHQ/s16000/kalia%2B23.jpg" title="kalia 2" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o2NhgpN33cM/Ya3ozZj7YlI/AAAAAAAAj9k/Uh6s0UdLH5cU_2-zGqaLiGKC4VZDtE_yACNcBGAsYHQ/s720/kalia%2B17.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="kalia 2" border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="720" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o2NhgpN33cM/Ya3ozZj7YlI/AAAAAAAAj9k/Uh6s0UdLH5cU_2-zGqaLiGKC4VZDtE_yACNcBGAsYHQ/s16000/kalia%2B17.jpg" title="kalia puja" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Kalia Sen Bari Puja 2021,Mitra Institution,Calcutta</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sQgiMUZF6n8/YasbKUWufSI/AAAAAAAAj4o/Q6-o6gN4b50QXXR6Y4grqrs78wG8j57SQCPcBGAsYHg/s4000/IMG_20211016_145232.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="Durga" border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="1844" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sQgiMUZF6n8/YasbKUWufSI/AAAAAAAAj4o/Q6-o6gN4b50QXXR6Y4grqrs78wG8j57SQCPcBGAsYHg/s16000/IMG_20211016_145232.jpg" title="Ma Durga" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Stuttgart Maitree Durga Puja 2021,Stuttgart</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-23-25w4ELkU/YasbKaSFU0I/AAAAAAAAj4o/ltex9njxMZEn6wZbEd-BNsPAMIraei2bwCPcBGAsYHg/s4000/IMG_20211016_180427.jpg" style="display: inline; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="durga" border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="1844" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-23-25w4ELkU/YasbKaSFU0I/AAAAAAAAj4o/ltex9njxMZEn6wZbEd-BNsPAMIraei2bwCPcBGAsYHg/s16000/IMG_20211016_180427.jpg" title="ma durga" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Stuttgart Maitree Durga Puja, Stuttgart</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P0VhpOGvwtY/YasZdgMJM-I/AAAAAAAAj4g/JqtgugMrT6w50C9qhLYnYuBP5_Pti3-JACPcBGAsYHg/s4000/IMG_20211016_203512.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="Boeblingen" border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="1844" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P0VhpOGvwtY/YasZdgMJM-I/AAAAAAAAj4g/JqtgugMrT6w50C9qhLYnYuBP5_Pti3-JACPcBGAsYHg/s16000/IMG_20211016_203512.jpg" title="Boeblingen station" /></a><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P0VhpOGvwtY/YasZdgMJM-I/AAAAAAAAj4g/JqtgugMrT6w50C9qhLYnYuBP5_Pti3-JACPcBGAsYHg/s4000/IMG_20211016_203512.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></a><br /><br /><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qDzbJWOF520/YaygSY230bI/AAAAAAAAj8M/WQkIkL1chdwn2yVYb6yCcoLAIqnj44y9gCNcBGAsYHQ/s2612/kalia%2B11.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Boeblingen" border="0" data-original-height="2612" data-original-width="1204" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qDzbJWOF520/YaygSY230bI/AAAAAAAAj8M/WQkIkL1chdwn2yVYb6yCcoLAIqnj44y9gCNcBGAsYHQ/s16000/kalia%2B11.jpg" title="boeblingen" /></a></div></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8LQgh86D_FI/YasbKZkTclI/AAAAAAAAj4o/n300iDUklq8rsUzxjKeBLYTnhz2VOX43ACPcBGAsYHg/s4000/IMG_20211016_164447.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"></a><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Qmu4Q5MfppI/Yascm6XSTjI/AAAAAAAAj4w/_eYFKLxoUzwZOUcE07izczqZoMp9Fbu2QCPcBGAsYHg/s4000/IMG_20211016_144217_1.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img alt="station" border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="1844" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Qmu4Q5MfppI/Yascm6XSTjI/AAAAAAAAj4w/_eYFKLxoUzwZOUcE07izczqZoMp9Fbu2QCPcBGAsYHg/s16000/IMG_20211016_144217_1.jpg" title="near puja venue" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-28I_Gkt5fPI/YasbKYUMaoI/AAAAAAAAj4o/f6KZN-yK9KEd8CaOgVyPHcZVyKcueR-xgCPcBGAsYHg/s4000/IMG_20211016_200434.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="nature" border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="1844" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-28I_Gkt5fPI/YasbKYUMaoI/AAAAAAAAj4o/f6KZN-yK9KEd8CaOgVyPHcZVyKcueR-xgCPcBGAsYHg/s16000/IMG_20211016_200434.jpg" title="the fall in germany" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-23-25w4ELkU/YasbKaSFU0I/AAAAAAAAj4o/ltex9njxMZEn6wZbEd-BNsPAMIraei2bwCPcBGAsYHg/s4000/IMG_20211016_180427.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"></a><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8LQgh86D_FI/YasbKZkTclI/AAAAAAAAj4o/n300iDUklq8rsUzxjKeBLYTnhz2VOX43ACPcBGAsYHg/s4000/IMG_20211016_164447.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img alt="arati" border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="1844" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8LQgh86D_FI/YasbKZkTclI/AAAAAAAAj4o/n300iDUklq8rsUzxjKeBLYTnhz2VOX43ACPcBGAsYHg/s16000/IMG_20211016_164447.jpg" title="arati on nabami" /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dy29GhCDIcBaDDiv0sFapl7gLcMP5Z1vI_-_vZrUJ3HVGolzfPhqn6jgZefSxxTXwyOzCguqg_U2VCfhV0FCw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dznx5jGJsRb0mLWHQn1Z-qQkfefyTGCCFm2lDGnk8_Oe5-8xHSGZLHHo4XbT3seJa5x3Km-q-2fw52TdYnSpg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxJbRex7eTwkDpb6rFwjxexSOs1GRDtDygCqVz6Ax1DxDVdz3BLUSU0mamUjD1NMLAu13oXzQpH-MER387pOQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rjw6QlH_MJc/Yascm3UfvJI/AAAAAAAAj4w/fm4YHoh5XQkx5Kcse_POADeNY1DMAOvUgCPcBGAsYHg/s1600/VID_20211016_175449.mp4" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><br /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-J08gx29xksA/Yascm5Cm2MI/AAAAAAAAj4w/h-D0Oqry19wiQL_uidVvOv0VN2URG3M0ACPcBGAsYHg/s3264/IMG_20211016_165249.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="stuttgart" border="0" data-original-height="1504" data-original-width="3264" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-J08gx29xksA/Yascm5Cm2MI/AAAAAAAAj4w/h-D0Oqry19wiQL_uidVvOv0VN2URG3M0ACPcBGAsYHg/s16000/IMG_20211016_165249.jpg" title="stuttgart puja" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HyDpgPBjpeg/Yascm-MHhBI/AAAAAAAAj4w/zlOiCZq7GyIkmnO_zKjfjmnobPygfajRQCPcBGAsYHg/s1920/VID_20211016_164451.mp4" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><br /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Nr75K5YrsY0/Yascm0JZuPI/AAAAAAAAj4w/DyzLSq0NDPUXl139WL2YRf-4orjsaNjVQCPcBGAsYHg/s4000/IMG_20211016_150526_1.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="family" border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="1844" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Nr75K5YrsY0/Yascm0JZuPI/AAAAAAAAj4w/DyzLSq0NDPUXl139WL2YRf-4orjsaNjVQCPcBGAsYHg/s16000/IMG_20211016_150526_1.jpg" title="family reunion" /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Jtx8iTRyetA/Ya2rtYZ1k7I/AAAAAAAAj8w/CxO-o0c1CsYfYo4uMP3afWcePku-eMNdQCNcBGAsYHQ/s720/kalia%2B13.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="reunion" border="0" data-original-height="405" data-original-width="720" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Jtx8iTRyetA/Ya2rtYZ1k7I/AAAAAAAAj8w/CxO-o0c1CsYfYo4uMP3afWcePku-eMNdQCNcBGAsYHQ/s16000/kalia%2B13.jpg" title="family reunion 2" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QLl0vUs05W8/Ya2rva3kz-I/AAAAAAAAj80/6fZvCwPJ47sQo8U2-UDSRBPWmsUZGwqogCNcBGAsYHQ/s720/kalia%2B14.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="fly" border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QLl0vUs05W8/Ya2rva3kz-I/AAAAAAAAj80/6fZvCwPJ47sQo8U2-UDSRBPWmsUZGwqogCNcBGAsYHQ/s16000/kalia%2B14.jpg" title="fly reunion3" /></a></div><br /><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Nr75K5YrsY0/Yascm0JZuPI/AAAAAAAAj4w/DyzLSq0NDPUXl139WL2YRf-4orjsaNjVQCPcBGAsYHg/s4000/IMG_20211016_150526_1.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><br /></a><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Nr75K5YrsY0/Yascm0JZuPI/AAAAAAAAj4w/DyzLSq0NDPUXl139WL2YRf-4orjsaNjVQCPcBGAsYHg/s4000/IMG_20211016_150526_1.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"></a><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9gTWjc4V0Kc/Yayis7QUW_I/AAAAAAAAj8U/Ai7Zo_C7u4Ut0NW4pAs3nDgUKB9Z6PZ4gCPcBGAsYHg/s4000/IMG_20211016_145323.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="tushy" border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="1844" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9gTWjc4V0Kc/Yayis7QUW_I/AAAAAAAAj8U/Ai7Zo_C7u4Ut0NW4pAs3nDgUKB9Z6PZ4gCPcBGAsYHg/s16000/IMG_20211016_145323.jpg" title="tushy sen" /></a><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Nr75K5YrsY0/Yascm0JZuPI/AAAAAAAAj4w/DyzLSq0NDPUXl139WL2YRf-4orjsaNjVQCPcBGAsYHg/s4000/IMG_20211016_150526_1.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"></a><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aR5JP9SUYpE/YayeFeAyKNI/AAAAAAAAj7o/W1mdveWgPwMyr7_gp9kuaqHGfefkgqLEACNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/kalia%2B06.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="rohan" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aR5JP9SUYpE/YayeFeAyKNI/AAAAAAAAj7o/W1mdveWgPwMyr7_gp9kuaqHGfefkgqLEACNcBGAsYHQ/s16000/kalia%2B06.jpg" title="rohan at puja" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b2EGpyBuWac/YayeGrYy9PI/AAAAAAAAj7s/OiNT5AgQDzYxa88yUZhN4XJ0eEwxEGJ1gCNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/kalia%2B07.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="priest" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b2EGpyBuWac/YayeGrYy9PI/AAAAAAAAj7s/OiNT5AgQDzYxa88yUZhN4XJ0eEwxEGJ1gCNcBGAsYHQ/s16000/kalia%2B07.jpg" title="purohit" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SaRZAVUI1ZU/YayeeqzdwtI/AAAAAAAAj74/E0_1dP1BAVgfXwBcQYFU12HzEkvDUytGwCNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/kalia%2B08.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="prasad" border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SaRZAVUI1ZU/YayeeqzdwtI/AAAAAAAAj74/E0_1dP1BAVgfXwBcQYFU12HzEkvDUytGwCNcBGAsYHQ/s16000/kalia%2B08.jpg" title="prasad 1" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iNh4SD2pYec/YayelW1s-GI/AAAAAAAAj78/BqMPR06yjRcNfdW4wzCOgkbKkt8AVm2dACNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/kalia%2B09.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="pantry" border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iNh4SD2pYec/YayelW1s-GI/AAAAAAAAj78/BqMPR06yjRcNfdW4wzCOgkbKkt8AVm2dACNcBGAsYHQ/s16000/kalia%2B09.jpg" title="pantry at puja venue" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Dbp__bTDVfI/Ya3HSgeiyrI/AAAAAAAAj9I/C9zYYoUIQxcwGpMYuKxlsAFXos3JRsEKACNcBGAsYHQ/s720/kalia%2B16.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="brverages" border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Dbp__bTDVfI/Ya3HSgeiyrI/AAAAAAAAj9I/C9zYYoUIQxcwGpMYuKxlsAFXos3JRsEKACNcBGAsYHQ/s16000/kalia%2B16.jpg" title="bev" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CffOsHT02Vg/Ya2s1kuApTI/AAAAAAAAj9A/Tr-eWRJvI-wHqdikZPsQHOS0XTIfZzr7wCNcBGAsYHQ/s960/kalia%2B15.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="food" border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="680" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CffOsHT02Vg/Ya2s1kuApTI/AAAAAAAAj9A/Tr-eWRJvI-wHqdikZPsQHOS0XTIfZzr7wCNcBGAsYHQ/s16000/kalia%2B15.jpg" title="food and malpoa" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The food offered for lunch on Nabami. On the bottom left is'Malpoa', a delicious Bengali sweet dish.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">-<b> (pic courtesy: Saikat Sen)<br /></b></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Qmu4Q5MfppI/Yascm6XSTjI/AAAAAAAAj4w/_eYFKLxoUzwZOUcE07izczqZoMp9Fbu2QCPcBGAsYHg/s4000/IMG_20211016_144217_1.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><br /></a></div></div></div></div>
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Biswajit Senguptahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04502747488677409796noreply@blogger.com168/3 Pratapaditya Road Calcutta 700026 India20.593684 78.96288-57.127744493804187 -61.66212 90 -140.41212000000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2677408543935148689.post-23837712031054902282021-09-24T13:20:00.003+05:302023-09-17T16:32:27.381+05:30Madrid 2<meta content="MADRID 2-Mecca of Bullfighting" name="title"></meta>
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<h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: red; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></h3><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: red; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">MADRID 2 - <i>the Mecca of bullfighting</i></span></h3><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><i>by Biswajit Sengupta</i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">
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Image of Spain gravitates around football, bullfights, and
flamenco. On the Iberian Peninsula and in Latin America football remain the
most popular spectator sport, followed by bullfighting even despite movements
by some sections to ban it. Although the largest bullfighting ring is in Mexico
followed by the one in Venezuela, Madrid is regarded as the Mecca of
bullfighting because of its tradition. During the early part of the twentieth
century, bullfighting had picked up tremendous momentum in Madrid. In order to
accommodate more spectators, a monumental bullring was built. Las Ventas
bullring with a capacity of around twenty-five thousand spectators has an
imposing façade – the largest in Spain and third largest in the world. From Sol
Seville, Las Ventas is around ten minutes commute by underground metro from
Sevilla station. Trains to Cuatro Camina las Rosas stop at Ventas. The famous
bullring is just atop the exit Plaza de Toros. A lovely, breezy plaza
interspersed with statues of matadors, bullfights, and bulls. The stadium
located on the plaza is a charming red building, architecturally attractive
because of Moorish adornment and design. The only disappointment was that I
missed watching a bullfight by a few days as the season normally runs up to the end of October. But it was amply compensated by an exciting and informative tour
inside the amphitheater. My wife, who is against any kind of sports involving
cruelty on animals, did not join me on the audio tour. When I walked into the
circular corridor of the stadium with my audio guide, it was like an exciting
recce of events totally unknown to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The spectacle opens with a bull ring march (Paso Doble). Paso Doble is an
attractive two-step dance form and many paso dobles have been composed in the honor of matadors. Paso Doble is played
throughout the opening procession ( ‘paseo’ in Spanish) before the start of the
bullfight. Most popular being a mix of Spanish Gypsy Dance/En “Er”
Mundo/Espana Cani/Morante de la Puebla.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://youtube.com/embed/jOGLZpkuKLE" style="background-image: url(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/jOGLZpkuKLE/hqdefault.jpg);" width="480"></iframe></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;"><b><span style="color: red;">PLAZA DE LAS VENTAS</span> -<i> paso doble composed on the famous De Las Ventas Bullring in Madrid</i></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/SqtbzbvsdLg" style="background-image: url(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/SqtbzbvsdLg/hqdefault.jpg);" width="480"></iframe> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: red; font-family: times;"><b>Paso doble: Puerta Grande. Banda de Música de Las Ventas. 19-Mayo-2012</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: times;">Bullfighting dates back as far as the Roman era. It started
evoking interest as a major public sporting spectacle after Muslims from
neighboring Africa (the Moors) overran Andalusia in the early eighth century.
Moors were great horsemen, which made them start bull lancing tournaments from
horsebacks. The combats were held in open areas such as city squares, plazas, or
even open fields outside a town. Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar (known as El Cid because
of his military prowess), a legendary knight was perhaps the first horseman to
have lanced a bull in an enclosed arena in the eleventh century. El Cid means
‘the lord’ or ‘the master’ in Spanish Arabic. After the Moors were driven out
by the Christian rulers in the sixteenth century, Queen Isabella strongly
opposed bullfight, and Pope Pius V imposed an outright ban on sports. But due
to the growing popularity of corridas, sports had become a routine part of
Spanish life. Bull fighting-related fiestas were looked upon as community events
in Spain. These considerations compelled the church to lift the ban. Nowadays
bullfighting is in three stages. It starts with picadors who lance the bull
from horseback, followed by foot assistants known as banderilleros, and finally
the matadors on foot who work the bull and eventually kill it. While walking
with the audio guide in the empty corridors of the stadium, I was in a
trancelike state of mind, trying to visualize the acts. So much so that it did
not allow me to think before stepping into a virtual corrida cubicle. </span><span style="font-family: times; mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: times;">I was handed over a crimson muleta to make
passes on a virtual bull whose movement was controlled by the operator. After a
few successful passes, I was caught in a shuddery moment when on looking behind
me I saw the fierce reddish eyes of the bull fixated at me. So sudden was the
fear impact that the muleta dropped out of my hand involuntarily. As the real
corrida spectacle was over only a few days back, intensive repair work was
going on at the arena. As I stood watching the amphitheater, the bullpen (gate
of the toril), and the ring reminded me
of hypogeums and the arena in Colosseum where gladiator fights
were held. With my audio guide on I could visualize the opening procession, the
beginning of a tournament as the toril gate is opened to allow the bull to rush
out to a glaring afternoon from a dark pen followed by the opening capework,
lancing by the picadors, the flashy and graceful passes with a large cape, the
placing of the banderillos and finally the dangerous passes performed by the
matador with a muleta before making the kill. Somewhat similar to the fate of a
lost gladiator, a bull performing bravely may be pardoned by the President if
the crowd waves white handkerchiefs. Amid sneers and scoffs from large sections
of ‘animal cruelty’ activists, the corridas have continued for years. Today the
entire spectacle is like a graceful ballet. A matador is like a highly skilled
artist. Wearing a ‘traje de lucas’ or a suit of lights like a short jacket, a
waistcoat, knee-length skin-tight trousers of silk or satin richly beaded and embroidered
in gold or silver, pink silk stockings, flat heelless black slippers and a
‘Montera’(a knobbed hat), he fights the ferocious bull from a dangerously close
distance.</span><span style="font-family: times; mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: times;">Even a minuscule mistake can
lead to a matador’s death. That is why this artistic spectacle is often referred to as ‘dance with death'. Since the early nineteenth century, the spectacle has
been swooned by painters, musicians, writers, filmmakers. Francesco Goya and
Picasso recorded the spectacle artistically. Goya, who was an amateur torero
himself, painted a fight in Ventas bull ring. Then there are books like ‘Blood
& Sand’ by Vicente Blasco Ibanez, ‘Death in the Afternoon', ‘For Whom the
Bell Tolls’ and ‘The Dangerous Summer’ (all by Ernest Hemingway)</span></span><span style="font-family: times; font-size: xx-large;">.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">In fact, the entire enchanting act lasts for about twenty
minutes or so. It is like a highly intricate ballet movement culminating in a
gory finish. The toughest capework in a corrida is the dangerous passes with
the muleta before a kill. Las Ventas amphitheater has an aesthetically designed
‘Royal Box’ is used for seating the President of the corrida. Exiting through
underneath the gallery and the Royal Box leads to an infirmary well set up with
operating and surgical equipment including surgical tables for attending grievous injuries caused by goring.
Out in the open, the backyard holds a small chapel where the matadors and
picadors pray before entering the arena for a fight. Adjacent to it is a museum
that showcases the legendary matadors, both male and female, like Mariel
Atierzar, Manuel Rodriguez, Pete Pastrana, Pale Camina, and Fransisco Camina Sanchez.
The exhibits and displays also include some famous bulls, matadors’ colorful
embroidered attires, swords and lances, capes, and muletas. It is known that
any cattle is color blind. The capes and muletas are red so that the color
helps in camouflaging the blood-spattered during the bout.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">During this visit, I was not able to watch a real bullfight though,
but an audio tour in the famous bullring amply compensated for the missed opportunity.
So famous is the bullring that a Paso doble called ‘Plaza de las Ventas’,
composed by Maestro Manuel Lillo is dedicated to this arena.</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_g1zYEf1Qkg/YOQ7s66JP0I/AAAAAAAAeOg/X82b1wBhCYA0jultusUS2e3IxDi8feYGwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/mad%2B01.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="plaza ventas" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_g1zYEf1Qkg/YOQ7s66JP0I/AAAAAAAAeOg/X82b1wBhCYA0jultusUS2e3IxDi8feYGwCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/mad%2B01.jpg" title="sculpture of matador" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3zCvlse4ZU4/YOQ7samvgNI/AAAAAAAAeOc/ATtNHdXCcYoKev6vDG32zwAD7jgdcrYigCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/mad%2B02.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="stadium" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3zCvlse4ZU4/YOQ7samvgNI/AAAAAAAAeOc/ATtNHdXCcYoKev6vDG32zwAD7jgdcrYigCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/mad%2B02.jpg" title="las ventas" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Las Ventas Madrid</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AYBDNGSKoZI/YOQ7rqk0_JI/AAAAAAAAeOY/uDrt_RMlMhIkeGKd6pMFQj5lKvzYihscwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/mad%2B04.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="stadium" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AYBDNGSKoZI/YOQ7rqk0_JI/AAAAAAAAeOY/uDrt_RMlMhIkeGKd6pMFQj5lKvzYihscwCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/mad%2B04.jpg" title="ventas bullring" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jngWba2J89U/YOQ7vBxLqcI/AAAAAAAAeOs/8GbKftDVqK0cTpVDg6t98bDNcVkhA_KygCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/mad%2B05.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="plaza ventas" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jngWba2J89U/YOQ7vBxLqcI/AAAAAAAAeOs/8GbKftDVqK0cTpVDg6t98bDNcVkhA_KygCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/mad%2B05.jpg" title="sculpture" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--aGURCcYH-4/YOQ7uIvexhI/AAAAAAAAeOk/eoT00gkP9ek-FovnZY6pWIee3MxCOe2NwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/mad%2B06.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="bullring" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1150" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--aGURCcYH-4/YOQ7uIvexhI/AAAAAAAAeOk/eoT00gkP9ek-FovnZY6pWIee3MxCOe2NwCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/mad%2B06.jpg" title="las ventas" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Facade of Las Ventas Bullring</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B57rfuI4B2o/YOQ7vqhOeBI/AAAAAAAAeOw/obY2wxBe8X8UOBMDgVuL0qSxunbohxqQQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/mad%2B08.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="ventas" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1150" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B57rfuI4B2o/YOQ7vqhOeBI/AAAAAAAAeOw/obY2wxBe8X8UOBMDgVuL0qSxunbohxqQQCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/mad%2B08.jpg" title="bullring ventas" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">List of legendary matadors who performed at Ventas stadium </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3eEO27wQWSs/YOQ7wr8c2DI/AAAAAAAAeO8/iXu6OM50YiY-DhZoBs5DtTa0pZO6M3VWACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/mad%2B11.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="bullring" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1150" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3eEO27wQWSs/YOQ7wr8c2DI/AAAAAAAAeO8/iXu6OM50YiY-DhZoBs5DtTa0pZO6M3VWACLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/mad%2B11.jpg" title="arena" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside Ventas stadium</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Jlvd-oeVu1c/YOQ7xDRfdQI/AAAAAAAAePA/Zk4_4n7Uw6QMwzO3N_9oRjCPtvTzh_wDgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/mad%2B12.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="bullring" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1150" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Jlvd-oeVu1c/YOQ7xDRfdQI/AAAAAAAAePA/Zk4_4n7Uw6QMwzO3N_9oRjCPtvTzh_wDgCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/mad%2B12.jpg" title="arena ventas" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4CS_24wM15A/YOQ7xCWAt8I/AAAAAAAAePE/zbYDD35DPY0zjSGm4JNy5rTdGePW-Qq2gCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/mad%2B14.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="stadium" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1150" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4CS_24wM15A/YOQ7xCWAt8I/AAAAAAAAePE/zbYDD35DPY0zjSGm4JNy5rTdGePW-Qq2gCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/mad%2B14.jpg" title="inside ventas" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spanish bull exclusively reared and bred for bullfights</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sH5_Mp_FPHI/YOQ7xmEzEoI/AAAAAAAAePM/DVQdYolxBw4Pu_CzqrgTWf2W3mkc9O3CwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/mad%2B16.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="museum" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1150" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sH5_Mp_FPHI/YOQ7xmEzEoI/AAAAAAAAePM/DVQdYolxBw4Pu_CzqrgTWf2W3mkc9O3CwCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/mad%2B16.jpg" title="ventas museo" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9S3ki1j8QlY/YOQ7yLEvpZI/AAAAAAAAePQ/TKxShg-HRgUiVakp6GVOIW_qr465KEZGgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/mad%2B17.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="ventas" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1150" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9S3ki1j8QlY/YOQ7yLEvpZI/AAAAAAAAePQ/TKxShg-HRgUiVakp6GVOIW_qr465KEZGgCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/mad%2B17.jpg" title="museo" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fHQ715aYUQo/YOQ7yQTazOI/AAAAAAAAePU/Lzzcpyo1wB0n526_AfEryYWT1WPVTBDNgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/mad%2B18.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="ventas" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1150" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fHQ715aYUQo/YOQ7yQTazOI/AAAAAAAAePU/Lzzcpyo1wB0n526_AfEryYWT1WPVTBDNgCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/mad%2B18.jpg" title="ventas stadium" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FA75tPsCfXE/YOQ7zCIxfGI/AAAAAAAAePc/QCDfjrATK3UzR8egtRi8nLCRoA1kLkeBgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/mad%2B20.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="ventas" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1150" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FA75tPsCfXE/YOQ7zCIxfGI/AAAAAAAAePc/QCDfjrATK3UzR8egtRi8nLCRoA1kLkeBgCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/mad%2B20.jpg" title="matador" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>The ceremonial outfit called traje de luces or 'suit of lights' worn by matadors is designed to embrace the anatomy in such a way so as to provide safe and free movements during the performance. The above display details the costume vis-a-vis the anatomy of a human being.</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oDtzLD2Mqfs/YOQ7zlwTi-I/AAAAAAAAePg/cDjOW78mF7sZiJJAOqbdTwhnNkr1tMU1QCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/mad%2B21.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="ventas" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1150" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oDtzLD2Mqfs/YOQ7zlwTi-I/AAAAAAAAePg/cDjOW78mF7sZiJJAOqbdTwhnNkr1tMU1QCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/mad%2B21.jpg" title="surgical unit" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /><b>The infirmary at the stadium is well equipped to perform treatment and operations for goring injuries suffered during a fight</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #990000; font-family: helvetica; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;"><b>The most convenient way to reach Las Ventas⇩</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: #04ff00; font-family: times; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;"><i><b>For tourists, taking a metro from Sol Seville station is the best option. Sol is the heart of Madrid, where most of the sightseeing sites are located. Sol station is located right at the Puerta del Sol square. It happens to be the most central station on the metro and is on Line 1, Line 2, and Line 3 of the Madrid Metro (Zone A). Ventas station is on Line 2 and Line 5 of the Madrid Metro.</b></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
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Biswajit Senguptahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04502747488677409796noreply@blogger.com168/3 Pratapaditya Road, Kolkata 700026,, West Bengal, India22.572646 88.363895000000014-54.925941598453058 -52.261104999999986 90 -131.011105tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2677408543935148689.post-53007317906407418842021-09-04T14:18:00.003+05:302021-09-05T12:44:16.728+05:30A Drop of Calm<meta content="A Drop of Calm" name="title"></meta>
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<p><span><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-large;"><b style="background-color: #f1c232;">L'Oasis De L'ile at Quebec</b></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>by Madhumita Chakola</i></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-size: 14pt;">We were
weary, we were tired. Long hours at work hunched at the desk with minimal
social interaction was taking a heavy toll on us. We needed a vacation oh so
badly. Earlier in the year with the lockdowns and stay-at-home restrictions, we
had thought a ‘staycation’ would be the ideal answer to all our yearnings. We
would relax at home, pursue our hobbies and excel in doing absolutely nothing.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-size: 14pt;">At the onset of spring, just as the world exploded into different hues of green, we
decided to book a whole week off for our vacation at home. In the itinerary
were long walks in the trail, singing with the birds, connecting with friends
and family across the globe, bingeing on Netflix, firing up the barbeque
season, and of course, napping here and there. No routine, no restrictions, no
structured life. On the first day of our ‘staycation’, all our dreams were
blown away and scattered amidst the sprouting grass. My husband was drawn into
fixing the leaky kitchen faucet, the washing machine demanded some attention,
the windows had to be cleaned after the onslaught of months of snow, the IKEA
desk had to be assembled. The list went on and on. I was adamant at lazing
around, reading, and daydreaming. But life has its twists and unknowingly I got
entangled in domestic work. My ever pragmatic partner tried to comfort me.
After all, he said, we should be happy for having completed so many chores
instead of dealing with a pile of incomplete domestic tasks. Yes, I do get it,
but why fool ourselves with the notion of ‘staycation’ when it should be
nothing other than ‘workcation’!</span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true"><span style="color: #0e101a;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Come
the end of July and we were planning a small getaway during the long weekend.
With the pandemic restrictions being somewhat relaxed, I made sure that we were
going far from home. No more staycation for me! We’d booked two nights at
L’Oasis De L’ile in Quebec. The drive from Toronto was not too bad- less than 6
hours. We sang our hearts out with John Denver, Andrea Boccelli, Engelbert, and
Elvis. The weather was <span style="font-family: times;">perfect- although there was a slight</span> bite in the air,
the sun did not disappoint us. Perhaps </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: times;">our out-of-tune rendering of</span><span style="font-family: times;"> </span>'</span></span><span data-preserver-spaces="true"><i style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Sunshine on my shoulders</span></i><i style="font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold;">' </i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">was heard in the blue skies!</span></span></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true"><span data-preserver-spaces="true"><br /></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-size: 14pt;">We made
a detour at Montreal to grab lunch. Also because the Tokyo Olympics brought
back memories of the Montreal Olympics of 1976 and we felt it would be just
right to drive around the Olympic stadium. At Montreal, I cannot think beyond
poutine. It’s a French-Canadian dish born in Quebec in the 1950s. Poutine is
made of French fries and fresh cheese curds, covered with gravy. It’s crispy as
well as gooey and something to die for! Since we were no longer watching our
calories, we decided that a Beaver Tail for dessert would not be categorized as
sinful. It is Canada’s most iconic food through its connection to the national
animal. Disclaimer: It’s loaded with calories!</span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-size: 14pt;">The
city of Montreal occupies three-fourths of the Montreal Islands- the largest of
the 234 islands off the Hochelaga Archipelago at the confluence of Ottawa and
St Lawrence River. Due to its location, Montreal was colonized by the French
back in the 16th century. It is the 2nd largest French-speaking city in the
world. (No guesses for the 1st French-speaking city!).</span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-size: 14pt;">Montreal
with its imposing cathedrals and grand monuments attracts tourists from near
and far. The Notre-Dame Basilica, St Joseph’s Oratory of Mount Royal, Jacques
Cartier Bridge, Biosphere draw a lot many people from all around the world. But
what tugs my heart is Old Montreal (Vieux Montreal) with its cobblestone
streets, lively plazas, Parisian-style quaint cafes, and patios with live
music. I love strolling through the streets of Old Montreal and refreshing my
rusted French. Canadians are the most friendly and polite people in the world.
It’s so easy to strike a conversation. In Montreal, almost everyone speaks
French. Even the road signs are in French. In no time my husband picked up Nord
(North), Sud (South), Rue (Road), Arret (Stop). That’s a big achievement for
him.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-size: 14pt;">Our
resort stay at L’Oasis De L’ile was about a half-hour drive away from Montreal
downtown. It’s an urban refuge on an island in the Milles-Iles River. The river
is 42 kilometers but is shallow with an average depth of 1.5 meters and the
water flows lazily. At times, peering into the river makes one feel that the
water is at a standstill. Light penetrates down to the bottom of the river bed,
which is why aquatic plant communities are found in 53% of the river area. We
had to cross over a narrow bridge to the island. The bridge was so narrow that
just one car would fit in. As we drove over the calm green water, dusk was
settling in and the entire area was bathed in a hushed light with the chirping
of thousands of birds as they made their way home. That ethereal moment all the
worldly baggage that we unnecessarily carry along with us slid away as we felt
a deep connection with the Creator. We stopped the car on crossing the bridge,
ecstatic and euphoric, and, drank in the beauty and serenity which no camera
could ever capture. It was indeed an oasis- calm and serene, far away from the
entangles of life.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-size: 14pt;">The
property was sprawling- the hotel had a European aura with a wrap-around porch
and rustic look to it which softly merged with the environment. There was also
a chalet which was mainly booked for weddings. The water lapped quietly all
around and the tranquil environment tricked my mind to weave images of
Tennyson’s Lady of Shallot who lived in an island castle flowing to Camelot. I
could almost see her weaving her charmed web!</span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-size: 14pt;">L’Oasis
de L’ile is open only to adults looking for rest, recuperation, and health. The
Nordic spa in the midst of the resort was a gem set in a picturesque location-
a blue sparkling swimming pool with a waterfall, plunge pools for wading and
just lounging, hot tubs, wet and dry sauna, and massage. When the lights came
out at night, the area was transformed into a surreal beauty. Guests were
encouraged to follow a cycle that consists of hot and cold immersions, followed
by rest, and then repeat. The ground was scattered with several saunas and
pools of various temperatures. We started at the hot tub, jumped to the steam
sauna, and then braved for a quick plunge in the cold pool. I did not dare to
stand under the chilly fountain. By this time, I was bleating like a sheep and
headed right back to the hot pool.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-size: 14pt;">We
spent our days exploring the tiny island and the neighborhood. There were large
homes with manicured lawns, but we hardly met any residents on the road.
Appeared to be country homes where people would come in to breathe in the
richness of the environment and head out to the city only to gather frown
lines. All that we heard was the sound of our voices and the twitter of birds.
As we sat at the river bank munching on apples and peaches, we kept wondering
whether this is the Garden of Eden. The peace made us feel guilty as we
remembered our brethren across the world living in war-ravaged countries. We
hope that this peace pervades all over the world and touches each heart.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-size: 14pt;"> Soon
the weekend vacation had evaporated and it was time to hand over the keys at
the reception. We set home with our hearts brimming with tranquility and
feeling so relaxed that we were ready to face all the curveballs that life
would spin at us.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><em><span data-preserver-spaces="true"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-size: 14pt;">Merci
beaucoup</span></span></em><span data-preserver-spaces="true"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-size: 14pt;"> L’Oasis De L’ile.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H27W7hVkpwk/YSoAbZT5RqI/AAAAAAAAgKc/gBWXoACn15MoUcVhu0cZjE2ubsLkAdzmwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1000/maddy%2B004.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="oasis" border="0" data-original-height="625" data-original-width="1000" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H27W7hVkpwk/YSoAbZT5RqI/AAAAAAAAgKc/gBWXoACn15MoUcVhu0cZjE2ubsLkAdzmwCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/maddy%2B004.PNG" title="quebec resort" /></a></span></div><span data-preserver-spaces="true"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2R5OBiuR3a4/YSoCJEyP3WI/AAAAAAAAgLE/Ruf3vQ5A3WEXsJCvaT41h9Emi0UZh_qxgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/maddy%2B01a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="quebec" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1185" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2R5OBiuR3a4/YSoCJEyP3WI/AAAAAAAAgLE/Ruf3vQ5A3WEXsJCvaT41h9Emi0UZh_qxgCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/maddy%2B01a.jpg" title="resort entrance" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eOtLtxQ_tjM/YSoCFKt3WbI/AAAAAAAAgLA/EdM8r82u_UwibITeT1Bp6lcGO7Z038iVACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/maddy%2B03.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="quebec" border="0" data-original-height="180" data-original-width="320" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eOtLtxQ_tjM/YSoCFKt3WbI/AAAAAAAAgLA/EdM8r82u_UwibITeT1Bp6lcGO7Z038iVACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h360/maddy%2B03.PNG" title="street musician" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="color: #0e101a; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></span><p></p>
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Biswajit Senguptahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04502747488677409796noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2677408543935148689.post-60869101662814835502021-08-19T16:44:00.002+05:302023-04-28T16:48:10.099+05:30Madrid 1<meta content="MADRID 1-the Royal Spanish Capital" name="title"></meta>
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<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: red; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Madrid - the Royal Spanish Capital</i></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b>Nico and Eva. A lovely Spanish couple from Madrid. Nico is a
banker and takes care of their apartment in Madrid. His wife Eva mostly takes
care of their apartment at Tenerife Island, but she is impeccably
superb as a hostess. Unfortunately, we could not meet her during our visit to
Madrid. But she made it a point to coordinate our visit and stay from her
WhatsApp handles. After receiving our arrival details, she sent a carefully
worded text which included a way to the public transport terminus after alighting
from the ALSA bus at its terminal station.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Many a time</span> I fall prey to my impatient nature. In this case, I
overlooked the word ‘escalators’ mentioned by Eva. We took the escalator which
connected the platform to the concourse. Once at the concourse we felt lost,
not knowing where to get our bus from. Since my wife knows Spanish, she got
help from the locals. At the opposite end, there were a series of ‘escalators’
as well as a lift which takes you to the exit at level 5. The public transport terminus
was just outside the exit gate. The bus line mentioned by Eva was waiting
there as if it had drawn up at the terminus for us. The apartment was situated
in a classy complex. We were ushered in by a young Argentinean couple who were
also staying as guests in one of the rooms in Eva’s apartment. We were given a
pretty room with an attached bath. Plus a well-equipped common kitchen adjoining
our room and a beautiful garden. A beautiful note at the bedside table
welcoming us. As Madrid remained quite chilly and windy in November, the
coziness of the room brought a feeling of warmth to our hearts. Apart from a
well-equipped kitchen and a nice garden adjoining it, the most exciting part of
our stay was a highly efficient public transport operating from a bus stop
located right outside the complex gate. Route no. 20 from Pavone to Sol-Seville
plying almost at every ten minutes frequency was the most exciting part of our
Madrid sojourn.</b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b>Sol-Seville is the heart of Madrid. Crowded, like Calcutta’s
Esplanade. Over and above, a huge traffic snarl as the left flank of the road
was blocked due to some massive construction work (a very common sight at most of the cities in India). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We, therefore, used to get down near Seville
metro station and walk down to the large square. On the right of the square, a
road leads to the Palace through a busy market. Palacio Real de Madrid is about
20 minutes walk from Sol via Calle del Arenal. We walked on with nonchalant
abandon. Savoring the tempting displays at food counters, the sight of an old
cinema hall with posters displaying the current movies shown there, the
majestic façade of the nineteenth century Teatro Real Opera House, or otherwise
desultory streetscape. When we finally arrived at the Royal Palace (Palacio
Real de Madrid)<span face=""Helvetica","sans-serif"" style="background: white; color: #666666; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> </span>a
stunningly wide façade opened up. Bemused by the exterior architecture of the
eighteenth-century palace, so vast that it put us on momentary doldrums as to where to start from. Later on, I learned that the palace is the largest in Europe
and has about 3500 rooms. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead of
seeing the interiors which would have taken the entire day, I preferred to
stroll across the beautiful gardens outside the palace. </b></span></p>
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</b><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b>Prado Museum (Museo National del Prado in Spanish) Built in
the early nineteenth century, it houses the world’s finest collections of European
art chronicled from the twelfth century to the early twentieth century. The
museum is a real treasure trove for aspiring artists. The museum spaces are
shared by works of great European artists like Raphael’s ‘Sagrada Familia’,
‘the Visitation’, ‘Christ Falls on the route to Calvary’, ‘Portrait of a
Cardinal’. I have seen his artwork in Sistine Chapel at the Vatican. His ability to
paint people more real than they are was his forte. Tiziano’s oil on canvas
such as ‘Christ carrying the Cross’, ‘Adam & Eve’. ‘Adam trying to prevent
Eve’s action’ by Ruben. Tintoretto’s famous canvas exalts humility and
brotherly love through the scene of Jesus washing his disciples’ feet in the
last supper. The galleries had an impressive display of paintings of Ribera, Durer,
Titian, Tiziana, Diego Velazquez, Goya, El Greco, Joven, and Verone. An
exclusive space for the sixteenth-century Italian paintings by Titian who was a
great exponent of sensuality. Even paintings of two women painters of sixteenth-century Sofonisba and Lavonia Fontana have been displayed. Despite skepticism regarding
female artists’ creative capacities during that period, broke away from social
stereotypes and produced great portraits, religious and even mythological compositions.
