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Heidelberg - the University Town/Germany

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-at a cute little University town in Germany Almost two decades since I first stepped into this romantic little University town in 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. A museum dedicated to Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin, inventor of the first rigid airship ‘Zeppelin’ is in Dreieich, quite close to my brother-in-law's house..  I was excited when my niece Tanya drove me down to Heidelberg, about 100 km from Frankfurt. The main reason being I longed to see the place that 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 know...
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India 69 Heidelberg, Germany
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Italy's Floating City: A Journey from Vienna to Venice | Ruby's Kitchen

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Vienna to Venice: a Romantic Train Journey Our last day in Vienna: Peter Paul Ruben On the last day of our stay in Vienna, we moved to an apartment closer to the 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 railway station, a tram terminus, a 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 Kunsthistorisches Museum (Art History Museum). In short – Kuntz Museum. A refreshingly pleasant walk in this beautiful European city with the mesmerising sight of imposing buildings on both sides of the road glistening under the clear daylight. 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 fro...
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India Venice, Metropolitan City of Venice, Italy
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food - great tastes

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🍳 Jump to Recipe Shami Kebab - a Royal Taste While most kebabs are merely eaten, a true Lucknowi Shami Kebab is experienced . Imagine a texture so silky it yields to the slightest pressure, infused with the royal aroma of Rose Water and Shah Jeera . This isn't just a recipe; it's a heritage secret from the heart of Awadh, perfected in Ruby's Kitchen. IN SEARCH OF TASTE - A TALE OF FOUR CITIES A food aficionado’s mouthwatering journey over the years in the cities he lived. Read  Rana's memoir with food. Cooking has been regarded as one of the greatest arts right from the time of Julius Caesar. Although elements of the art of cooking are easy to define, I have discovered over the years that the tastes that still linger on my tongue are the tastes that mattered. In that respect, my nanny still remains unbeatable as the greatest cook in my life. We called her ‘nannabhai’, derived from the Bengali word ‘ranna’ for cooking. Be it ...
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A Roman Holiday

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Colosseum ROMA - Ancient Rome & Papal Rome Imagine going back 2000 years in time and space while standing on the stone floor inside a colossal amphitheatre. Amidst thousands of Roman spectators. The booms of drums reverberate as the ceremonial parade enters the stadium. After saying ‘Ave imperator; morituri te salutant’ (those who are about to die salute you) to the Emperor, the gladiatorial combat begins. The crowd shouts jeers and throw their hands up in excitement. 60000 spectators? Like the excitement at Eden Gardens in Calcutta while watching a Cricket match. The gestures, the excitement, the uproar may be different from our present-day Mexican waves. But how does that matter? After all, a stadium is a venue for entertainment – be it the bloodiest sport in the history of mankind. And how the Romans loved watching violence and killings. Historians remain befuddled as to how Romans who are regarded as the precursor of human civilization could ha...
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ISTANBUL WAS CONSTANTINOPLE

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ISTANBUL  - Istanbul to Constantinople and back to Istanbul                                                                                                                                             (Part II)                   Istanbul is believed to have been inhabited since 5500 BC. Being strategically located on the Mediterranean , it was vulnerable to invaders from different countries in Asia and Europe who periodically occupied Istanbul from time to time. The first recorded occupation had taken place in the late seventh century BC when the Greek ruler Byzas established his kingdom h...
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THE LOST KINGDOM

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The Lost Kingdom - Khmer Empire Visit Timeshares 9 th Century AD. Angkor was the largest city in the world. For the next 500 years, it was the capital of the Khmer Empire. The city witnessed the construction of hundreds of world famous temples built by the Khmer rulers. This sprawling complex of Angkorian ruins lies north of a safe, friendly and pleasant town of Siem Reap on the shores of Tonle Sap Lake. Siem Reap earned its name after the Khmer empire defeated and took over the Thai kingdom in the 17 th century. It literally means ‘Siamese defeated’. Because of its proximity to Angkor Archaeological Park, it has turned out to be one of the lively and touristic cities of Cambodia over the last decade. We stayed at Hotel Visoth Boutique, which is very conveniently located in Siem Reap. It is truly a boutique hotel. Homely with a warm and hospitable staff. We started off for Angkor Wat early in the morning when it was still dark outside. We did not want to miss...
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