Visiting Ancient Greece

What can I say about beautiful Greece and it's islands. I went on an unplanned trip which got cancelled twice this summer but I didn't give up and managed to get my visa and tickets just in time. Managed by Olga Tours; Russia, the trip was a memorable one.

Summer is perfect time to be there. I went to Halkidiki island which is of historical importance with many ancient monuments and places to see.  Travelling in air-conditioned bus the heat was not felt and it made viewing the places very easy and comfortable with frequent stops for food breaks and shopping.

The landscape is breath-taking and diversified. I haven't seen so many different varieties of flora and fauna in a single place. It's easy to fall in love with it. I could see solar panels and windmills which indicated progress in the area which is otherwise dominated by the historical sites and excavation works going on all around.

Some of the places I visited were the Temple of Nike, Theatre of Dionysis, the newly built Acropolis Museum, Epidaurus, Mt. Athos (by ship).  As the saying goes, a picture is worth a 1000 words, I'd rather post some of the pictures I took rather than go into a long narration.

I highly recommend going to Greece if you are looking for a break from your everyday life and need an island to bury yourself in. With tourists flooding the country all the year round one will never feel alone. The local people are friendly and welcoming which makes it even better. So, if you are ready for some Mediterranean hospitality, Greece is the place.

Dubai - Palm Jumeirah

Finally went to Dubai this year and had the privilege of staying at no other place but the famous Pal Jumeirah. The island is shaped like a Palm Tree and our villa faced the Arabian sea...sounds wonderful, right? It was every bit an experience with lots of sun and sand around us.


The architecture around me was like a fairytale with brown and beige buildings everywhere that would shine up with blue lights at night. Just looking at them made me feel, I didn't belong to this world.

I was there just in time for the opening of the tallest tower in the world Burj Dubai now renamed Burj Khalifa. I had to go and take pictures of it. The lightings on it are breath-taking and it's not just the Burj...it's everywhere in Dubai. It shines and sparkles like a million diamonds and gems.

Lovely architecture and art-work everywhere. From the lobby of the Atlantis Hotel, I had to take a picture :) This intricate glass sculpture stands right in the center of the lobby and touches the ceiling. The hotel also has a built in public aquarium that covers one side of the entire hotel wall. It's a major tourist attraction.

Next stop - Shopping Malls!! Visited Emirates Mall and Dubai Mall. This fountain picture was taken at the Dubai Mall. Very interesting and big! Now waiting for my next trip there.

London 2005

Ok...so now let's go way back to 2005 when I was in London. Yeah! Good Old LONDON :) What an amazing place to be for two full years and the people I met...incredible. Have enough memories to make a blog article...surely!

So I was there on a student visa but got a job in recruitment at High Street. With so many shopping distractions around me it was, kind of, difficult for me to focus on recruiting people. Fortunately mine was a desk job and needed me to attend phone calls and type away on my computer. Had a lovely office cafeteria, though. Very artistically done.

My friend and I had fun pub-hopping and this was somewhere I can't exactly remember but sure was exquisite. The decor was all in wood with some cool sports memorabilia on the wall. I was just too thirsty to remember all of it. Here is the pic!

Visit to the Trafalgar Square was every week-end. With so much going on there, it was hard to miss the festivals and the concerts. The National Gallery was free and had a shop inside which I thought was really cool! Bought a Van Gogh print there.

Christmas parties were another event to remember. I had fun going to China White as an office dinner party on the eve. Oriental theme decor with food and booze flowing in as long as we stayed. I was put on bottled mineral water as my colleagues were afraid I will get drunk. Yup..there is a glass with a slice of lemon in it...that's mine :)

Day-time during Christmas season. High street snap with Santas getting ready for work. Probably hired to stand in malls and streets. Love this one...it's my all time favourite . Cloning of the SANTA!

Feeding the ducks at St. James Park.

Russian Summer

My attempt to be a successful blogger. Will start with my last trip (numerous last trips, actually) to Russia. Have so many things to show and write about. Will begin with the famous ballets, Tchaikovsky music, ballerinas...

Saw Giselle twice during my stay at St. Petersburg. It's a sad story of a peasant girl who falls in love with a rich man only to be left heart-broken and dies as a result. The ballet ends with the lover moaning on her death and Giselle's ghost saving his life and forgiving him in the end. Touchy!

Summer is indeed the time to be in Russia. The parks with their colourful flowers and birds and crowded with people everywhere...just so much fun than staying at home in front of your TV. This one is actually at a Japanese restaurant in Moskovsky Prospekt sitting outside and waiting for the food to arrive.

Home is a different place. Lots of food, 24/7 TV and computer. Plans for the next day and fresh cherries. I sometimes like to sprinkle some salt on cherries. It gives me more satisfaction..yes...true! :D

Ok...so I was looking for Lapis Lazuli but instead got Biryuza ring and that too at factory price which is much lower than the shop-price. Lucky Me!!! I wanted an even bigger ring but this was the maximum size they had in their store. Amazing turquoise jewellery from Russia. It's with real silver. Now I need a white dress to go with it :)

Eating outside and exploring new joints is my favourite past-time in Russia. I have to try out all the new places and the food. This one was at Dve-Palochki. A dessert...hot chocolate cake with mint sauce. It' divine!!!!! No, I didn't have three. There were others to share :)

Another favourite of mine is the Gamma Cafe. Came up last year at Nevski and I tell you the cakes there are amazing and the coffee sooooo gooood. It's the best anywhere in Russia. Can't wait to go back again and devour...yummm!!