The museum holds drawings by the early nineteenth-century artist Francisco de
Goya. His themes were portraits of man’s usually violent nature, men’s violence
to women, the misogynistic concept of women as solely existing for men’s
pleasure.</b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b>Finally, we had a look at the gallery for sculptures. Jose
Alvarez Cubero’s ‘The Defence of Zaragoza’ is worth mentioning. This celebrated sculptor was imprisoned in 1808 for refusing to accept<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Napoleon’s brother Joseph Bonaparte as King
of Spain, after the siege of the city of Zaragoza by the French troops during the
Peninsular War.</b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b>The museum also houses a well-stocked library where one can
order print out of a painting. We also had an order from Latika, our friend and
neighbor back in Calcutta. She also learned Spanish with Ruby (my wife). The
order was for ‘Las Meninas, a painting by Velazquez. A warm and cozy coffee
break at Prado Café was another refreshing part of our museum visit.</b></span></p>
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<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-e-0N8AOnG1g/YReKyf7O22I/AAAAAAAAf2w/WOPlqr1-J5YaWquKIb01L8W8xBOq6g67ACLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="welcome note" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="240" height="519" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-e-0N8AOnG1g/YReKyf7O22I/AAAAAAAAf2w/WOPlqr1-J5YaWquKIb01L8W8xBOq6g67ACLcBGAsYHQ/w512-h519/image.png" title="Eva's welcome note" width="512" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nico & Eva welcomes us to their cozy room</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-uAPZKsFRP0g/YReg63t3TSI/AAAAAAAAf3E/mcKAudyp8jYbqVOGkV66RCxhVZX9lBccQCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="ar bnb apartment" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="300" height="640" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-uAPZKsFRP0g/YReg63t3TSI/AAAAAAAAf3E/mcKAudyp8jYbqVOGkV66RCxhVZX9lBccQCLcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/image.png" title="Nico's apartment garden" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nico's apartment in Madrid</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/--L1IySQBFac/YRehIbWhqHI/AAAAAAAAf3I/i4-2fiwP3OA-bdRHvIAHoxdatUkJVqv1gCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Madrid" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="300" height="640" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/--L1IySQBFac/YRehIbWhqHI/AAAAAAAAf3I/i4-2fiwP3OA-bdRHvIAHoxdatUkJVqv1gCLcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/image.png" title="Madrid" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Madrid </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-3-UuwGbdgqw/YRehU-ntmrI/AAAAAAAAf3Q/zrHdP9VjrQAE5l-wKqa_zsXA1SyGsHfKwCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png"><img alt="madrid" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="300" height="640" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-3-UuwGbdgqw/YRehU-ntmrI/AAAAAAAAf3Q/zrHdP9VjrQAE5l-wKqa_zsXA1SyGsHfKwCLcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/image.png" title="madrid 1" width="480" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-3vh2R9Gqqvo/YReh53AyxZI/AAAAAAAAf3c/UXvCvEJR5FoUqTfmjLge986JfH4etgieACLcBGAsYHQ/image.png"><img alt="madrid 2" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="180" height="640" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-3vh2R9Gqqvo/YReh53AyxZI/AAAAAAAAf3c/UXvCvEJR5FoUqTfmjLge986JfH4etgieACLcBGAsYHQ/w360-h640/image.png" title="Madrid 2" width="360" /></a></div><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ILGocgJeXEI/YOQ4etGoXQI/AAAAAAAAeNA/xUkgSyRVZQgC_c3WYoak9oXZOLoJtoqwgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/madr%2B07.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="heart" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1150" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ILGocgJeXEI/YOQ4etGoXQI/AAAAAAAAeNA/xUkgSyRVZQgC_c3WYoak9oXZOLoJtoqwgCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/madr%2B07.jpg" title="heart of madrid" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sol-Seville-the heart of Madrid</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UDf515s3UAg/YOQ4faWVI0I/AAAAAAAAeNE/tCnbGf3e_tI_OpLQpcJUQloTyrWxBtP0ACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/madr%2B08.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="arch" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UDf515s3UAg/YOQ4faWVI0I/AAAAAAAAeNE/tCnbGf3e_tI_OpLQpcJUQloTyrWxBtP0ACLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/madr%2B08.jpg" title="madrid arch 1" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1TZznW-YZgs/YOQ4g-G2QUI/AAAAAAAAeNM/RfcLDZ6Nd007cnyiIWQFaXAgiD_3VEX8QCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/madr%2B09.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="madrid 3" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1TZznW-YZgs/YOQ4g-G2QUI/AAAAAAAAeNM/RfcLDZ6Nd007cnyiIWQFaXAgiD_3VEX8QCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/madr%2B09.jpg" title="madrid 3" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0w5ZMb2l1Lc/YOQ4haMku8I/AAAAAAAAeNQ/x8wQLX_PcnY_gPR5yrQIgOOxoqJfsCjdgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/madr%2B10.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;" target="_blank"><img alt="madrid cinema" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0w5ZMb2l1Lc/YOQ4haMku8I/AAAAAAAAeNQ/x8wQLX_PcnY_gPR5yrQIgOOxoqJfsCjdgCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/madr%2B10.jpg" title="madrid hall" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N4WVaJYS62A/YOQ4haCcn0I/AAAAAAAAeNU/56Oc20j4ltYO_3vwPzNcPdzVboBjJj7PgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/madr%2B12.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="palace" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1150" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N4WVaJYS62A/YOQ4haCcn0I/AAAAAAAAeNU/56Oc20j4ltYO_3vwPzNcPdzVboBjJj7PgCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/madr%2B12.jpg" title="palacio 1" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rn_bb5V4E44/YOQ4hvnfWvI/AAAAAAAAeNY/ttc3-3BCaVYdjPi_qnQYbquRFpq0kgsDQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/madr%2B13.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="madrid 4" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1150" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rn_bb5V4E44/YOQ4hvnfWvI/AAAAAAAAeNY/ttc3-3BCaVYdjPi_qnQYbquRFpq0kgsDQCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/madr%2B13.jpg" title="madrid 4" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RvQvuACuhhc/YOQ4iTdhT6I/AAAAAAAAeNc/lhXT0E_0ue8eWNTW39w84PJW_au5Zx18ACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/madr%2B14.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="palace" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RvQvuACuhhc/YOQ4iTdhT6I/AAAAAAAAeNc/lhXT0E_0ue8eWNTW39w84PJW_au5Zx18ACLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/madr%2B14.jpg" title="palacio 2" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wEH1nu-0aaY/YOQ4jQ7kZXI/AAAAAAAAeNk/z7UH3VV5G3g34JNXVtTVdA-wiGzP3XNxQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/madr%2B15.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="arch" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1150" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wEH1nu-0aaY/YOQ4jQ7kZXI/AAAAAAAAeNk/z7UH3VV5G3g34JNXVtTVdA-wiGzP3XNxQCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/madr%2B15.jpg" title="madrid arch" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5LnmpFVpeso/YOQ4kIKPbuI/AAAAAAAAeNo/G5Qk-2Vo1YghKhQIv0_-UJu7C8JivCu2ACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/madr%2B17.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="gran via" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1150" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5LnmpFVpeso/YOQ4kIKPbuI/AAAAAAAAeNo/G5Qk-2Vo1YghKhQIv0_-UJu7C8JivCu2ACLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/madr%2B17.jpg" title="gran via madrid" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JCipiWu-jHk/YOQ4kYKXuKI/AAAAAAAAeNs/4KvyVVqvXmUZHbH-KacBQ528Toow4UQxACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/madr%2B18.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="palacio" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JCipiWu-jHk/YOQ4kYKXuKI/AAAAAAAAeNs/4KvyVVqvXmUZHbH-KacBQ528Toow4UQxACLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/madr%2B18.jpg" title="Palacio 3" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9uzLmejK1DU/YOQ4krrysDI/AAAAAAAAeNw/g-Idug3VJ7o4Dm4vfR_JoDP64Ht6teenwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/madr%2B19.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="garden" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1150" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9uzLmejK1DU/YOQ4krrysDI/AAAAAAAAeNw/g-Idug3VJ7o4Dm4vfR_JoDP64Ht6teenwCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/madr%2B19.jpg" title="Palace Garden" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NffqIBNhhwM/YOQ4k5Db6qI/AAAAAAAAeN0/8DPnSFlfR_8yTqKEj8_C4qghq0JDN7f5ACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/madr%2B20.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="sol" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1150" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NffqIBNhhwM/YOQ4k5Db6qI/AAAAAAAAeN0/8DPnSFlfR_8yTqKEj8_C4qghq0JDN7f5ACLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/madr%2B20.jpg" title="sol 1" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ci2PFuqrA2w/YOQ4k9CRpSI/AAAAAAAAeN4/0XfYAgffJCYGXf6VanZ9eMWcXn_P0BLbQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/madr%2B21.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="madrid" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1150" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ci2PFuqrA2w/YOQ4k9CRpSI/AAAAAAAAeN4/0XfYAgffJCYGXf6VanZ9eMWcXn_P0BLbQCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/madr%2B21.jpg" title="madrid statue" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Jzqtq9RFD8w/YP_nyV5PQ4I/AAAAAAAAfGs/Bp9Asbxfif4z4ZQhW8BWWyrOo0QRg9NWACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/mad%2B001spl.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="palace" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1150" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Jzqtq9RFD8w/YP_nyV5PQ4I/AAAAAAAAfGs/Bp9Asbxfif4z4ZQhW8BWWyrOo0QRg9NWACLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/mad%2B001spl.jpg" title="Palacio 5" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-zBvprfdGdjs/YRei5LwHuoI/AAAAAAAAf3s/DVoy7Pz3gOsw0M7nNAoTvhlGhPxWB9OawCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="museo" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="300" height="640" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-zBvprfdGdjs/YRei5LwHuoI/AAAAAAAAf3s/DVoy7Pz3gOsw0M7nNAoTvhlGhPxWB9OawCLcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/image.png" title="Prado Museum" width="480" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Relk4CTQALo/YRejfdoCVgI/AAAAAAAAf38/1RznBOXvMoAD5yL6HGlwiZNVQjxkXS6CQCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="museo" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="224" height="640" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Relk4CTQALo/YRejfdoCVgI/AAAAAAAAf38/1RznBOXvMoAD5yL6HGlwiZNVQjxkXS6CQCLcBGAsYHQ/w358-h640/image.png" title="prado 2" width="358" /></a></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-adCWpFOJhGU/YRejlazQQ0I/AAAAAAAAf4A/advmyP9gHWk4FN4nNhvQLaZxwtnGf6E3gCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="museo" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="224" height="640" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-adCWpFOJhGU/YRejlazQQ0I/AAAAAAAAf4A/advmyP9gHWk4FN4nNhvQLaZxwtnGf6E3gCLcBGAsYHQ/w358-h640/image.png" title="prado cafe" width="358" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-MTAgl8PErN8/YReiL57C_VI/AAAAAAAAf3k/B9RKmq4pNk0JALc-jlSywG0FRsLw4dFUgCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="madrid" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="300" height="640" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-MTAgl8PErN8/YReiL57C_VI/AAAAAAAAf3k/B9RKmq4pNk0JALc-jlSywG0FRsLw4dFUgCLcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/image.png" title="madrid cafe 1" width="480" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q1DQd054Mno/YP_nyd4A3XI/AAAAAAAAfGo/QSv9T1byGV4cLm9OXiwbY3AB9MuFawOwACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/mad%2B002spl.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="madrid" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1150" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q1DQd054Mno/YP_nyd4A3XI/AAAAAAAAfGo/QSv9T1byGV4cLm9OXiwbY3AB9MuFawOwACLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/mad%2B002spl.jpg" title="madrid cafe 2" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-485MAGrVAq0/YP_n1rd5RrI/AAAAAAAAfG8/dC5hVbjlwKsMeCS5cgzwY89uisyhm5mqgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/mad%2B006spl.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="madrid" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-485MAGrVAq0/YP_n1rd5RrI/AAAAAAAAfG8/dC5hVbjlwKsMeCS5cgzwY89uisyhm5mqgCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/mad%2B006spl.jpg" title="madrid cafe 3" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ci2PFuqrA2w/YOQ4k9CRpSI/AAAAAAAAeN4/0XfYAgffJCYGXf6VanZ9eMWcXn_P0BLbQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/madr%2B21.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><br /></a></div>
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Biswajit Senguptahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04502747488677409796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2677408543935148689.post-17007613249210081802021-07-26T16:30:00.025+05:302021-07-26T16:54:15.229+05:30Fishy Affair<meta content="FISHY AFFAIR-A Delectable Tale for Fish Lovers" name="title"></meta>
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<p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-large;">A Delectable Tale for Fish Lovers</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><i>by Rajat Sarkar,Hamburg</i></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Some days back a friend told me that the ‘fish’ in ‘some’ restaurant was good. She got to know about it from her brother. She is herself not a fish eater.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">I said to her, “Never say anything to a Bengali about fish and their quality. Leave the Bengali alone! Fish exists in the Bengali psyche from the womb to the tomb! Satyajit Ray even made use of fish scales in one of his movies. The world, including Hamburg, may boast about its fish but none can match the Bengali’s affairs, both licit and illicit, with fish. While the EU and Britain may continue to fight over fishing rights on the North Sea, Bengalis handle fish with care so that there is no real culture clash, domestic disharmony, marriage mistrust, relationship rupture, and sport strife. Fish exists in the everyday existence of a Bengali. Fishy politics ensure pride of Bengaliness. And a Bengali eats fish with his/her hands – not with cutlery or chopsticks. The path to fish-related sensation is through nerves connected to the soul.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">Fish sold in the ‘suave’ world is without passion - The maacher tel (fish liver, fat, and intestines) are thrown away. I have also been witness to a Bengali, in Germany, discarding the fish head while buying carp. It was an insult to my conscience.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">Fashion, sophistication, and style are devoid of emotions. Life is meaningless without emotions!</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">Possibly only the Japanese can match a Bengali’s appetite for fish. However, unlike the Japanese, a Bengali never eats raw fish (Sushi). For a Bengali, it has to be cooked. Bengalis’ fish cooking is a different subject altogether.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">And in Germany fried fish in a batter and/or fried plain and served with garlic sauce, remoulade, or dill sauce (horrible) makes the Bengali feel like a beggar. Life is a tale of compromises.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">The puffery of caviar is irritating to the Bengali atman. It is of no significance that caviar is served on mother of pearl spoons to prevent blighting of its taste. It is indeed weird that caviar is served as a garnish or as a spread. A Bengali grows up eating fish roe, fish head, and fish liver, fat, and intestines (maacher tel). The taste of the roe of the Hilsa(Illish) can be matched by nothing, taking into consideration that caviar is the most expensive food in the world. Money cannot by taste!</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">One may argue that tastes are a matter of individual predilection. If that were true, why is there hype about caviar and salmon? While accepting that salmon tastes awesome, the Bengali cannot be bullied by any taste mafia in respect of fish! The humble pabda, chital, koi, topshe… can beat all fish from the great oceans and other water bodies on the planet. And then there is Ilish (Tenualosa ilisha). All discussions end there.</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="fish preparation" border="0" data-original-height="3240" data-original-width="4320" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fsgXde8HhGA/Trq8aXl24dI/AAAAAAAAMQY/WpMk1ITLYJcSvuAUfurZAPIndRWEnz2GACPcBGAYYCw/w640-h480/ilish%2B001.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;" title="Hilsa in mustard" width="640" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">A sorshe (mustard) preparation of Hilsa Fish</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">Overfishing due to the rising population and greed is heartbreaking for the Bengali. Bengalis, as it is, are gradually losing their connection to the kitchen. Fish is crucial to Bengali civility, hospitality, and sensibility. It is the vivers of the beauty of Bengali women. That fish is gradually disappearing from the plate of the Bengali due to unaffordability and change of tastes, reflects a civilization in decline.</span></p>
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Biswajit Senguptahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04502747488677409796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2677408543935148689.post-2610822733267070102021-07-23T19:23:00.005+05:302022-05-25T12:12:20.445+05:30BUDAPEST 1
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<meta content="'Tracking the virus and the actions of the medical institutions have so far come a cropper' opines Rajat Sarkar. Read on his satirical views on one of the most controversial subjects of this century." name="description"></meta>
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<div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><b><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><i>Rajat Sarkar of Hamburg, Germany briefly expressed his opinion on the WhatsApp
page. What impressed me is his satiric style and the crispiness in looking at a
dreaded virus that has suddenly taken mankind by storm. Read on</i></b> :</div></b></span><div><br /></div><div><h1 style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: red; font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">Pandemic Pandemonium - Tracking the Virus </span></h1><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: times;">by<i> Rajat Sarkar </i></span></h2><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">Tracking the virus and the actions of the medical institutions have so far come a cropper. Many experts have been giving their ‘invaluable’ opinion since the beginning of the pandemic. People have been arguing which vaccine works better. ‘Research papers’ are floating all around. Without knowing what they are, we have been using jargon like antibodies, mRNA, mutations…. Treatment protocols are being constantly upgraded – serious business! As early as May/June of last year, a vaccine scientist told me there would be vaccines available by the end of the year 2020 and that companies are working round the clock. All would be okay.
It has been amusing, to say the least, to listen to the weighted points of view of the ‘experts’. In my typical ‘Paglaa Dasoo’ (Sukumar Ray) style I tried to find humor but not without chagrin
The Covid vaccine business started with it being touted as the elixir of life. Soon after the launch of vaccines, there has been a shift to the ‘brands on the ramp’. People discuss which ‘brand’ of vaccine they have got or intend to get. BioNtech/Pfizer seems to be the Giorgio Armani of pokes. It is laughable!
For me, the only disturbing thing is I have to once again learn the Greek alphabets which I happily forgot after leaving school. 𝛿 followed by 𝛿+ and now λ scares me.
Of all the people I have spoken to only one person has said, ‘Rajat, we know nothing about the virus. This virus proves that medical science knows very little about the human body. We are all living RAM BHAROSE. STAY SAFE!’
I keep wondering if it is nature’s way of teaching humans a lesson. But humans have brains. Sounds snarky – read David McRaney’s You Are Not So Smart!
In a world full of wisdom I have understood it makes sense to keep my mouth shut. WEAR THE MASK!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4ubakwe_eQM/YOlFetSe_0I/AAAAAAAAeVQ/8ABsaKbXKlk2T6R-BtCRtxhcgDMqVRIFgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1200/WhatsApp%2BImage%2B2021-07-10%2Bat%2B10.49.24.jpeg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: justify;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="859" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4ubakwe_eQM/YOlFetSe_0I/AAAAAAAAeVQ/8ABsaKbXKlk2T6R-BtCRtxhcgDMqVRIFgCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/WhatsApp%2BImage%2B2021-07-10%2Bat%2B10.49.24.jpeg" /></a></div></div></div>
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Biswajit Senguptahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04502747488677409796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2677408543935148689.post-88500966576847922472021-07-04T17:24:00.005+05:302021-07-07T16:40:57.895+05:30Meet the Guru, Part III – Lighting & Biology by Professor Robert LUCAS<h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">Lighting Updates</span></h2><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><div><br /></div>
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LIGHTING UPDATES on non-visual effects of light. A highly interesting webinar by Prof Robert LUCAS, Department of Neuroscience, University of Manchester.Covers some very essential study on circadian entrainment, and what human-centric lighting can perform.</span><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>
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Biswajit Senguptahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04502747488677409796noreply@blogger.com068/3, Pratapaditya Rd, Lalpara, Sahanagar, Kalighat, Kolkata, West Bengal 700026, India22.5096902 88.344283699999991-5.8005436361788441 53.188033699999991 50.819924036178847 123.50053369999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2677408543935148689.post-55399651092490091502021-04-18T13:48:00.005+05:302021-06-01T13:44:33.827+05:30Barcelona 2<meta content="Barcelona-2" name="title"></meta>
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<div><br /></div><h1 style="text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="color: red; font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">
BARCELONA 2</span></b></i></h1><div><i><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></i></div><div><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> </span><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;">Sagrada Familia- the amazing, still unfinished cathedral</span></div><div><i><b><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></i></div><div><br /></div><div><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;">Barcelona is proud of
Antoni Gaudi. It is Gaudi's city. The two seem to be almost indivisible after
Gaudi delivered some architectural wonders to the city he loved. Park Guell and
Sagrada Familia are two architectural masterpieces he created and gifted to his
city. Though Sagrada Familia is now in UNESCO World Heritage sites, I perceived it
as one of the Seven Wonders of the World. I was stumped when the temple façade
loomed up for the first time. Awesome! It is an incredible beauty! The only
similarity to the Gothic architecture was the Latin Cross Floor Plan which
Gaudi maintained in his design. The core in the Plan is occupied by four aisles
of 7.5 M wide each and a nave of 15 M wide totaling 45 M The complex geometries
developed by Gaudi deviated significantly from the Gothic designs. Such as
introducing a system of angled columns and hyperboloidal vaults to do away with
the need for flying buttresses. This enabled transfer of horizontal loads through
columns on the interior. Gaudi utilized three-dimensional forms comprising
ruled surfaces which included hyperboloids, parabolas, helicoids, and conoids.
The complex shapes and choice of materials made possible thinner and finer
structures which, in turn, helped in enhancing the acoustics and quality of
light in the interiors. Gaudi’s design embraced more of Catalan Modernism or
Art Noveau styles. Being a highly pious man, Gaudi created a visual
representation of Christian beliefs by embedding religious symbolism in each
aspect of La Sagrada Familia. The Façade of Nativity is dedicated to apostles
St. Barnabas, St.Simon, St. Jude Thaddeus, and St. Matthias. The Glory Façade
was designed by Gaudi for dedication to the glorification of Jesus. It includes
the central nave of Sagrada Familia. To express how Christ’s message is
conveyed to the people, Gaudi placed four Evangelists with wings in the Glory
Façade. The four Evangelists are St.Luke (Ox), St. Joan (Eagles), and St.
Mathew (Man), St. Marc (Lion). Different colors of stained glass windows form
part of the Passion Façade. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;">The uniqueness of the
Basilica lay in the stunning blend and effect of nature, light, and color with
the architecture of the temple. Dexterously woven by the Catalan maestro, the
spectacles of design in the entire space of the cathedral take us through
awestruck moments. The entire story of Jesus is cast on the outer façade of the
temple. For instance, the exterior of the Nativity Façade which displays the
birth of Jesus Christ is designed to receive the first rays of the sun in the
pinnacles. The reflections from the first rays capture the joy and life
associated with the birth of Christ. Love and warmth spread by Christ are
captured on the Gloria Façade, which gets painted by the mid-day sun. The
Passion Façade is associated with Christ’s departure and faces the setting sun
to produce shadows and lack of light.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;">The protagonist itself
is a huge forest. Nature columns like trees, branches lead to the vaulted
ceiling.Assisted by Joan Vida Grau,the columns have been so designed so as
to provide an impression of growth as one approaches deeper and deeper into
the basilica space.Thus imbuing a feeling of strolling into a deep forest, and
at the same time creating a soothing and conducive space for prayer and meditation.
Numerous skylights, enormous windows almost two stories high, and vast
columns create a soothing and conducive space for prayer and meditation. The
most amazing light play in the interior of the entire cathedral is the tracking
of the skylight. Early hours produce a soft bluish-white light throughout the
interior when the sunrays stream from the East; followed by a change to light
orange and ochre during mid-day; and finally as the day ends the interior
becomes darker matching with the sun setting in a forest. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;">It was in 1883 that
Gaudi was entrusted with the work on the Basilica. His increasing piousness
made him concentrate exclusively on the Basilica project from early 1900. His
original design shows 18 spires of which the tallest will be the central tower
representing Jesus. The height will be 172.5 M which will include a giant cross
surmounted on the central spire. When completed La Sagrada Familia will be the
tallest cathedral in the world. But it will be lower than Montjuic hill in
Barcelona, as Gaudi believed that his work should not surpass that of God’s. As
per the construction updates, 12 spires were completed when we visited Sagrada
Familia in 2019. Work was in progress for the six immense steeples which are
scheduled to be completed by 10th June 2026 to mark the 100th death anniversary
of Antonio Gaudi. It is said that Gaudi continued his devotion to this
architectural marvel till his accidental death in June 1926. While on his daily
walk to a local church in his area, he was run down by a tram on route no.30. There
was a delay in his treatment as people initially assumed him to be a beggar. He
was buried in the oldest constructed portion of the Sagrada Familia, i.e. the
Crypt of the Chapel of our Lady of Mount Carmel. There was the usual lull after
his death. The Spanish Civil War and World War II followed. It was only in
early 1950 that Gaudi’s reputation started to recover when his work was
championed by Salvador Dali and architect Josep Lluis Sert. A tour of the
Basilica revealed that Gaudi was not only a great architect and artist. He was
a genius.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;"> As a Lighting Consultant, an Illumination
Designer, and a student of Optical Engineering I admire and appreciate Gaudi’s
deep concept of lighting. In the early twentieth century, when Gaudi drew up
the initial plans, Photonics was at its nascent stage. Much ahead of his time, Gaudi's God-gifted perception enabled him
to seamlessly integrate into his architecture a
far-reaching visualization on the precise application of optics and color
mixing. Like circular apertures in the vaults to filter the daylight, where at
places Venetian glass tiles of green and gold colors have been used. Astute use
of unobstructed sunlight is found at the highest reaches of the stained–glass
windows, providing brilliant colors in the Gothic Cathedral. Gaudi did
extensive research on stained-glass windows, lead glass, superimposition of
yellow, cyan, magenta glass pieces to arrive at trichromatic hues, and finally
designing the distribution of the glass windows and filters to arrive at
effective daylight illumination inside the cathedral. The way he let the
skylight play through different zones in the interiors goes to prove how he
perceived the nitty-gritty of every space in his design. For instance, he designed
the roofs almost flat to allow large windows above the nave so that skylight
can be used most effectively.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: BN-BD; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">When we finally came
out of the temple after a somewhat lengthy sojourn, I was in a state of stupor for a
brief moment but soothingly blessed at the same time Outside, at one side of
Sagrada Familia, a row of shops and restaurants on a wide pavement greeted us.
I had ice cream and my wife had coffee and pastry. We occupied a table and
watched La Sagrada Familia from outside. The complex geometries of the facades
from outside; the sun bouncing, gliding, and sparkling at some crevices put me
in a fleeting trance. Stunningly beautiful! That’s how I could sum up my
perception of a cathedral still incomplete</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">Madrid was the next station on our itinerary.</b><b style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"> For Madrid, we opted for ALSA, a very comfortable bus service for traveling within Spain.</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b>Photo Credit: <i>Arundhati Sengupta (Ruby)</i></b></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-StVOJFlNaAg/YGBbGPEzT-I/AAAAAAAAa5s/xX2vsl5TmwM8BuGQigWh_rzPxH01kNt2gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1280/barca%2B17.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="sagrada familia" border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="719" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-StVOJFlNaAg/YGBbGPEzT-I/AAAAAAAAa5s/xX2vsl5TmwM8BuGQigWh_rzPxH01kNt2gCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/barca%2B17.jpg" title="sagrada" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>La Sagrada Familia</b></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eM6b2D6CSr0/YGBbGjAyI7I/AAAAAAAAa5w/dTMktZ00y8sDi-Lz5_uwdsk-v_Xlsc8lQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/barca%2B18.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="sagrada cathedral" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1150" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eM6b2D6CSr0/YGBbGjAyI7I/AAAAAAAAa5w/dTMktZ00y8sDi-Lz5_uwdsk-v_Xlsc8lQCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/barca%2B18.jpg" title="barca basilica" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Outside the famous cathedral</b></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CEXZKPMVd5I/YGBbfSFCsjI/AAAAAAAAa6E/LDxzgi1ust0GbvJup06lVU9RXKeEo0Z8ACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/barc%2B09.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="basilica image" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1150" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CEXZKPMVd5I/YGBbfSFCsjI/AAAAAAAAa6E/LDxzgi1ust0GbvJup06lVU9RXKeEo0Z8ACLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/barc%2B09.jpg" title="basilica" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Image of basilica displayed in the museum</b></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F0CTLoBSyCM/YGBbfLpPsxI/AAAAAAAAa58/5ywPDRED81sS-p-IqyZ5Zp8MC9_0kisXgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/barc%2B10.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="cathedral interior" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1150" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F0CTLoBSyCM/YGBbfLpPsxI/AAAAAAAAa58/5ywPDRED81sS-p-IqyZ5Zp8MC9_0kisXgCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/barc%2B10.jpg" title="inside basilica" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Inside the Basilica</b></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6ua8x1coBAU/YGBbfZ1WW-I/AAAAAAAAa6A/zigoblfefIcocTS9efAGcJAelCZ7tiMNACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/barc%2B11.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="basilica lighting" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1150" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6ua8x1coBAU/YGBbfZ1WW-I/AAAAAAAAa6A/zigoblfefIcocTS9efAGcJAelCZ7tiMNACLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/barc%2B11.jpg" title="lighting arrangement in the basilca" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Lighting arrangement inside the Basilica</b></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xe5497kmYJo/YGBcCjJBlgI/AAAAAAAAa6Q/bwn1QI-oC-8tP9FOvV_jNsmMAmCwaBZggCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/barca%2B13.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><b><img alt="museum display" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xe5497kmYJo/YGBcCjJBlgI/AAAAAAAAa6Q/bwn1QI-oC-8tP9FOvV_jNsmMAmCwaBZggCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/barca%2B13.jpg" title="basilica history" /></b></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>History of Basilica displayed in the museum</b></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bZmGtbXToSs/YGBcDGBMXQI/AAAAAAAAa6Y/s34Uw5LkDN0tdoLF6SOj8VAKoyFQJv6RgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/barca%2B14.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="sculpture gaudi" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bZmGtbXToSs/YGBcDGBMXQI/AAAAAAAAa6Y/s34Uw5LkDN0tdoLF6SOj8VAKoyFQJv6RgCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/barca%2B14.jpg" title="gaudi" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>A sculpture of Antony Gaudi</b></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-024-0KRqkVs/YGBcC3UpsoI/AAAAAAAAa6U/2oPm7j5oSiI_cc3pS-b0D2OXJJiViusAgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/barca%2B15.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="Basilica model" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-024-0KRqkVs/YGBcC3UpsoI/AAAAAAAAa6U/2oPm7j5oSiI_cc3pS-b0D2OXJJiViusAgCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/barca%2B15.jpg" title="model" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>A model of the Basilica</b></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5cIopr5wBKU/YGBcD_ON3GI/AAAAAAAAa6c/NE9wpMt_EAIBZ4sJYt6oZz436f0R44b8QCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/barca%2B16.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="latin cross" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5cIopr5wBKU/YGBcD_ON3GI/AAAAAAAAa6c/NE9wpMt_EAIBZ4sJYt6oZz436f0R44b8QCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/barca%2B16.jpg" title="floor plan" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>The Latin Cross Floor Plan</b></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--5nCo9_oMzo/YGBcNUktLhI/AAAAAAAAa6g/1AmuhaIJnyMqZLCITe4FOrgq16C4OQuDACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/barca%2B06.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="cathedral interior" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1150" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--5nCo9_oMzo/YGBcNUktLhI/AAAAAAAAa6g/1AmuhaIJnyMqZLCITe4FOrgq16C4OQuDACLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/barca%2B06.jpg" title="inside sagrada" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Inside the Temple</b></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SlfPZIoUEaE/YGBcN-JedrI/AAAAAAAAa6o/wcmNyI9Wprg40kQei_vii7xR-DJYhCvTgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/barca%2B07.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="central nave" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1150" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SlfPZIoUEaE/YGBcN-JedrI/AAAAAAAAa6o/wcmNyI9Wprg40kQei_vii7xR-DJYhCvTgCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/barca%2B07.jpg" title="worship area" /></a></div><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Inside the great Cathedral</b></div></b><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s-CS9YX67uU/YGBcOWmPO8I/AAAAAAAAa6s/AMuFsC3Wx8YadUSNK_WGgyqQcEV4nyx7gCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/barca%2B09.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="windows" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1150" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s-CS9YX67uU/YGBcOWmPO8I/AAAAAAAAa6s/AMuFsC3Wx8YadUSNK_WGgyqQcEV4nyx7gCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/barca%2B09.jpg" title="windows" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2aPQhMH0U3I/YGBcO4znpfI/AAAAAAAAa6w/q5LQiBADDRYcsf5UeWxG5iSb2T98zke3wCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/barca%2B10.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="stained glass" border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2aPQhMH0U3I/YGBcO4znpfI/AAAAAAAAa6w/q5LQiBADDRYcsf5UeWxG5iSb2T98zke3wCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/barca%2B10.jpg" title="glass" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Glass</b></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u8sUbT1H6WU/YGBck8r4iAI/AAAAAAAAa7o/j-KpCqnyMDE2HyDuwnvpzUCwt0Idib2LgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/barca%2B19.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"></a><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="illumination" border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u8sUbT1H6WU/YGBck8r4iAI/AAAAAAAAa7o/j-KpCqnyMDE2HyDuwnvpzUCwt0Idib2LgCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/barca%2B19.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="illumination" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Column</b></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u8sUbT1H6WU/YGBck8r4iAI/AAAAAAAAa7o/j-KpCqnyMDE2HyDuwnvpzUCwt0Idib2LgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/barca%2B19.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"></a><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u8sUbT1H6WU/YGBck8r4iAI/AAAAAAAAa7o/j-KpCqnyMDE2HyDuwnvpzUCwt0Idib2LgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/barca%2B19.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><br /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-npPuWGd7YRg/YG2H1eKH-OI/AAAAAAAAbO4/AYLKqBwjmdUlgQEplDERPEIXQZAoH7FuwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/barca%2B08.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="illumination 3" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1150" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-npPuWGd7YRg/YG2H1eKH-OI/AAAAAAAAbO4/AYLKqBwjmdUlgQEplDERPEIXQZAoH7FuwCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/barca%2B08.jpg" title="iillumination" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1ZMXTfJ5__o/YGBcjj9ej7I/AAAAAAAAa7k/xw7eubs8fV85sM1ZcQLU2PJI6x8GppxIACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/barca%2B20.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="exterior view" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1150" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1ZMXTfJ5__o/YGBcjj9ej7I/AAAAAAAAa7k/xw7eubs8fV85sM1ZcQLU2PJI6x8GppxIACLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/barca%2B20.jpg" title="cathedral" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Exterior view of the Basilica</b></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c56eV_iq7x0/YGBck1qMe6I/AAAAAAAAa7s/uOZE9DuJOvYtngIBxmWPmg7ATNw16wmYgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/barca%2B21.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="exterior of basilica" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1150" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c56eV_iq7x0/YGBck1qMe6I/AAAAAAAAa7s/uOZE9DuJOvYtngIBxmWPmg7ATNw16wmYgCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/barca%2B21.jpg" title="basilica facade" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eCxIVo8Txf4/YGBcmfEYlLI/AAAAAAAAa7w/K45gn9Ctf20fsvFu_Apyc8VSzm36bIr_QCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/barca%2B22.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="stained glass" border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eCxIVo8Txf4/YGBcmfEYlLI/AAAAAAAAa7w/K45gn9Ctf20fsvFu_Apyc8VSzm36bIr_QCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/barca%2B22.jpg" title="stained glass" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Stained glass window</b></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LPjPcHvTe8E/YGBcnZjSi1I/AAAAAAAAa70/2WhvM0zyNT8KiJg1S4mCRG667gKKcDqfwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/barca%2B23.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LPjPcHvTe8E/YGBcnZjSi1I/AAAAAAAAa70/2WhvM0zyNT8KiJg1S4mCRG667gKKcDqfwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h480/barca%2B23.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BhNMFUH5WW0/YGBcpJq7aGI/AAAAAAAAa74/1U4Vq91lzTID73il23Y6gG3fLA4-My3gACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/barca%2B24.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="stained glass 2" border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BhNMFUH5WW0/YGBcpJq7aGI/AAAAAAAAa74/1U4Vq91lzTID73il23Y6gG3fLA4-My3gACLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/barca%2B24.jpg" title="stained glass 2" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_O3b-T_-kck/YGBcqDurHcI/AAAAAAAAa78/UGzjcWHb8fQ0OhKPcT0sMe5rgdfrM8RCACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/barca%2B25.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="cathedral facade" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1150" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_O3b-T_-kck/YGBcqDurHcI/AAAAAAAAa78/UGzjcWHb8fQ0OhKPcT0sMe5rgdfrM8RCACLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/barca%2B25.jpg" title="facade" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Story of Jesus cast on the facades</b></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-venPApgTnv4/YGBcrWjGCmI/AAAAAAAAa8E/micaBApwXy0521WMzADw4XxNyjRgbGtNwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/barc%2B08.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="museum" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1150" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-venPApgTnv4/YGBcrWjGCmI/AAAAAAAAa8E/micaBApwXy0521WMzADw4XxNyjRgbGtNwCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/barc%2B08.jpg" title="museum display" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H6mRNbV2DXA/YGBdAovzN3I/AAAAAAAAa8k/qg0G201RzmA9dym_yPurCvg4TGOzbvhcACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/barca%2Bgaudi%2B01.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="la sagrada interior" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H6mRNbV2DXA/YGBdAovzN3I/AAAAAAAAa8k/qg0G201RzmA9dym_yPurCvg4TGOzbvhcACLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/barca%2Bgaudi%2B01.jpg" title="sagrada" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The following videos were taken inside the cathedral</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dweNMrN51QH6_82ePzfKRJNL8SJIbTGvdZ3WTkMM14O9adcFoloIQTPj2O9x8cXrFficO6yL09Wa-ymJ1S1Lg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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Biswajit Senguptahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04502747488677409796noreply@blogger.com2Biswajit Sengupta,3C Mayukh,68/3 Pratapaditya Road, Near 27 Pally Park, Sahanagar, Kalighat, Kolkata, West Bengal 700026, India22.516606 88.344954-5.7936298848024208 53.188701317790986 50.82684188480242 123.50120668220902tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2677408543935148689.post-30048589251929720042021-04-04T15:45:00.004+05:302021-04-17T15:41:53.451+05:30Barcelona 1<meta content="Barcelona 1" name="title"></meta>
<meta content="Known for its famous football club Barca. Sea to Gothic Quarters; Churros and Sangria to Tapas Bars make Barcelona an amazing city to go around.We flew into this city from Frankfurt. Surprisingly Barcelona's El Prat International Airport (also known as BCN) wore an ordinary look, in unexpected contrast to the jazzy name and character of the place. I had booked two tickets in advance by Barcelona’s Aero Bus which takes passengers to the city center. After alighting at the City Center Bus Terminus, my wife opened her Google map on her smartphone so as to lead us to our hotel. We traversed a square livened by a handicrafts market, strums of guitar wafting and echoing from the walls of the ancient Roman remains bordering the square at one end, the aura of the Cathedral, and the tempting aroma and soft radiance from the popular restaurants we passed by. The most joyous moment was the location of our hotel." name="description"></meta>
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></b></span></div><h3 style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: red; font-family: times;">Barcelona SPAIN </span></b></span></h3><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: times;">A fascinating country. An engrossing history. And exotic in every sphere. The thrilling story of the Spanish Armada; the chivalric romances of the errant knight Don Quixote; the daredevilry of the brave Matadors in tackling the bulls continue to fascinate me. The Romans, the romantic Moors who ruled for almost 800 years, the swashbuckling Spaniards who demonstrated their prowess as conquerors, explorers, bullfighters, flamenco dancers, football players all seemed to be beckoning me to unravel the mysteries of this captivating land. Finally, in 2019, we chalked our visit to Spain. My traveling companion (my wife) is an ardent learner of Spanish, which proved to be a forte during our journey to Spain.
