The temple tour and more…..
Our very first stop was the Reclining Buddha Temple which has the longest statue of Buddha. The statue is 46m long and is gold plated.
Reclining Buddha Temple Pic credit: Supriya Kurpad
Next we visited the Marble Temple which is locally known as Wat Benchamabophit, meaning Temple of the fifth king.
Marble Temple Pic Credit: Supriya Kurpad
The temple complex has many statues of Buddha in various poses – walking, sitting, meditating, preaching etc!
Buddha in various poses Pic credit : Supriya Kurpad Read more...
Flag of Switzerland
Beautiful Switzerland
One look at the pictures below and you would know why Switzerland has been one of the favorite destinations not only for the vacationing tourists but the biggest film industry in the world – Bollywood!
Where Berne, the capital city is known for its old town, Zurich the largest city is the centre for banking industry. Geneve, the second biggest city in Switzerland houses many governmental and non governmental organisations. Basel, Laussane, Lucerne and Lugano are other cities each holding its own attractions. Read more...
Good food, great wine, beautiful beaches, enchanting mountains, chic fashion, bizarre fashion, invigorating art and culture, great monuments, clean roads, few people 
well that’s France for you.
France can either intimidate you or embrace you depending on how you take it. People here are friendly unlike many contradictory beliefs. A fact that many of us don’t know but was revealed to me by a local during my visit to France was, in his very own words “ Not that we are snooty and don’t want to help the tourists by speaking in English; its just that we feel our English isn’t good enough and we are anxious that we might misguide the tourist”!! Now that gives a whole new perspective to the belief; doesn’t it? I had a ball in France be it be Montpellier, Bourg St Maurice, Nice, Paris, Mt Ventoux, Lyon…etc. Btw Monaco and Andorra which border France are also worth a visit. Read more...
Devon, England Pic credit : Priya Q
My trip and stay in Devon, England was like living a fairy tale – Enid Blyton style. Cozy English cottages, horses in the barns, grazing ponies, fresh dairy and meat, barbeques, picnics, friends, laughter and tranquility. Oh I so want to go back!
Before I even get started about how beautiful Devon is; I want to thank my friends Ashok, Arun and family for inviting us over for a vacation in Devon.
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Priya Q on January 17th 2011 in Travelogue..My Travel Diary
at the Colmar railway station Pic credit :Mr.Q
While I read about Europe’s worst first winters, am reminded of my brush with cold at Colmar in France. When Lance Armstrong made a statement that evening that it was perhaps the coldest day for him in Tour de France, trust me he wasn’t joking! I remember the clanking of my teeth and my fruitless effort to hold my hand still in order to take few photographs of the TdF cyclists. The make do rain coat I had bought in Barcelona, struggled to hold up against the downpour coupled with chilly wind and had I been sitting inside a café sipping a hot cappuccino it would have been a different experience. And this was the month of July! Nevertheless, am not complaining. The whole Tour de France experience was worth every single experience and needless to say my stay in Colmar was simply beautiful. Read more...
Priya Q on December 8th 2010 in Travelogue..My Travel Diary
Catalan Climbers Pic Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jurvetson/625205010/
Spain In Its Natural Glory
One short but extremely eventful & colourful stop for me in my travel was in Spain. For most of us, Spain Holidays can mean many different things. Beyond the obvious bullfighting, flamenco dancers, paella and crowed beaches – the country I discovered was a varied treasure chest of natural and architectural marvels. Read more...
Priya Q on November 18th 2010 in Travelogue..My Travel Diary
Stonehenge Pic Credit: Priya Q
Am sure like me, while traveling, you too would have come across places and things mysterious and sometime unexplainable. A visit from London to Stonehenge was one such interesting experience I had during my Europe trip.
As you drive around the English countryside enjoying the pristine greenery the almost sudden sight of tall gigantic stones leave you awestruck. Questions like why, who and how immediately spring up in your mind. Who built it and for what? How did people manage this huge maneuver with primitive modes of transportation as is our knowledge about systems then? But more importantly – what purpose was this built for – that’s the biggest question in your mind as you approach it. Read more...
Priya Q on October 29th 2010 in Travelogue..My Travel Diary
Andorra Pic Credit: Priya Q
Tour de France 2009 took me to a small country bordered by Spain and France in the south west of Europe. Located at an elevation of 1023 meters Andorra with a population of 85,000 people (approx) is a beautifully scenic country having a unique charm of its own.
Andorra is known for its thriving tourism industry with a fair number of visitors coming in every year. Though the place was bustling with activity and people due to cycling event (TdF) that I was following, I could still manage to enjoy the calm the country offers through walks into the mountains and even picnicking with my companions. There are electrical trolleys one can take if walking is not a cup of tea! Read more...
Priya Q on October 4th 2010 in Travelogue..My Travel Diary
Hope you enjoyed my last post on Museum of Brands, Packaging & Advertising, Notting Hill, London…
A brand can play an important role in creating social awareness. And a well established brand finds it easier to do so as somewhere through its advertising it had connected with its customers on an emotional level. Here are few interesting advertisements and branding exercises from the World War II time that I saw at the Museum of Brands, Packaging & Advertising in London.
Lifebuoy
Lux
Vim
Bovril
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In my travels through Europe, almost every other day I would visit a museum as it is one of the easiest way to bring oneself upto date with the history of the place I was in. Some of these museums had some unique exhibits & almost every city that I had been to did have a local flavor to their museum.
Harpic
But it was in London city that I came upon this unique museum dedicated totally to “BRANDS”. Did you know that Vim is a brand that was launched in 1904? And Harpic in 1924? Did you know there was an Indian tonic water by the name Hunts? Read more...
