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Madrid 2

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MADRID 2 – the  Mecca of  bullfighting by Biswajit Sengupta Images of Spain gravitate around football, bullfights, and flamenco. On the Iberian Peninsula and in Latin America, football remains 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 the third largest in the world. From Sol Seville, Las Ventas is around ten minutes commute by underground metro from Sevilla station. Trains to Cuatro Caminos Las Rosas stop at Ventas. The famous bullring ...
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India Madrid, Spain
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A Drop of Calm

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L'Oasis De L'ile at Quebec by Madhumita Chakola   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. 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 barbecue 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 hu...
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MADRID - 1

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  Madrid—the Royal Spanish Capitaland but she is impeccable 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 through her WhatsApp handles. After receiving our arrival details, she sent a carefully worded text that included directions to the public transport terminus after alighting from the ALSA bus at its terminal station.  Many a time , 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 was a series of ‘escalators’ as well as a lift that 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 ...
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India Madrid, Spain
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Fishy Affair

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  A Delectable Tale for Fish Lovers by Rajat Sarkar, Hamburg A few days back, a friend told me that the ‘fish’ in the 'Some' restaurant was good. She got to know about it from her brother. She herself is not a fish eater. 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 Bengalis’ affairs, both licit and illicit, with fish. While the EU and Britain may continue to fight over fishing rights in the North Sea, Bengalis handle fish with care so that there is no real culture clash, domestic disharmony, marriage mistrust, relationship rupture, or sports strife. Fish exist in the everyday existence of a Bengali. Fishy politics ensure pride of Bengaliness. And a Bengali eats fish with his/her hands – not with cutle...
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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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