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Our adventure in Spain started with Barcelona. </span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: times;">We flew into this city from Frankfurt. Surprisingly Barcelona's El Prat International Airport (also known as BCN) wore an ordinary look, in unexpected contrast to the jazzy name and character of the place. I had booked two tickets in advance by Barcelona’s Aero Bus which takes passengers to the city center. After alighting at the City Center Bus Terminus, my wife opened her Google map on her smartphone so as to lead us to our hotel. We traversed a square livened by a handicrafts market, strums of guitar wafting and echoing from the walls of the ancient Roman remains bordering the square at one end, the aura of the Cathedral, and the tempting aroma and soft radiance from the popular restaurants we passed by. The most joyous moment was the location of our hotel. The balcony overlooked the busy Via Laietana. Right below in the same building was a huge cafeteria, where we enjoyed our breakfast every morning of our stay. Yes, we were in the city’s downtown area. Impinged by the famous historic neighborhood ‘Gothic Quarters’. </span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: times;">On the left of the hotel building, the narrow road leads through a busy marketplace. There are quite a few cobbled lanes and by-lanes leading to the famous nineteenth-century porticoed plaza known as Plaza Reial. The fine arcade, palm trees, and lamps in the plaza were all designed by Barcelona’s celebrated architect Antony Gaudi. With restaurants all around, the place is ideal for relaxation in the evenings. But our prime interest was to locate the famous Tapas Bar ‘Bodega Biarritz’. The Tapas Bar, since 1881, happened to be located near the Plaza Reial. They offer eight-course tapas made of ham, sausage, veal, etc., followed by a glass of Sangria. A grand experience! The Picasso Museum, the Churreria Laietana for yummy Churros are all located across the Via Laietana – all a stone’s throw from the hotel. The Mediterranean Sea and the beaches were also quite near, about five or six stops by public transport. From the Roman era till centuries later Barcelona earned a seafaring reputation. The beautiful profile of a hotel building seen from a distance enhances the beauty of the beach. More so during sunset, when it looks like a huge cardboard cutout. So prominent that it has possibly become symbolic of Barcelona.</span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: times;"> The Majestic Arc de Triumph, the Chocolate Museum, Gaudi’s Park Guell are some of the other places we visited in Barcelona. The Chocolate Museum (Museo de la Xocolota) is unique in the sense that everything from the entry ticket to various models inside is all made of chocolate. Barcelona was the first European port to get cocoa and chocolates brought by the Spanish conquerors from South America. Although Columbus was aware of the existence of cocoa in South America, he was not aware of its magical power. That’s why chocolates had to wait for about a century or two before the Spaniards got the taste of it. There are audiovisual shows on how chocolates are made, the history of chocolates, the influence of chocolate on art and bakery, etc. inside, along with types of machinery and tools for making chocolates and cocoa powders. There is a nice café at the exit point of the museum where I enjoyed a delicious cup of hot chocolate. My wife bought some chocolates and cocoa powders, especially for our daughter-in-law Mandakini who runs an exotic bakery in Delhi.
Facing the museum building, on the other side of the road, a building caught our attention. The architecture, as also the profile, closely resembles the historic nineteenth-century Glass Upasana Mandir (temple) set up in Santiniketan where our great poet Rabindranath Tagore set up Visva Bharati University. </span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: times;"> Another icon of Barcelona is Park Guell. It is accessible by an efficient public transport system. It is located on Mount Caramel Turo and has now earned the stature of World Heritage Site by the virtue of unique architectural elements embedded in the park by Antoni Gaudi. The hillsides leading to the park overlook the sea and the city. A lot of vendors, some from Pakistan and some from Haryana line up the path leading to the park with their wares like souvenirs, caps, jewelry, etc. (a very familiar scene found at important sightseeing places in India). I have seen many famous parks in the world, but this appeared to me unique-one of its kind. The architecture seems to blend with the rocky terrains, the palm trees and nature’s green creating a tranquilly strange image. To me, it appeared to be stepping into Alice’s peculiar Wonderland.
Back to the hotel in the evenings and stepping out to the Gothic Quarters below was breezily enjoyable. Frankly speaking, I had Sangria for the first time in Barcelona and instantly got so addicted to it, that every evening of my stay in Barcelona I would go to a small joint and enjoy Sangria with loads of ice. The place was close to Jaume metro station and facing the ancient Roman wall and moat. What attracted me more was a crowd of locals who gathered there to enjoy their evenings. For our dinner, we mainly tried seafood delicacies at some of the many Spanish restaurants and bars dotting the place. </span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: times;"> --</span>------<i>to continue</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Photo credit:<i> Arundhati Sengupta (Ruby)</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E14ZZDqpsgs/YF7lUqp28wI/AAAAAAAAazs/_iWfxSBZa-cZnjzgAWX_eBSNJKgCewUIQCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/barc%2B16.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="barca" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E14ZZDqpsgs/YF7lUqp28wI/AAAAAAAAazs/_iWfxSBZa-cZnjzgAWX_eBSNJKgCewUIQCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/barc%2B16.jpg" title="gothic qtrs" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gothic Quarters Barcelona</td></tr></tbody></table>
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<b></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwpjxIjQa5_DhnjnqrQZitmuLyhU9B8q3fveJHAN4OixU9PIj-D7vG_oecYXS8yd-FeMPyQy_YFgFssU7K0TQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JwEObTe-v4Y/YF8QW92NWyI/AAAAAAAAaz4/HbmEsD5rKA02kb3i_QjcRcLbJzsm8eaCgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/barc%2B21.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="barca" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1150" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JwEObTe-v4Y/YF8QW92NWyI/AAAAAAAAaz4/HbmEsD5rKA02kb3i_QjcRcLbJzsm8eaCgCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/barc%2B21.jpg" title="Barca street" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>A Barcelona Street</b></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XaXf6VZAcbU/YF8QYNaACII/AAAAAAAAaz8/SZEP4AP69CsKET4vGdaJj9Nkz7bUTTlZgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/barc%2B19.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="barca 1" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XaXf6VZAcbU/YF8QYNaACII/AAAAAAAAaz8/SZEP4AP69CsKET4vGdaJj9Nkz7bUTTlZgCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/barc%2B19.jpg" title="barcelona" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Barcelona</b></td></tr></tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f8wYUHPKDk8/YF8XxVgdinI/AAAAAAAAa0Y/4zsLx0ZHM9URn0iJoeMysy2AiPEMr7jcQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/barc%2B12.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="barca 1" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f8wYUHPKDk8/YF8XxVgdinI/AAAAAAAAa0Y/4zsLx0ZHM9URn0iJoeMysy2AiPEMr7jcQCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/barc%2B12.jpg" title="via laietana" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>A night view of Via Laietana </b></td></tr></tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xExzHWwNJE0/YGArldeV33I/AAAAAAAAa00/YbdHV_2ntOMKIJtjOmdICy198Id8oNh1wCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/ba%2B01.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="barca 1" border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xExzHWwNJE0/YGArldeV33I/AAAAAAAAa00/YbdHV_2ntOMKIJtjOmdICy198Id8oNh1wCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h480/ba%2B01.jpg" title="menu" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>A tempting menu card for the foodies</b></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HuuRkTN49S4/YGArlYXoUQI/AAAAAAAAa04/M59HFsGhGDczLQBjBnrrIRTCBT5v4I-YACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/ba%2B02.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="barca 1" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HuuRkTN49S4/YGArlYXoUQI/AAAAAAAAa04/M59HFsGhGDczLQBjBnrrIRTCBT5v4I-YACLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/ba%2B02.jpg" title="seafood" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>A Spanish seafood delicacy</b></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kNNu-vOPZNM/YGArmGdiv2I/AAAAAAAAa08/rdSQFS-hM78XIosg9L-K2cYR-YzYf6eZwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/ba%2B03.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="barca 1" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kNNu-vOPZNM/YGArmGdiv2I/AAAAAAAAa08/rdSQFS-hM78XIosg9L-K2cYR-YzYf6eZwCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/ba%2B03.jpg" title="tapas bar" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Bodega Biarritz, a famous Tapas Bar in Barcelona</b></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-U56veGSeAA4/YGAroLQLWhI/AAAAAAAAa1A/iu62b1wq-KMZPf_k-tW6I5uTvvkPQ8xhACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/ba%2B04.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><b><img alt="barca 1" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-U56veGSeAA4/YGAroLQLWhI/AAAAAAAAa1A/iu62b1wq-KMZPf_k-tW6I5uTvvkPQ8xhACLcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/ba%2B04.jpg" title="tapas bar menu" width="480" /></b></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Items available at the Tapas Bar</b></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6esRmLXH0Bo/YGArqiBai9I/AAAAAAAAa1I/rASq-Jp1GdgLfCxhOWDXutFSecWUDHd3wCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/ba%2B05.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="barca 1" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6esRmLXH0Bo/YGArqiBai9I/AAAAAAAAa1I/rASq-Jp1GdgLfCxhOWDXutFSecWUDHd3wCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/ba%2B05.jpg" title="inside tapas" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Interior of one of the oldest Tapas Bars in Barcelona</b></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0HTa5AYT5e0/YGArpihHtpI/AAAAAAAAa1E/63IQeQJvY3kZng18yynVdzqIY5fTC7DogCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/ba%2B06.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="barca 1" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0HTa5AYT5e0/YGArpihHtpI/AAAAAAAAa1E/63IQeQJvY3kZng18yynVdzqIY5fTC7DogCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/ba%2B06.jpg" title="inside tapas" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Inside the Tapas Bar</b></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-shyoRiYwvqQ/YGArq6mWnpI/AAAAAAAAa1M/oP7AsOgHcLQ-kehNpVVGecuntTdZST8JgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/ba%2B07.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="barca 1" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-shyoRiYwvqQ/YGArq6mWnpI/AAAAAAAAa1M/oP7AsOgHcLQ-kehNpVVGecuntTdZST8JgCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/ba%2B07.jpg" title="8 course tapas" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>A part of 8-course Tapas</b></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jpViY-aKQ6E/YGArrLX4fYI/AAAAAAAAa1Q/4KFI_bgFHUMEVRe6REkQj2X0uCAGwLK7wCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/ba%2B08.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="barca 1" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jpViY-aKQ6E/YGArrLX4fYI/AAAAAAAAa1Q/4KFI_bgFHUMEVRe6REkQj2X0uCAGwLK7wCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/ba%2B08.jpg" title="plaza reial" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Plaza Reial designed by Gaudi</b></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-msxLwBGY178/YGArr5TDT9I/AAAAAAAAa1U/S1BHpaIHao0o6Ds5KRfaz3U4EixRz8YCgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/ba%2B09.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><b><img alt="barca 1" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-msxLwBGY178/YGArr5TDT9I/AAAAAAAAa1U/S1BHpaIHao0o6Ds5KRfaz3U4EixRz8YCgCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/ba%2B09.jpg" title="food court plaza" /></b></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>The food court at Plaza Reial</b></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9brIYpVZ29I/YGArsokT9aI/AAAAAAAAa1Y/4segVvIGn1kZS7TP_QUxaaZocJm0EKjLACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/ba%2B11.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="barca 1" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9brIYpVZ29I/YGArsokT9aI/AAAAAAAAa1Y/4segVvIGn1kZS7TP_QUxaaZocJm0EKjLACLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/ba%2B11.jpg" title="sea" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Sea Beach Barcelona</b></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dI2UcoTUIYA/YGArs4L9OsI/AAAAAAAAa1c/udJzTUp-fvouVjj7EiqPSJfjaKzYP80SgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/ba%2B12.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="barca 1" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dI2UcoTUIYA/YGArs4L9OsI/AAAAAAAAa1c/udJzTUp-fvouVjj7EiqPSJfjaKzYP80SgCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/ba%2B12.jpg" title="barca's symbol" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>The iconic view of the hotel has become a symbolic image of Barcelona</b></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c1DVs2wkIRU/YGArvWzxxiI/AAAAAAAAa1o/WQFs1U5Z7CA2Ab1EEsxwyoB4qhh0fuNpwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/ba%2B13.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="barca 1" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c1DVs2wkIRU/YGArvWzxxiI/AAAAAAAAa1o/WQFs1U5Z7CA2Ab1EEsxwyoB4qhh0fuNpwCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/ba%2B13.jpg" title="barcelona" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Barcelona</b></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MigmUL6Er_M/YGArwngwVFI/AAAAAAAAa1s/uQehgUl09HkI4ZZoPVcv3aMFIpv5SAkcQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/ba%2B15.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="barca 1" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MigmUL6Er_M/YGArwngwVFI/AAAAAAAAa1s/uQehgUl09HkI4ZZoPVcv3aMFIpv5SAkcQCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/ba%2B15.jpg" title="arc de triomf" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Arch de Triumph Barcelona</b></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N8rs2snI9K4/YGArxeYukgI/AAAAAAAAa1w/v0wCinKDv78Fe7zXTP60Y0qwWQ-0VyjKwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/ba%2B17.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="barca 1" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N8rs2snI9K4/YGArxeYukgI/AAAAAAAAa1w/v0wCinKDv78Fe7zXTP60Y0qwWQ-0VyjKwCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/ba%2B17.jpg" title="A restaurant in Barcelona" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Tavern-a restaurant in Barcelona</b></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rD0yf0YBCfk/YGAr299s33I/AAAAAAAAa2Q/b1QrFggeaPw_7ew3OHMUrhgHl83n-G60wCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/ba%2B24.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><b><img alt="barca 1" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rD0yf0YBCfk/YGAr299s33I/AAAAAAAAa2Q/b1QrFggeaPw_7ew3OHMUrhgHl83n-G60wCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/ba%2B24.jpg" title="sea food delicacy" /></b></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>A Spanish seafood<br /> delicacy</b></td></tr></tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AZmFZFadA1w/YGAvhQKBIAI/AAAAAAAAa3k/KTI2XuKKV7YJraWIt_H7CST1a_cKLWhOgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/ba%2B19.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="barca 1" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AZmFZFadA1w/YGAvhQKBIAI/AAAAAAAAa3k/KTI2XuKKV7YJraWIt_H7CST1a_cKLWhOgCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/ba%2B19.jpg" title="old barca" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>This narrow street in Barcelona leads to Picasso Museum</b></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Knok5VuaU_o/YGAviF2q8vI/AAAAAAAAa3o/R71mqcaQzFkRotJe0VCneLrLau7bGJZigCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/ba%2B20.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="barca 1" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Knok5VuaU_o/YGAviF2q8vI/AAAAAAAAa3o/R71mqcaQzFkRotJe0VCneLrLau7bGJZigCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/ba%2B20.jpg" title="glass house" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>A glasshouse in Barcelona. The architecture has remarkable semblance to the Upasana Mandir (Prayer hall) in Santiniketan</b></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KL6x_BSAeLs/YGAvpcrJ1GI/AAAAAAAAa4Y/xRoFIlDlWpIeKp6Ey33R93sUfAIypLlFgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1079/ba%2B32.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="barca 1" border="0" data-original-height="1079" data-original-width="720" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KL6x_BSAeLs/YGAvpcrJ1GI/AAAAAAAAa4Y/xRoFIlDlWpIeKp6Ey33R93sUfAIypLlFgCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/ba%2B32.jpg" title="kaanch mandir" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Upasana Mandir or Kanch Mandir,Visva Bharati University Santiniketan.The walls are of Belgian glass and boast of being the first building to come up with Santiniketan Griha during the second half of the nineteenth century. Was set up by Rabindranath's father Rishi Debendranath </b></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ouSPHrVRYp8/YGAvp-jbjyI/AAAAAAAAa4c/X89OJB6fVkodPbA0jVnYVn9ic5IPDnZ7wCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/ba%2B33.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="barca 1" border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ouSPHrVRYp8/YGAvp-jbjyI/AAAAAAAAa4c/X89OJB6fVkodPbA0jVnYVn9ic5IPDnZ7wCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/ba%2B33.jpg" title="Kaanch Mandir" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Santiniketan's Upasana Mandir in the night</b></td></tr></tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Jiw9UIVNRoM/YGAwh4JPIkI/AAAAAAAAa5A/LnMtxQ_QTjwJqgm3YRDm6vARkMlH0MQvACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/ba%2B25.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="barca 1" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Jiw9UIVNRoM/YGAwh4JPIkI/AAAAAAAAa5A/LnMtxQ_QTjwJqgm3YRDm6vARkMlH0MQvACLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/ba%2B25.jpg" title="prk guell" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Park Guell, another architectural masterpiece of Antony Gaudi</b></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kF4sM0rjMRA/YGAwg-sBnaI/AAAAAAAAa44/HA-HmHPCU_MtbtfzRmvfqBSpqZx3dRAUwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/ba%2B26.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="barca 1" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kF4sM0rjMRA/YGAwg-sBnaI/AAAAAAAAa44/HA-HmHPCU_MtbtfzRmvfqBSpqZx3dRAUwCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/ba%2B26.jpg" title="park guell 2" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Park Guell</b></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MHEObjoR1iw/YGAwh8d7tpI/AAAAAAAAa48/AMvSegViI2Ei4uqZc4a8By8bam-nK8VfACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/ba%2B27.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="barca 1" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MHEObjoR1iw/YGAwh8d7tpI/AAAAAAAAa48/AMvSegViI2Ei4uqZc4a8By8bam-nK8VfACLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/ba%2B27.jpg" title="park guell 3" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Park Guell</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9W2m7O8looY/YGbKbgNOSeI/AAAAAAAAbJY/9K-KEGP7eVY2Gay41BzJAnvNvPdmcfqbQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/ba%2B29.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="barca 1" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9W2m7O8looY/YGbKbgNOSeI/AAAAAAAAbJY/9K-KEGP7eVY2Gay41BzJAnvNvPdmcfqbQCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/ba%2B29.jpg" title="choco museum 1" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Chocolate Museum Barcelona</b></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-L2qsZmgRPdI/YGbKbU2OPrI/AAAAAAAAbJU/FEYmOr9HV487NPg-B5PaXavAffEDFV7PgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/ba%2B30.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><b><img alt="barca 1" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-L2qsZmgRPdI/YGbKbU2OPrI/AAAAAAAAbJU/FEYmOr9HV487NPg-B5PaXavAffEDFV7PgCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/ba%2B30.jpg" title="choco muse 2" /></b></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Chocolate Museum</b></td></tr></tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nvNWRelFoQ8/YGbLtxYhakI/AAAAAAAAbJo/2-c24Oky8tAq5pbp93fSW948YPrlaVdNQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/choco%2B01.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="barca 1" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nvNWRelFoQ8/YGbLtxYhakI/AAAAAAAAbJo/2-c24Oky8tAq5pbp93fSW948YPrlaVdNQCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/choco%2B01.jpg" title="choco muse 3" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Made of Chocolate</b></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3jU5wD6syMA/YGbLwYwPKMI/AAAAAAAAbJs/kEIOSzFdZzcaXJeT_aKD8yOwfb7Qu204wCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/choco%2B02.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="barca 1" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3jU5wD6syMA/YGbLwYwPKMI/AAAAAAAAbJs/kEIOSzFdZzcaXJeT_aKD8yOwfb7Qu204wCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/choco%2B02.jpg" title="choco muse 4" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Made of Chocolate</b></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DAV7hgVqRPU/YGbLtQyjHqI/AAAAAAAAbJk/Rb74_TAlTzUWwOfvzu2JahqcZUl9Ba9gwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/choco%2B03.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="barca 1" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DAV7hgVqRPU/YGbLtQyjHqI/AAAAAAAAbJk/Rb74_TAlTzUWwOfvzu2JahqcZUl9Ba9gwCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/choco%2B03.jpg" title="choco muse 5" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Obelix made out of chocolate</b></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FB6v4WbCbYE/YGbLxRARGAI/AAAAAAAAbJw/Ck3TLjorkeAn3wl2vV-lhOpMlZ9ilqV8ACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/choco%2B04.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="barca 1" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FB6v4WbCbYE/YGbLxRARGAI/AAAAAAAAbJw/Ck3TLjorkeAn3wl2vV-lhOpMlZ9ilqV8ACLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/choco%2B04.jpg" title="choco muse 6" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Tintin made out of chocolate</b></td></tr></tbody></table>
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Biswajit Senguptahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04502747488677409796noreply@blogger.com168/3, Pratapaditya Rd, Lalpara, Sahanagar, Kalighat, Kolkata, West Bengal 700026, India22.5096902 88.344283699999991-5.8005456848024188 53.188031017790976 50.819926084802418 123.500536382209tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2677408543935148689.post-80549678133811141242020-10-15T15:51:00.006+05:302023-04-20T15:50:29.338+05:30PORTUGAL<!--Global site tag (gtag.js) - Google Analytics-->
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<meta content="A Travelogue on Lisbon and Porto.The station is conveniently connected by public transport from Marques de Pombal, at the heart of Lisbon. From here the high-speed deluxe trains, adorned with bright colored curtains and carpets inside, take two and a half hours to Porto. Porto’s Campanha station. Porto alias Oporto. Sweet sounding names for a sweet city. Famous for sweet wine exclusively from the grapes of Duoro Valley. Grapes nurtured from the time of Jesus." name="description"></meta>
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<h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;"><i>-the land of Francesinha and Pastel de Nata</i></span></h3>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 2.0pt; mso-outline-level: 1; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">Lisbon’s Santa Apolonia Train Station is the city’s oldest station. Located in the historic district of Alfama, this simple and stately façade stands close to the bank of the beautiful and serene river Tejo. The station is conveniently connected by public transport from Marques de Pombal, at the heart of Lisbon. From here the high-speed deluxe trains, adorned with bright colored curtains and carpets inside, take two and a half hours to Porto. Porto’s Campanha station. Porto alias Oporto. Sweet sounding names for a sweet city. Famous for sweet wine exclusively from the grapes of Duoro Valley. Grapes nurtured from the time of Jesus.</span></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">Like Lisbon, Porto also seems to have been crafted out from the hilly terrains all around. Most of the old parts of both the Portuguese cities have a maze of steep and narrow cobbled streets, narrow roads, and connecting walkways of extremely steep gradients. Like in Lisbon, which is also known as the city of the seven hills, the public transport system woven into it since the nineteenth century comprises mainly trams, funiculars, and lifts. Lisbon’s main square is however on the plains. Known as Rossio Square, it is there since the Middle Ages. French fountains, a statue of Praca Dom Pedro IV, some gorgeous flowering trees, some spectacular buildings like the National Theater grace the square. The square itself has so much to offer. A delectable bite on Pastel de Nata from the historic confectioner Fabrica da Nata, buying Cherry Liqueur made from fresh, sweet, summer cherries and a few tins of sardines in different flavors from century-old Sardinia. Then hop back in the bus to take spectacular rides through the narrow streets of Alfama, getting down at the churchyard of the cathedral from where the view of river Tejo and the red rooftops below is indeed stunning. The single coach yellow-colored historic tram no. 28 packed with tourists and locals halt at the stop there. What a charming sight!</span></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">My wife while on a Google search for a popular restaurant close to our hotel Villa Nova Guest House hit the jackpot by finding a famous Nepalese restaurant ‘Ola Nepal’. They specialize in Indian cuisines. Every night we would walk down for our dinner there. It is located at the bottommost tier, i.e. if you compare with a tall building it is on the ‘lower basement of a building’. Both food and services are excellent over there.</span></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">For us, from India, Lisbon means the city of the famous Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama. Lisbon has a museum dedicated to him. Museu de Marinha or Navy Museum is located in the tourist district of Belem. He was the first man to open the maritime route from Lisbon to India. He sailed from Lisbon in 1497 and after some halts at African ports, he finally discovered India. He and his crew anchored at the South Indian city of Calicut in May 1498. He was vilified for his ruthless actions against the Arab traders and their merchandise. So much so that Portuguese sailors were looked upon as terrorists and pirates. But he opened the gateway to India for the Europeans. On his second visit at the beginning of the sixteenth century, he explored Goa, the place in which the Portuguese subsequently colonized and settled. Vasco da Gama is a pretty little town in Goa named after him. Vasco da Gama made his last trip to India in 1524. He died in Cochin the same year. Goa was in Portuguese hands for over five centuries before being liberated only in 1961. The essence of Portugal, their happy-go-lucky lifestyle, the Portuguese flavor are very much in vogue in Goa today.</span></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">Porto, with tiered roads and steep gradients, seem to compete with big brother Lisbon. For tourists like us, the only choice for enjoying places of interest in Porto was ‘hop-on, hop-off’ buses. At some points, these double-decked hop on hop off had to take an almost 360-degree turn on narrow steeply terraced hillsides. Kudos to the superb driving sense of the drivers. </span></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">A dizzying sight from the upper deck. Palacio da Bolsa ( a former stock market), Don Pedro Square (statue of Pedro IV at the center) on way to the breezy Atlantic ocean beaches, Porto Cathedral( the oldest surviving structure), Sao Bento Train station, picturesque Douro river which is spanned by several bridges, the medieval Ribeira district (on the valley side of the river), the UNESCO World Heritage historic center are some of the major sites the bus covers. Sao Bento Train station, the English translation of which is St. Benedict is one of the stunningly beautiful stations I have come across. Built-in early 1900 by architect Jose Marques da Silva, the walls of the station are adorned with blue and white tin-glazed ceramic tiles placed by artist Jorge Colaco. The tiles tell the story of Portugal’s past – its royalty, its wars, and its transportation history.</span></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">After a delicious fish lunch with cherry liqueur at one of the numerous lined up tempting eateries on the bank of River Douro at the picturesque Rivera side, we sauntered down to Burmester Caves located next to the historic Luis Bridge. There we were greeted by an elegant young lady who narrated the history of Burmester, one of the oldest cellars of Porto. Port wine is made exclusively from grapes grown through many centuries on narrow ancient terraces in Douro Valley. The sweet red wine became extremely popular when English merchants blended the wine with spirit to preserve it. Burmester cellars present ideal conditions with darkened wooden beam ceiling and granite walls. The cellars are there since 1750, which is evident from the greenish color of the granite walls. Huge casks made of French oak and chestnut oak presented awesome sights. These oaks are used because they have high oxygenation capacity. There are many varieties in Port wine, like Ruby Port for their distinct ruby color, Tawny Port which is on the slightly sweeter side of the spectrum and displays a rich amber color, White Port made out of white grape and semi-sweet in flavor. We tasted Tawny wine aged for over three years. It tasted so nice that we bought a bottle of Tawny and a bottle of Portuguese Olive oil from their museum sale counter.</span></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">From Porto Sao Bento to Liberdade square (the historic center of Porto) and then to the iconic two-storied Bolhao market (farmer’s market) and Trinidade metro station are all walkable as they are all on flat terrain. A populous city, with pavements wet after some drizzles and vehicles moving at crawling speed in the evening rush hour, reminded me of my hometown Calcutta. The farmer’s market is a huge market where varieties of fish, sausages, hams, bacon – name any type of fish and meat items, vegetables, fruits, Portuguese delicacies, fast food, ice creams are available all under one roof. </span></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">The day we left Porto my wife triggered the foodie in me by reminding me of a special Portuguese dish which has its root in Porto. Francesinha meaning ‘Little French Woman’ or only ‘Frenchie’ in Portuguese was invented in 1960 by an immigrant from France Daniel da Silva. When he moved to Porto, he made it a very popular dish that went well with a glass of beer. In Porto, people pronounce it as ‘Franceazinha’. The main problem is it cannot be bought and consumed outside the restaurant or confectioner like sandwiches, croquettes, rolls, patties or tarts. It has to be enjoyed inside a restaurant for which a certain amount of time needs to be dedicated. I am a connoisseur of food – at least I claim to be one. The priority was to catch the metro from Trinidade station to Porto International Airport. For a moment I felt highly disheartened for having missed the bus, i.e. coming to Porto and not having Francesinha. But I recovered to my normal self after arriving at one of the cutest international airports. And my excitements soar after coming out of the security. .On my left, I discovered a restaurant by the name </span><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">FRANCESINHA</strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">. What a wonderful coincidence for a foodie like me- a restaurant bearing the name of the food I was longing for. Without wasting time I immediately barged in and ordered a plate of Francesinha and a glass of Portuguese Beer. I was flabbergasted when the order was served. Still, around forty minutes to the final boarding call, I started wondering whether I would be able to do justice to the ordered item. </span></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">Served in a huge bowl, the massive food appeared to be loaded with calories, with loads of meat comprising a generous combination of steak, sausage and ham, cheese, and sauce combined plus an adornment of French fries on its side. The sauce is a hot thick tomato and beer sauce that fills up the bowl to its brim. Although quite heavy to the stomach it is surprisingly delightful. Never had such a dense sandwich. It’s gloppy, meaty, and cheesy at the same time. Moreover, the physical appearance of the dish does not match with its literal meaning ‘little French girl’. The main secret is the sauce which as claimed in Porto is different and unique to a restaurant that prepares it. I tried to gather a recipe, which seems closest to the taste of the sauce served at Porto Airport restaurant.</span></span></p></div> <span><div style="color: #222222; font-family: times, "times new roman", serif; font-size: x-large; text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><i>Photo Credit: Arundhati Sengupta</i></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 2.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Nv8rnWrPsM0/Xz0MLfouJtI/AAAAAAAAWK4/qYcemML4VFgffzLb2EDefGAXpxGg6ofLQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/lis%2B10.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="historic tram in lisbon" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Nv8rnWrPsM0/Xz0MLfouJtI/AAAAAAAAWK4/qYcemML4VFgffzLb2EDefGAXpxGg6ofLQCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/lis%2B10.jpg" title="tram car no. 28" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-small;"><b>A Classical Journey -Tram 28 is an iconic tram of Lisbon. It is a vintage single coach tram and passes through the tourist districts of Lisbon</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table>
<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w3NfJY44US8/Xz0NfnmdXwI/AAAAAAAAWNY/biX-EJZfegUHQZV32h1KH1ziA-QX4B3XACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/lis%2B37.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="hotel in lisbon" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w3NfJY44US8/Xz0NfnmdXwI/AAAAAAAAWNY/biX-EJZfegUHQZV32h1KH1ziA-QX4B3XACLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/lis%2B37.jpg" title="villa nova guest house" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Villa Nova Guest House, our hotel located at Marques da Pombal </b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b> </b></span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rnMrZ5FCTVA/Xz0MqtqANII/AAAAAAAAWLw/wqdCLx5JQY8m8qX2q8Ss3MAU_1xhI_iywCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/lis%2B21.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="lisbon hotel" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="899" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rnMrZ5FCTVA/Xz0MqtqANII/AAAAAAAAWLw/wqdCLx5JQY8m8qX2q8Ss3MAU_1xhI_iywCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/lis%2B21.jpg" title="guest house balcony" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><b>The hotel balcony faces the busy Pombal square in Lisbon.<br /><br /></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Qkmf9x2NGzI/Xz0LtJQFSkI/AAAAAAAAWKU/1r1TyZ5qPzMLFGimjRxY7evXZ-hft8EWgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/lis%2B03.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="lisbon" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Qkmf9x2NGzI/Xz0LtJQFSkI/AAAAAAAAWKU/1r1TyZ5qPzMLFGimjRxY7evXZ-hft8EWgCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/lis%2B03.jpg" title="historic statue" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-small;"><b>Lisbon</b></span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d39AMDg-0gk/Xz0L1gdjDtI/AAAAAAAAWKY/OnQgoNMvdkIlgOZgCSh2UiNCU8e53zRuQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/lis%2B06.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="LISBON" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d39AMDg-0gk/Xz0L1gdjDtI/AAAAAAAAWKY/OnQgoNMvdkIlgOZgCSh2UiNCU8e53zRuQCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/lis%2B06.jpg" title="HISTORIC DISTRICT" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-small;"><b>Lisbon</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CByMBgjgdN8/Xz0MACzWh2I/AAAAAAAAWKs/tPzNxkVp1t0mS9xl4sD1k2d2pCywG7qKwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/lis%2B08.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="LISBON" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CByMBgjgdN8/Xz0MACzWh2I/AAAAAAAAWKs/tPzNxkVp1t0mS9xl4sD1k2d2pCywG7qKwCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/lis%2B08.jpg" title="TEJO RIVER" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>River Tejo and red rooftops from the cathedral</b></span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PF0VFBYFSdY/Xz0MPUfpyFI/AAAAAAAAWLA/L9m_2jDicwAokAoCYwP_13y_Jxce7kVfgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/lis%2B11.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="LISBON" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PF0VFBYFSdY/Xz0MPUfpyFI/AAAAAAAAWLA/L9m_2jDicwAokAoCYwP_13y_Jxce7kVfgCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/lis%2B11.jpg" title="CATHEDRAL AREA" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-small;"><b>Cathedral Area Lisbon</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9bRTUSvnUPg/Xz0MM8OtuCI/AAAAAAAAWK8/Goi_Me1eo6sYpIPDpUNVlHWS5nQ0EJe_QCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/lis%2B12.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="LISBON" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9bRTUSvnUPg/Xz0MM8OtuCI/AAAAAAAAWK8/Goi_Me1eo6sYpIPDpUNVlHWS5nQ0EJe_QCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/lis%2B12.jpg" title="OL LISBON" /></a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-llwUHhyipgs/Xz0Mc63y-7I/AAAAAAAAWLU/0uIOKvAEZ30-LCE1jofWkQ6ZI91X_N2gwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/lis%2B15.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="LISBON" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-llwUHhyipgs/Xz0Mc63y-7I/AAAAAAAAWLU/0uIOKvAEZ30-LCE1jofWkQ6ZI91X_N2gwCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/lis%2B15.jpg" title="LISBON STREET" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-small;"><b>A typical road in Lisbon</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q1PO6_vJ0OQ/Xz0MmZS40sI/AAAAAAAAWLo/4B1J3kHkCqIMYcAi5hQkKtXUq0bVLNIKACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/lis%2B18.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="LISBON" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q1PO6_vJ0OQ/Xz0MmZS40sI/AAAAAAAAWLo/4B1J3kHkCqIMYcAi5hQkKtXUq0bVLNIKACLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/lis%2B18.jpg" title="LISBON" /></a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3tYkxCGXDOU/Xz0Mzj92HRI/AAAAAAAAWL4/RkCaQJAB2Vs3ay6ny1jCIEvwA76vw89vgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/lis%2B22.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="LISBON" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3tYkxCGXDOU/Xz0Mzj92HRI/AAAAAAAAWL4/RkCaQJAB2Vs3ay6ny1jCIEvwA76vw89vgCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/lis%2B22.jpg" title="LISBON SINGLE TRAM TRACK" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-small;"><b>This road is so narrow that it accommodates only one tram track</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y-gQPMUDH4Y/Xz0M0IGoUxI/AAAAAAAAWMA/_wY0Y7EUHl0SutycReDXKleEmNHFitGtgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/lis%2B23.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="LISBON" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y-gQPMUDH4Y/Xz0M0IGoUxI/AAAAAAAAWMA/_wY0Y7EUHl0SutycReDXKleEmNHFitGtgCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/lis%2B23.jpg" title="FABRICA NATA" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-small;"><b>Fabrica Nata is one of the oldest cafes where the famous Portuguese Pastel da Nata is available</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X2oDn1M0KhE/Xz0MzjpFzfI/AAAAAAAAWL8/JND_yy4oDv8ajM_vWmwZ6_xIq-GLKKQAQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/lis%2B24.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="LISBON" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X2oDn1M0KhE/Xz0MzjpFzfI/AAAAAAAAWL8/JND_yy4oDv8ajM_vWmwZ6_xIq-GLKKQAQCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/lis%2B24.jpg" title="LISBON CAFE" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-small;"><b>Inside Fabrica Nata Cafe</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--Qp__R_djFg/Xz0NKeu7L_I/AAAAAAAAWMg/SPwm_RHiv1gq-fsGLLpH3-RE_rfCDhC5QCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/lis%2B28.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="LISBON" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--Qp__R_djFg/Xz0NKeu7L_I/AAAAAAAAWMg/SPwm_RHiv1gq-fsGLLpH3-RE_rfCDhC5QCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/lis%2B28.jpg" title="ROSSIO SQUARE LISBON" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: times; font-size: small;">Rossio Square Lisbon</b></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1EnTeuBp1l0/Xz0NF5jvdPI/AAAAAAAAWMc/2OxwKP2CKB41yMVjyWUKegL3Pdp5j--zgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/lis%2B29.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="LISBON" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="899" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1EnTeuBp1l0/Xz0NF5jvdPI/AAAAAAAAWMc/2OxwKP2CKB41yMVjyWUKegL3Pdp5j--zgCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/lis%2B29.jpg" title="LISBON ROAD NETWORK" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-small;"><b>The street below as seen from an upper-tier</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2NoIRaCumgA/Xz0NMDdQMjI/AAAAAAAAWMk/e9mrgvILd3sysUF1GF8hPimAljPuxj3tQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/lis%2B30.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="LISBON" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2NoIRaCumgA/Xz0NMDdQMjI/AAAAAAAAWMk/e9mrgvILd3sysUF1GF8hPimAljPuxj3tQCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/lis%2B30.jpg" title="SARDINE" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-small;"><b>Sardinha. This famous shop deals in varieties of sardine preparation. Sardine is Portugal's national fish</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rjfdTbaee90/Xz0NP9VZ_xI/AAAAAAAAWMw/r_inbPi7OsMr8wgV0y0E1BXspM-J3ADNQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/lis%2B32.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="LISBON" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rjfdTbaee90/Xz0NP9VZ_xI/AAAAAAAAWMw/r_inbPi7OsMr8wgV0y0E1BXspM-J3ADNQCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/lis%2B32.jpg" title="SARDINIAH" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1d_pwMIlm4A/Xz0NSenjCKI/AAAAAAAAWM4/VYMMgFFLe9MY_IBdo2otm3R2CtQcbLdpQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/lis%2B33.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="LISBON" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1d_pwMIlm4A/Xz0NSenjCKI/AAAAAAAAWM4/VYMMgFFLe9MY_IBdo2otm3R2CtQcbLdpQCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/lis%2B33.jpg" title="SARDINHA" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2b7Co2EC8Q4/Xz0NVZU2vnI/AAAAAAAAWNA/_lN5qIONdNs3cnASxR0NMyrkJdIQ0lh0ACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/lis%2B35.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="LISBON" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2b7Co2EC8Q4/Xz0NVZU2vnI/AAAAAAAAWNA/_lN5qIONdNs3cnASxR0NMyrkJdIQ0lh0ACLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/lis%2B35.jpg" title="NETWORK" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lisbon </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oTCF0Xwv9b0/Xz0NcF8wk_I/AAAAAAAAWNU/DjbEwbhRTH4ZYAwjponp5pA8j69dizsYwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/lis%2B39.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="LISBON" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="899" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oTCF0Xwv9b0/Xz0NcF8wk_I/AAAAAAAAWNU/DjbEwbhRTH4ZYAwjponp5pA8j69dizsYwCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/lis%2B39.jpg" title="OLA NEPAL" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-small;"><b>Ola Nepal, popular for Indian cuisine.</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br /><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PdoYptYSbAI/Xz0NqVHOEwI/AAAAAAAAWOE/ntD12ufEjK40g8p1iv1MFpdhTHrqiCwDwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/lis%2B46.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="LISBON" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="899" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PdoYptYSbAI/Xz0NqVHOEwI/AAAAAAAAWOE/ntD12ufEjK40g8p1iv1MFpdhTHrqiCwDwCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/lis%2B46.jpg" title="SANTA APOLONIA STN" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-small;"><b>Santa Apolonia train station in Lisbon</b></span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dZEUgRmIeHI/Xz0NrgdtgeI/AAAAAAAAWOI/tyCIj1PZqwIMIGqVBMskR5p9RQPUqTWJwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/lis%2B47.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="LISBON" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="899" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dZEUgRmIeHI/Xz0NrgdtgeI/AAAAAAAAWOI/tyCIj1PZqwIMIGqVBMskR5p9RQPUqTWJwCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/lis%2B47.jpg" title="MILITARY MUSEUM" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-small;"><b>Military Museum Lisbon</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zQWkAJchpek/Xz0NwIsbDyI/AAAAAAAAWOY/_Y39KBJw5q8rNoQ-4ZfwkEWkuZ5RAtPQgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/lis%2B51.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="PORTO" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="899" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zQWkAJchpek/Xz0NwIsbDyI/AAAAAAAAWOY/_Y39KBJw5q8rNoQ-4ZfwkEWkuZ5RAtPQgCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/lis%2B51.jpg" title="CAMPANHA STN" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-small;"><b>Campanha Station Porto</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-da7vikcNxKA/Xz0NwgzcIgI/AAAAAAAAWOc/4c9_l4OrYjQ_iRI8ApjP0nXG8CQSfBI6wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/lis%2B52.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="PORTO" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-da7vikcNxKA/Xz0NwgzcIgI/AAAAAAAAWOc/4c9_l4OrYjQ_iRI8ApjP0nXG8CQSfBI6wCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/lis%2B52.jpg" title="RIVER DOURO" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-small;"><b>River Douro Porto</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Hjf3VBLj_OY/Xz0Nyq6m3sI/AAAAAAAAWOg/Rj1yWRdeGSAbSzL6D3e5i5IHR48m_Bm0QCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/lis%2B54.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="PORTO" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Hjf3VBLj_OY/Xz0Nyq6m3sI/AAAAAAAAWOg/Rj1yWRdeGSAbSzL6D3e5i5IHR48m_Bm0QCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/lis%2B54.jpg" title="LUIS BRIDGE PORTO" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-small;"><b>The Historic Luis Bridge at Porto</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aPe47E8zLIg/Xz0N4QJj-1I/AAAAAAAAWO0/uZM6YtzQys0bMB_lmIpfwz22rLhVRjDuwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/lis%2B57.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="PORTO" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aPe47E8zLIg/Xz0N4QJj-1I/AAAAAAAAWO0/uZM6YtzQys0bMB_lmIpfwz22rLhVRjDuwCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/lis%2B57.jpg" title="BRIDGE PORTO" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-small;"><b>Luis Bridge Porto</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q9LyNWV37J4/Xz0OB6ysKgI/AAAAAAAAWPQ/Y0-m9dKcTNkH8T1HXLJ4u4xVUCK98ql5ACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/lis%2B61.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="PORTO" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q9LyNWV37J4/Xz0OB6ysKgI/AAAAAAAAWPQ/Y0-m9dKcTNkH8T1HXLJ4u4xVUCK98ql5ACLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/lis%2B61.jpg" title="BUSY STREET" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-small;"><b>A busy Porto street</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BAglN-voOGA/Xz0OCg2Qf4I/AAAAAAAAWPU/txT8D-AnVIMhIQ7Y6ywrEfrffBtFt59TgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/lis%2B62.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="PORTO" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="899" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BAglN-voOGA/Xz0OCg2Qf4I/AAAAAAAAWPU/txT8D-AnVIMhIQ7Y6ywrEfrffBtFt59TgCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/lis%2B62.jpg" title="STATUE" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Porto</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V5EJ_AcD5Cg/Xz0OZI664fI/AAAAAAAAWPw/42WAxsd4TuQTi0oQk1LTVz9uC_9tKzS2wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/lis%2B63.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="PORTO" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V5EJ_AcD5Cg/Xz0OZI664fI/AAAAAAAAWPw/42WAxsd4TuQTi0oQk1LTVz9uC_9tKzS2wCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/lis%2B63.jpg" title="HISTORIC SQUARE" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-small;"><b>Porto</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pWPoTOpBFrA/Xz0OUFY1XUI/AAAAAAAAWPo/SHDa4RbdxVMUPwZ7sFHO9SpJKF3ttpi2QCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/lis%2B65.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="PORTO" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pWPoTOpBFrA/Xz0OUFY1XUI/AAAAAAAAWPo/SHDa4RbdxVMUPwZ7sFHO9SpJKF3ttpi2QCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/lis%2B65.jpg" title="CHURCH" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-small;"><b>Porto</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y1BcKyH-fj8/Xz0Oa0hcUGI/AAAAAAAAWP0/SQlNvPZwW6MAkp9b_E45tOXsClJ_Ubn1ACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/lis%2B66.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="PORTO" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y1BcKyH-fj8/Xz0Oa0hcUGI/AAAAAAAAWP0/SQlNvPZwW6MAkp9b_E45tOXsClJ_Ubn1ACLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/lis%2B66.jpg" title="STREET" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-small;"><b>Porto</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0cniba33Ld8/Xz0OfrqFwqI/AAAAAAAAWP4/rjRIg2-LSXo-sj2VBwZbyh0FbF6GAKohgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/lis%2B67.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="PORTO" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0cniba33Ld8/Xz0OfrqFwqI/AAAAAAAAWP4/rjRIg2-LSXo-sj2VBwZbyh0FbF6GAKohgCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/lis%2B67.jpg" title="HISTORIC SQUARE" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-small;"><b>Historic Square Porto</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b14ohT4dqQI/Xz5fa8qUf1I/AAAAAAAAWR4/RF3ut7i5Gf06TAgKtQi4k71s1SQQk-G4gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/lis%2B83.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="PORTO" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="899" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b14ohT4dqQI/Xz5fa8qUf1I/AAAAAAAAWR4/RF3ut7i5Gf06TAgKtQi4k71s1SQQk-G4gCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/lis%2B83.jpg" title="BURMESTER WINE MUSEUM" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-small;"><b>Burmester Wine Museum</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Qo868gVZ1dw/Xz5fZC9AgfI/AAAAAAAAWRw/7xWVcIsTdBwkAD-U8mGSoB3b9gBKI-QrQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/lis%2B81.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="PORTO" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="899" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Qo868gVZ1dw/Xz5fZC9AgfI/AAAAAAAAWRw/7xWVcIsTdBwkAD-U8mGSoB3b9gBKI-QrQCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/lis%2B81.jpg" title="WINE CASK" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-small;"><b>A historic cask in Burmester cellar</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
73<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VgCRB09qHeI/Xz5fU6HMcTI/AAAAAAAAWRg/vXrnYidIzowg6pqmp7CIXpU2v3Awp3MHgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/lis%2B79.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="PORTO" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="899" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VgCRB09qHeI/Xz5fU6HMcTI/AAAAAAAAWRg/vXrnYidIzowg6pqmp7CIXpU2v3Awp3MHgCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/lis%2B79.jpg" title="WINE CASK 2" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-small;"><b>History of the Cask</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r6v4kWKXcX4/Xz5epdtPISI/AAAAAAAAWQ8/gW3bUsWXzl83wWd1cxnZzSAlOvrBbj3PQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/lis%2B71.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="PORTO" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r6v4kWKXcX4/Xz5epdtPISI/AAAAAAAAWQ8/gW3bUsWXzl83wWd1cxnZzSAlOvrBbj3PQCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/lis%2B71.jpg" title="RIVER FRONT" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Porto</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p57AE6mxGM0/Xz5fKgD2Z9I/AAAAAAAAWRY/lRaje-JNBKcDeWvuE6OlcEj-0w2DD0SZQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/lis%2B72.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="PORTO" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p57AE6mxGM0/Xz5fKgD2Z9I/AAAAAAAAWRY/lRaje-JNBKcDeWvuE6OlcEj-0w2DD0SZQCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/lis%2B72.jpg" title="WINE CELLAR" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-small;"><b>Burmester Port Wine Cellar</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><br /><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TbB-E6YQciM/Xz5fJClA2WI/AAAAAAAAWRU/OzBCclhkTj0WOaK2BWXgmeBCdHZQgV53wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/lis%2B75.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="PORTO ICONIC STN" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TbB-E6YQciM/Xz5fJClA2WI/AAAAAAAAWRU/OzBCclhkTj0WOaK2BWXgmeBCdHZQgV53wCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/lis%2B75.jpg" title="SAO BENTO" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Porto's iconic Sao Bento station</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hWxlFtPS1fg/Xz5fVGwPpdI/AAAAAAAAWRk/LGqXvFv9TeQo2sJRNylKbgexJabUcKliwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/lis%2B76.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="PORTO STN" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hWxlFtPS1fg/Xz5fVGwPpdI/AAAAAAAAWRk/LGqXvFv9TeQo2sJRNylKbgexJabUcKliwCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/lis%2B76.jpg" title="SAO BENTO" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-small;"><b>Tiled walls at Sao Bento station Porto</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gpxglh18GbA/Xz5fVNUT4iI/AAAAAAAAWRo/sozkg1UuV9cNhzmfFjwEf_wSS9D9jDG7ACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/lis%2B77.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="PORTO" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gpxglh18GbA/Xz5fVNUT4iI/AAAAAAAAWRo/sozkg1UuV9cNhzmfFjwEf_wSS9D9jDG7ACLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/lis%2B77.jpg" title="STEEP ROADS" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-small;"><b>Porto</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YMnCGR0YUMM/Xz5fa2_ShII/AAAAAAAAWR8/JCJBb4R7GbYNEnwKMQgBi5u0wqWKSg3qQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/lis%2B84.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="PORTO METRO" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="899" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YMnCGR0YUMM/Xz5fa2_ShII/AAAAAAAAWR8/JCJBb4R7GbYNEnwKMQgBi5u0wqWKSg3qQCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/lis%2B84.jpg" title="TRINIDADE STN" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-small;"><b>Trinidade Metro Station Porto</b></span><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uLH96SHKods/Xz5frylPEvI/AAAAAAAAWSc/KRYxLT_l7ZEXOB5PQamC3eokUewUR1-nQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/lis%2B89.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="PORTO" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="899" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uLH96SHKods/Xz5frylPEvI/AAAAAAAAWSc/KRYxLT_l7ZEXOB5PQamC3eokUewUR1-nQCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/lis%2B89.jpg" title="AIRPORT" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-small;"><b>International Airport Porto</b></span><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 2.0pt; text-align: justify;"><p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 24pt; line-height: 115%;">RECIPE
for Francesinha</span></u></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 24pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><span style="background-color: #04ff00;"><b><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 20pt; line-height: 115%;">Ingredients for Sauce:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 20pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><span style="background-color: #04ff00; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 20pt; line-height: 115%;">Beer
----- 330 ml can (2 nos. for serving 4 to 5)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><span style="background-color: #04ff00; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 20pt; line-height: 115%;">Chicken stock cube -----1 cup<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><span style="background-color: #04ff00;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 20pt; line-height: 115%;">Butter </span><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 20pt; line-height: 115%;">------- </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 20pt; line-height: 115%;">2 tablespoon<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><span style="background-color: #04ff00; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 20pt; line-height: 115%;">Tomato paste or puree ---- Quarter tablespoon<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><span style="background-color: #04ff00; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 20pt; line-height: 115%;">Port Wine – ¼ cup. (If port wine is not available, brandy can be
used in its place)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><span style="background-color: #04ff00; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 20pt; line-height: 115%;">Milk --- Quarter Cup<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><span style="background-color: #04ff00; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 20pt; line-height: 115%;">Cornstarch ---- 1 tablespoon<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><span style="background-color: #04ff00; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 20pt; line-height: 115%;">Bay leaf ---- 1<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><span style="background-color: #04ff00; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 20pt; line-height: 115%;"><span>Chili flakes and salt, to taste</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: #04ff00;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 20pt; line-height: 115%;">Method for
preparation of sauce:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 20pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: #04ff00; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 20pt; line-height: 115%;">First, the
Cornstarch is dissolved in the milk. All sauce ingredients are then added and
blended in a mixer. The mixture is to be poured in a pan and kept over low
heat. Add the bay leaf and stir till it starts boiling. Remove the bay leaf and
set aside the sauce. After assembling the sandwich, put it in a shallow bowl
and add two slices of cheese from outside. Then pour the hot mixture over it so
that the cheese melts with it.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: #04ff00;"><b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 20pt; line-height: 115%;">Ingredients for one Francesinha sandwich</span></b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222; font-family: ""times"","serif"; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;">:</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: #04ff00;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 20pt; line-height: 115%;">2 slices of white bread</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 20pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: #04ff00;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 20pt; line-height: 115%;">1 linguica or Paprika sausage</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 20pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: #04ff00;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 20pt; line-height: 115%;">1 fresh sausage</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 20pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: #04ff00;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 20pt; line-height: 115%;">1 small mutton steak</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 20pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: #04ff00;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 20pt; line-height: 115%;">2 slices of ham</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 20pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: #04ff00;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 20pt; line-height: 115%;">7 to 8 thin slices of cheese and 1 egg</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 20pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="background-color: #04ff00; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 20pt; line-height: 115%;">Method for
preparation - assembly of sandwich</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: #04ff00; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 20pt;">Place a slice of cheese and one slice of bread
on top of it on an oven-safe dish. Lay another slice of cheese on the bread and
then layer a slice of ham, four pieces of linguiça ( smoke-cured pork sausage
seasoned with garlic and paprika), mutton, or lamb steak, the last four pieces
of linguiça. Top it with the other slice of ham and a slice of cheese. Lay another slice of bread on top and top with cheese. Secure the sandwich with
toothpicks if you like.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: #04ff00; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 20pt; line-height: 115%;">After assembling the sandwich put it in a shallow bowl. Add two
slices of cheese from outside. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #04ff00; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; background: rgb(4, 255, 0); color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 20pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Pour the sauce on top of the sandwich and place the bowl into the
preheated oven and allow the cheese to melt (5/10minutes). Remove the
Francesinha from the oven and remove the toothpicks before serving.</span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 2.0pt; text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6VVb5KnvXtM/Xz5f3DbgUQI/AAAAAAAAWS0/H7rGnqlauNIcZRAvLrHcW2JZd19yY_5eQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/lis%2B88.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="AIRPORT RESTAURANT PORTO" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6VVb5KnvXtM/Xz5f3DbgUQI/AAAAAAAAWS0/H7rGnqlauNIcZRAvLrHcW2JZd19yY_5eQCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/lis%2B88.jpg" title="FRANCESINHA RESTAURANT" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-small;"><b>Restaurant located at Porto International Airport</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iZULeLBPRHM/Xz5fxUQ5XnI/AAAAAAAAWSo/_lOPFweGJb8KOpEQ-ZiWR691bS9is1hyACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/lis%2B87.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="PORTO" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iZULeLBPRHM/Xz5fxUQ5XnI/AAAAAAAAWSo/_lOPFweGJb8KOpEQ-ZiWR691bS9is1hyACLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/lis%2B87.jpg" title="FRANCESINHA" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption"><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jItvmh8syb0/Xz5fb-eOHKI/AAAAAAAAWSE/2nQuxozc93MuLRfiO_epf03VIWwSjAISwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/lis%2B85.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="PORTO" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jItvmh8syb0/Xz5fb-eOHKI/AAAAAAAAWSE/2nQuxozc93MuLRfiO_epf03VIWwSjAISwCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/lis%2B85.jpg" title="FRANCESINHA 2" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: times;">Francesinha and Portuguese Beer</span><br /></b></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 2.0pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 2.0pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 2.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: x-large;"><b><u>Lisbon by Tram No. 28</u></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 2.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 2.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Tourists are recommended to board the tram at its starting point, Martim Moniz. This historic yellow tram not only caters to tourists but also accepts local passengers. In other words, it is a part of Lisbon's public transport system. This is in view of narrow roads, steep gradients, and numerous tight turns in most of Lisbon's historic districts where the modern transport system can not operate. The popular tourist districts covered are Graca, Alfama, Baixa, and Estrela on its way to Campo Ourique. Recommended riding time to avoid the local rush is early morning or late in the day. 24 hours tickets for the rides are available at all metro stations.</b></span><br /></span><br /></div>
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Biswajit Senguptahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04502747488677409796noreply@blogger.com2Kolkata, West Bengal, India22.572646 88.363895000000014-27.632449455828656 18.051389635581984 72.777741455828647 158.67640036441804tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2677408543935148689.post-33254154845865094372020-09-10T17:10:00.017+05:302020-09-28T17:22:29.908+05:30A Bengali Short Story by Dr. Amitava Datta<p style="text-align: center;"> <span style="background-color: white; color: #ff00fe; font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">"</span><span face="Vrinda, sans-serif" lang="BN-BD">ভালোবাসা কারে কয়"</span></span></p><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: 700; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> অমিতাভ দত্ত</span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: 700; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: 700; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-weight: 700; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">' <span lang="BN-BD">ভালোবাসা কি </span>? <span lang="BN-BD">আমি এখনো বুঝি না</span>, ' <span lang="BN-BD">বললো আমার স্ত্রী। তাও আবার বললো বিয়ের প্রায় পনেরো বছর পর</span>, <span lang="BN-BD">এক বিকেলে</span>, <span lang="BN-BD">আমাদের বন্ধু বান্ধবীদের সাথে গল্প করতে করতে। অন্য সবাই মিলে ওকে বোঝাবার চেষ্টা করলো যে ভালোবাসা কি</span>, <span lang="BN-BD">তা না বোঝবার কি আছে</span>, <span lang="BN-BD">তাও বিয়ের এত দিন পরে ! এ ত খুব সহজ ব্যাপার । ওরা এও বললো যে</span>, <span lang="BN-BD">সবাই তো জানে এবং পরিষ্কার ভাবে দেখতে পায় যে</span>, <span lang="BN-BD">আমাদের পরিবারে ভালবাসাই হচ্ছে জীবনে চলার মূল মন্ত্র। আমাদের বিয়ে হয়েছিল</span>, <span lang="BN-BD">আজকের ভাবাদর্শে খুবই অদ্ভুত ভাবে।</span> <span lang="BN-BD">বিয়ের আগে আমরা কেও একে অপরকে দেখিনি।</span> <span lang="BN-BD">মোবাইল ফোন তখন ছিল না </span>, <span lang="BN-BD">তাই কথাও বলা হয়নি।</span> <span lang="BN-BD">আমি ত আবার চিঠি ও লিখতে পারি না। মা - বাবারা আমাদের ছবি দেখালেন</span>, <span lang="BN-BD">আর তাই দেখেই আমরা বুঝতে পারলাম যে</span>, <span lang="BN-BD">আরে ! এই ত সেই</span>, <span lang="BN-BD">যার জন্য সারা জীবন আমরা অপেক্ষা করে আছি । বিয়ের পর বুঝলাম যে আমরা একে</span> <span lang="BN-BD">অন্যের জন্য</span> <span lang="BN-BD">অনেক আগে থেকেই প্রস্তুত হয়ে আছি। তাই</span>, <span lang="BN-BD">ঐ </span>'<span lang="BN-BD">ভালোবাসা কি</span> ? ' <span lang="BN-BD">কথাটা আমার কানে খটাং করে লাগল। ও এই কথাটা কেন বললো</span>? <span lang="BN-BD">তা হলে কি আমার ভালোবাসায় কোন খামতি আছে</span> ? <span lang="BN-BD">পরে ভাবলাম</span>, <span lang="BN-BD">সত্যিই</span> <span lang="BN-BD">ত</span>, <span lang="BN-BD">ভালোবাসা দেখা যায় না</span>, <span lang="BN-BD">ছোঁয়া যায় না। ভালোবাসা তাহলে কি</span>? <span lang="BN-BD">ভালোবাসা কি শুধু শেষের কবিতার মত গুটি কয়েক</span> <span lang="BN-BD">লাবন্যপ্রভারা আর শ্রীকান্তের</span> <span lang="BN-BD">কমললতারাই</span> <span lang="BN-BD">বোঝেন</span>? </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="BN-BD">এর পর আরো চব্বিশ বছর কেটে গেছে । এক দিন সকালে কাজ করতে বাড়ী থেকে বেরিয়ে পড়েছি । এমন সময়ে মোবাইল ফোনে খবর এল যে আমার স্ত্রী হঠাৎ হৃদরোগে আক্রান্ত হয়েছে আর আমাদের এক ডাক্তার আত্মীয় ওকে তার গাড়ীতে করে নিয়ে হাসপাতালের দিকে ছুটে গেছে।</span> <span lang="BN-BD">খবরটা এল বিনা মেঘে বজ্রপাতের মত। ওর কি করে</span> <span lang="BN-BD">হৃদরোগ হবে </span>? <span lang="BN-BD">আমি বাড়ী থেকে বের হবার আগে ও ত ভালই ছিল । ওর শরীরে ত কোন রোগই নেই । ও ত মোটাও না । লোকে বলে যে</span>, <span lang="BN-BD">মানুষ নাকি পাপ করলে এমন ভাবে শাস্তি পেতে হয় । ও ত কোন দিন কোন পাপও করেনি । মনে পড়ে গেল অনেকদিন আগের এক অন্ধকার গুহার মধ্যে শিবলিঙ্গের কথা - ওখানকার পূজারী আমার স্ত্রীকে বললেন</span> ' <span lang="BN-BD">এই শিবের মাথায় হাত দিয়ে ক্ষমা চান আপনার করা পাপের জন্য </span>, <span lang="BN-BD">তা হলে সব পাপ কেটে যাবে ।</span>' <span lang="BN-BD">আমার স্ত্রী তৎখনাৎ তার হাতটা শিবলিঙ্গ থেকে সরিয়ে নিয়ে বলছিল - </span>' <span lang="BN-BD">কেন </span>? <span lang="BN-BD">আমি ত কোন পাপ করিনি !</span>' <span lang="BN-BD">পূজারী চমকে উঠেছিলেন। পরে </span>, <span lang="BN-BD">উনি আমাদের আর ঐ কথা বলতে বলেন নি । আমি ভালকরেই জানতাম যে আমাদের ভালোবাসার সংসার এই ভাবে কিছুতেই ধংস হতে পারে না । হাসপাতালে ছুটে গিয়ে স্ত্রীর খাটের পাশে দাঁড়ালাম । ওর মুখে গাঢ় ক্লান্তির ছাপ ।</span> <span lang="BN-BD">এত ক্লান্ত ত ওকে আগে কখনও দেখিনি । আমি কি তা হলে ওর শরীরের খেয়াল ঠিকমতো রাখিনি? </span> <span lang="BN-BD">জানতাম যে</span>, <span lang="BN-BD">ওকে ঘুম পাড়ানো হয়েছে ইনজেকশান দিয়ে । তবু </span>, <span lang="BN-BD">না ডাকতেই</span>, <span lang="BN-BD">ও নিজের থেকেই চোখ মেলে আমার দিকে তাকাল। আর </span>, <span lang="BN-BD">তার চোখের ভাষায় পড়লাম</span>, <span lang="BN-BD">ও বলছে যে </span>, <span lang="BN-BD">ওর এই হঠাৎ অসুস্থতার জন্য ও খুব লজ্জিত</span>, <span lang="BN-BD">খুবই লজ্জিত আমাদেরকে এই বিপদের মধ্যে ফেলার জন্য । পরক্ষনেই সে আবার চোখ বন্ধ করে ঘুমিয়ে পড়ল ।</span> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222; font-weight: 400; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="BN-BD">রাত্রে বাড়ী ফিরে দেখলাম </span>, <span lang="BN-BD">আমার স্ত্রীর সাজানো বাড়ী পড়ে রয়েছে রেবেকার বাড়ীর মতো - চারিদিকে ওর উপস্থিতি টের পাচ্ছি </span>, <span lang="BN-BD">অথচ ওই হাসপাতালে ।</span> <span lang="BN-BD">শুধু খাটের ওপর এলোমেলো ভাবে পড়ে রয়েছে কয়েকটা ব্যথার ওষুধ</span>, <span lang="BN-BD">কটা এনটাসিডের বড়ি । বুঝলাম </span>, <span lang="BN-BD">কতই না কষ্ট পেয়েছে সে হাসপাতালে যাওয়ার আগে । তার মধ্যেও ও মুখ ফুটে আমাকে কিছু জানায়নি যাতে আমার কাজের ক্ষতি না হয়ে যায়। আস্তে আস্তে পরিষ্কার হয়ে গেল সবটা - গত বছরের আমার</span> <span lang="BN-BD">ভয়ংকর ব্যাধি </span>, <span lang="BN-BD">ওর বিধবা মায়ের বয়সজনিত মানসিক রোগ </span>, <span lang="BN-BD">আমাদের সংসারের হাজারো সমস্যা - সবকিছু একাই সামলেছে সে</span>, <span lang="BN-BD">অন্য কাউকে বুঝতে দেয়নি । ওর নীরব মানসিক যন্ত্রনা আর অত্যাধিক দৈহিক পরিশ্রম - সব কিছুই আমাদের জন্য । কাউকে সাপে কামড়ালে যেমন বিষটা অনেক সময় মুখ দিয়ে চুষে বার করে দিতে হয় বলে শুনেছি</span>, <span lang="BN-BD">ও তাই করেছে । কিন্তু </span>, <span lang="BN-BD">গরলটা বড্ড বেশী ওর মধ্যে চলে গেছে - আমাদের দোষে </span>, <span lang="BN-BD">আমাদের অজান্তে । বিথোভেন - এর ফিফথ্ সিমফনিতে যেমন প্রবল ভাবে দরজায় করাঘাতের পর বেরিয়ে আসে সেই অনবদ্য ভালোবাসার আকুতি </span>, <span lang="BN-BD">তেমনি </span>, <span lang="BN-BD">অনেক কষ্টের মধ্যে দিয়ে এবং</span> <span lang="BN-BD">অনেক দুঃখের মধ্যে দিয়ে বোঝা গেল </span>, <span lang="BN-BD">আর</span>, <span lang="BN-BD">চোখের সামনে দেখা গেল </span>, <span lang="BN-BD">আমার স্ত্রীর অসীম ভালোবাসা ।</span></p></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-weight: 700; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span lang="BN-BD" style="font-weight: 400; text-align: start;">এখন আমার স্ত্রী ভালো আছে । কিন্তু</span><span style="font-weight: 400; text-align: start;">, </span><span lang="BN-BD" style="font-weight: 400; text-align: start;">রোজ সকালে ঘুম থেকে উঠে</span><span style="font-weight: 400; text-align: start;">, </span><span lang="BN-BD" style="font-weight: 400; text-align: start;">আমি নিজে বুকে একটা ব্যথা অনুভব করি । ভালোবাসা কি কেবলই যাতনাময় </span><span style="font-weight: 400; text-align: start;">? </span><span lang="BN-BD" style="font-weight: 400; text-align: start;">আমাদেরকে ভালোবাসার জন্য আমার স্ত্রীকে কতটা মুল্যই না দিতে হল ! কিন্তু</span><span style="font-weight: 400; text-align: start;">, </span><span lang="BN-BD" style="font-weight: 400; text-align: start;">ভারি জানতে ইচ্ছা করে যে</span><span style="font-weight: 400; text-align: start;">, </span><span lang="BN-BD" style="font-weight: 400; text-align: start;">ও কি তার সেই পুরনো প্রশ্নের উত্তরটা পেয়েছে -</span><span style="font-weight: 400; text-align: start;"> " </span><span lang="BN-BD" style="font-weight: 400; text-align: start;">ভালোবাসা কি </span><span style="font-weight: 400; text-align: start;">? "</span></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-weight: 700; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YMpYppPbuIs/X1sWqmVHzQI/AAAAAAAAWjQ/5CGQ59I5rfIzbGxA4NGuibIBNtxccjyMgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/image%2Bbhalobasha.jpg"><img alt="flowers bloom" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YMpYppPbuIs/X1sWqmVHzQI/AAAAAAAAWjQ/5CGQ59I5rfIzbGxA4NGuibIBNtxccjyMgCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/image%2Bbhalobasha.jpg" title="bhalobasha kare koi" /></a></div><br /> <p></p></span></div></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large; text-align: justify;"><b>Dr. Amitava Datta, a renowned gynaecologist of Kolkata humbly salutes all the courageous and dedicated homemakers in his short story written in Bengali. </b></i></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: 700; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div></div>
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</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><h3 style="text-align: left;"></h3></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: large;">Daylight used to serve as the primary source of light throughout human history. Unfortunately, with the advent of electric light in the last century, the consideration of daylight while setting up or designing new buildings has been pushed into a remote corner. So remote, that its a forgotten light source now as per <b>Prof. Warren Julian, Emeritus Professor in the Department of Architecture, University of Sydney. </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: large;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: large;">Last year when I went To Barcelona I was amazed by the architecture of La Sagrada Basilica. The work conceptualized and started by the most celebrated architect Gaudi in the late nineteenth century has daylight elements for every nook and space inside.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: large;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: large;">Prof Warren Julian's excellent and lucid rendition on the concept of daylight presented in the ISLE webinar is here.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: large;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: large;">My sincere thanks to Prof Warren Julian for sharing his PowerPoint presentations.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: large;"><br />
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</div>Biswajit Senguptahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04502747488677409796noreply@blogger.com068/3, Pratapaditya Rd, Lalpara, Sahanagar, Kalighat, Kolkata, West Bengal 700026, India22.5096902 88.344283699999991-6.4303087999999988 47.035687199999991 51.4496892 129.6528802tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2677408543935148689.post-3795098603376258102020-08-13T17:51:00.010+05:302020-10-03T13:45:45.225+05:30BUDAPEST - 2<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <br />
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</span></h3><h3><span style="line-height: 115%;">BRATISLAVA-<i>HUNGARY TO SLOVAKIA BY TRAIN</i></span></h3><script async="" src="https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script> <br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div></div></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">The idea of visiting Hungary's nearest neighbor was firmly woven into my wanderer's mind, long before stepping into Budapest. There are quite a few trains from Budapest to the Slovakian capital of Bratislava. So, while in Budapest, we opted for the early morning train from Nyugati railway station for a day trip to Bratislava.</span></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">The train's scheduled departure was 7.40 am. So we started early at around 6.30 am when it was still slightly dark outside in October. It was quite cold also, and on our way sighted some homeless people huddled up on benches that line up the entire stretch of pavement along the avenue leading to the station. It took about 10/15 minutes’ to walk down to Nyugati from our apartment in District 7.</span></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">Traveling by train in Europe has always been a cherishable experience for me. Almost all trains are high speed (200 to 220 km/hour on average), smooth and noiseless, very comfortable seats and interiors, and large glass windows for enjoying scenic sailing through the East European countryside. In Hungary, it stopped at Vac, Nagymaras-Visegrad, Szob. All very small towns, and at the same time pretty. Szob district borders Slovakia. There were only two more stations Stürmo and Novezamky before the train reached the capital Bratislava. The entire journey took two and a half hours. Bratislava Central station or Bratislava hlavná stanica is a small station for its international stature. There are only six platforms. But well connected to the entire city of Bratislava by an efficient public transport network. We wanted to take a ride in the tram. So, instead of moving out of the main gate, we turned left at the concourse, went down an escalator, and then turned right to arrive at the tram stop. There were quite a few trams of cherry red color standing there. So pretty and attractive that our first impulse was to get in the first empty stationary streetcar, relax and wait till it moved. Like I used to do at Ballygunge or Park Circus Tram Depots during the heydays in Calcutta. But alas, the driver of one of the trams who observed our movement repeatedly sounded the horn and asked us to go ahead to the boarding stand and stand in a queue for availing the service. Boarded the tram when it arrived as per its schedule displayed on the electronic board at the stand. We got down at the City Centre Square and walked down in the reverse direction to reach the approach road to the Old Town.</span></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">So mesmerizing was the natural juxtaposition of the cherry red trams, wintry chill, a clear sunny morning, and virtually zero traces of dust or haze that it created a spontaneous visualization of a fairyland. We walked on cobbled streets, a small arc bridge, and some uneven stone surfaces before arriving at the medieval Michalská Brána or Michael’s Gate. This baroque style gate leads into the pedestrian-only historic old town. By that time we were hungry, and before moving further inside the old town entered a confectionery run by a group of Slovak ladies. Wonderful pastries and tarts were there to satiate our appetite. There were some souvenir shops around. Traversed a series of labyrinthine passages to see some stunning medieval architecture. It surprised us to find that some of the medieval era residential buildings were occupied by present-day residents and their families. What is most amazing about the Old Town is the way the baroque buildings, churches, narrow cobbled streets, stone pavements, squares, and statues erected during that period have been maintained and kept intact. For a moment I was spellbound by the thought of living in a medieval era. We passed a square where some musicians were entertaining the visitors. Further down, through a row of shops and restaurants, we came to the plaza where stood the strikingly graceful Slovak National Theater, the neo-renaissance building opened in 1886. The little bright cherry red Pressburg sightseeing cars operate from here. They are equipped with audio guides. The driver takes a handful of tourists (I think around eight or ten people can be accommodated) to sightseeing spots in the city of Bratislava. He took us around to Leopold’s Gate, Bratislava Castle (a restored hilltop baroque castle dating back to 907 AD, and commanding a majestic view of the river Danube), the university, the technical institute, and parts of modern Bratislava. On its way back the car dropped us at the plaza from where we started.</span></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">It’s a busy plaza, with rows of souvenir shops, coffee shops, and walnut shops. We leisurely traced our way back to Michael’s Gate, but this time we tried Bastova Street which happens to be the narrowest medieval street sandwiched between some historic buildings. After emerging out of the old town boundary, we walked towards the city’s central tram station in search of Blue Church. The Church dedicated to St. Elizabeth, who was born in Bratislava is also known as St. Elizabeth Church. Built-in the beginning of the twentieth century, the church is popularly referred to as Blue Church because of its pale blue glazed roof and also for its pale blue interior. We returned to the tram station and had lunch at McDonald's before proceeding to the train station. The onset of dusk saw us back on the busy streets of Budapest.</span></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">The last two days in Budapest were spent by visiting the Heroes Square, which was built to commemorate a thousand years of settlement in Hungary; a boat cruise on the Danube enjoying some spectacular views of Buda Castle District, Royal Palace, and the grand Parliament Building as our boat crossed the Chain Bridge and the Elizabeth Bridge over sips of wine and lemonade; the famous Astoria Hotel and Café which was commandeered by the Gestapo and used as their residence; the Central Market; ruin bar in the courtyard of a vacant prewar building; the Jewish Quarter and Europe’s largest Synagogue. </span></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">Delved into the history of Hungarian Jews to know more about the community which constituted nearly one-fourth of the population in Budapest at the beginning of the twentieth century. A peculiar history since their early settlement a thousand years back in the ancient city of Buda, which was then under the Roman Empire. They were mainly merchants, shopkeepers, and craftsmen. They were subject to many persecutions, expulsions, and even decimations under different rules over the centuries. But they were recalled every time for their prominence in science and arts, and their acumen in trade and business. As soldiers during World War I, they laid their lives for Hungary. Hungary and Germany have been allies since World War I. The Jewish community started prospering in the late nineteenth century by contributing to the industrial boom in the country. The Jewish Quarter, which is today located in the inner part of Budapest’s District 7 was earlier near Buda Castle till the late seventeenth century. They turned this into a bustling area that teemed with kosher restaurants, retail stores, and three Synagogues. During the Third Reich and almost till the fag end of World War II, the Jewish community was fairly integrated with the Hungarian society and considered Hungary as a haven. Miklös Källay, the Hungarian PM during the war, did not allow the deportation of Jews to Poland despite an order from Hitler. The Hungarian Jewish community felt protected, little realizing that their predators lurked for the opportune moment. </span></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">Hitler, dissatisfied with Miklös, ordered Nazi German forces to occupy Hungary. On 19th March 1944 German forces occupied Hungary. Otto Adolf Eichmann, member of SS (Schutzstaffel), arrived on the same day. Arrow Cross, a right-wing fascist party of Hungary formed a new Government by throwing out Miklos. Eichmann converted a portion of Dohany Synagogue to his office and set up an interim concentration camp for the Budapest Jews. Eichmann started a Budapest Jewish Council to deny freedom of movement within the city. Some humiliating acts of legislation were introduced like a) Yellow Star badge to be worn by all Jewish Budapest citizens; b) houses with yellow star markings were designated for the Jews; c) cameras, radios and bicycles were confiscated. Meanwhile, between May and July 1944, Eichmann oversaw the deportation of around four and a half lac Hungarian Jews to extermination camps at Auschwitz in Poland. Most of the Jews were gassed on arrival to comply with ‘Final Solutions’, systematic extermination of the Jewish race in place of emigration as declared. When Soviet and Romanian forces encircled Budapest from 24th December 1944 to 13th February 1945, the Hungarian ruling party Arrow Cross searched for the Jews across the city and murdered them. They were in a hurry to annihilate the Jewish community, knowing that the Red Army would enter any time. From the Central Ghettos, they herded about twenty thousand Jews and killed them. Over two thousand perished due to hunger, cold, and epidemic type diseases in the ghettos in the winter of 1944-45. </span></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">The year 2019. Ambling down Kiraly, Kazinczy, and Dohany streets at the Jewish Quarter in the evening was a joyous experience. Restaurants, Bars, Pubs, and retail stores lit up the atmosphere and life was at its fullest. This must have been the scenario until early 1944 or maybe better. The wall surrounding the Central Ghettos ( converted into a Wall Memorial ), and some old buildings still displaying the yellow stars (one such building was opposite Hotel California) were grim reflections of the sordid tales of the winter of 1944/45.</span></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">Red trolleybuses operate in the Pest downtown area. These trolleybuses were introduced after the war for replacing trams on narrow streets. I observed this type of transport from Terez Korut Boulevard. The bus on route # 74 covers the entire stretch of Dohany Street, one of the most famous narrow roads in the city. Famous for Europe’s largest Synagogue.</span></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Built during the mid-nineteenth century, the synagogue is a fascinating blend of Moorish architecture and décor of Al Hambra in medieval Spain. It’s a large complex at one corner of Dohany Street. The complex has a courtyard where over 2000 Jews, who perished in the Central Ghetto during winters of 1944-45, were buried; Heroes’ Temple for honoring tens of thousands of Jewish soldiers who laid down their lives fighting for Hungary in World War I; Holocaust Memorial Space and Hungarian Jewish Museum. Dohany Street Synagogue, a symbol of Hungarian Judaism, turned out to be the first Jewish Temple, we visited. Non-Jewish are allowed inside the prayer hall, but males have to cover their heads with a kippah (a sort of skullcap). The worship area was large and could seat about 3000 people. Dohany Synagogue is the largest synagogue in Europe and the second-largest in the world. Since we were mostly tourists, the zones were divided on a language basis. We joined the ‘English’ group. Our rabbi was smart and eloquent as a guide. After the congregation, we moved to the rear portion of the synagogue. En route, on the right-hand side was an entrance to the basement area of the synagogue. During the world war, this area served as a cellar. The Hungarian Jewish Museum was located next to the synagogue. There were about 1500 artifacts. Two employees of the Hungarian National Museum hid the artifacts in the cellar of the synagogue in 1942, and thus the rich collection exists today. The archives in the cellar turned museum include the poignant tale of the Jewish community in the grip of Arrow Cross and the Nazis, the 'Yellow Star'branding, and construction of ghettos. Since there was no restriction on taking photographs, some of the photographs taken have been included here. From the museum, we went to a courtyard at the rear where a poignant Holocaust Memorial in the form of a metal Weeping Willow was designed by a Hungarian artist Imre Varga. Names of all the holocaust victims are inscribed on the metal leaves (perhaps about six lakhs Hungarian Jews killed in the year 1944-45). This Holocaust Memorial park is named after Raoul Wallenberg, a Swedish diplomat in Budapest who saved thousands of Jews. One thing I observed from visits to all the Jewish memorials is that they place pebbles at the graves or memorials in place of flowers as a mark of respect. Although a very strange custom, but stones have a very special character in Judaism. The most sacred shrine in Judaism is a pile of stones. This stems from the fact that Abraham had taken his son for sacrifice on an altar of stone called </span><em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">even hashytiah</em><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">, the foundation stone of the world.</span></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">The grandeur of Dohany Street Synagogue not only lies over the façade of the temple but also in its core for having crushed the evils who tried to take over and convert it in 1944.</span></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p></div></div></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Photo credit: Arundhati Sengupta (RUBY)</i></b></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Dohany Synagogue Prayer Hall can accommodate 3000 worshippers</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Slovakia National Opera Bratislava</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6Afv1mP0Ekk/XsPFNQ_PKuI/AAAAAAAAUbk/tOYrfMvUVKwWeDN3uD7ji156H81vEOH4gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/buda%2B009.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="pest" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6Afv1mP0Ekk/XsPFNQ_PKuI/AAAAAAAAUbk/tOYrfMvUVKwWeDN3uD7ji156H81vEOH4gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/buda%2B009.jpg" title="nyugati station" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Nyugati rail station Budapest</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EBAMaZQTCB4/Xypoc4AcLyI/AAAAAAAAVvM/ai1PYTGUE2ERIdOUYZF5r1VWwfk5lod9wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2Bstation%2B02.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="budapest" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EBAMaZQTCB4/Xypoc4AcLyI/AAAAAAAAVvM/ai1PYTGUE2ERIdOUYZF5r1VWwfk5lod9wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2Bstation%2B02.jpg" title="nyugati international counter" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>International train ticket counter at Nyugati station Budapest</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OWGQ0gb23FM/XyppE18y9gI/AAAAAAAAVvc/kqpSgw1u4cEMuDq_FEV6B64WPix-xpVIQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/brat%2B01.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="train travel" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OWGQ0gb23FM/XyppE18y9gI/AAAAAAAAVvc/kqpSgw1u4cEMuDq_FEV6B64WPix-xpVIQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/brat%2B01.jpg" title="hungary" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Hungarian countryside from the train</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JxlG2mfQ0SQ/XyppFFfGx1I/AAAAAAAAVvg/F353x01O76IKHeTEp5a3mCpuMlsS1L3ggCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/brat%2B02.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="countryside" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JxlG2mfQ0SQ/XyppFFfGx1I/AAAAAAAAVvg/F353x01O76IKHeTEp5a3mCpuMlsS1L3ggCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/brat%2B02.jpg" title="hungary" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: medium;">Hungarian countryside from the train</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7ekOa92z3sA/XrpOsfZtnnI/AAAAAAAAT-E/-BM4F3wqBTgogbLLs7mj882gYKgmLkPWACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B99.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="slovakia" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7ekOa92z3sA/XrpOsfZtnnI/AAAAAAAAT-E/-BM4F3wqBTgogbLLs7mj882gYKgmLkPWACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B99.jpg" title="bratislava station" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Bratislava Station</b></span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9FQPtOyN8pg/XsPEADb3o-I/AAAAAAAAUYY/06MlMQ7aJC4mUTzTWZaNS1_uQniVXJ3nACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bratis%2B02.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="slovakia" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9FQPtOyN8pg/XsPEADb3o-I/AAAAAAAAUYY/06MlMQ7aJC4mUTzTWZaNS1_uQniVXJ3nACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bratis%2B02.jpg" title="bratislava station concourse" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: medium;">Bratislava Station</b></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sxmAW11P52g/Xypo-60ZEMI/AAAAAAAAVvU/fQfrQwkxWZkhYr0YqxuVM1QmKT2o47hYgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/brat%2B03.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="slovakia" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="899" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sxmAW11P52g/Xypo-60ZEMI/AAAAAAAAVvU/fQfrQwkxWZkhYr0YqxuVM1QmKT2o47hYgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/brat%2B03.jpg" title="bratislava market" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Bratislava market place</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uNvjzPqdB0k/XyppCc7KwEI/AAAAAAAAVvY/f2YalUiJO3I8wqvaknylMMbdFBBQcXlSQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/brat%2B04.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="slovakia" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="899" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uNvjzPqdB0k/XyppCc7KwEI/AAAAAAAAVvY/f2YalUiJO3I8wqvaknylMMbdFBBQcXlSQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/brat%2B04.jpg" title="bratislava musician" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>A musician in Bratislava</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AQsAws6fouY/XyptFYVJUuI/AAAAAAAAVv0/szcLy-UTRtMoNu34RXq9u1ioFV6kPkUgACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B82.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="bratislava" border="0" data-original-height="1120" data-original-width="1056" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AQsAws6fouY/XyptFYVJUuI/AAAAAAAAVv0/szcLy-UTRtMoNu34RXq9u1ioFV6kPkUgACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B82.jpg" title="pressburg car" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Pressburg sightseeing car in Bratislava</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_66XuPpcquM/XyptFdhiFeI/AAAAAAAAVv4/QHLyBBCHSg4fsxIHl6g6FhR0lMJIFN2WwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B83.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="bratislava street" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_66XuPpcquM/XyptFdhiFeI/AAAAAAAAVv4/QHLyBBCHSg4fsxIHl6g6FhR0lMJIFN2WwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B83.jpg" title="street scene" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Bratislava street</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bWGcwLbgE4w/XyptLWtxciI/AAAAAAAAVwE/s6GpWmXYz4c1Xyitfgjx3rhyT1BWn8B3wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B84.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bWGcwLbgE4w/XyptLWtxciI/AAAAAAAAVwE/s6GpWmXYz4c1Xyitfgjx3rhyT1BWn8B3wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B84.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Tickets for sightseeing</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--g1HrGFO0mA/XyptKvj3x8I/AAAAAAAAVv8/yU8q2J6ZxEcxphQYKYVaMcikWNX3rL3VQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B85.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--g1HrGFO0mA/XyptKvj3x8I/AAAAAAAAVv8/yU8q2J6ZxEcxphQYKYVaMcikWNX3rL3VQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B85.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Old Town Bratislava</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--PSr_2TKkxE/XyptNQ2sDyI/AAAAAAAAVwM/aLvPKUAQmv8Sgs0Zzc5iwXPy2AgDNcRjgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B87.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--PSr_2TKkxE/XyptNQ2sDyI/AAAAAAAAVwM/aLvPKUAQmv8Sgs0Zzc5iwXPy2AgDNcRjgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B87.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Michael's Gate Bratislava</b></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZHYqvCskp4s/XyptQTcjeVI/AAAAAAAAVwU/snn2LG134BkT9ZyMPGMP9jq577Oh9RJLgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B88.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="bratislava" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZHYqvCskp4s/XyptQTcjeVI/AAAAAAAAVwU/snn2LG134BkT9ZyMPGMP9jq577Oh9RJLgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B88.jpg" title="museum" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Bratislava Museum</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BGFkZQI-CIc/XyptQTCoHnI/AAAAAAAAVwQ/t5PqUoCIhysiQoyaFtNKZkOt6etPxx3TACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B89.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="slovakia" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BGFkZQI-CIc/XyptQTCoHnI/AAAAAAAAVwQ/t5PqUoCIhysiQoyaFtNKZkOt6etPxx3TACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B89.jpg" title="bratislava confectionery" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Mouthwatering patties and pastries in a confectionery run by ladies in Bratislava</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2dlfcTTMM2M/XyptRQAXzXI/AAAAAAAAVwY/mJL4E-Ri2gAo3wClHh6Fmqiw3VLQfSzxACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B90.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="bratislava" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2dlfcTTMM2M/XyptRQAXzXI/AAAAAAAAVwY/mJL4E-Ri2gAo3wClHh6Fmqiw3VLQfSzxACLcBGAsYHQ/d/bud%2B90.jpg" title="narrow street in bratislava" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the narrow streets in Bratislava</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mhIheqykblA/XyptV6z0RpI/AAAAAAAAVwk/Y4SjehISz20lxuePW0Dh2iZbZPSCc4hcQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B91.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="bratislava" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mhIheqykblA/XyptV6z0RpI/AAAAAAAAVwk/Y4SjehISz20lxuePW0Dh2iZbZPSCc4hcQCLcBGAsYHQ/d/bud%2B91.jpg" title="the old town" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Bratislava</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--PNHVhcbbBM/XrpOyqqHK4I/AAAAAAAAT-M/vy3tenxvrDc8nZMt6e84y0rYZgthZiBngCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/buda%2B15.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: right;"><img alt="bratislava" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--PNHVhcbbBM/XrpOyqqHK4I/AAAAAAAAT-M/vy3tenxvrDc8nZMt6e84y0rYZgthZiBngCLcBGAsYHQ/d/buda%2B15.jpg" title="old town image" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Old Town Bratislava</b></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QoWnNbWN_5k/XsPEP7Wf5GI/AAAAAAAAUYw/UkPoUsB94BgMnmCfAqepkz-l7WssX6GDACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bratis%2B07.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="bratis castle" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QoWnNbWN_5k/XsPEP7Wf5GI/AAAAAAAAUYw/UkPoUsB94BgMnmCfAqepkz-l7WssX6GDACLcBGAsYHQ/d/bratis%2B07.jpg" title="outside bratislava castle" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Outside Bratislava Castle</b></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P6vc0KUuzIk/XsPD-z94mlI/AAAAAAAAUYQ/0NXJIK3ymJME-dMqg_bhTwfvIfmW9RYJACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bratis%2B010.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="bratis square" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="899" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P6vc0KUuzIk/XsPD-z94mlI/AAAAAAAAUYQ/0NXJIK3ymJME-dMqg_bhTwfvIfmW9RYJACLcBGAsYHQ/d/bratis%2B010.jpg" title="bratislava square" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Bratislava Square</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F9QNmiHzgNI/XyptXq9J-dI/AAAAAAAAVwo/AZ85SErfAl8pWsx3dnDJ0TcHtV8QvV0NgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B94.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="pressburg" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F9QNmiHzgNI/XyptXq9J-dI/AAAAAAAAVwo/AZ85SErfAl8pWsx3dnDJ0TcHtV8QvV0NgCLcBGAsYHQ/d/bud%2B94.jpg" title="bratislava square" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Pressburg in Bratislava</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cEW0X7Tdsno/XsPEGMI0fbI/AAAAAAAAUYk/lZKpWCn6QHk9BPuf4RMcEKDPzbu4v227gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bratis%2B06.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="bratis" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cEW0X7Tdsno/XsPEGMI0fbI/AAAAAAAAUYk/lZKpWCn6QHk9BPuf4RMcEKDPzbu4v227gCLcBGAsYHQ/d/bratis%2B06.jpg" title="blue church" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Blue Church</b></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z4OPyjFwcmA/XrpNM_5EefI/AAAAAAAAT6Q/IrN9Wb1Vm-Id2qdb2jtpL4rIiCv2USaEgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B49.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="bratis church" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z4OPyjFwcmA/XrpNM_5EefI/AAAAAAAAT6Q/IrN9Wb1Vm-Id2qdb2jtpL4rIiCv2USaEgCLcBGAsYHQ/d/bud%2B49.jpg" title="blue church" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Blue Church</b></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X8rneoi7QAg/XrpNMO1MdyI/AAAAAAAAT6M/G3bmZjoZCPw0if1sgREykXJVW9aVatRnwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B50.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="bratis" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X8rneoi7QAg/XrpNMO1MdyI/AAAAAAAAT6M/G3bmZjoZCPw0if1sgREykXJVW9aVatRnwCLcBGAsYHQ/d/bud%2B50.jpg" title="chapel blue church" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Blue Church</b></td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6tBM2pOK9UA/XrpNOys0uxI/AAAAAAAAT6U/cmqjZlS0Fz0o9di-3x1pQcvy2CpCd3sswCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B51.jpg" id="near blue church" name="near blue church"><img alt="bratis" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6tBM2pOK9UA/XrpNOys0uxI/AAAAAAAAT6U/cmqjZlS0Fz0o9di-3x1pQcvy2CpCd3sswCLcBGAsYHQ/d/bud%2B51.jpg" title="near blue church" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7qnU3DDKKN4/XrpOr0ebfhI/AAAAAAAAT-A/OIVDXqWBGww2ngSH45KqlfafNwSufMBfQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B98.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="bratis" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="899" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7qnU3DDKKN4/XrpOr0ebfhI/AAAAAAAAT-A/OIVDXqWBGww2ngSH45KqlfafNwSufMBfQCLcBGAsYHQ/d/bud%2B98.jpg" title="new bratislava" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New Bratislava near Danube</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G3yvfqcCRrA/XrpOASnBBVI/AAAAAAAAT78/BYQKg9tSl7QuvlGbRIZfu3x2Jpx9yPtSgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B72.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="pest" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="899" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G3yvfqcCRrA/XrpOASnBBVI/AAAAAAAAT78/BYQKg9tSl7QuvlGbRIZfu3x2Jpx9yPtSgCLcBGAsYHQ/d/bud%2B72.jpg" title="budapest" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Budapest</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o0466cEV1ys/XsPFI9Ck5UI/AAAAAAAAUbU/7s-J39a3UnkygjMaZhcPCQOl7Txu-JBDQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/buda%2B004.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="pest" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o0466cEV1ys/XsPFI9Ck5UI/AAAAAAAAUbU/7s-J39a3UnkygjMaZhcPCQOl7Txu-JBDQCLcBGAsYHQ/d/buda%2B004.jpg" title="view from danube" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>A view of Parliament from Danube</b></td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sMlkr9RN22k/XsPFKr4xtKI/AAAAAAAAUbg/ueAX0H3eOac_XnyVeDzQ4BoT16FkJcKWACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/buda%2B005.jpg"><img alt="pest" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sMlkr9RN22k/XsPFKr4xtKI/AAAAAAAAUbg/ueAX0H3eOac_XnyVeDzQ4BoT16FkJcKWACLcBGAsYHQ/d/buda%2B005.jpg" title="view from danube" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Budapest Danube Cruise</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DuBkKaiO0xs/XsPFNbYGmKI/AAAAAAAAUbo/FhMemJOIe_UcgSxMbcfum3qnWJHzN2ChwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/buda%2B008.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="budapest ghetto" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DuBkKaiO0xs/XsPFNbYGmKI/AAAAAAAAUbo/FhMemJOIe_UcgSxMbcfum3qnWJHzN2ChwCLcBGAsYHQ/d/buda%2B008.jpg" title="memorial wall budapest" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Memorial Wall over Jewish Ghetto</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oU2ImYZBW7k/XsPEYH3SRYI/AAAAAAAAUZA/6DmCFIBaAaAkBi5yWft95saO5S-WWH-pgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/buda%2B0010.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oU2ImYZBW7k/XsPEYH3SRYI/AAAAAAAAUZA/6DmCFIBaAaAkBi5yWft95saO5S-WWH-pgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/buda%2B0010.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Statue of Sisi or Empress Elisabeth of Austria at Andrassy Avenue. She was married to Emperor Franz Joseph I. Her connection with Budapest was when she got Andrassy appointed as the first Hungarian Prime Minister. In return, Andrassy made Emperor Joseph as the Emperor of Austria and Hungary, for which the coronation took place in Budapest.</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tDtr4afnAhc/XsPE1p2H_JI/AAAAAAAAUaQ/sxIj-lTF570256w2E00Ei_mH-v3hDjMRgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/buda%2B0022.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="budapest synagogue" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tDtr4afnAhc/XsPE1p2H_JI/AAAAAAAAUaQ/sxIj-lTF570256w2E00Ei_mH-v3hDjMRgCLcBGAsYHQ/d/buda%2B0022.jpg" title="dohany synagogue" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dohany Synagogue Budapest</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Dohany Synagogue</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1mwbsS37WAg/XsPEkHiCBqI/AAAAAAAAUZw/1KhGpx7BcpwDOV9o6vu9kDEQE7rZGZ-ywCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/buda%2B0019.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="rabbi" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1mwbsS37WAg/XsPEkHiCBqI/AAAAAAAAUZw/1KhGpx7BcpwDOV9o6vu9kDEQE7rZGZ-ywCLcBGAsYHQ/d/buda%2B0019.jpg" title="rabbi dohany synagogue" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Our English speaking Rabbi inside Dohany Synagogue</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PXcW0Jcbf10/XrpNnadn_HI/AAAAAAAAT7I/hj9b01XPwSI3uBazg9qvJEizFcnaQKjgwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B60.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="jewish memorial" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PXcW0Jcbf10/XrpNnadn_HI/AAAAAAAAT7I/hj9b01XPwSI3uBazg9qvJEizFcnaQKjgwCLcBGAsYHQ/d/bud%2B60.jpg" title="weeping willow budapest" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Weeping Willow at Dohany. A unique memorial in which names of about six lakhs Jews killed in the Holocaust during 1944 - 45 are inscribed on the metal leaves of the tree.</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Names of victims inscribed on the metal leaves of the weeping willow</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vi5uE2Q57RY/XsPFBAwTtNI/AAAAAAAAUaw/8HzYc34aNAk2GCW7K6XzpeZYfGsMjemhQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/buda%2B0026.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="dohany" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vi5uE2Q57RY/XsPFBAwTtNI/AAAAAAAAUaw/8HzYc34aNAk2GCW7K6XzpeZYfGsMjemhQCLcBGAsYHQ/d/buda%2B0026.jpg" title="synagogue budapest" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Dohany Synagogue</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Gax4ve3gDH4/XsPFBXlsbaI/AAAAAAAAUa0/2KgJQjDDorQIf0DFNXzjgVERYGmTb0W0ACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/buda%2B0027.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="dohany" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Gax4ve3gDH4/XsPFBXlsbaI/AAAAAAAAUa0/2KgJQjDDorQIf0DFNXzjgVERYGmTb0W0ACLcBGAsYHQ/d/buda%2B0027.jpg" title="archive budapest" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>FROM JEWISH MUSEUM AND ARCHIVE</b></td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vkvgtFaybqo/XrpNq8pDuLI/AAAAAAAAT7Q/oW2C891LZwwu4sIglzokUWtXT1GR2QB8QCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B64.jpg" style="text-align: center;"><img alt="archive" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="899" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vkvgtFaybqo/XrpNq8pDuLI/AAAAAAAAT7Q/oW2C891LZwwu4sIglzokUWtXT1GR2QB8QCLcBGAsYHQ/d/bud%2B64.jpg" title="dohany budapest archive" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-chTpIbELnO8/XrpNrDVR-7I/AAAAAAAAT7U/0ZWRAdcBSPYuxaICbDmJd_yX8pU9Wku7QCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B63.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="archive" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-chTpIbELnO8/XrpNrDVR-7I/AAAAAAAAT7U/0ZWRAdcBSPYuxaICbDmJd_yX8pU9Wku7QCLcBGAsYHQ/d/bud%2B63.jpg" title="dohany budapest archive" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Jews summoned to Budapest from the countrysides. The yellow star was introduced to identify the Jews.</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-azDDuGkI2eU/XsPFEdtPT0I/AAAAAAAAUa4/i3zesABFW5IhIq7CjvEC2xnehBPsfVV0gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/buda%2B0029.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="cemetery dohany" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-azDDuGkI2eU/XsPFEdtPT0I/AAAAAAAAUa4/i3zesABFW5IhIq7CjvEC2xnehBPsfVV0gCLcBGAsYHQ/d/buda%2B0029.jpg" title="dohany cemetery" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Cemetery in the premises of Dohany Synagogue</b></td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bhmKIQuxhf8/XrpNvvzePwI/AAAAAAAAT7g/1-iAqdts1yk26V9FZvp9EY999Qzo_NEogCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B65.jpg" style="text-align: center;"><img alt="museum" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bhmKIQuxhf8/XrpNvvzePwI/AAAAAAAAT7g/1-iAqdts1yk26V9FZvp9EY999Qzo_NEogCLcBGAsYHQ/d/bud%2B65.jpg" title="jewish museum budapest" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MrZ_0B2QeOI/XrpNujjSo7I/AAAAAAAAT7c/YKMuWVrmiGkfGgc11kX9nhacioSUZDx6gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B66.jpg" style="text-align: center;"><img alt="cemetery dohany" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="899" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MrZ_0B2QeOI/XrpNujjSo7I/AAAAAAAAT7c/YKMuWVrmiGkfGgc11kX9nhacioSUZDx6gCLcBGAsYHQ/d/bud%2B66.jpg" title="dohany budapest" /></a></div></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
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</div>Biswajit Senguptahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04502747488677409796noreply@blogger.com168/3, Pratapaditya Rd, Lalpara, Sahanagar, Kalighat, Kolkata, West Bengal 700026, India22.5096902 88.3442836999999917.22133391315241 70.766157358895484 37.798046486847596 105.9224100411045tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2677408543935148689.post-32359801762573355732020-07-26T21:44:00.006+05:302021-07-24T14:40:02.331+05:30BUDAPEST ( 1 )<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
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<span style="color: white; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; font-weight: normal;">Bu</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: orange; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large; line-height: 115%;"><b>Buda & Pest- the charming twins on the banks of Danube</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: orange; font-family: times, times new roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: orange; font-family: times, times new roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 115%;"><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: times;">The international airport was going through refurbishing when we flew into Budapest in October 2019. We had to directly walk across to the terminal after deboarding our flight - rather literally rush in the face of soft sprays of drizzles and cold wind on our way. Strange it may seem, but on our left, a long chain of passengers was moving towards their boarding gate housed in a small temporary cubicle. They were separated from us by a barricade made of wire mesh. A scene identical to images of European Jews being herded by the Nazis for deportation by holocaust trains. Outside, Mr. Gabor (one of the partners of Lichtenstein Apartments) was waiting to pick us up as our apartment was about 15 km away from the airport. Lichtenstein Apartment complex is centrally located, on a lane leading to the hub of Jewish Quarters in District 7. The apartments are cut out from century-old building interiors with very high ceilings and tall windows of French window style overlooking the street. Because of the high ceiling, the rooms are designed in duplex format – kitchenette, seating area and toilet at ground level, and bedroom with a TV, a closet, and a sofa at the upper level. There were a lot of popular pubs and eateries a little ahead of our apartment. Weekdays were quiet and normal, but weekends i.e. Friday night and Saturday night brought sleepless nights to the residents. People started flocking in from 9 pm and continued partying, dancing, singing, chatting until almost 3 in the morning. Though disturbing to the circadian rhythm of a normal human being, I have always advocated such lively gatherings once in a while. Brings about a sense of security, warmth, laughter, and happiness to humankind. Particularly in a large metropolis, where we were total strangers. </span></span></strong></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: times;">On the first morning, we walked down to Blaha Lujza Ter metro, being closest to our apartment. We decided to try the metro first, but on second thought decided to cover the city on the first day on Hop on – Hop off service. The Hop on-Hop off stop was in front of the famous New York Hotel & Café across the wide thoroughfare of the Grand Boulevard, with high-speed tram tracks on the median. New York Café is a nineteenth-century eclectic architectural wonder. A blend of the Italian renaissance, historical Greek, and baroque styles. Seen from the plaza on the opposite pavement presents a spectacular view of the illuminated building in the night. Able to sit in one of the front rows of the semi-covered upper deck was an exciting experience, We went through some historic sites of Budapest, and alighted at the Pest end of Chain Bridge over the Danube. Chain Bridge was built between 1839 and 1849. A very important suspension bridge connecting Pest to the lower end of Castle Hill Funicular to Buda Castle. It happened to be the first permanent bridge uniting the ancient city of Buda with Pest, and thus merged to become Budapest in 1873. It, therefore, went on to become a national symbol of Hungary. The bridge was built at the initiation of Count Istvan Szechenyl after he had visited England and greatly admired Hammersmith Bridge. He hired the Hammersmith Bridge Engineer William Clarke to build the bridge. It is called Chain Bridge because the roadbed hangs in flat iron chains suspended from stone arches. The bridge was completely blown off by the retreating German soldiers in 1945 when the Soviet and Romanian forces had encircled Budapest and laid siege of the city. Only the pillars had remained intact, and the bridge was rebuilt in a couple of years. Vehicles are allowed on the bridge, but we preferred to traverse it on foot to look at the historic bridge more closely. After crossing the bridge we took a bus to the Buda Castle and were there on time to watch the change of guard which takes place with a lot of fanfare. After that, we walked down to the viewing point known as Fisherman’s Bastion. It’s a nineteenth-century fortress-like construction on the periphery of Buda Castle, made of spires and turrets. Why ‘Fisherman’? No authentic information. But ‘Bastion’ it is, as it was meant to guard the Buda Castle. The tower offers a panoramic view of the Danube and the city below Castle Hill. An eleventh-century church(Matthias Church is the oldest Church, which got converted to a mosque for a brief period under Turkish occupation in the sixteenth century), a café on the terrace where we had coffee and snacks, cobblestone paths, classical and baroque buildings, worth watching huge nineteenth-century manhole covers, altogether present a unique vista of magnificence. On our way back to the bus stand we dropped in at Houdini’s Museum. Before we entered the magician’s chamber, we were caught by another magical surprise. The pretty, young Hungarian girl who was manning the counter of the museum started speaking with us in flawless Hindi. She said she graduated in Hindi from Budapest University and had been to India a couple of times. After all the mind-boggling exposures, we headed back for Pest. This time our bus crossed the newer Margaret Bridge and entered Pest via the magnificent Parliament building.</span></span></strong></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: times;"> We hopped off at St. Stephen’s Basilica. A Roman Catholic church, built at the beginning of the twentieth-century and replacing the older temporary version was named after the first king of Hungary (975 – 1038 AD), an incorruptible King whose right hand is kept in a reliquary inside the church. It is the tallest building in Budapest with a height of about 315 ft. The church stands in a spacious square, where people can walk, relax, and enjoy coffee and tidbits. Budapest is a large city, but not sprawling as a modern city tends to be. Although the city of Budapest was officially christened sometime in the nineteenth century, Buda Castle was built along with fortification by the second founder of Hungary, King Bela IV in the thirteenth century. So that way it can be considered almost a thousand years old. What surprised us most during our stay was that the city had a very well planned road network. A sort of square matrix formation, with several narrow streets converging to the main thoroughfare and then again diverging to other main roads in Pest. Like from St Stephen’s Basilica in District 5, one can walk down to District 7 where our apartment was located. But one has to be extra careful in making notes of landmarks while walking, which I learned through paralytically bitter experience. We had been to Szabadsag square where a commemorative monument dedicated to all the victims of Hungary’s German occupation has been put up by the present ruling party. At the gate there is a statue of Archangel Gabriel depicting Hungary, being attacked by a German imperial eagle. It has become a site of daily protests. The protestors feel that erecting such a statue absolves Hungarians of assisting Nazis in sending some four and a half lakh Jews to their death camps. Nazi German forces occupied Hungary on 19th March 1944, and between May and July set about to decimate as much Jews from Budapest and other parts of Hungary, by deporting them to Auschwitz in Poland with the help of their Hungarian ally, the right-wing fascist Arrow Cross Party who had formed the government. The present generation showcases photographs of Jews victimized, light up candles, and places floral tributes as a mark of respect. A further walk brought us to a park. I wanted to walk down to the Parliament on the shores of Danube, but my wife decided to relax on a bench in the park. When I crossed the park, I noticed some fencing work going on at the periphery. The sight induced so much confidence that I failed to register the road I took after leaving a small circular park. So while returning from the tram terminus near the Parliament building, I drifted into a different path. The narrow streets looked familiar, but the sight of the spire of St. Stephen’s Basilica put me in a fluster. I started walking back until I arrived at the small circular park. I stood still at one of its exit points trying hard to reason with myself how to get over the impasse. Asking direction was ruled out as I did not know the name of the park. Finally and I groped my way to the spot where my wife was waiting and almost on the verge of a breakdown. Instead of throwing tantrums, she offered me water and she is the one who consoled me. The relief was so profound that at that moment I was not certain how much time had passed in a silent struggle to get over the plight of losing my way.</span></span></strong></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: times;">During our stay for the next few days, we decided to move out together in Budapest. Except on a few occasions when she preferred to stay back in the apartment. Like getting my favorite chicken balls, sweet and sour prawns, and fried rice from an eatery run by a lovely, smiling Chinese lady(a family restaurant), walking down to the nineteenth century Nyugati Railway Station for booking tickets for Bratislava, walking down to a typical Hungarian restaurant near the Opera for a smack on tempting Hungarian Goulash. Goulash is a medieval Hungarian delicacy. It is a spicy soup of meat cubes and vegetables. Served hot in large bowls with bread or rice, it is simply delectable. In the course of our stay at Budapest, we also tried some Hungarian delicacies like Beef Goulash (Budapest style), Mushroom Paprika, Torpedo Shrimps, and Draft Beer at the Drum, a famous Hungarian restaurant near the Dohany Street Synagogue.</span></span></strong></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; font-family: times, "times new roman", serif; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; font-family: times, "times new roman", serif; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; font-family: times, "times new roman", serif; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; font-family: times, "times new roman", serif; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> Walking a little further towards the Danube by following the high-speed tram lines 4 and 6, one comes to Nyugati station with a majestic façade. The station caters to a few international stations like Bratislava, Prague, Kiev, Berlin, and Paris. Most of the other international trains operate from Keleti station which is almost at central Budapest. The beauty of the nineteenth-century Nyugati station is further enhanced by one of the largest and subtly decorated McDonalds restaurant, located on the adjacent space at one of the station’s exits to the boulevard. Corinthia, a grand historic hotel is located a few steps ahead. A lot of supermarkets such as Spars are there on both sides of the road leading to the station. Walk, walk, walk-that was exactly what we did during our many outings in Budapest. In a way taking advantage of the vantage of our apartment. Like, while walking down to the Danube we crossed the junction near the House of Terror and came to the promenade where 1940 styled shoes sculpted out of iron casting are lined up as a memorial to honor the Jews, including children, killed by fascist Arrow Cross militiamen. </span></strong></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; font-family: times, "times new roman", serif; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; font-family: times, "times new roman", serif; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; font-family: times, "times new roman", serif; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Conceived by film director Can Togay and shaped by Hungarian sculptor Gyula Pauer in 2005, this happens to be a unique memorial. After Germany occupied Hungary in March 1944, the Prime Minister was replaced by Nazi proxy Dome Szlojay. His first act was to legalize a fascist right-wing party Arrow Cross who subscribed to the Nazi ideology of 'master races'. Unable to protect the large Jewish community, Hungary's Regent Admiral Miklòs Horthy abdicated his position in October 1944. His place was taken by notorious Ferenc Szalasi, an evil Hungarian who partnered Eichmann in scheming criminal activities. As Allied and Soviet armies closed in on Budapest, Hungary's 'Jewish Solution' started waning. Members of the Arrow Cross Party Police known as ‘Nyllas’, with the help of Nazis went on a rampage within the city of Budapest. They picked up as many as thirty-eight thousand helpless Hungarian Jews from the Ghettos, Jewish Hospitals, and houses for poor Jews. Mostly hapless and helpless Jews like women, children, the sick, and the disabled. On orders from a capricious Hungarian government, they were hunted and herded on winters of December 1944 and January 1945, taken to the Danube riverside, alleys, and ditches in the city and killed. The killing was a sort of amusement then. At the riverside, the victims were ordered to take off their shoes and shot at the edge of the water so that their bodies were carried away by the Danube. So desperate were the Arrow Cross rogues that they repeated their ghastly acts almost every day openly in a large metropolis like Budapest till the arrival of the Soviet army in mid-January. A diabolic history! Sordid tales were created by sleazy characters. Mayhem, which had a nauseating effect on me.</span></strong></p></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><script async="" src="https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script> ....<i>more in Part 2</i><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><i><br />
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</i></span></b> <b><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Photo Courtesy: Arundhati Sengupta</i></span></b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--l-AkupCedc/Xx6cOdR8iGI/AAAAAAAAVeU/tIurxqyGMGAsQOV-_Vj0HH9xKxKfmbMsACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/buda%2B16.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--l-AkupCedc/Xx6cOdR8iGI/AAAAAAAAVeU/tIurxqyGMGAsQOV-_Vj0HH9xKxKfmbMsACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/buda%2B16.jpg" /></a></div><b>BUDA CASTLE </b><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Hwn2o84lDdM/Xp6h2OQ_0DI/AAAAAAAATEM/63pSydAj318GtvfhGVZiXg957vhQ7gw6gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B09.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><br />
<img alt="chain bridge" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Hwn2o84lDdM/Xp6h2OQ_0DI/AAAAAAAATEM/63pSydAj318GtvfhGVZiXg957vhQ7gw6gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B09.jpg" title="budapest" /></b></a><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Chain Bridge</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oaXnvpVnEsw/Xp6hzmA3uWI/AAAAAAAATD0/k5UAIACRorIzjDFMQeXCsjeTtTyXzgkZACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B03.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="grand boulevard" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oaXnvpVnEsw/Xp6hzmA3uWI/AAAAAAAATD0/k5UAIACRorIzjDFMQeXCsjeTtTyXzgkZACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B03.jpg" title="budapest" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Grand Boulevard</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tmDD191k65k/Xp6h0lmWDuI/AAAAAAAATEA/O4dwYtZigmAzpS33Y7l4qA3-Pe-VocsOwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B06.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="parliament" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tmDD191k65k/Xp6h0lmWDuI/AAAAAAAATEA/O4dwYtZigmAzpS33Y7l4qA3-Pe-VocsOwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B06.jpg" title="budapest" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Budapest Parliament</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e6Oh4WgXWJk/Xp6h1Na66eI/AAAAAAAATEE/kzSmR7ELo28DUJPHDb-GZPRuv2EpVEKbACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B07.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="buda castle guard" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e6Oh4WgXWJk/Xp6h1Na66eI/AAAAAAAATEE/kzSmR7ELo28DUJPHDb-GZPRuv2EpVEKbACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B07.jpg" title="budapest" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>With Guard at Budapest Castle</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MHErhUACiNI/Xp6h1-psdPI/AAAAAAAATEI/DD7ECYeK5oAsCiRPFOsDrqDzVPEE8yMnwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B08.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="pest" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MHErhUACiNI/Xp6h1-psdPI/AAAAAAAATEI/DD7ECYeK5oAsCiRPFOsDrqDzVPEE8yMnwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B08.jpg" title="buda" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">View of Pest from Buda</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5HEG9a-6Ta0/XrpNuZ9ColI/AAAAAAAAT7Y/GVnt4NOxg780gSYHKadcsfna1lKsDJqBACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B67.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="way to castle" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="899" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5HEG9a-6Ta0/XrpNuZ9ColI/AAAAAAAAT7Y/GVnt4NOxg780gSYHKadcsfna1lKsDJqBACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B67.jpg" title="buda" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Way to Buda Castle</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XaNQsAdOkPU/Xp6h2yBBmJI/AAAAAAAATEQ/lUee0Tf7jLc7-XbWlVt1eopxLVTKVD6qwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B10.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="buda" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XaNQsAdOkPU/Xp6h2yBBmJI/AAAAAAAATEQ/lUee0Tf7jLc7-XbWlVt1eopxLVTKVD6qwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B10.jpg" title="matthias church" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Matthias Church near Buda Castle</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cM3zCHhrOqg/Xp6h3h1xOoI/AAAAAAAATEU/oni_-h5IuOsBjyOpjb7bM3hdmPdJHayrACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B11.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="fisherman bastion" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cM3zCHhrOqg/Xp6h3h1xOoI/AAAAAAAATEU/oni_-h5IuOsBjyOpjb7bM3hdmPdJHayrACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B11.jpg" title="buda" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Fisherman Bastion </span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FmgRuv6H1Zk/Xp6h48F0NoI/AAAAAAAATEc/qEZT8AZTAOMMkYU8e5P0mKoSO0qHYoz_gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B13.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="souvenir swhop" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FmgRuv6H1Zk/Xp6h48F0NoI/AAAAAAAATEc/qEZT8AZTAOMMkYU8e5P0mKoSO0qHYoz_gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B13.jpg" title="buda" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>A souvenir shop near Buda castle</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FJvSl1qM7oE/Xp6h5TnarzI/AAAAAAAATEg/TIITORsOOLgvg_WVv0F86N488T2zt7aswCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B14.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="manhole cover" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FJvSl1qM7oE/Xp6h5TnarzI/AAAAAAAATEg/TIITORsOOLgvg_WVv0F86N488T2zt7aswCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B14.jpg" title="buda" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">A view of a manhole cover at Buda Castle</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5Gx71mNHbic/Xx6cvWYYXrI/AAAAAAAAVec/3IFm1M5CXv0_q_oWsgLo-BesW7FqgZ6PwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B56.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="899" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5Gx71mNHbic/Xx6cvWYYXrI/AAAAAAAAVec/3IFm1M5CXv0_q_oWsgLo-BesW7FqgZ6PwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B56.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Houdini Museum</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CxT0R1GDpts/Xp6iVVzWAFI/AAAAAAAATG8/cKACafOqvY4YTQVQbWiYI__I6Ig99RTxQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B55.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="houdini house" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="899" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CxT0R1GDpts/Xp6iVVzWAFI/AAAAAAAATG8/cKACafOqvY4YTQVQbWiYI__I6Ig99RTxQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B55.jpg" title="buda" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Inside Houdini House</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VAOjQ6jMa7s/XsPEf-peQRI/AAAAAAAAUZg/PnKQnPylatApvo_-WvFKWD6433HzDp-JgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/buda%2B0015.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="houdini house" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="899" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VAOjQ6jMa7s/XsPEf-peQRI/AAAAAAAAUZg/PnKQnPylatApvo_-WvFKWD6433HzDp-JgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/buda%2B0015.jpg" title="buda" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Houdini House</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5fcuu5ycLRE/Xp6h5-3aTOI/AAAAAAAATEk/ESh5zec4xvAHTCXfBKZ_-lCMMZ0bU_GjACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B17.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5fcuu5ycLRE/Xp6h5-3aTOI/AAAAAAAATEk/ESh5zec4xvAHTCXfBKZ_-lCMMZ0bU_GjACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B17.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Bathyany Square on the Buda side. The square is named after Lajos Bathyany, the first Prime Minister of Hungary</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-y9atETuoWQo/Xp6h6mRUDHI/AAAAAAAATEo/rmx7I8p-ZvMaikcIKGw3CzttlDqKxnuhQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B18.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-y9atETuoWQo/Xp6h6mRUDHI/AAAAAAAATEo/rmx7I8p-ZvMaikcIKGw3CzttlDqKxnuhQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B18.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Another view of Pest from Buda</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2va6fHI30WY/Xp6h7R8JfjI/AAAAAAAATEw/b9xiGAwmue8S60L6JSXa86Xx7y1fioouACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B19.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="budapest" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2va6fHI30WY/Xp6h7R8JfjI/AAAAAAAATEw/b9xiGAwmue8S60L6JSXa86Xx7y1fioouACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B19.jpg" title="margaret bridge" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Near Margaret Bridge</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cKKu5ixWFek/Xp6h7DhI3CI/AAAAAAAATEs/frvoKtkT5EQSRjZYglkFGNF9w4BXnsAmwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B20.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="pest" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="899" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cKKu5ixWFek/Xp6h7DhI3CI/AAAAAAAATEs/frvoKtkT5EQSRjZYglkFGNF9w4BXnsAmwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B20.jpg" title="hop bus" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Through Hop Bus</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gK-fIf4zYNA/Xp6h8-5eXGI/AAAAAAAATE0/00Pf-2MJs607HXG5JY6PlR_1nK0TIlLsQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B21.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="budapest" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gK-fIf4zYNA/Xp6h8-5eXGI/AAAAAAAATE0/00Pf-2MJs607HXG5JY6PlR_1nK0TIlLsQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B21.jpg" title="st stephen basilica" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">St. Stephen's Basilica</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LbeLHI8sAYs/Xp6iEhOfFOI/AAAAAAAATFk/jUm19CX92jgkjunUKnwPMuwYdVazxcxoQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B33.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="pest" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LbeLHI8sAYs/Xp6iEhOfFOI/AAAAAAAATFk/jUm19CX92jgkjunUKnwPMuwYdVazxcxoQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B33.jpg" title="hero square" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Heroes Square</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VWEaaMcDDp0/Xp6iFIOtogI/AAAAAAAATFs/fzh1xCQS76UDytsZrtS5eQLFgqXVJg9HwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B35.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="pest" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VWEaaMcDDp0/Xp6iFIOtogI/AAAAAAAATFs/fzh1xCQS76UDytsZrtS5eQLFgqXVJg9HwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B35.jpg" title="street scene" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Budapest street scene</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z_g4coytwq0/Xp6iGILCGoI/AAAAAAAATFw/9StL4eqdI1QJNIo8tk8JEsNMrvGgVYZEgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B36.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="pest" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z_g4coytwq0/Xp6iGILCGoI/AAAAAAAATFw/9StL4eqdI1QJNIo8tk8JEsNMrvGgVYZEgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B36.jpg" title="new york cafe" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">New York Cafe building in the night</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vWJ919-bGCM/Xp6iInen5FI/AAAAAAAATF4/mn7iZPY5PloDCM7WXGr9rZciP88WwSgXQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B37.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="pest" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vWJ919-bGCM/Xp6iInen5FI/AAAAAAAATF4/mn7iZPY5PloDCM7WXGr9rZciP88WwSgXQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B37.jpg" title="boulevard" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Pedestrian Park at Boulevard</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6glNiDqZWA8/Xp6iHFF8slI/AAAAAAAATF0/qqVgigzUYWYOa7o3vP1xDHjhSTdxyIB0ACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B38.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="pest" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6glNiDqZWA8/Xp6iHFF8slI/AAAAAAAATF0/qqVgigzUYWYOa7o3vP1xDHjhSTdxyIB0ACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B38.jpg" title="vogue menu" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Vogue Cafe menu</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Hefs4ax4--k/Xp6iKaa0BII/AAAAAAAATGE/QqiMgw6xNdMkQIytYY62oSlz48bNE4DPACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B41.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="pest" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Hefs4ax4--k/Xp6iKaa0BII/AAAAAAAATGE/QqiMgw6xNdMkQIytYY62oSlz48bNE4DPACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B41.jpg" title="vogue cafe" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Vogue Cafe</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NXsR_shuHxY/Xp6iLWukTlI/AAAAAAAATGI/upbNWiRnwaYJ7WxMlTF9b6-AsygEAn7BwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B43.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="budapest" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NXsR_shuHxY/Xp6iLWukTlI/AAAAAAAATGI/upbNWiRnwaYJ7WxMlTF9b6-AsygEAn7BwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B43.jpg" title="goulash" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Hungarian Goulash</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vdfZw7zFGZ0/Xp6iLSz_WLI/AAAAAAAATGM/dP20OIBAGAA8yBb32VBaYsZhYy91Mu8YACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B42.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="budapest" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vdfZw7zFGZ0/Xp6iLSz_WLI/AAAAAAAATGM/dP20OIBAGAA8yBb32VBaYsZhYy91Mu8YACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B42.jpg" title="new york cafe" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">New York Cafe illumination</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--7TCJm9qrJk/Xp6iL9YrOQI/AAAAAAAATGQ/MCv7bdX9zK4j5x-OBhFzWM6ZE2bvdBZTQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B44.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="899" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--7TCJm9qrJk/Xp6iL9YrOQI/AAAAAAAATGQ/MCv7bdX9zK4j5x-OBhFzWM6ZE2bvdBZTQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B44.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Buda Castle premises</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Pn1Z7sjjP9M/Xp6iMw1cU6I/AAAAAAAATGU/5pWT9VBj_CY9J0kS-HWiJlbvhBEf9poLwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B45.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="899" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Pn1Z7sjjP9M/Xp6iMw1cU6I/AAAAAAAATGU/5pWT9VBj_CY9J0kS-HWiJlbvhBEf9poLwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B45.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: medium;">Buda Castle premises</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0DjixQ1Qabo/XsPEeibN4EI/AAAAAAAAUZU/i3E5PFj96bEcoy5tox4XjNdO90K1l-BwACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/buda%2B0012.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="budapest" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0DjixQ1Qabo/XsPEeibN4EI/AAAAAAAAUZU/i3E5PFj96bEcoy5tox4XjNdO90K1l-BwACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/buda%2B0012.jpg" title="hungarian restaurant" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Hungarian restaurant Drum Cafe</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VOJFdPl_KQo/XsPEenaim7I/AAAAAAAAUZY/BXrsu3j-8JAqePPqfN2rschc87wD70TzQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/buda%2B0013.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="budapest" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VOJFdPl_KQo/XsPEenaim7I/AAAAAAAAUZY/BXrsu3j-8JAqePPqfN2rschc87wD70TzQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/buda%2B0013.jpg" title="drum cafe" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Drum Cafe</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OHZtvM1C3A4/XsPEcK8KkRI/AAAAAAAAUZM/asZUiFCvwpMn4KErVKR78D4A3rIKb89HgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/buda%2B0011.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="pest" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OHZtvM1C3A4/XsPEcK8KkRI/AAAAAAAAUZM/asZUiFCvwpMn4KErVKR78D4A3rIKb89HgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/buda%2B0011.jpg" title="drum cafe menu" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Menu Card of Drum Cafe</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fcWpPMltmD4/Xp6iVM0R1PI/AAAAAAAATG4/QZFjDSpK8Yghfj9Mrmml60iCbPOh4pmdQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B54.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><img alt="pest" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fcWpPMltmD4/Xp6iVM0R1PI/AAAAAAAATG4/QZFjDSpK8Yghfj9Mrmml60iCbPOh4pmdQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B54.jpg" title="drum cafe interior" /></b></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Inside the famous Drum Cafe</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K6NDYluaNdk/Xp6iDQ4PF-I/AAAAAAAATFc/MwJQZwJh5sksrWengYlS_l-Rtfogk05ZQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B31.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="budapest" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K6NDYluaNdk/Xp6iDQ4PF-I/AAAAAAAATFc/MwJQZwJh5sksrWengYlS_l-Rtfogk05ZQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B31.jpg" title="szabadad square" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Szabadsag Square fountain</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GSuMv1VRTuQ/Xp6h-8zHpTI/AAAAAAAATFA/UXEatnHwZDg1BSp8cuInMLON-KHQC39HwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B24.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="budapest" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GSuMv1VRTuQ/Xp6h-8zHpTI/AAAAAAAATFA/UXEatnHwZDg1BSp8cuInMLON-KHQC39HwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B24.jpg" title="archangel gabriel" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Archangel Gabriel and German Imperial Eagle</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Liberty Square</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UtFriUd5pS4/Xp6iAYH-mXI/AAAAAAAATFI/dbZzQ7aVERg5e1i7EAr1guhcrt36vOjwwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B26.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="budapest" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UtFriUd5pS4/Xp6iAYH-mXI/AAAAAAAATFI/dbZzQ7aVERg5e1i7EAr1guhcrt36vOjwwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B26.jpg" title="memorial for jews" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Memorial for Jews at Liberty Square</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xVC5DqyYizM/Xp6h9MuK_MI/AAAAAAAATE4/ctp8qc3sD-svKQ0_vi278Ff4QvxxU9I7gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B22.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xVC5DqyYizM/Xp6h9MuK_MI/AAAAAAAATE4/ctp8qc3sD-svKQ0_vi278Ff4QvxxU9I7gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B22.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-size: small;">Memorial for Jews at Liberty Square</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MOSObrg8IkM/Xp6iCJKlOuI/AAAAAAAATFY/QgKPUhSkfqIFPvbDDlMy24DC70mvxCXYQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B30.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MOSObrg8IkM/Xp6iCJKlOuI/AAAAAAAATFY/QgKPUhSkfqIFPvbDDlMy24DC70mvxCXYQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B30.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-size: small;">Memorial at Liberty Square</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uxA65SJM-Hg/Xp6hxfmzcMI/AAAAAAAATDs/HF7gVEHrxgAOIORqZGVyU5AjTbba0ZPEwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B01.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="899" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uxA65SJM-Hg/Xp6hxfmzcMI/AAAAAAAATDs/HF7gVEHrxgAOIORqZGVyU5AjTbba0ZPEwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B01.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-size: small;">Memorial at Liberty Square</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JIBR6Wnlr2A/Xp6iBIxFQBI/AAAAAAAATFQ/jNdRLLB1O14sq29i757JQUDclXYeF-3yQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B27.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="budapest" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JIBR6Wnlr2A/Xp6iBIxFQBI/AAAAAAAATFQ/jNdRLLB1O14sq29i757JQUDclXYeF-3yQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B27.jpg" title="arrow cross fascist" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">A very rare photo kept at the memorial shows Jewish women driven to extermination by the Arrow Cross Party Police on Budapest's famous Andrassy Avenue in 1944. Onlookers on sidewalks watch helplessly.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-myM0VSffJKA/Xp6iXqm3ZCI/AAAAAAAATHI/bkDvb_C_1rE1zoxsvxQkKdui3lQz30g3QCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B57.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="budapest" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-myM0VSffJKA/Xp6iXqm3ZCI/AAAAAAAATHI/bkDvb_C_1rE1zoxsvxQkKdui3lQz30g3QCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bud%2B57.jpg" title="opera" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Anker Palace at Diak Ferenz ter (square). It is close to Dohany Synagogue.</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Danube Shoe memorial</span></b></td></tr>
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Biswajit Senguptahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04502747488677409796noreply@blogger.com3Biswajit Sengupta,3C Mayukh,68/3 Pratapaditya Road, Near 27 Pally Park, Sahanagar, Kalighat, Kolkata, West Bengal 700026, India22.516606 88.344954-26.705098000000003 5.7277665000000013 71.73831 170.9621415tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2677408543935148689.post-47390899219243384612020-06-30T11:13:00.008+05:302021-04-19T16:35:20.604+05:30An Invisible War – Overview on the role of UV-C in fighting COVID-19 <meta content="An Invisible War" name="title"></meta>
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<br /><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">
UV-C vs COVID 19</span></h3></div></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span>The invisible pathogen COVID 19 has suddenly taken our entire planet by surprise at the beginning of 2020. The invasion was so sudden that even the World Health Organization (WHO) took time to declare this as a pandemic. At a time when the entire world is trying to arrive at plausible solutions to arrest the spread of this rampaging virus, our Lighting fraternity has joined the fight by concentrating more on studies of non-visual impacts of light. An invisible part of the optical radiation spectrum, ultraviolet radiation has more energy than its visible counterpart due to its shorter wavelengths. The ultraviolet spectrum comprises UV-A (400 nm to 315 nm); UV-B (315 nm to 280 nm); UV-C (280 nm to 100 nm) – classification as defined by CIE. Whenever ultraviolet radiation is used for germicidal purposes, it is known as GUV (Germicidal Ultraviolet ) radiation. It has been found to be highly effective in deactivating or killing viruses, bacteria, fungi, and protozoa. Due to the complex photochemistry of UV- C component of sunrays with oxygen molecules at a stratospheric level (about 16 km to 32 km above the earth's surface) formation of the ozone layer takes place, which in turn blocks the irradiance of the actinic component of UV on human occupants. If nature had failed to stop the actinic radiance, it would have lead to physical hazards caused by photochemical and thermal reactions on human skin, cornea, and retina. So while trying to artificially generate UV-C, scientists have to monitor the wavelengths, angular subtense, exposure time, and finally physiological sensitivity to various wavelengths. The radiant exposure which determines the dosage is dependent on the relative humidity and the kind of infectious agent it is required to tackle. Earlier studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of UV-C at 254 nm on surfaces contaminated with the Ebola virus and also during the influenza outbreak in Jordan in 1961.UV-C has proved its usefulness in the treatment of water disinfection and also air (CIE 2003) in Air Handling Units for quite some time now. Upper-air disinfection of circulating air by UV-C has been successful in limiting the spread of tuberculosis and has the recommendation of WHO. Though serious research is underway to arrest the spread of SARS-CoV-2 with the application of UV-C for surface disinfection, its effectivity is yet to be published and proved. The major difficulty in containing the spread of SARS-CoV-2 arises from the observation recorded on the duration of its stay on fomites, which again vary on environmental factors and surface material. The successful disinfection of touch surfaces, therefore, depends on the determination of the location of the UV equipment and also proper reduction of shadow effects. Shadow effects play a deterrent role, for example, on frequently touched surfaces like door handles, latches, etc.</span> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span>It has, however, been proved time and again that in actual practice UV-C radiation can deactivate pathogens by damaging their DNA. The shorter the wavelengths, the more effective are the damage to pathogens. But due to complicated oxygen-ozone photochemistry, it has been observed that a significant increase in ozone production occurs at a wavelength of 200 nm or lower. That UV-C, at wavelength produced by the mercury resonance line of 253.7 nm, possesses the ability to kill bacteria was observed by researchers way back in 1877. Protein, particularly DNA was found to strongly absorb this wavelength. As UV radiation is found to trigger photochemical and thermal reactions on human skin it is always safe to keep the area being sterilized free from occupants. CIE set a threshold limit of allowable daily exposure dose to 60 J-sqm for 8-hour continuous exposure to UV-C radiation at 254 nm. Hazards associated with UV-C overexposures are transient corneal irritation(photokeratitis); conjunctival irritation (photo conjunctivitis) and skin irritation (erythema). These effects disappear within a 24-48 hour period, as per findings in CIE 187:2010 Photo carcinogenesis Risks from Germicidal Lamps. It is also mentioned in the report that the penetration in human skin is superficial only and, therefore, does not produce lasting biological damage. Since UV-C has the ability to deactivate any microbe, virus, fungus, or spore a proper dose has to be determined. The parameters which have to be considered for working out the required dose are UV-C wavelength, type of pathogen, the environment around the pathogen, aerosol droplet size (with the virus inside).</span> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span><br />
</span> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span><b><u>GUV system</u></b></span> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span><br />
</span> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span><b>a) Germicidal Lamps </b></span> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span><br />
</span> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span>Light sources that radiate in the UV-C spectrum are known as Germicidal Lamps. UV-C radiation gets absorbed by the DNA & RNA microorganisms. This changes its structure and halts replication.</span> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span>Low-Pressure Mercury Vapour Lamp – in its simplest form, a fluorescent tube without phosphors, produces monochromatic emission at 253.7 nm suitable for the germicidal application. Low-pressure mercury lamp emitting at 185 nm is also available and is suitable for the oxidation of surfaces. These lamps have been used for the disinfection of air, water, and surface for over forty years. The lamps have high efficiency, almost 40% UV-C generation. Although this type of lamp contains mercury and has a lifetime of 10000 burning hours, its survival in the market is mainly due to its low cost. Its spectral irradiance peaks to 1750 mW/sqm at 253.7 nm.</span> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span><br />
</span> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span><b>b)</b> <b>Xenon Lamp </b></span> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span><br />
</span> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span>This lamp also contains mercury and its lifetime is lower than 10000 hours. The lamp operates on pulsed mode and produces a lot of visible light. Covers the entire UV spectrum, and peaks around 230 nm. It is also costlier than Low-Pressure Mercury Lamp.</span> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span><br />
</span> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span><b>c) Excimer Lamp </b></span> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span><br />
</span> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span> Kr-Cl excimer emits a narrow band at 222 nm. Regarded as a better germicidal lamp because of its higher energy per photon. Normally it is recommended for use when people are not around.</span> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span><br />
</span> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span><b>d) Solid-State Light (SSL)</b></span><br />
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</span> <span>Crystal Growth technology has led to the development of a deep ultraviolet LED. At current wavelengths for disinfection, these solid-state sources have already proved to be more efficient than their conventional predecessors. They are being used in high power, high irradiance applications. Fabrication of deep-ultraviolet (UV-C) LEDs involves depositing a film of the semiconductor alloy aluminum gallium nitride (AlGaN) on a substrate of a sapphire substrate. Research is underway which suggests the use of silicon carbide (SiC) as a substrate. This substitute they suggest will bring down the cost of UV-C LED and at the same time increase the efficacy. Optical intensity has been found to be high at 275 nm. The best part of the UV-C LED source is its size, thus allowing system design flexibility. A portable handheld product can be made available to access, control microbes, and prevent infection on portable healthcare equipment and smaller touchpoints. This will make possible point-of-care deployment, particularly sterilization of frequently touched surfaces such as personal electronics, medical trolleys, and diagnostic devices.</span> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span><b>Luminaires</b></span> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span><br />
</span> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span>The parameters which are considered for designing and developing efficient luminaires for the UV spectrum are transmission and reflectance. As UV is reactive on standard transmitting materials, the selection of the right material plays a major role in achieving over 90% transmittance without significant aging and degradation over a period of time. Synthetic fused silica provides good transmittance from 180 nm and above. Other UV transmitting materials for various wavelengths in the UV spectrum are. Zinc selenide (ZnSe), calcium fluoride (CaF2), lithium fluoride (LiF) and magnesium fluoride (MgF2).Another very important consideration for selecting the above materials is that these glasses have very low fluorescence properties. UV transmitting Acrylics are also available for use in place of glass.</span> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span>For reflector anodized ultra-high purity Aluminium has been the best choice because of its commercial availability. But it has been observed that the metal does not produce a uniform Lambertian distribution of light. Uniform diffused reflection of UV takes place with sintered microporous PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) reflector, and this is the best material choice for a range of UV reflectivity. A good sintered PTFE reflector can provide over 97% average reflectance from 220 nm to 400 nm. With its ability to scatter light in all directions, it ensures the spread of UV light evenly over a surface. This uniform distribution, in turn, ensures the elimination of '<b>cold spots</b>' where a virus can survive. A PTFE reflector maintains its efficacy up to a working temperature of 260 degrees C. Many common polymer materials, such as polyethylene, polycarbonate, and nylon age and degrades under the influence of UVC.</span> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span><br />
</span> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span><b>Testing & Measurement</b></span> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span><br />
</span> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span>Germicidal UV is a powerful tool in fighting COVID 19 because its irradiation for inactivating viruses in the air, water, and solid surfaces is a proven methodology. If not used properly it can pose risks to human health. With the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, there are products available for household applications. With long lockdowns in force, people go for online shopping. Most of the products have been found to have dubious safety features and inadequate safety instructions. The germicidal effectiveness of UV-C radiation depends on its dose in micro Joule per square cm and exposure duration. Equipment is in place for accurately testing UV systems, such as high precision spectroradiometers with very low stray light and PTFE coated integrating sphere. Even an automated solution is in place with full software guidance, calculation, and classification in compliance with IEC 62471, a globally accepted comprehensive standard that considers skin, cornea, and retinal hazards. Radiometers have been developed for the measurement of UV-C irradiance over a very wide dynamic range to beyond 100 mW/sqcm with a resolution of 0.0001 microwatts/sqcm (spectral responsivity is calibrated from 200 nm to 300 nm).</span> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YlY2ESCpc9w/Xvh6EeQ0TrI/AAAAAAAAVGQ/7DxTEoblqMcVQmoAZMDGzh9wEKVPUBbxQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/systems%2Bconsideration.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="system consideration" border="0" data-original-height="330" data-original-width="647" height="203" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YlY2ESCpc9w/Xvh6EeQ0TrI/AAAAAAAAVGQ/7DxTEoblqMcVQmoAZMDGzh9wEKVPUBbxQCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/systems%2Bconsideration.png" title="UVC" width="400" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-P0LLFV7BfC8/Xvh6Ks4E_0I/AAAAAAAAVGU/ZTYAoL2lQu0W63Re_rwoLp6ftRl2PHFFwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/uvc%2Bon%2Bcornea.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="effect on cornea" border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="1366" height="177" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-P0LLFV7BfC8/Xvh6Ks4E_0I/AAAAAAAAVGU/ZTYAoL2lQu0W63Re_rwoLp6ftRl2PHFFwCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/uvc%2Bon%2Bcornea.png" title="UVC" width="400" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<b><i>The above images are courtesy webinar of Robert Karlicek, Jr., director of the Lighting Enabled Systems and Applications (LESA) Center June 18, 2020. The webcast topic was "Germicidal UV-C radiation: Fact and Fiction about Killing Pathogens."</i></b><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Reference:</span></b><br />
<br />
CIE 187:2010 Photo carcinogenesis Risks from Germicidal Lamps<br />
CIE Issues Position Statement on the Use of UV to Manage COVID-19 Transmission Risk<br />
Risks and Rewards of Germicidal UV by Craig DiLouie<br />
<br />
Lighting Europe Calls for UV-C Products to be Allowed on EU Market<br />
By Craig DiLouie<br />
Burhan K. SaifAddin, Abdullah S. Almogbel, Christian J. Zollner, Feng Wu, Bastien Bonef, Michael Iza, Shuji Nakamura, Steven P. DenBaars, James S. Speck: AlGaN deep-ultraviolet Light-Emitting Diodes Grown on SiC Substrates. ACS Photonics, 2020<br />
UV-C LUMINAIRES Specialized Disinfection Lighting --- LUXIONA POLAND S.A. Catalogue <br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>An important Update on Real-Time Application of UV-C for inactivating novel Coronavirus and keeping an extensively and frequently touched surface free of the virus has been announced by 'FANS OF CHANGI'. I share this great piece of news with all the readers.</b></span> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><br />
</b></span> </div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #424242;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>We continue to explore and introduce innovations to enhance biosafety in Changi Airport. Here’s a sneak peek at our runway of new measures to keep you safe.</b></span></span> </div><br />
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="color: #424242; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; width: 100%px;"><tbody>
<tr> <td align="center" style="font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px;"><img class="CToWUd" height="80" src="https://ci6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/NT3LEE9HQah0WlL799sFOU0DvF0p238o1JHXiPiwPrquSsswylSotQ3Cjh5iFP8gR4Q6F8vRYhI7rnOz-y7daDcXUSzEBt8IjBr0VR5WN4eQg9Y4uDmBOOXmuaIyQDZrtfumRihuFvkCRInvl44G_acB58Kx86f2CmfYl9srt6xx-70u3h6v1Qtg2x7JD05Cgw6miC2okgLULUfHDg=s0-d-e1-ft#https://static.cdn.responsys.net/i2/responsysimages/changiair/contentlibrary/foc/2020/anniversary_india_20/mayedm_seg_a/images/icon01.png" width="80" /> </td> <td style="font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px;"><b>1) Clear immigration swiftly & hands-free</b><br />
We’ve introduced facial and iris recognition so that you can clear immigration swiftly and without the need for thumb printing. </td> </tr>
<tr> <td style="font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px;"><img align="center" class="CToWUd" height="15" src="https://ci4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/FezDpIx57jMR0AztqNZKmbscS3JHu4qOwes6fhZ0XT2hJhzdAdc99PejVzmDJ1yW48a2dZO5N0fnpVzeGJb_jKK8nnGjCbJopq8cADrAvMbb_YFFT7_xGQ3S_pC0Mg-xYPtaK6WcEyZgr_r1wr2JbXOnuWIbv737Q_5PXE0Twke30j24hYMz05r3Kh-HDfWC2vsSoAQDsC_tVi0PlTA=s0-d-e1-ft#https://static.cdn.responsys.net/i2/responsysimages/changiair/contentlibrary/foc/2020/anniversary_india_20/mayedm_seg_a/images/spacing.jpg" width="150" /> </td> <td style="font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px;"><img align="center" class="CToWUd" height="15" src="https://ci4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/FezDpIx57jMR0AztqNZKmbscS3JHu4qOwes6fhZ0XT2hJhzdAdc99PejVzmDJ1yW48a2dZO5N0fnpVzeGJb_jKK8nnGjCbJopq8cADrAvMbb_YFFT7_xGQ3S_pC0Mg-xYPtaK6WcEyZgr_r1wr2JbXOnuWIbv737Q_5PXE0Twke30j24hYMz05r3Kh-HDfWC2vsSoAQDsC_tVi0PlTA=s0-d-e1-ft#https://static.cdn.responsys.net/i2/responsysimages/changiair/contentlibrary/foc/2020/anniversary_india_20/mayedm_seg_a/images/spacing.jpg" width="420" /> </td> </tr>
<tr> <td align="center" style="font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px;"><img class="CToWUd" height="80" src="https://ci5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/X5Tos7eaH9TQGvMTMZmQCOFpcwoSVqsrbcchtL_uHUIVxdhSTljwyYYPRV4ypZ2lvqctD0URzM_e7OExJsiwbqhw4Uy96ZV0nLz_e5ZWKOboxcswLKguEbcyuQGaohebmhr1F01EN8jkULqAEtMh6P1tGZXzYdz0R3kCzR7w1qVoNokUWVLZ6aAM_PQoSSVf1vFccNEX7M9X3aVUGQ=s0-d-e1-ft#https://static.cdn.responsys.net/i2/responsysimages/changiair/contentlibrary/foc/2020/anniversary_india_20/mayedm_seg_a/images/icon02.png" width="80" /> </td> <td style="font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px;"><b>2) Stay contactless with new check-in measures</b><br />
We’re installing new proximity touch screens at FAST check-in and auto bag-drop kiosks, as well as acrylic screens at check-in counters for better protection. </td> </tr>
<tr> <td style="font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px;"><img align="center" class="CToWUd" height="15" src="https://ci4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/FezDpIx57jMR0AztqNZKmbscS3JHu4qOwes6fhZ0XT2hJhzdAdc99PejVzmDJ1yW48a2dZO5N0fnpVzeGJb_jKK8nnGjCbJopq8cADrAvMbb_YFFT7_xGQ3S_pC0Mg-xYPtaK6WcEyZgr_r1wr2JbXOnuWIbv737Q_5PXE0Twke30j24hYMz05r3Kh-HDfWC2vsSoAQDsC_tVi0PlTA=s0-d-e1-ft#https://static.cdn.responsys.net/i2/responsysimages/changiair/contentlibrary/foc/2020/anniversary_india_20/mayedm_seg_a/images/spacing.jpg" width="150" /> </td> <td style="font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px;"><img align="center" class="CToWUd" height="15" src="https://ci4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/FezDpIx57jMR0AztqNZKmbscS3JHu4qOwes6fhZ0XT2hJhzdAdc99PejVzmDJ1yW48a2dZO5N0fnpVzeGJb_jKK8nnGjCbJopq8cADrAvMbb_YFFT7_xGQ3S_pC0Mg-xYPtaK6WcEyZgr_r1wr2JbXOnuWIbv737Q_5PXE0Twke30j24hYMz05r3Kh-HDfWC2vsSoAQDsC_tVi0PlTA=s0-d-e1-ft#https://static.cdn.responsys.net/i2/responsysimages/changiair/contentlibrary/foc/2020/anniversary_india_20/mayedm_seg_a/images/spacing.jpg" width="420" /> </td> </tr>
<tr> <td align="center" style="font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px;"><img class="CToWUd" height="80" src="https://ci5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/BEp_0sglBFmKxXtaIOxoKCMznpg1-QK3oVLPKOeOXUtJqQHQFab5eOTh5zt0sfMJE3ohrDGZc1zENhGjZgbHj1O-nhYIslfWUkV414dC35OvXzel9hHVEv4wCijgzV_mobTl7M3_fN9xAthMvkG9YrB4alBkNG1EFd0FfcpV5xady8sN0G52PYUaSylw4yghZqYyHYXabzkgLOtuvw=s0-d-e1-ft#https://static.cdn.responsys.net/i2/responsysimages/changiair/contentlibrary/foc/2020/anniversary_india_20/mayedm_seg_a/images/icon03.png" width="80" /> </td> <td style="font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: magenta;"><b>3) Let UV-C lights see to your sanitation</b><br />
We’re outfitting escalator handrails with UV-C disinfecting lights, as part of the cleaning process.</span> </td> </tr>
<tr> <td style="font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px;"><img align="center" class="CToWUd" height="15" src="https://ci4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/FezDpIx57jMR0AztqNZKmbscS3JHu4qOwes6fhZ0XT2hJhzdAdc99PejVzmDJ1yW48a2dZO5N0fnpVzeGJb_jKK8nnGjCbJopq8cADrAvMbb_YFFT7_xGQ3S_pC0Mg-xYPtaK6WcEyZgr_r1wr2JbXOnuWIbv737Q_5PXE0Twke30j24hYMz05r3Kh-HDfWC2vsSoAQDsC_tVi0PlTA=s0-d-e1-ft#https://static.cdn.responsys.net/i2/responsysimages/changiair/contentlibrary/foc/2020/anniversary_india_20/mayedm_seg_a/images/spacing.jpg" width="150" /> </td> <td style="font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px;"><img align="center" class="CToWUd" height="15" src="https://ci4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/FezDpIx57jMR0AztqNZKmbscS3JHu4qOwes6fhZ0XT2hJhzdAdc99PejVzmDJ1yW48a2dZO5N0fnpVzeGJb_jKK8nnGjCbJopq8cADrAvMbb_YFFT7_xGQ3S_pC0Mg-xYPtaK6WcEyZgr_r1wr2JbXOnuWIbv737Q_5PXE0Twke30j24hYMz05r3Kh-HDfWC2vsSoAQDsC_tVi0PlTA=s0-d-e1-ft#https://static.cdn.responsys.net/i2/responsysimages/changiair/contentlibrary/foc/2020/anniversary_india_20/mayedm_seg_a/images/spacing.jpg" width="420" /> </td> </tr>
<tr> <td align="center" style="font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px;"><img class="CToWUd" height="80" src="https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/AvRoivwT13-QRvm9rLPZO_VRdUejdKbPZ9Tblq3Dl-c1hTMU_eqMfkpVyLrYWEi_psRH-b65mqIB4K-IXiEqTe0HoTTkbsmR3wP2XBslTL9M6eeLpP567asFfeoaeWWACAoWJuKOlGb9npLZAbYCjZouB4sIeK6dBa-QpmVQ4tNO59jgUkv-G6Rbgg0i8UogasYCEnz2-hn1H4FIxw=s0-d-e1-ft#https://static.cdn.responsys.net/i2/responsysimages/changiair/contentlibrary/foc/2020/anniversary_india_20/mayedm_seg_a/images/icon04.png" width="80" /> </td> <td style="font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px;"><b>4) Enjoy enhanced cleanliness with our autonomous cleaning equipment upgrades</b><br />
Throughout the airport, our autonomous cleaning equipment will be armed with disinfectant spray to keep germs at bay. </td> </tr>
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Biswajit Senguptahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04502747488677409796noreply@blogger.com868/3, Pratapaditya Rd, Lalpara, Sahanagar, Kalighat, Kolkata, West Bengal 700026, India22.5096902 88.344283699999991-6.4303107999999973 47.035689699999992 51.449691200000004 129.65287769999998tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2677408543935148689.post-12619184065237832992020-06-20T16:01:00.001+05:302020-10-03T14:14:20.636+05:30Heidelberg<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="background-color: white; color: white;"><br />
</span></b></div><meta content="Heidelberg" name="title"></meta> <meta content="Heidelberg is sometimes referred as Little Heidelberg.It boasts of the oldest university in Germany.In fact, the city has grown and integrated with the university.It is aptly called a university town.The travelogue is on my stay in this wonderful city" name="description"></meta> <meta content="What to see in Heidelberg, oldest university, Heidelberg Christmas market, Heidelberg Schloss, longest pedestrian plaza" name="keywords"></meta> <meta content="index, follow" name="robots"></meta> <meta content="text/html; charset=utf-8" http-equiv="Content-Type"></meta> <meta content="English" name="language"></meta> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;">at a cute little University town in Germany</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: times;"><span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></span><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Almost two decades that I first stepped into this romantic little University town of Germany. On an assignment at Nijmegen, Netherlands, I had decided to spend a few days at my brother-in-law’s house in Dreieich – a quiet suburb, around 10 km from Frankfurt International Airport. The museum dedicated to Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin, inventor of the first rigid airship ‘Zeppelin’ is located in Dreieich. The day my niece Tanya drove me down to Heidelberg, about 100 km from Frankfurt, I was naturally excited. The main reason being I longed to see the place which boasted of the oldest university in Germany and one of the oldest surviving universities in Europe. The Schloss, a romantic twelfth-century castle. overlooking the university town below, the river Neckar (a tributary of Rhine), and the hills beyond were breathtaking views. Enough to instill a feeling of love at first sight. No wonder Heidelberg is known as an ‘epitome of the romantic German city’. On our trip to Europe in 2017, I decided to show the place to my wife. What gladdened me was that nothing much had changed since my last visit. Everything seemed so familiar. Whilst I joined the audience at Altstadt (the heartthrob of Heidelberg) to listen to a guitarist, my wife did some shopping along with my sister. Little did I know that I would come and stay in Heidelberg in another two years? It happened because of our younger son Arjun, who joined the Institute for Economics, Bergheimer campus of Heidelberg University. After shifting to more convenient accommodation, he invited us at the end of 2019. His apartment is located at Kirchstrasse. Walkable to his Bergheimer campus on Bergheimerstrasse; to Hauftbahnoff (the central rail station); to supermarkets like Kaufland, Aldi, Edeka; river Neckar; the long-distance bus station at Eppelheimerstrasse. The verandah of his house looks out onto a large courtyard and parking space fenced by a subtle combination of new buildings and buildings dating back perhaps to the Renaissance era in Europe. Fortunately, we had arrived there during the phasing out of the fall and advent of winter. What we experienced was one of the many gifts nature provides to the human race. Straggling maple shrubs and trees blooming, and every morning these deciduous maples shed their leaves creating an ecstatic view of large patches of yellow, orange, and deep red carpets all around. The artistic insight of my wife prompted her to collect the dried out deep red leaves for wall decoration back home. Almost every morning I used to go down and collect as many of the deep red variety, which she meticulously inserted between pages of books to keep them pressed. As days passed we knew more and more of this intriguing city and started moving around like the locals. Like, on clear mornings, after our son had left for the university, I used to walk down to a Turkish supermarket to buy provisions for the house and then cross the road to reach Hauftbahnoff, where the concourse is like a food plaza. I used to enjoy, in particular, sausage roll and a cup of hot coffee.</span></strong></span></div><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">Heidelberg is cozily ensconced along the shores of Neckar, guarded on both sides by flanks of densely wooded Odenwald mountains Michelsberg and Kὂnigstuhl. The city earned the distinction of the ‘intellectual center of Europe’ during the period of the Holy Roman Empire. With the papal consent of Pope Urban VI, Elector Ruprecht founded the university in 1386. It was a private university and was reestablished as a state university in 1803 by the Grand Duke of Baden Karl Friedrich. The University, therefore, is also known as Ruprecht Karls University. Over the centuries, the university has grown on the plains of Heidelberg, on both sides of the river Neckar. The city too has grown alongside and has almost become an integral part of the university. The oldest campus is at Alstadt (Old Town). The Old Town campus is for Humanities Program and also houses several important buildings like the University Museum and a huge Canteen. The new university faces the old university at Universitat Platz (University Square). The second campus is on Bergheimerstrasse and is referred to as the Bergheim campus. Social Sciences and Alfred Weber’s Institute of Economics is located here. The third campus is on the north of the Neckar river, at Neuenheimer Feld. A sprawling campus, it houses Science, Engineering, Medicines, and Sports. There are several notable names connected with this university. Like chemist Robert Bunsen (1811-1899), physicist Gustav Kirchhoff (1824-1887), economist Max Weber, industrialist & Nobel Laureate Carl Bosch, Helmholtz, Helmut Kohl, Karl Jaspers, Karl Mannheim, Dmitri Mendeleev( the father of Periodic Law & Table), Somerset Maugham, Gottfried Keller, Max Born, Adolf von Baeyer, Mileva Maric(Physicist& Mathematician, and also the first wife of Albert Einstein. She also contributed in the elaboration of the theory of relativity), Auma Obama (half-sister of former US President Barak Obama), Fritz Haber, and Pope Pius II – the list is endless. Even the father of Anne Frank (Anne Frank’s Diary fame), Otto Frank was a student of the university. The list of Nobel Prize winners are also equally impressive – 55 recipients to date. The last winner was Prof Harold Zur Hausen, who received the prize in 2008 for Medicine (for his discovery of the relationship between the infection with the human papillomavirus and cervical cancer).</span></strong></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">This cute German city is half the size of its next-door neighbor Mannheim. Small in size, but no less intriguing. A fact supported by a passage in Erica Jong’s “Fear of Flying’ where she mentions “</span><em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">In my snooping around town for ghosts, I had discovered the solidest ghost of all-a Nazi Amphitheatre nestled in the hills above Heidelberg. Going there became an obsession with me. Nobody in Heidelberg seemed to recognize the existence of the place and this denial gave the Amphitheatre an added appeal</span></em><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">.” This is the most intriguing architectural Nazi heritage. The infamous Joseph Goebbels, who incidentally completed his Ph.D. on the German romantic author Wilhelm von Schulz in 1922 from Heidelberg University opened this Amphitheatre on 22nd June 1935. A perfect example of schizophrenia, Goebbels built it for trials and National Socialist discourse to large assemblies. Called it ‘Thingstatte’ – a place of gathering, designed for triggering anti-Semitism mainly. 1933 saw the advent of the Third Reich. Heidelberg University faculty and students started supporting the National Socialist German Workers’ Party (‘Nazi’ Party) the ideology of bringing in a totalitarian regime. They even took part in ‘Book Burning’ at the Universitatplatz.A part of the University purification process which involved cleansing the universities of their Jewish students and lecturers. Camouflaged by deeply wooded surroundings in the hills, today the Amphitheatre stands desolate and rejected by post-war Germany. Because Germany is ashamed of the dreaded Nazi ideology which was triggered by this place. But it’s all so beautiful, as nature has its way of defacing the sinister environment that had continued for almost a decade. Fresh, tingling air, the seating arrangement (for around 8000 people), and steps leading up the gradient with tufts of grass covering the concrete are all that pleasantly greeted us.</span></span></strong></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">One day we went to the Schloss end of the river Neckar. The bus dropped us at Alte Brucke (Old Bridge) for taking a ride in Funicular to about 2000 ft. high Konigstuhl hill. The Old Bridge and Brukentor (Bridge Gate) were built with sandstone in 1788. It replaced the wooden bridge built way back in 1284. The stone bridge was the only building partially damaged during world war. Demolition attempt by the Nazis, to prevent the advancing US troops from seizing the city. It, however, did not work. The US troop seized the city without any further devastation and bloodshed. Heidelberg that way was fortunate to be amongst very few German cities unscathed by aerial bombings. Also lucky, in the sense, that Heidelberg’s next-door neighbors Mannheim and Ludwigshafen were subject to brutal Allied air raids. It was quite a winding climb to Funicular station. The rocky path winds through the old market and houses while leading to the funicular rail station. I always aspired a ride in funicular rail after having seen the system operating in Budapest for a ride to Buda Castle and Lisbon’s iconic Gloria Funicular. Funiculars use technology to climb and descend steep inclines for short distances. The starting station is Kornmarkt. The first station is Schloss (Heidelberg Castle). The next station for the modern funicular is Molkenkur. From there to Konigstuhl, the highest point is served by one of the world’s oldest funicular (over a hundred years old). As we climbed we enjoyed spectacular views of Neckar and Heidelberg.</span></strong></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">A stroll down Hauptstrasse (Main Street) at Altstadt was the most enamoring part of our stay in Heidelberg. The longest pedestrian shopping precinct in Germany (about 1.5 km) has so much to offer and unravel. Additionally a remarkable coincidence! Christmas Market was on when we were there. A portion of the market was set up on the square at Bismarkplatz, where mainly hot Gluehwein wine or German mulled wine and food were available. The main Christmas market occupied the Universitatplatz (University Plaza). As dusk settled, the markets glittered. Varieties of wares and food from Germany as well as many other countries of Europe set up stalls at the Christmas Market. Sausage rolls, Prawns, Smoked Salmon were some of the delicacies we tried out on different outings. All delectable along with hot steaming cups of Glueh wine. Altstadt’s many charms beckoned us almost every day of our stay in Heidelberg. Normally we would get down at Biskmarkplatz terminus and walk down the pedestrian shopping precinct. Almost halfway down, after passing shops and eateries like Douglas, Hema, Galleria, Nordsee, we would come to a square where the city’s oldest church is located. The 14th century Church of Holy Spirit of Gothic architecture stands attractively with its stained glass windows and predominantly tall spire. The Protestant Church, with a few souvenir shops and cafes, occupies the square. There are old benches where one can relax with a cup of coffee, and enjoy the sight of this historic square. A little further towards the Schloss end stands a structure from the Middle Ages, surrounded in contrast by new buildings of the university. Known as the Witches’ Tower, this served as a prison for both males and females. The University Plaza, the old buildings of the university, the University Museum where on the top floor the University’s oldest auditorium is maintained, Hotel Ritter- a sixteenth-century hotel still going strong and operational, are all part of the old town (Altstadt). Our son treated us one day for lunch at Zeughaus Mensa im Marstall (the university students’ canteen). The red brick building was built during the middle ages to serve as a stable. The long building with lofted interior and low windows is located close to the church and converted into a university canteen. The system is buffet lunch. One has to select from numerous tempting dishes arranged on the tables and make a payment on a weight basis, irrespective of the type of food.</span></strong></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: times;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">This time we stayed in Heidelberg long enough to explore and understand every wall, street, alley, and the square of the city. So much so, that when we step onto the streets of Heidelberg on our forthcoming visits, we would recall the streets, images, and vistas as much as the songs and music of our younger days evoke strong nostalgic moments. Like dropping at Nordsee quite often on our way back from Altstadt for refreshing on fried fish and chips, salmon or prawn delicacies; eating out at Yangda, a large Chinese restaurant on Tram line 5 en route Mannheim from Heidelberg; viewing the sprawling courtyard of the baroque palace at Mannheim; enjoying a spicy lunch at a Vietnamese eatery at Mannheim; changing bus at a pretty little square at Ludwigshafen for going to Decathlon; shopping at a Turkish shop at Kurfursten passage; having coffee at a coffee shop facing the Bergheim Campus, or coffee on the hilltop near Arjun’s earlier residence; and of course the Glueh wine and sausage rolls at the Christmas market; hopping between Heidelberg, Mannheim, and Ludwigshafen, the neighboring trio known as Rhine Neckar Area. </strong> </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bLm7b7KYIOc/XnX9TxDZFLI/AAAAAAAASE8/gDrQIn-dwhs8dJKAfMypQygKdc52zYVtgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/h01.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="BISMARKPLATZ" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bLm7b7KYIOc/XnX9TxDZFLI/AAAAAAAASE8/gDrQIn-dwhs8dJKAfMypQygKdc52zYVtgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/h01.jpg" title="HEIDELBERG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><script async="" src="https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Maple Tree, Heidelberg</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">View of Maple from the apartment balcony</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Maple in full bloom</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RqJ21FrNkUI/XnCndEfHnlI/AAAAAAAAR5c/hnNopAaHbf8N0JfwF4s_V9w23UTD4IRKwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/WhatsApp%2BImage%2B2020-03-14%2Bat%2B17.35.19.jpeg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Old campus" border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="719" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RqJ21FrNkUI/XnCndEfHnlI/AAAAAAAAR5c/hnNopAaHbf8N0JfwF4s_V9w23UTD4IRKwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/WhatsApp%2BImage%2B2020-03-14%2Bat%2B17.35.19.jpeg" title="HEIDELBERG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Un</span><span style="font-size: x-small;">iversity Square at the Old Campus of Heidelberg. A part of Schloss (Castle) on hills at the back</span><span style="font-size: small;">. </span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Nsgj8x51QDU/XnCnerWUbxI/AAAAAAAAR5g/r_zlUfgNHi8gt-q7b6P9CvI1RA78bwbvgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/WhatsApp%2BImage%2B2020-03-14%2Bat%2B19.05.41.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Book burning" border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Nsgj8x51QDU/XnCnerWUbxI/AAAAAAAAR5g/r_zlUfgNHi8gt-q7b6P9CvI1RA78bwbvgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/WhatsApp%2BImage%2B2020-03-14%2Bat%2B19.05.41.jpeg" title="HEIDELBERG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">A view of book-burning protest at the University Square in 1933 (the Third Reich).Hitler had taken over as the Chancellor of the University. The photograph is in the University Museum.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hiPVjz98ang/XnCnelVG0HI/AAAAAAAAR5k/DQhT44Cieogasw3A6R8I0UVL4Qg5ifmcACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/WhatsApp%2BImage%2B2020-03-14%2Bat%2B19.12.12.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="University founder" border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="719" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hiPVjz98ang/XnCnelVG0HI/AAAAAAAAR5k/DQhT44Cieogasw3A6R8I0UVL4Qg5ifmcACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/WhatsApp%2BImage%2B2020-03-14%2Bat%2B19.12.12.jpeg" title="HEIDELBERG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">The museum houses this bust of Elector Ruprecht who founded the University in 1386.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Bergheim Campus was earlier the University Hospital</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Zeughaus-Mensa, the main canteen of Heidelberg University. It is located close to a 14th century Church of the Holy Spirit.</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9tbOe3qFObk/XnCnicBbr9I/AAAAAAAAR50/DrJCiahz-kUxqE-fi-bg60B4DDh7UHDwgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/WhatsApp%2BImage%2B2020-03-14%2Bat%2B20.10.03.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="canteen scene" border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9tbOe3qFObk/XnCnicBbr9I/AAAAAAAAR50/DrJCiahz-kUxqE-fi-bg60B4DDh7UHDwgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/WhatsApp%2BImage%2B2020-03-14%2Bat%2B20.10.03.jpeg" title="HEIDELBERG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Inside the Canteen. Here lunch is set out on a buffet and is charged on a weight basis</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Smoked Salmon preparation at a stall set up for Christmas Market</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yDUDY8_twyI/XnH_TzbhglI/AAAAAAAAR8Q/7HpBWTVb8Ugr2JHx1GTnJtHBD7XEsmCEACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/WhatsApp%2BImage%2B2020-03-17%2Bat%2B17.43.18.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="food stall" border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="719" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yDUDY8_twyI/XnH_TzbhglI/AAAAAAAAR8Q/7HpBWTVb8Ugr2JHx1GTnJtHBD7XEsmCEACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/WhatsApp%2BImage%2B2020-03-17%2Bat%2B17.43.18.jpeg" title="HEIDELBERG" width="358" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>A food stall at the Christmas Market</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bMNNTwdQ-Kk/XnH_cHodh1I/AAAAAAAAR8c/_VKGrdBIvBwxxpUQhgCeChLNOJWivQV6QCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/WhatsApp%2BImage%2B2020-03-17%2Bat%2B17.49.18.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Christmas Market" border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="719" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bMNNTwdQ-Kk/XnH_cHodh1I/AAAAAAAAR8c/_VKGrdBIvBwxxpUQhgCeChLNOJWivQV6QCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/WhatsApp%2BImage%2B2020-03-17%2Bat%2B17.49.18.jpeg" title="HEIDELBERG" width="358" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Stalls set up for Christmas Market. This one is near the Old Town Hall.</b></span></td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GaiS6rgH894/XnX9LjIDpbI/AAAAAAAASEw/O4CnHD8Img4El3IFf8U6WRO9xLlK67zuQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/h03.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="Biskmarkplatz" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GaiS6rgH894/XnX9LjIDpbI/AAAAAAAASEw/O4CnHD8Img4El3IFf8U6WRO9xLlK67zuQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/h03.jpg" title="HEIDELBERG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Bismarkplatz</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--iSnq9vrpWM/XnH-8-frbHI/AAAAAAAAR78/tHOBtRrTbgE3pv6NWZy7qkOs2wAqIwqaQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/WhatsApp%2BImage%2B2020-03-17%2Bat%2B17.25.55.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="from river neckar" border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--iSnq9vrpWM/XnH-8-frbHI/AAAAAAAAR78/tHOBtRrTbgE3pv6NWZy7qkOs2wAqIwqaQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/WhatsApp%2BImage%2B2020-03-17%2Bat%2B17.25.55.jpeg" title="HEIDELBERG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Heidelberg on the other side of River Neckar</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MTa8qQ-n11s/XnH--_QgiiI/AAAAAAAAR8A/kOQUYoSGDZ49RHGAtlkCzTMLQSRkRWx8ACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/WhatsApp%2BImage%2B2020-03-17%2Bat%2B17.26.51.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="hills" border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MTa8qQ-n11s/XnH--_QgiiI/AAAAAAAAR8A/kOQUYoSGDZ49RHGAtlkCzTMLQSRkRWx8ACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/WhatsApp%2BImage%2B2020-03-17%2Bat%2B17.26.51.jpeg" title="HEIDELBERG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Hills of Heidelberg</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AdSPoV5qPBU/XnX9xNZFA4I/AAAAAAAASFQ/fOavv8p8YxYl-EGooPtjHQotYuWboO4qgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/h04.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Christmas market" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AdSPoV5qPBU/XnX9xNZFA4I/AAAAAAAASFQ/fOavv8p8YxYl-EGooPtjHQotYuWboO4qgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/h04.jpg" title="HEIDELBERG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Christmas Market at the Universitatplatz (University Square)</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2Q1bTHUNe8U/XnX9OlNIRtI/AAAAAAAASE0/H1niwntq77kqcPtwphIyiANhsI8rk8HhgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/h05.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="oldest hotel" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="899" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2Q1bTHUNe8U/XnX9OlNIRtI/AAAAAAAASE0/H1niwntq77kqcPtwphIyiANhsI8rk8HhgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/h05.jpg" title="HEIDELBERG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Hotel Zum Ritter is the oldest surviving hotel in Heidelberg. Dating back to 1592 this grand hotel building is located opposite the old Town Hall </b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>A food stall at Christmas Market</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Altstadt decorated during Christmas Market.</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i2QjMTKlnLk/XnX9bo1D42I/AAAAAAAASFI/N6qVRPDl4HgM573rFAvQkCkVzQs9Q05BACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/h08.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="KONIGSTUHL" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i2QjMTKlnLk/XnX9bo1D42I/AAAAAAAASFI/N6qVRPDl4HgM573rFAvQkCkVzQs9Q05BACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/h08.jpg" title="HEIDELBERG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Konigstuhl Hill</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aTpcYwLiytc/XnX9sriWt8I/AAAAAAAASFM/DlZgj7fdXjQAWpAn9SHCj4lLdBmLH8zZQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/h10.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="funicular" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aTpcYwLiytc/XnX9sriWt8I/AAAAAAAASFM/DlZgj7fdXjQAWpAn9SHCj4lLdBmLH8zZQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/h10.jpg" title="HEIDELBERG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>The Funicular experience</b></span></td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xRJFWMbFDZE/XnX9xXqryKI/AAAAAAAASFU/3o8pwGW31p484Xdzgpi7wSRhv7M4u0JAgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/h11.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="hills" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xRJFWMbFDZE/XnX9xXqryKI/AAAAAAAASFU/3o8pwGW31p484Xdzgpi7wSRhv7M4u0JAgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/h11.jpg" title="HEIDELBERG" width="480" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xWE29yKgUKM/XnX9ym5DW0I/AAAAAAAASFY/PvenrTB4JosY53PADxdvIbvSYsUu-0kegCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/h12.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="oldest funicular" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xWE29yKgUKM/XnX9ym5DW0I/AAAAAAAASFY/PvenrTB4JosY53PADxdvIbvSYsUu-0kegCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/h12.jpg" title="HEIDELBERG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Part of the 100-year-old funicular</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zOalWH1eP8E/XnX96RLvVwI/AAAAAAAASFw/LPUoizFNLXkiHD1WpQLLf0tMLVSrvUVDwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/h17.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="BERGHEIM CAMPUS" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zOalWH1eP8E/XnX96RLvVwI/AAAAAAAASFw/LPUoizFNLXkiHD1WpQLLf0tMLVSrvUVDwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/h17.jpg" title="HEIDELBERG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Heidelberg University Bergheim Campus</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ot1BbPpC7qU/XnX96TOWbQI/AAAAAAAASF0/Prs4qc4r8qk1v_q0gP6fXhZNV7fcip8qwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/h18.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="river neckar" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ot1BbPpC7qU/XnX96TOWbQI/AAAAAAAASF0/Prs4qc4r8qk1v_q0gP6fXhZNV7fcip8qwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/h18.jpg" title="HEIDELBERG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>River Neckar near Bergheim Campus</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Site of the Amphitheater built during the Third Reich</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Amphitheater</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Heidelberg Schloss from the University Square</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6h5qtI2cygg/XnX-FpFcyvI/AAAAAAAASGg/xvCuncyfKo8OL9uIa3Yjde0cD29LMe01QCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/h28.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="UNIVERSITY SQUARE" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6h5qtI2cygg/XnX-FpFcyvI/AAAAAAAASGg/xvCuncyfKo8OL9uIa3Yjde0cD29LMe01QCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/h28.jpg" title="HEIDELBERG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>University Square</b></span></td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LhBHA_SFQ4s/XnX-GQr_azI/AAAAAAAASGo/ZCamG8SXsgIFxaOD2UCkQ49suIg2y2b7QCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/h31.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="BERGHEIM" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LhBHA_SFQ4s/XnX-GQr_azI/AAAAAAAASGo/ZCamG8SXsgIFxaOD2UCkQ49suIg2y2b7QCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/h31.jpg" title="HEIDELBERG" width="480" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: medium;">Bergheim Campus</b></td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xf-wGIvJDKk/XnX-GDn1U1I/AAAAAAAASGk/VfZPrnLr0_k1qRiU8xe79u9HTFqToEcUQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/h30.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Bergheim campus 2" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xf-wGIvJDKk/XnX-GDn1U1I/AAAAAAAASGk/VfZPrnLr0_k1qRiU8xe79u9HTFqToEcUQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/h30.jpg" title="HEIDELBERG" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Bergheim Campus - Slogans like Anti -Semitism and Smash Fascism painted all over</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>Photo credit: <span style="color: blue;">Arundhati Sengupta</span></b></span><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Heidelberg Guide</span><span style="font-size: large;">:</span></b></i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Frankfurt is the most convenient airport to get down for proceeding to Heidelberg.</span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The train station is right below the Terminal 1. Most trains go to Mannheim. So it is advisable to take a train to Mannheim, and then take a train to Heidelberg. Or the other option is to take a tram no. 5 from outside Mannheim station, which will take you up to Bismarlplatz via Heidelberg train station. </span></div></div><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"> </span> <br />
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</span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The other option, which takes at the most one and a half hours is a bus from a point between Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 outside the airport. Buses operated by Flix are pretty comfortable. The terminus at Heidelberg is on Eppelheimerstrasse, which is very close to the railway station.</span></div></div><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"> </span> <br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-align: justify;">Moving around Heidelberg is easy with an efficient public transport system in place. Like, Hauptbahnhof (train station) to Bismarkplatz - <b>Tramline 5</b>; Bergheim Campus to Bismarkplatz - <b>Tramline 21</b> & <b>Busline 32</b>; Hauftbahnof to Neuenheimer Feld (location of the new campus) -<b>Tramline 24</b>. Tram tickets can be bought from vending machines located at every stop. Bus tickets are to be bought from the driver. All tickets have to be validated on machines in the trams or buses. From Bismarkplatz, one can take a refreshing walk down Altstadt. This long pedestrian-only plaza leads to the old campus of the university and is totally free from any type of vehicle. Big names like Douglas, Hema, Galleria Kauf Haus, Deichman glitter on either side of the street. A treat for the shoppers. </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">A comprehensive map on Tramlines and Buslines in Heidelberg</span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-align: justify;">The campuses of Heidelberg University are located all over the town. In fact, the town grew up with the university. The three main campuses are </span><b style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif; font-size: x-large; text-align: justify;">Old Town Campus</b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-align: justify;"> - Humanities program; </span><b style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif; font-size: x-large; text-align: justify;">Bergheim Campus </b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-align: justify;">- Social Sciences and Economics; </span><b style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif; font-size: x-large; text-align: justify;">Neuenheimer Campus </b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; text-align: justify;">- Medicines, Technology, and Natural Sciences.</span><br />
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</div>Biswajit Senguptahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04502747488677409796noreply@blogger.com768/3, Pratapaditya Rd, Lalpara, Sahanagar, Kalighat, Kolkata, West Bengal 700026, India22.5096902 88.344283699999991-6.4303092999999976 47.035689699999992 51.4496897 129.65287769999998tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2677408543935148689.post-61759742125912231772020-06-10T17:03:00.004+05:302021-06-08T21:49:37.674+05:30Italy's Floating City<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><meta name="title" content="Italy's Floating City"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><h3><span style="color: blue; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Vienna to Venice</b></span></h3><div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">On the last day of our stay at Vienna, we had moved to an apartment closer to Wien Meidling Railway station. This was because we had to catch a train for Venice, early the next morning. The beauty of the ‘La Petit’ apartment was that our window opened out to the rail station, a tram terminus, metro, and a bus stop. After breakfast and a little shopping at the supermarket next to the metro station, we rode a tram to Karlsplatz. From there we walked down towards the famous Kunsthistorishes Museum (Art History Museum). In short – Kuntz Museum. A refreshingly pleasant walk in this beautiful European city with the mesmerizing sight of imposing buildings on both sides of the road glistening under the clear daylight. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Built in 1891, near the Imperial Palace, the imposing façade of the museum is a treat to watch. The museum houses extensive collections of the Imperial Family ranging from Artworks of Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and the Baroque era. Works of great artists of the Renaissance period were on display in the museum, like Raphael, Veneers, Tintoretto, Rembrandt, Rubens to name a few. But to me, the collection of Peter Paul Rubens’ oil paintings appeared to dominate the exhibits in the vast interior. Some of his oil paintings were huge, colossal, covering the walls from floor skirting up to the ceiling (height must be above 20 feet). Peter Paul Rubens, the early seventeenth-century painter, was deeply influenced by Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, and Michelangelo. Although his paintings varied from religious, hunting to landscape themes, he earned fame by painting nude images of full-figured middle-aged women of his time. That was his forte, which gave rise to terms like ‘Rubensian’ or ‘Rubenesque’.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> After returning to our apartment in the evening, we decided to have our dinner at an authentic Wiener eatery. I longed for a bite on Wiener schnitzel, which is made of pounded veal meat dredged in egg and made super crunchy by coats of bread crumbs. I enjoyed this crispy, golden Austrian delicacy along with beer, while my wife opted for poached salmon with chips along with rose wine - a great eating experience. Early the next morning, we left the apartment and moved to Meidling rail station which was just across the road, for our onward journey to Venice. We were naturally excited, not only at the thought of visiting a new country but also at the thought of undertaking one of the most scenic railroad journeys in Europe. What followed was a fascinating seven hours journey through a breathtaking corridor created by the Austrian Alps. The high-speed train glided through numerous tunnels and traversed numerous viaducts while crossing the valleys. I preferred to spend some moments in a well-laid restaurant car. Over cups of coffee, I enjoyed watching picturesque views rushing past the window. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Our hotel was in Mestre, a land extension of Venice. So we alighted at Venezia Mestre station which is ahead of Venezia Santa Lucia Station. Our hotel was at Via G. Parini, about 10 minutes’ walk from the station. What took us by surprise was that from the station to the hotel, we could hear more Bengali being spoken than Italian. Later we learned that many people from Bangladesh migrated to Italy over the last three decades. Their superior intelligence and skills helped them pick up different trades and gather fluency in the local language in a jiffy. With this forte and their great adaptability power, they have been able to establish their own enterprise including eateries and seamlessly fuse with the character of the country which was not theirs when they came in. Like the famous dictum ‘Veni Vidi Vici’ on Julius Caesar. They have not only come and seen. They appeared to have conquered the hearts of Italians in such a short span. The next morning we strolled down to the main thoroughfare which was hardly a hundred meters from our hotel. Bought a one-day transport ticket from a Tabac shop run by a sweet young lady. The ticket was applicable for any number of bus rides as well as Vaporetto rides in Venice. Vaporetto is a public water bus in Venice. The bus ride from Mestre to Venice takes about 15/20 minutes. The road journey terminates and ends at the Vaporetto station. This is connected to Venice's Santa Maria Railway Station through arch bridges and pier like wooden platforms.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Seen from the Vaporetti platform, the stunningly beautiful architectural marvels appeared to emerge out from the waters of the Adriatic Sea. Venice grew through centuries over a multitude of islands dotting the Venetian lagoon. The seawater at the entrance to Venice serves as the main arterial highway and is connected throughout to a maze of numerous canals. Venice, for long, was the citadel of financial activities and trades in Europe. It’s evident from Shakespeare’s ‘Merchant of Venice’, written in the late sixteenth century. Although Venice is popular for Gondola rides, I never made any attempt to try a ride as I was scared of the choppy waters. Instead, we took a Vaporetto trip to the island of Murano. A tiny island that went on to become famous for glassmaking since its very inception about 1000 years back. After alighting at Murano we sauntered down a cobbled path, elated as we got snugly enshrouded in warm sunlight and a soft sea breeze, before arriving at the famous glass museum only a few meters away. This unique museum, housed in a seventeenth-century palace was set up by the municipality of Murano in 1861 to archive the brilliant works of highly skilled glass artists of Venetian lagoon. Cristallo (crystal glass), chandeliers, lattimo (milk glass), beads, mirrors were all contributions of highly skilled glassworkers concentrated in Murano since ages. MUSEO D EI VETRO (Murano Glass Museum) showcases the process and art of glassmaking, glassworks from the Egyptian era to the present day, some mirrors dating back to the fifth century still perfect and untarnished. Although glass making dates back to a period between 2000 BC and 1700 BC at Syria and Tigris- Euphrates rivers, glass blowing by Syrians in 100 BC, the secrets and recipes of modern glassmaking were unraveled and developed meticulously by the Venetians in Murano. Demand for art glass led to more and more innovations since the late thirteenth century in Murano. In fact, Italy earned the credit of yet another renaissance in glassmaking and art glass. A hall at the entrance keeps showing films related to processes involved in designing and creating different forms of glassworks. The films lucidly present the intricacies of glass making. On our way back we bought some decorative glass souvenirs. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><script async="" src="https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">From Murano, we took a boat to the island of Burano-great rhyming! Burano also is a tiny island and famous for lacework. All houses in Burano are of different colors, arising out of the fact that fishermen returning late in the dusk could identify their houses from a distance. In view of this unique law, the entire island looks very attractive and colourful. We were fortunate to watch a local wedding at Burano. At Burano, we had local gelato and some pasta preparation before boarding a boat for the return to the main Venice Vaporetto station.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> From there we took another boat to the heart of the historic city of Venice. The Grand Canal is flanked by the architectural splendours of Venice. We got down at the station from where one can walk up to the Piazza San Marco, a sprawling square where St. Mark’s Basilica and Doge’s Palace (Venice was governed by Doge or ‘Duke’) are located. Since no vehicles ply on the narrow lanes and arch type short bridges over the canals, we had to walk down to the square. Most of the pathways are cobbled and along with the bridges are going strong for centuries. For centuries these pathways have experienced innumerable footfalls. I have a hunch that Shakespeare might have trodden the paths about five hundred years back while penning ‘Merchant of Venice’. The backstreets and waterways of this fascinating city are truly wrapped in history. They might have also been frequented by Byzantine Emperors, Sultan Mehmet, symphonic and operatic musician Antonio Vivaldi, Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, and his soldiers. True or untrue, I get an added pleasure imagining myself on a time machine. Streets are crowded as everyone walks. We walked through bustling markets, small squares and arch type bridges. On our way, we came across a few old churches. When we finally made to the San Marco Plaza, the vastness of the square was transcendentally captivating and at the same time baffling. Baffling because the square looked like a land oasis in a city surrounded by water and floating on water. It was of rectangular shape, where Doge’s Palace grandiosely occupied most of the length of the rectangle and St. Mark’s Basilica stood with all its majestic architectural grandeur on the breadth of the rectangle. On the other corner of the basilica was a large plaza, something like a promenade from where we got a full view of the Adriatic Sea and the ships. When we started walking into the historic city we faced mild drizzles, but by the time we reached the promenade the sky had cleared and we were fortunate to see the sunset over the sea. From one of the arch bridges, we saw the Bridge of Sighs. A bridge made of limestone, enclosed with grilled windows connecting the new prison to the interrogation rooms in the Doge’s Palace. The name was derived from the fact that the condemned prisoners sighed when they saw the outside world for the last time from the windowpane. By the time we returned to our boat station, dusk had already set in. Our station was close to Rialto Bridge, another beautiful stone bridge spanning the Grand Canal at its narrowest point. This sixteenth-century bridge is a stone arch bridge. It remains crowded all the time with tourists as well as locals. We, too, relaxed over there, enjoying the sights of Grand Canal, the illuminated city on the other side of the canal, the Vaporetto and the gondolas sailing, the lively cafes, before boarding the Vaporetto. In the night the canal water glitters with the reflections from some majestic hotels lining up the Grand Canal on either side.</span><o:p></o:p></div></div><div><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Photographs by: </span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><i>Arundhati Sengupta </i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><i><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Kuntz Museum, Vienna</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Ruben's massive oil painting</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: medium;">Ruben's massive oil painting</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Paintings of nude women by Rubens</b></span></td></tr>
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img alt="nude by ruben 2" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V8idMzIOXso/XSRw9BtNYQI/AAAAAAAAKgk/KIaPBoHYH8MSc6oij_8mqq547siTgw3-wCLcBGAs/s640/DSC03392.JPG" title="VIENNA" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Gallery of Rubens</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Self-portrait of Peter Paul Rubens</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Interior of Kuntz Museum</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Painting of Hans von Aachen, an early seventeenth-century artist. The painting depicts the seduction attempt and rape of Lucretia by Sextus Tarquinius, son of the Etruscan King. Lucretia was famous for her beauty and virtues. Unable to bear this she committed suicide soon after.</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>On the bank of Danube, Vienna</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Train passes through Italian Alps</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>The scenic rail route from Vienna to Venice</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>The choppy waterway of the Adriatic Sea in Venice</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>The tranquil island of Murano</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Images of some exhibits in the Glass Museum</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Venice in the thirteenth century</b></span></td></tr>
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EoB7uGLrMtw/XSRxkyfjb1I/AAAAAAAAKkc/SrJlVL1-0A0GuAInR-aoBD_e33iz5djGACLcBGAs/s1600/DSC03447.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="exhibit 4" border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EoB7uGLrMtw/XSRxkyfjb1I/AAAAAAAAKkc/SrJlVL1-0A0GuAInR-aoBD_e33iz5djGACLcBGAs/s1600/DSC03447.JPG" title="glass" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Exhibits of century-old glass chandeliers and vases</b></span></td></tr>
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zJeqOEOR0Rc/XSRxnhzFngI/AAAAAAAAKkw/FFUXSw-kd6wWdrw2FBBeRXxWHztLS3r8QCLcBGAs/s1600/DSC03452.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="exhibit 6" border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zJeqOEOR0Rc/XSRxnhzFngI/AAAAAAAAKkw/FFUXSw-kd6wWdrw2FBBeRXxWHztLS3r8QCLcBGAs/s1600/DSC03452.JPG" title="glass" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Approaching Burano</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>A cobbled lane in Burano</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Laceworks on display in Burano</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>A canal in Burano</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Wu51vBOdTpw/XSRyA38ZqzI/AAAAAAAAKoE/3v5q3MUnHCoWwzlIZsszTC1_rAbXOCaMQCLcBGAs/s1600/DSC03498.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="colors 2" border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Wu51vBOdTpw/XSRyA38ZqzI/AAAAAAAAKoE/3v5q3MUnHCoWwzlIZsszTC1_rAbXOCaMQCLcBGAs/s1600/DSC03498.JPG" title="burano" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Some images of colorful Burano</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>A newlywed bride crossing a bridge in Burano</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Vapporeti and Santa Maria Railway stations</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>A view of the Grand Canal</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Rialto Bridge</b></span></td></tr>
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eTHoYyjqbsE/XSRyQR8XSgI/AAAAAAAAKpY/fsDo6nL4ZOkTb97gagvlRlwyhUkz52gdQCLcBGAs/s1600/DSC03516.JPG"><img alt="church" border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eTHoYyjqbsE/XSRyQR8XSgI/AAAAAAAAKpY/fsDo6nL4ZOkTb97gagvlRlwyhUkz52gdQCLcBGAs/s1600/DSC03516.JPG" title="VENICE" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vbhAw6sNUdw/XSRyYs8OQII/AAAAAAAAKqE/XOyUXxVEwqAK_AXnh4Gy83ovfA4WHZBFwCLcBGAs/s1600/DSC03521.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="SAN MARCA PLAZA" border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vbhAw6sNUdw/XSRyYs8OQII/AAAAAAAAKqE/XOyUXxVEwqAK_AXnh4Gy83ovfA4WHZBFwCLcBGAs/s1600/DSC03521.JPG" title="VENICE" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>San Marco Plaza & Doge's Palace </b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>St. Mark's Basilica</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>From the promenade</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Promenade</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Bridge of Sigh</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Vaporetti, which is the main transport system in Venice, It is also referred to as the water bus.</b></span></td></tr>
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<ins class="bookingaff" data-address="Mestre, Venice, Metropolitan City of Venice, Italy" data-aid="1867413" data-dest_id="0" data-dest_type="landmark" data-height="590" data-landmark_name="Murano" data-lang="ualng" data-latitude="45.4934881" data-longitude="12.2463181" data-mwhsb="0" data-prod="map" data-target_aid="1867413" data-width="100%"><br />
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</script><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><u>How to go from Mestre to Venice:</u></i></b></span><br />
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</u></i></b></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Mestre is road-friendly since it is a convenient land portion of Venice. From Mestre Rail Station to Piazzale Roma in Venice is only 9 km by road. There are frequent buses from Mestre to Venice. It is economical to buy a one day pass, which covers multiple rides by bus as well as vaporetti (water bus). These passes are available at the station as well as Tabac shops in other areas in Mestre.Train services are also available from Mestre to Venice. Maps and time tables are available at <span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></b></span><a href="http://www.actv.it/" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: white; color: #006699; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, "Bitstream Vera Sans", sans-serif; outline: none; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">www.actv.it</a><br />
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<div class="addthis_tipjar_inline"></div></div>Biswajit Senguptahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04502747488677409796noreply@blogger.com2Santiniketan82.842439627203461 -132.9785166.3268956272034558 47.021483999999987 90 47.021483999999987tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2677408543935148689.post-90166695524975578272020-05-16T14:31:00.000+05:302020-05-16T14:31:47.424+05:30REAL-TIME SUCCESS<w:sdt contentlocked="t" id="89512093" sdtgroup="t"><span style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 1pt;"><w:sdtpr></w:sdtpr><w:sdt docpart="BA69FDD40298457099EA66AADDC10D0A" id="89512082" storeitemid="X_3273CA34-1CA3-4B73-8800-6FC36E62F778" text="t" title="Post Title" xpath="/ns0:BlogPostInfo/ns0:PostTitle"></w:sdt></span>
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<div style="border: none; padding: 0in 0in 2pt;">
<h3 style="text-align: right;"><font face="times"><b><o:p><font size="6"> </font><font color="#0b8043" size="6">REAL-TIME SUCCESS</font><font size="6"><font color="#0b8043"> </font> </font><font size="6"> </font><font size="4"> </font></o:p><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: xx-large;"><font size="4">N. JAYARAMAN</font></span></b></font></h3></div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Much to my
chagrin, I have often come across instances when some<span> </span>people interacting with me choose to
subconsciously place me at an elevated level, absolutely not<span> </span>commensurate <span> </span>with <span> </span>my
present worth, intellectual or physical,<span>
</span>if any. I guess, by virtue of <span> </span>the position <span> </span>I might have occupied, once
upon a time, <span> </span>by default,<span> </span>in one or two <span> </span>organizations, <span> </span>for a certain time, people tend to do so, which
does not, ipso facto, contribute anything to my inner worth or IQ. That would
have remained stagnant at a particular point or rather declined with advancing
age, medical side effects or God knows what. <span> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">It is also not
necessary that all those people, who have something to do or not to do with me,
have to be compared with me, on one parameter or the other, every now and then.
But on certain occasions, consciously or otherwise, this practice is resorted
to by people, whether it serves them any purpose or not. Perhaps, it has
something to do with some psychological issues, which I am not sure of. It is
not of much concern to me though it might be to some others, presumably.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I sometimes
think that irrespective of the inherent merit or worth of individuals, people in
the middle-class bracket particularly; pursue different activities or vocations
just to eke out their living with comfort and happiness. Some choose a
particular field, by default, which suits them and some pursue a course which
neither suits them nor do they like it and keep changing till they find
themselves in a quandary, to start again from square one. There are plenty of
examples. Like for instance, someone succeeds as a sportsperson, someone does
not. Someone succeeds as a Lawyer, someone does not. So on and so forth.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">What prompted me
to write this piece is that the other day, I sent a small mail to an old friend
of mine, remembering and appreciating his long and old association with me and
thanking him for being a good friend in good and bad times. He wrote back
thanking me profusely and also stating that he was obliged to be in the company of a senior official <span> </span>(he doesn’t know how stupid I was though somewhat improved now, with greying hairs, I
believe !) being his friend, though he is pretty small, in comparison and
all those things. In the heart of hearts, I know that both of us are more or
less equally educated and probably have the same level of IQ, with a rider that
if a competitive exam is conducted tomorrow, on a professional subject, probably
he would beat me squarely in that
without any doubt. Hope, no authority is listening, for if they really do it, I
am pretty sure all those so-called Executives, occupying cozy corner cabins, <span> </span><span> </span>would
be exposed beyond recognition, just like me, because the juniors in the field
would knock them down in every single Department, e.g. batting, bowling or fielding, even umpiring. <span> </span>But what prompted him to place me on a
superior scale is just by virtue of my retiring at a somewhat better level than
him, which might have happened due to multiple, inexplicable factors not
related to merit alone, which I firmly affirm, I am far away from. The reason is
not far to seek. <span> </span>I might have made use
of some opportunities or freebies for upward movement which he would have
shrugged off due to some compelling reasons, if not by choice. <span> </span>But people just do what their heart dictates
without really knowing what is right and what is not. It is just providence
that guides every individual to do what he does at a given point of time and for
those who believe in Karma, it is what rules the roost.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Ending one’s
career in a lower or higher rank is not all that counts in one’s life. Maybe
it is an ego satisfying tool and gives a sense of accomplishment in the
materialistic world, which is a transitory phenomenon. The appreciation and the
accolades received from friends and society may add to the aura of the
individual undoubtedly, but where it will end up no one can predict. At this
point, it may be relevant to draw upon Peter Principle, an accepted concept in
Management which observes that people in a hierarchy tend to rise to their ‘level
of incompetence’. An employee is promoted based on his success in previous jobs
until he reaches a level at which he no longer remains competent, as skills in
one job do not translate to another. The theory further explains that an
Executive keeps on moving upwards up to a level, where he stops growing, and maybe his productivity tends to decline or the quality of output declines. Though this
cannot be generalized, nevertheless the theory works in a large number of targets
based Corporates and is a part of the curriculum. In our country, it is not
uncommon to find cases where CMDs and EDs have had to vacate offices or given
the pink slips due to omissions or commissions or both. In some cases,
Investigative Agencies run the extra mile to prove or investigate allegations,
even when they don’t smell a rat. And the whole country is agog with fabricated
stories, duly compounded by the exuberant media, the anchors of some of which
keep howling, 24/7: ‘the country wants to know….’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">On the other
hand, when we look at Maslow’s Hierarchy of Human Needs like Food, Shelter, etc.
Self-Actualization comes at the end, which one can achieve at a point when one
can put a cap on one’s needs and wants or can crystallize where
to put a full stop. <span> </span>Self-Actualization
enhances the well-being of the individual which is the sine qua non for a
satisfied and meaningful life. That varies from person to person. I would like
to mention the instance of a friend who was a Supervisor in an MNC. <span> </span>But his children were gems of students who
excelled as Gold Medalists in MBBS and Engineering and later became Research
Scholars in Ivy League Colleges in the US. <span> </span>I
also know of the son of another retired GM of a Bank, whose son was after his
father’s money after his retirement. So it all depends. No one-size-fits-all
formula applies.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">We have also witnessed
that success of an individual is different from the success of a family. For
instance, a person might have reached the pinnacle of success or glory, but his
ward might be languishing to find a foothold in the corporate corridor or in
any other field, even after several attempts. <span> </span>At the same time, it is not uncommon to find
that the son or daughter of a vegetable vendor or an Auto driver has qualified
as an IAS and getting posted as DM. <span> </span>I
know one Doctorate in Economics who retired as a Scale One Officer from a
nationalized bank, but his son was a celebrated IFS Officer. Therefore, can it
be said that his knowledge or IQ was any lesser than the super bosses he was
reporting to from time to time for over three decades. It is altogether another matter that his articles used to be published in leading world magazines. There
are some qualified Officers like CAs, Cost Accountants and Engineers from
prestigious Colleges, who retire from relatively lower ranks in comparison with
simple graduates in Humanities who make it to the top positions, which does not
guarantee extraordinary caliber, to the best of my understanding.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Now, reverting
to the original issue, merely on the basis of an individual reaching a
particular rank in the management echelon does not necessarily add any intrinsic
value to his faculty, which remains almost constant at a level at which he would
have finished his <span> </span>education or joined
the organization, in a junior or senior capacity, leave aside the experience
part. <span> </span>What happens afterward is just a
matter of chance or accident or opportunity or destiny or all of them combined,
including some more invisible factors. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">The same way, we
have often seen highly capable and qualified people, retiring in relatively
lower ranks. But I am sure, they know their priorities. They focus on better
health, steady income, peace of mind, better family dispensation, concentrate on
education of their children and become successful in their own ways. <span> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">The fundamental
issue<span> </span>is<span>
</span>how to attain <span> </span>Self Actualization
which is the most important factor and once one can find it at whatever stage
of life, satisfaction ensues, which cannot be evaluated in terms of status or
height or weight or complexion or any such mundane matter or influenced by any
external force. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Again, just
because someone is not in the rat race cannot be interpreted as a case of
ineligibility or incompetence or even negligence. Similarly, it cannot be
assumed that all people reaching the top Executive positions reach there solely
on the basis of proven competence or excellence in their previous career path,
without any exception. While the <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>Mountaineers,
who scale mighty peaks, make and break records, nobody remembers the Sherpas, let
alone hail them. Nevertheless, they prefer remaining calm and quiet as the
untiring navigators of the treacherous mountains. They are also loved, perhaps,
in some folklore poems….!<span> </span>In those
hills……!!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">____________________________________________________________________<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">N.
JAYARAMAN / 10.05.2020 / KOLKATA</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">98314-12836
/ njrnetwork@gmail.com</span><o:p></o:p></p><br />Biswajit Senguptahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04502747488677409796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2677408543935148689.post-230904241507830252019-08-16T11:10:00.001+05:302019-08-16T11:10:11.201+05:30ranaruby --- green light: Visit to India's oldest living city - Benares<a href="https://www.ranaruby.in/2015/02/visit-to-indias-oldest-living-city.html?spref=bl">ranaruby --- green light: Visit to India's oldest living city - Benares</a>: Born in Benares ---- revisited 2014 Proud and privileged I feel to be born in the holy city of Benares. I have stayed there but it ...Biswajit Senguptahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04502747488677409796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2677408543935148689.post-50272816229919355472019-06-27T13:58:00.003+05:302023-12-04T15:59:10.789+05:30Singapore --- The Smartest Megapolis<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><meta content="SINGAPORE- the smartest metropolis" name="title"></meta><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>Founded in 1819 as a trading outpost of the British East India Company, Singapore was only a small dot at the tip of the Malay Peninsula, the southernmost part of Asia. For almost half a century, Singapore was ruled by Calcutta. The small colonial post grew so rapidly that in 1965 it was formally declared as an independent city-state. Today it has turned into a global trading hub and has made the entire world its hinterland. Right from stepping into Changi International Airport, indisputably one of the world’s classiest airports, Singapore appealed to us for its crisp, warm and vibrant character. We went there last in 2018 to meet our younger son, a post-doc in Economics at NTU. Our flight touched down in the wee hours of the morning. When we reached our son’s house near Commonwealth metro station, it was still dark outside. After keeping our baggage in his house, Arjun took us to a neighboring marketplace for tea. Pleasant surprises were in store for us since the moment we stepped into Singapore. Right from ‘boutique toilets’ at Changi Airport to a cheerful sight of people having tea and breakfast even before dawn sets in were sights which we have not experienced in other parts of the world we have travelled. The strong wisp of tea, coffee, and breakfast delicacies was so tempting that we had more than a couple of momos of different varieties and special plum cakes along with refreshing tea. During our stay, we discovered the city to be a gourmet’s delight. Whether it is Holland Village or China Town, the Michelin starred restaurants are all well geared to delight the palates of even the most discriminating foodies. Sometimes I do reminisce my yearning for fried rice prepared at Jimmy’s Kitchen on <st1:street w:st="on">Theatre Road</st1:street> in Calcutta. But that was in the days gone by. The fried rice we had at Crystal Jade in Holland Village was far superior to what I used to have at Jimmy’s Kitchen half-a-century back. Even the smaller stalls seem to have mastery over culinary art. But the serving that still lingers on my taste buds today was tea along with kaya toasts at Toast Box on Orchard Road. We found Singapore as one of the cleanest cities, compared to cities we have seen around the world. At the same time, it bustles with activities and offers a lot of attractions to the tourists, as the century-old Botanical Gardens, right in downtown Singapore. The only tropical garden honored as UNESCO World Heritage site, it has a huge collection of orchids. Jurong Bird Park, where we saw Penguins for the first time in our life. These adorable polar birds that walk like humans are a treat to watch. Sentosa, where we had a tryst with Dolphins in the sea aquarium. Never seen a dolphin before. So loving, so friendly. Believed to be one of the smartest creatures on earth. Vaulting out of water or diving down to the ocean floor. They love playing around with their trainers' cum divers. We saw them performing several manoeuvres in their repertoire. The concept of aquarium under the sea deeply fascinated me. Unlike standard aquaria, where marine animals are kept in glass enclosures, here one has to enter a glass chamber surrounded by sea. While the dolphins came to greet us and softly pecked the glass wall with their rostra as a show of love, the sharks menacingly roamed over the glass ceiling above our heads. Further inside, the S.E.A. aquarium showcased myriads of colorful corals and jellyfish. The corals, in different sizes, shapes, and colors, appeared like flowers in a marine horticulture garden. The jellies drifted harmlessly with the tangle of their vicious tentacles flowing all over. This country-city turns warm and vibrant when dusk descends. The swanky, tree-lined Orchard Road boulevard is ideal for pleasant strolls. There is a corner off Orchard Road which still retains the colonial feel. The place presents a warm blond of the colonial-style buildings, small palazzos and evening gathering of people for their coffee and their aperitifs.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><br />
</b></span> <span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;"><b><i>Photo courtesy: Arundhati Sengupta</i></b></span> </div><script async="" src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script> <br />
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<img alt="sea aquarium" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UDQKedVfbe0/XKG5dB0MlVI/AAAAAAAAKFk/cgl2WAK40Aoz8gi7HC7JUKX5TolHj--RQCLcBGAs/d/DSC04137.JPG" title="SINGAPORE" /><br />
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<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr> <td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bMMDeOzdoWE/XKCFnjY1BzI/AAAAAAAAJ-M/w9prCYXMVPYQlbGncGxNMyjCugo3XZshQCEwYBhgL/s1600/DSC03967.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="breakfast scene" border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bMMDeOzdoWE/XKCFnjY1BzI/AAAAAAAAJ-M/w9prCYXMVPYQlbGncGxNMyjCugo3XZshQCEwYBhgL/d/DSC03967.JPG" title="SINGAPORE" /></a> </td> </tr>
<tr> <td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">A typical food plaza found across all localities in Singapore</span></b> </td> </tr>
</tbody> </table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr> <td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gof8mSdaDYI/XKCFq8aQoxI/AAAAAAAAJ-U/5Fmgg8wV4m884yLfaBukp__PTztIWg51ACEwYBhgL/s1600/DSC03968.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Holland village" border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gof8mSdaDYI/XKCFq8aQoxI/AAAAAAAAJ-U/5Fmgg8wV4m884yLfaBukp__PTztIWg51ACEwYBhgL/d/DSC03968.JPG" title="SINGAPORE" /></a> </td> </tr>
<tr> <td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Holland Village glitters</span></b> </td> </tr>
</tbody> </table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr> <td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ytu3r1Ngz_4/XKCHS3bOPUI/AAAAAAAAJ_c/J_jGeLkcOMkp-y6B-0e1jRyUW7MIOedvwCEwYBhgL/s1600/DSC03976.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="restaurant" border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ytu3r1Ngz_4/XKCHS3bOPUI/AAAAAAAAJ_c/J_jGeLkcOMkp-y6B-0e1jRyUW7MIOedvwCEwYBhgL/d/DSC03976.JPG" title="SINGAPORE MICHELIN STAR" /></a> </td> </tr>
<tr> <td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Crystal Jade</span></b> </td> </tr>
</tbody> </table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr> <td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Wb0sD42vbno/XKCHSxFSGLI/AAAAAAAAJ_g/TlQRzJNClBUybctMQi_09aYwrP7FSbxewCEwYBhgL/s1600/DSC03977.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="holland plaza" border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Wb0sD42vbno/XKCHSxFSGLI/AAAAAAAAJ_g/TlQRzJNClBUybctMQi_09aYwrP7FSbxewCEwYBhgL/d/DSC03977.JPG" title="SINGAPORE" /></a> </td> </tr>
<tr> <td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Holland Plaza</b></span> </td> </tr>
</tbody> </table><br />
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<tr> <td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SRJvYoGJDwg/XQdpvNG33mI/AAAAAAAAKXo/Hs_gfJiEH68YEWVrqZm6suCxto27bMlkQCLcBGAs/s1600/DSC04219.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="botanics" border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SRJvYoGJDwg/XQdpvNG33mI/AAAAAAAAKXo/Hs_gfJiEH68YEWVrqZm6suCxto27bMlkQCLcBGAs/d/DSC04219.JPG" title="singapore" /></a> </td> </tr>
<tr> <td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Singapore Botanic Gardens is one of the oldest in Asia. It boasts of the largest collection of orchids and is now UNESCO World Heritage site</span></b> </td> </tr>
</tbody> </table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr> <td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4ag2R5vT1_8/XQdqBfjryyI/AAAAAAAAKXw/iVV2JVGbTH44g6UguGVXoMXvwFJxt25YwCLcBGAs/s1600/DSC04265.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="botanics 2" border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4ag2R5vT1_8/XQdqBfjryyI/AAAAAAAAKXw/iVV2JVGbTH44g6UguGVXoMXvwFJxt25YwCLcBGAs/d/DSC04265.JPG" title="singapore" /></a> </td> </tr>
<tr> <td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">A view of Singapore Botanics Garden</span></b> </td> </tr>
</tbody> </table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr> <td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SAbtFd-E2DM/XKCJ921GbiI/AAAAAAAAKBY/QLv_hQ9p8TIeaWrPFhJPlDiptTHhCCFZQCEwYBhgL/s1600/DSC03991.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="bird park" border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SAbtFd-E2DM/XKCJ921GbiI/AAAAAAAAKBY/QLv_hQ9p8TIeaWrPFhJPlDiptTHhCCFZQCEwYBhgL/d/DSC03991.JPG" title="singapore jurong" /></a> </td> </tr>
<tr> <td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Jurong Bird Park</span></b> </td> </tr>
</tbody> </table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2lea2GYVzWA/XKCKNNngQMI/AAAAAAAAKBg/sXKoScHb6M08k8Y021VvPy9iQGdH02fUgCEwYBhgL/s1600/DSC03992.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="bird 2" border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2lea2GYVzWA/XKCKNNngQMI/AAAAAAAAKBg/sXKoScHb6M08k8Y021VvPy9iQGdH02fUgCEwYBhgL/d/DSC03992.JPG" title="singapore jurong" /></a> </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-t94fjO787ME/XKCLYfmM7sI/AAAAAAAAKCc/hZrKTNoT8H4_UsqeQl00j1BhFDYgy19ogCEwYBhgL/s1600/DSC03999.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="bird 3" border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-t94fjO787ME/XKCLYfmM7sI/AAAAAAAAKCc/hZrKTNoT8H4_UsqeQl00j1BhFDYgy19ogCEwYBhgL/d/DSC03999.JPG" title="singapore jurong" /></a> </div><br />
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<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-O9o9G6g5PJQ/XKG3bVIKpWI/AAAAAAAAKEc/Y3dQ4f4tPLQXmrYHngFkyo6qyI4CEvnxQCLcBGAs/s1600/DSC04028.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="bird 5" border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-O9o9G6g5PJQ/XKG3bVIKpWI/AAAAAAAAKEc/Y3dQ4f4tPLQXmrYHngFkyo6qyI4CEvnxQCLcBGAs/d/DSC04028.JPG" title="singapore jurong" /></a> </div><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr> <td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UjpUp1877hw/XKG4Nn1dVVI/AAAAAAAAKEk/_UhtMJVJ3Kgbgte-J6DjYW3qPid_r76WwCLcBGAs/s1600/DSC04039.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="way" border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UjpUp1877hw/XKG4Nn1dVVI/AAAAAAAAKEk/_UhtMJVJ3Kgbgte-J6DjYW3qPid_r76WwCLcBGAs/d/DSC04039.JPG" title="sentosa" /></a> </td> </tr>
<tr> <td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">On way to Sentosa</span></b> </td> </tr>
</tbody> </table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qnwk6Rvl5bw/XKG4QnO363I/AAAAAAAAKEs/_6ixZMqN-Y0aCR5DCBkXWLsJkL8k8sx3QCLcBGAs/s1600/DSC04040.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="island" border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qnwk6Rvl5bw/XKG4QnO363I/AAAAAAAAKEs/_6ixZMqN-Y0aCR5DCBkXWLsJkL8k8sx3QCLcBGAs/d/DSC04040.JPG" title="sentosa" /></a> </div><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr> <td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DYC9dWyKNw8/XKG40ffJi9I/AAAAAAAAKFA/Guk7RIdwyPYWu1DCyJi0pvDcxS2NsTyewCLcBGAs/s1600/DSC04042.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="aquarium" border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DYC9dWyKNw8/XKG40ffJi9I/AAAAAAAAKFA/Guk7RIdwyPYWu1DCyJi0pvDcxS2NsTyewCLcBGAs/d/DSC04042.JPG" title="sentosa" /></a> </td> </tr>
<tr> <td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Undersea aquarium</span></b> </td> </tr>
</tbody> </table><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>Life under the sea is truly amazing. The images captured show how a sea brims with a colourful and incredible menagerie of marine life.</b></span> </div><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr> <td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-R_ZNOAcSEQo/XKG40teKkqI/AAAAAAAAKFE/II-65aDl9tsK7ks3fpu0M15prmoieQqtACLcBGAs/s1600/DSC04116.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="dolphin 1" border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-R_ZNOAcSEQo/XKG40teKkqI/AAAAAAAAKFE/II-65aDl9tsK7ks3fpu0M15prmoieQqtACLcBGAs/d/DSC04116.JPG" title="sentosa" /></a> </td> </tr>
<tr> <td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Dolphin</span></b> </td> </tr>
</tbody> </table><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UDQKedVfbe0/XKG5dB0MlVI/AAAAAAAAKFk/cgl2WAK40Aoz8gi7HC7JUKX5TolHj--RQCLcBGAs/s1600/DSC04137.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="dolphin 2" border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UDQKedVfbe0/XKG5dB0MlVI/AAAAAAAAKFk/cgl2WAK40Aoz8gi7HC7JUKX5TolHj--RQCLcBGAs/d/DSC04137.JPG" title="sentosa" /></a> </div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_-c91d3UDOg/XKG59xjzCQI/AAAAAAAAKF8/Iwy91vynppAkSdeVJs8hfv9zGheBGMEeQCLcBGAs/s1600/DSC04140.JPG"><img alt="dolphin 2" border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_-c91d3UDOg/XKG59xjzCQI/AAAAAAAAKF8/Iwy91vynppAkSdeVJs8hfv9zGheBGMEeQCLcBGAs/d/DSC04140.JPG" title="sentosa" /></a> </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PsSIBwAySVk/XKG6XdSxeJI/AAAAAAAAKGQ/RSal1rRZm3MG58ALEEJI8PKXo0s7zoacACLcBGAs/s1600/DSC04141.JPG"><img alt="dolphin 3" border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PsSIBwAySVk/XKG6XdSxeJI/AAAAAAAAKGQ/RSal1rRZm3MG58ALEEJI8PKXo0s7zoacACLcBGAs/d/DSC04141.JPG" title="sentosa" /></a> </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EQItUo2Fmk4/XKG6bbV6gOI/AAAAAAAAKGU/_3wfhIRdeDg6JKAoANPogZT3EzLmFJIhQCLcBGAs/s1600/DSC04142.JPG"><img alt="dolphin 4" border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EQItUo2Fmk4/XKG6bbV6gOI/AAAAAAAAKGU/_3wfhIRdeDg6JKAoANPogZT3EzLmFJIhQCLcBGAs/d/DSC04142.JPG" title="sentosa" /></a> </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr> <td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WI-K9HrLcuc/XKG7cZ90ZoI/AAAAAAAAKHE/Dh9nAl0HE1Ua33sIVc0M2sqQHyhHz0GdwCLcBGAs/s1600/DSC04069.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="sea horse" border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WI-K9HrLcuc/XKG7cZ90ZoI/AAAAAAAAKHE/Dh9nAl0HE1Ua33sIVc0M2sqQHyhHz0GdwCLcBGAs/d/DSC04069.JPG" title="sentosa" /></a> </td> </tr>
<tr> <td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Sea Horse</b></span><br />
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;"><br />
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</tbody> </table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1GLxgKB8oME/XN-2yMvg1lI/AAAAAAAAKP0/1T1iZi1VO282yCGjx3Hp3jXqamL7Ac6XQCLcBGAs/s1600/DSC04155.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="aqua 1" border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1GLxgKB8oME/XN-2yMvg1lI/AAAAAAAAKP0/1T1iZi1VO282yCGjx3Hp3jXqamL7Ac6XQCLcBGAs/d/DSC04155.JPG" title="sentosa" /></a> </div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OnETuGXI28E/XN-2ySYiiqI/AAAAAAAAKP4/0W8faG2y_vsK9xiuy4emQjhlQryAnNTnQCLcBGAs/s1600/DSC04157.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="aqua 2" border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OnETuGXI28E/XN-2ySYiiqI/AAAAAAAAKP4/0W8faG2y_vsK9xiuy4emQjhlQryAnNTnQCLcBGAs/d/DSC04157.JPG" title="sentosa" /></a> </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5DZo8OUHaxs/XN-2zwhkzWI/AAAAAAAAKQA/x-J499rYKucf_G2QM2lZwUj7YFgm0QE8gCLcBGAs/s1600/DSC04158.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="aqua 3" border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5DZo8OUHaxs/XN-2zwhkzWI/AAAAAAAAKQA/x-J499rYKucf_G2QM2lZwUj7YFgm0QE8gCLcBGAs/d/DSC04158.JPG" title="sentosa" /></a> </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bKHW1_XR76M/XN-21IycFJI/AAAAAAAAKQE/qdfZdYfKUhsylp7VaySALizOVJaRSOW_QCLcBGAs/s1600/DSC04159.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="aqua 4" border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bKHW1_XR76M/XN-21IycFJI/AAAAAAAAKQE/qdfZdYfKUhsylp7VaySALizOVJaRSOW_QCLcBGAs/d/DSC04159.JPG" title="sentosa" /></a> </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tqDVdMBTXmw/XN-21awdYnI/AAAAAAAAKQI/2Lj3TMsFak0l2E9PV6-EBugb7kkeWNZNgCLcBGAs/s1600/DSC04160.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="aqua 5" border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tqDVdMBTXmw/XN-21awdYnI/AAAAAAAAKQI/2Lj3TMsFak0l2E9PV6-EBugb7kkeWNZNgCLcBGAs/d/DSC04160.JPG" title="sentosa" /></a> </div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WiQy9GoCDyg/XN-23oC1chI/AAAAAAAAKQQ/H9MBnw3_BJgq-KNp3q0lhFSw6Q4S5b3UwCLcBGAs/s1600/DSC04162.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="aqua 6" border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WiQy9GoCDyg/XN-23oC1chI/AAAAAAAAKQQ/H9MBnw3_BJgq-KNp3q0lhFSw6Q4S5b3UwCLcBGAs/d/DSC04162.JPG" title="sentosa" /></a> </div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2aZaW9x8Mrw/XN-3qjhR9gI/AAAAAAAAKQ4/JPQX2ktnXJAhp2yfTPbviTBw49BxLMzXwCLcBGAs/s1600/DSC04055.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="aqua 7" border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2aZaW9x8Mrw/XN-3qjhR9gI/AAAAAAAAKQ4/JPQX2ktnXJAhp2yfTPbviTBw49BxLMzXwCLcBGAs/d/DSC04055.JPG" title="sentosa" /></a> </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Mu5CaHegEo0/XN-3rQSdqoI/AAAAAAAAKQ8/vliG4Zlwx9cE7ki5uwtD3InxlKMnI-h0gCLcBGAs/s1600/DSC04056.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="aqua 8" border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Mu5CaHegEo0/XN-3rQSdqoI/AAAAAAAAKQ8/vliG4Zlwx9cE7ki5uwtD3InxlKMnI-h0gCLcBGAs/d/DSC04056.JPG" title="sentosa" /></a> </div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mFUgZ3nP1AA/XN-3vHsF2RI/AAAAAAAAKRM/YYnXNj2LWqoafV4dhSrpYvnEQXfOo5SBgCLcBGAs/s1600/DSC04060.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="aqua 9" border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mFUgZ3nP1AA/XN-3vHsF2RI/AAAAAAAAKRM/YYnXNj2LWqoafV4dhSrpYvnEQXfOo5SBgCLcBGAs/d/DSC04060.JPG" title="sentosa" /></a> </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Yq7NDm9a4_g/XN-3wd_HlXI/AAAAAAAAKRU/JApS5bqf4icNN_8BocO6UDPYtGo-keq6wCLcBGAs/s1600/DSC04061.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="aqua 10" border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Yq7NDm9a4_g/XN-3wd_HlXI/AAAAAAAAKRU/JApS5bqf4icNN_8BocO6UDPYtGo-keq6wCLcBGAs/d/DSC04061.JPG" title="sentosa" /></a> </div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rjVEYKG3nqk/XN-3xxljpsI/AAAAAAAAKRc/bOzN8Fp7xxkTbilrUKzqA2fdE3p_xsnIwCLcBGAs/s1600/DSC04063.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="aqua 11" border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rjVEYKG3nqk/XN-3xxljpsI/AAAAAAAAKRc/bOzN8Fp7xxkTbilrUKzqA2fdE3p_xsnIwCLcBGAs/d/DSC04063.JPG" title="sentosa" /></a> </div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tqpbqh6oF2s/XN-30Wp8oHI/AAAAAAAAKRk/eOUqKoKRrOguQtgu4znw8mU6nDJo3hZqACLcBGAs/s1600/DSC04065.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="aqua12" border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tqpbqh6oF2s/XN-30Wp8oHI/AAAAAAAAKRk/eOUqKoKRrOguQtgu4znw8mU6nDJo3hZqACLcBGAs/d/DSC04065.JPG" title="sentosa" /></a> </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6kZ7lTf9yKo/XN-31i_oiNI/AAAAAAAAKRs/vvpf7CkaMJwcNwfwRweh1fD9YjIkeyoUACLcBGAs/s1600/DSC04066.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="aqua 13" border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6kZ7lTf9yKo/XN-31i_oiNI/AAAAAAAAKRs/vvpf7CkaMJwcNwfwRweh1fD9YjIkeyoUACLcBGAs/d/DSC04066.JPG" title="sentosa" /></a> </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RotMXPMu7Ik/XN-33EJ_-6I/AAAAAAAAKRw/KbbVxO7jq1o3VJhCpdmjTvR5itampBIqwCLcBGAs/s1600/DSC04067.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="aqua 14" border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RotMXPMu7Ik/XN-33EJ_-6I/AAAAAAAAKRw/KbbVxO7jq1o3VJhCpdmjTvR5itampBIqwCLcBGAs/d/DSC04067.JPG" title="sentosa" /></a> </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ehe2hQxpbvI/XN-33sI4BvI/AAAAAAAAKR0/guv1FG1zlXgCdilBWtRj0Pryf6liffFdwCLcBGAs/s1600/DSC04068.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="aqua 15" border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ehe2hQxpbvI/XN-33sI4BvI/AAAAAAAAKR0/guv1FG1zlXgCdilBWtRj0Pryf6liffFdwCLcBGAs/d/DSC04068.JPG" title="sentosa" /></a> </div><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr> <td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LzwL2wbjApo/XKG7L3An8MI/AAAAAAAAKG4/h9ZeXsJUcjoa88ME5E0ZEaMBC4_3y6X1ACLcBGAs/s1600/DSC04177.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="southernmost point" border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LzwL2wbjApo/XKG7L3An8MI/AAAAAAAAKG4/h9ZeXsJUcjoa88ME5E0ZEaMBC4_3y6X1ACLcBGAs/d/DSC04177.JPG" title="sentosa" /></a> </td> </tr>
<tr> <td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">The southernmost point of Asia</span></b> </td> </tr>
</tbody> </table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr> <td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nzK9FBKRXOQ/XKG7VQynLFI/AAAAAAAAKG8/y5_59bAC9FASClBWIfgZnjMtMxZuCsShwCLcBGAs/s1600/DSC04200.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="fort" border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nzK9FBKRXOQ/XKG7VQynLFI/AAAAAAAAKG8/y5_59bAC9FASClBWIfgZnjMtMxZuCsShwCLcBGAs/d/DSC04200.JPG" title="sentosa" /></a> </td> </tr>
<tr> <td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Fort Siloso constructed during the British rule</span></b> </td> </tr>
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<tr> <td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Gardens by the bay</span></b> </td> </tr>
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<tr> <td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Gardens by the bay</span></b> </td> </tr>
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<tr> <td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Food preparation in Candlenut Restaurant is superb</span></b> </td> </tr>
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<tr> <td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">At REDDOT Beer is brewed and served</span></b> </td> </tr>
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<tr> <td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>A pub at colonial Singapore off Orchard Road</b></span> </td> </tr>
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</script>Biswajit Senguptahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04502747488677409796noreply@blogger.com968, 3, Pratapaditya Rd, Near 27 Pally Park, Sahanagar, Kalighat, Kolkata, West Bengal 700026, India22.5167051 88.345035300000063-54.8565004 -76.889339699999937 90 -106.42058969999994tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2677408543935148689.post-55266937291986381662019-05-12T12:13:00.004+05:302020-07-14T14:58:49.583+05:30Phnom Penh-From Killing Fields to a Humane City (R)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Phnom Penh-a great Cambodian City</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Time began with the Big Bang about 13.77 billion years ago. Our universe originated and began expanding from Day One which included the formation of our planet Earth. But not so long ago, on 17th April 1975, a Cambodian school teacher Pol Pot (who had been to Paris on a scholarship to study Radio Electronics and returned to Cambodia to take up a teaching assignment) declared Year Zero in Cambodia. That was in line with the concept of Year One declared during the French Revolution. The idea was to discard and destroy all culture and traditions within the society and bring in revolutionary culture. President Lon Nol fled Cambodia on 1st April 1975 following a bloody civil war that lasted for five years. And on 17th April 1975, a swarm of locusts in the guise of Khmer Rouge descended on Phnom Penh to devour teachers, artists, and intelligentsia of the Cambodian capital. Pol Pot’s intention was to eliminate threats to his idea of an agrarian society. That was the beginning of carnage that even seemed to surpass the Holocaust under Hitler in many ways. Pol Pot's army flushed out their own people, i.e. Cambodians. Forcibly sent those to toil and perish on remote agricultural fields due to vagaries of exposures to the unfriendly and totally alien atmosphere, and those who showed or hinted even slightest resistance were packed off to detention and torture camp in the city (S-21 Prison – a High school taken over by Khmer Rouge). Brother Duch, also referred to as Butcher Duch, was the head of this prison camp. The prisoners went through inhuman torture on instructions of this former school teacher before being taken for execution at an old Chinese graveyard about 15 km away from Phnom Penh. The executions were painful as axes, iron rods, shovels, etc. were used in place of bullets which were found expensive. After execution, the bodies were dumped in hastily dug shallow graves. </span></b></span><br />
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</span></b></span><span style="color: purple; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>History has, again and again, proved that a strange metamorphosis occurs among highly educated and qualified persons. Genocides, all over the world, have been perpetrated by the educated lot. I am inserting the following lines of Haim Ginott, a Holocaust survivor, who wrote:</b></span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b>"I am a survivor of a concentration camp. My eyes saw what no person should witness: gas chambers built by learned engineers. Children poisoned by educated physicians. Infants killed by trained nurses.Women and babies shot by high school and college graduates.</b></i></span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b>So I am suspicious of education.</b></i></span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b>My request is this: Help your children become human. Your efforts must never produce learned monsters, skilled psychopaths or educated Eichmanns. Reading, writing, and arithmetic are important only if they serve to make our children more human."</b></i></span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>I came across the above quote in The Telegraph, Calcutta of 10 May 2019, and decide to share this.</b></span><br />
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</span></b></span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"> As I walked down the Killing Field (which is now Cheung Ek Museum) near Phnom Penh with an audio guide I was stupefied as to how such inhuman event could have taken place and that too for almost over four long years. So sombre is the tale of Cambodia in the seventies that it befuddles a normal human being to wonder as to how distorted and warped were the minds of the perpetrators and how they survive today with such memories as most of them went scot free. Strangest of all is that in the seventies when we were students, we never even got an inkling of such a massive genocide. Whereas we joined the world in condemning the gruesome acts of Hitler and his army during World War II. So hush-hush were the acts that it was only in 1979 that two Vietnamese photojournalists first discovered S-21 prison camp and since then till 2009 around 300 such Killing Fields and 23745 mass graves have been discovered in Cambodia. As on date a sordid statistics tell us that out of eight million Cambodians, Pol Pot wiped out three million from the face of our planet. Still, he lived a full family life with his grandchildren in a village near Thailand border till his death in 1998.</span></b></span></div>
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<b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> Phnom Penh today is a totally different metropolis. Kudos to the generation born after 1980. They have made the city benign and at the same time smart and lively. It’s a sheer coincidence that we stepped into Phnom Penh on the first day of three-day long water and moon festival. Initially, in our hotel rooms at Tea House Urban Resort, we mistook the boom after sunset for a thunderstorm. But when we were told about the festival we wasted no time and headed for the Mekong River. Illuminated Royal Palace, Illuminated boats floating slowly on the Tonle Sap river, fireworks producing huge multicoloured fireballs and exploding with thunderous sound just by the side of the full moon over the river were spectacles that heralded the start of three days water moon celebration. This festival signifies the victory of the naval force during the reign of Jayavarman VII in the 13th century, a unique phenomenon of reversal of current in Tonle Sap river (the river starts flowing towards the Mekong), beginning of the fishing season and coincidence of full moon of the Buddhist calendar month of Kadeuk. With each boom of thunder ball, the huge crowd would turn into an ecstatic rapture, cheering and clapping. A sense of euphoria prevails, which is commendable in a nation deeply disturbed and upset over the carnage that took place hardly forty years back. In the day Boat races take place on the Tonle Sap and Mekong where thousands of skilled oarsmen from all over Cambodia participate. As foreigners, we were given a place in the tent next to their Royal tent for watching the events. We were also served Cambodian Beers free – a part of their hospitality. The boat race was spectacular and colourful. We enjoyed every bit of it. We also saw the Royal Palace. The legendary King Norodom Sihanouk once lived in this palace. Now, most of it is a museum. Shunning all that happened in the past, Phnom Penh is a remarkable city. A clean city, wide roads, disciplined traffic, friendly Tuktuk drivers, nice Khmer and Vietnamese eateries and very hospitable locals- polite and always ready to help.</span></b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Another view of the Royal Palace</b></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Water moon festival takes place in November and regarded as the biggest festival in Cambodia. Decorated and Illuminated Boats parade slowly on the Tonle Sap River at Phnom Penh. As this is an age-old festival the boat is decorated with images of Angkor Wat and the nagas,</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>View of another illuminated boat</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>The Royal Palace on the shores of Tonle Sap and Mekong decorated and illuminated on festival nights.</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lzJbKnHNYWg/WSwJ_YcDB5I/AAAAAAAAFZU/XlLbb4Qcmy8es0f6LRdH6PRjtZRaNAO5ACEw/s1600/pp22.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="water moon" border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lzJbKnHNYWg/WSwJ_YcDB5I/AAAAAAAAFZU/XlLbb4Qcmy8es0f6LRdH6PRjtZRaNAO5ACEw/d/pp22.JPG" title="festival" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Crowds throng the sprawling area outside the Royal Palace to watch the fireworks. The full moon can be seen behind the fireballs.</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gbRAuYbApj4/WSwHr7KpRLI/AAAAAAAAFZU/obeNYo4PjN8OP6AnScnPFnJvjyNuNIVdACEw/s1600/pp1.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="palace 1" border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gbRAuYbApj4/WSwHr7KpRLI/AAAAAAAAFZU/obeNYo4PjN8OP6AnScnPFnJvjyNuNIVdACEw/d/pp1.JPG" title="phnom penh" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>The cute mannequins of Cambodian ladies welcome you to the Royal Palace.</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>The Royal Palace of Cambodia</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fqOqrn_V19A/WSwJ3GXmScI/AAAAAAAAFZU/RbCPjGc_M74x-cV6ipbDc4-xphiDDN8wQCEw/s1600/pp21.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="palace 3" border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fqOqrn_V19A/WSwJ3GXmScI/AAAAAAAAFZU/RbCPjGc_M74x-cV6ipbDc4-xphiDDN8wQCEw/d/pp21.JPG" title="phnom penh" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Another view of the Royal Palace</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-m6XHhMZTBWo/WSwN3PQRUFI/AAAAAAAAFaw/SPwfL_unTxQimJ0eswGgY957FNKrfHvfgCEw/s1600/pp40.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="palace road" border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-m6XHhMZTBWo/WSwN3PQRUFI/AAAAAAAAFaw/SPwfL_unTxQimJ0eswGgY957FNKrfHvfgCEw/d/pp40.JPG" title="phnom penh" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>The main thoroughfare outside the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-II87Jcm3JTw/WSwNtT0POJI/AAAAAAAAFaw/E9bSQyRuyOE0f39WcG43JMhPY5jkSUgSwCEw/s1600/pp4.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="boat race" border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-II87Jcm3JTw/WSwNtT0POJI/AAAAAAAAFaw/E9bSQyRuyOE0f39WcG43JMhPY5jkSUgSwCEw/d/pp4.JPG" title="tonle sap" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Colorful Boat Races take place on the river Tonle Sap and Mekong during the three days long Water Moon Festival. Skilled oarsmen come from all over Cambodia and are held on a grand scale in Phnom Penh</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>A view of the Boat Race</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Pavilion for foreign tourists. </b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Silk Island on Mekong River</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sTRYYharjog/WS1J3HIZUTI/AAAAAAAAFbs/qIibThmjAIc5L7qMmXRNVR9uUYsPKYDRgCEw/s1600/pp18.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="silk weave" border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sTRYYharjog/WS1J3HIZUTI/AAAAAAAAFbs/qIibThmjAIc5L7qMmXRNVR9uUYsPKYDRgCEw/d/pp18.JPG" title="cambodia" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Watching the process of silk weaving</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PDa6WLaT3vM/WS01ocFvvfI/AAAAAAAAFbQ/j_pDW3_zDpcUfenD8n2IZUkxJ3wdGSJNwCEw/s1600/ppp36.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="evening cruise" border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PDa6WLaT3vM/WS01ocFvvfI/AAAAAAAAFbQ/j_pDW3_zDpcUfenD8n2IZUkxJ3wdGSJNwCEw/d/ppp36.JPG" title="cambodia" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Evening Cruise on the Mekong</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dPjeMInaNuI/WS02JBLBzUI/AAAAAAAAFbY/p-bo_Sv9zlc43OcIy8u3g08LUWcxrHs2gCEw/s1600/pp35.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="from mekong" border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dPjeMInaNuI/WS02JBLBzUI/AAAAAAAAFbY/p-bo_Sv9zlc43OcIy8u3g08LUWcxrHs2gCEw/d/pp35.JPG" title="phnom penh" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Phnom Penh from the Mekong</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Photographs of Choeung Ek Killing Field near Phnom Penh</span></b></span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7FaA3JiP9MQ/WSwKSgD6jKI/AAAAAAAAFZQ/wz4soll1zTgNq36btCKvMDBzAArsGsvbACLcB/s1600/pp23.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="genocide centre" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7FaA3JiP9MQ/WSwKSgD6jKI/AAAAAAAAFZQ/wz4soll1zTgNq36btCKvMDBzAArsGsvbACLcB/d/pp23.JPG" title="killing field" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Choeung Ek Genocidal Center. This monument marked by Buddhist stupa encase around 5000 human skulls exhumed from the mass graves of the Killing field and can be viewed through clear acrylic windows constructed on all the sides of the memorial.</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KFyrXrofU7Q/WSwLG65IjFI/AAAAAAAAFaw/q3cnc4_RZ-8Ziw46OAPbcydS8L9geI0MgCEw/s1600/pp28.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="killing tree" border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KFyrXrofU7Q/WSwLG65IjFI/AAAAAAAAFaw/q3cnc4_RZ-8Ziw46OAPbcydS8L9geI0MgCEw/d/pp28.JPG" title="killing field" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Killing Tree </b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SSVwptIhtxg/WSwLvJIhrJI/AAAAAAAAFaw/6yt9XJPuSScTgkl1XiCin06vedlX2pCigCEw/s1600/pp29.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="pits" border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SSVwptIhtxg/WSwLvJIhrJI/AAAAAAAAFaw/6yt9XJPuSScTgkl1XiCin06vedlX2pCigCEw/d/pp29.JPG" title="killing field" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>A view of the Killing Field. Pits are still littered with human bones and signs are put all over cautioning against stepping over the bones</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vwAtC-gfZI4/WSwOhALQ5aI/AAAAAAAAFaw/-0GOnGCCPvgDBZ2H6V1l-YccP5qauZTvgCEw/s1600/pp7.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="arrival point" border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vwAtC-gfZI4/WSwOhALQ5aI/AAAAAAAAFaw/-0GOnGCCPvgDBZ2H6V1l-YccP5qauZTvgCEw/d/pp7.JPG" title="killing field" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">This is the spot where trucks used to offload the hapless victims.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-F83SDZNTteg/WSwOtX0POwI/AAAAAAAAFaw/hNpCvt4TH08yy52JUX6fjCmsTYVn9wuOgCEw/s1600/pp8.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="office" border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-F83SDZNTteg/WSwOtX0POwI/AAAAAAAAFaw/hNpCvt4TH08yy52JUX6fjCmsTYVn9wuOgCEw/d/pp8.JPG" title="killing field" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Working office of the Executioners</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>The Killing Tools. These tools were used as bullets were costly</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Pol Pot</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Photographs of a celebrated singer and actress of Cambodia who perished during Pol Pot's regime</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Nice highway which connects Siem Reap and Phnom Penh, and passes through lovely countryside,traditional Khmer houses and rice paddies.</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Giant Ibis buses are very comfortable. Although there are no onboard toilets, these buses stop at places en route where proper washrooms are available. It stops for lunch or refreshment at Banyan Tree restaurant on NH 6 near Kampong Thom</b></span></td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;"><i>Photographer: Arundhati Sengupta</i></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "courier new", courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><i><i><b><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Getting to Phnom Penh</span><span style="font-family: "courier new", courier, monospace;">: We travelled by giant Ibis Bus from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh. This is a comfortable and exciting mode of travel between the two places which are about 300 km apart. The bus journey takes around 5 hours. Tickets are available online.</span></b></i></i></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "courier new", courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Where to stay</span><span style="font-family: "courier new", courier, monospace;"><b style="font-family: "courier new", courier, monospace; font-style: italic;">: There are several good hotels at Phnom Penh. We stayed at TeaHouse Urban Resort. It is close to the Royal Palace and also very centrally located. From the Ibis Bus stop, we had taken a Tuktuk to come to this hotel. This hotel has excellent massage parlour, swimming pool, WiFi, etc. Breakfast was complimentary. We booked this through </b><span style="color: purple; font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;"><b>Booking.com</b></span><b style="font-family: "courier new", courier, monospace; font-style: italic;">. There is a TukTuk stand right outside the hotel. Tuk Tuk service is also available for S-21 Prison and the Killing Field which is around 15 km from the city. It takes around 35 to 40 minutes from the hotel to the Killing Field. It takes around half a day at the Killing Field.</b></span></i></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="color: magenta; font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Booking.com Search Box</span></b>.</span> </span><br />
(<i>You may search for your suitable hotels here</i>)<br />
<ins class="bookingaff" data-aid="1288669" data-cc1="kh" data-df_num_properties="3" data-height="130" data-lang="xu" data-prod="sbp" data-target_aid="" data-width="584"><a href="https://www.booking.com/?aid=">Booking.com</a></ins><a href="http://www.s2d6.com/x/?x=c&z=s&v=3768747&r=[RANDOM]&k=[NETWORKID]" target="_blank"><img alt="click here" border="0" src="https://www.s2d6.com/x/?x=i&z=s&v=3768747&r=%5BRANDOM%5D&k=%5BNETWORKID%5D" /></a><br />
<div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style">
<a class="addthis_button_preferred_1" href="https://draft.blogger.com/null"></a><a class="addthis_button_preferred_2" href="https://draft.blogger.com/null"></a><a class="addthis_button_preferred_3" href="https://draft.blogger.com/null"></a><a class="addthis_button_preferred_4" href="https://draft.blogger.com/null"></a><a class="addthis_button_compact" href="https://draft.blogger.com/null"></a><a class="addthis_counter addthis_bubble_style" href="https://draft.blogger.com/null"></a></div>
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<ins class="adsbygoogle" data-ad-client="ca-pub-8411842209384774" data-ad-format="fluid" data-ad-layout-key="-71-1m-75+i4+5r" data-ad-slot="4259267304" style="display: block;"></ins><br />
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Biswajit Senguptahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04502747488677409796noreply@blogger.com1Biswajit Sengupta,3C Mayukh,68/3 Pratapaditya Road, Kolkata, West Bengal 700026, India22.516606 88.34495400000003-3.0054285000000007 47.03636000000003 48.0386405 129.65354800000003tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2677408543935148689.post-49556159835307373372019-04-24T18:06:00.001+05:302019-04-24T18:06:29.652+05:30Italian Riviera Photo by Biswajit Sengupta — National Geographic Your Shot<a href="https://on.natgeo.com/2DAa3qi">Italian Riviera Photo by Biswajit Sengupta — National Geographic Your Shot</a>: This shot was taken outside Riomaggiore station. For more on Cinque Terre, read my post-http://www.ranaruby.in/2017/10/cinque-terre.html.Biswajit Senguptahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04502747488677409796noreply@blogger.com0