Shigmo Festival�Goa

Over the weekend, I saw a different Goa � Cultural, mythical and colourful.  It was the Shigmo Festival.  It was the first time I had heard of Shigmo, a festival that originated in the villages of Goa as it celebrates the arrival of spring. Dances, floats filled the air as I was told that the pageantry moved from village to village. Each village performs during the festival, based on a certain theme .Goa Tourism is working on a promoting the cultural aspects of the state taking a cue from the others such as  Karnataka Tourism .While a detailed post is coming up soon, I am leaving you with a video from the festival in Panjim. And if you are looking for booking destinations right now, visit Make My Trip India and check out the packages.

Castles of Poland �a photo feature

Poland is a country steeped in medieval castles and folk lore, of royal palaces and parks where legends and pagan myths vie with war time stories. We go on a tour of castles and palaces, visiting Wawel Hill in Krakow, the ancient capital and follow it to Warsaw the current capital where we will stop by Wilanow palace. And then we end our trail in the largest castle built in the world � the Malbork Castle.

We were cruising on the Vestula when I saw the beautiful Wawel Castle that stands as a landmark of Krakow in Poland. Sitting pretty atop a limestone outcrop called Wawel Hill, this has seen the rise and fall of many a dynasty .The hill itself maybe over 100 million years old and has been inhabited since the Palaeolithic Age . Today it houses a mosaic of monuments including the 1000 year old cathedral and the ancient castle

Castles are not just about battles fought and won, but about fairy tales too. Here is a battle too , between a mythical dragon that lived at the foot of the hill and was eventually killed by the Prince Krakus who founded the city. However in another version of the folklore, a local hero emerged in the story in the form of Skuba, a cobbler�s apprentice. The dragon had a penchant for young virgins and the king offered his daughter�s hand in marriage to the person who killed the dragon. Skuba stuffed a lamb with sulphur and left it as a bait below the dragon�s lair, who eventually exploded after eating it.

The medieval castle itself has been built and rebuilt several times, having survived wars and fires. It was constructed in the Gothic style in the 14^th century, while Renaissance elements were added a couple of centuries later. Rich Flemish tapestries from the 16^th century catch your eye as you walk around the many chambers inside the palace. Home to over three dynasties of the monarchs , the palace takes you on a whirlwind tour of Polish history.

The kings however were all crowned in this 1000 year old Gothic cathedral which tells a tale of its own. The first thing that you notice about the cathedral is the giant bones of a mammoth and a whale hanging at the entrance. A sign of Pagan worship or a reference to the dragon lore � one wouldn�t know for sure. And yet, in this cathedral which has every stamp of architectural style � from Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque to Classic , kings, saints and bishops lay buried in the crypts. Our guide tells us that it bears similarity to the �Murder in the Cathedral � story as a bishop was murdered here by a king. However, he is quick to add that Pope John Paul 11 offered his first mass as a priest here.

Our next port of halt is Warsaw the capital. Walking along the Castle Square in the charming old town, you get a different glimpse of the capital city. The royal castle stands in front of the square, its brick red fa�ade spread across the old town. Once upon a time it was the official residence of the royalty; today however it is a museum that tells the tales of destruction caused by the wars while the city has risen from the ashes like a Phoenix.

Warsaw is a city of palaces and castles with parks surrounding them . I am told that there are more than 30 of them in the city. We visit the 17^th century baroque residence of the Polish monarch � the Wilanow Palace that is nestled in lush greenery . Paintings and sculptures adorn this beautiful palace which has changed hands several times between royalty and aristocracy and has eventually been destroyed during the World War 2 before being restored again

The royal residence was initially built as a Polish aristocratic mansion in a little village and it slowly became a magnificent structure with French styled palaces and Italian garden villas. Walk around and you can see the royal apartments , but the guides tell you that the interiors were changed over a period of time and the palace is now a veritable art gallery and a museum . Busts of kings and queens and Gods and deities were showcased here. The ceilings were elaborately painted with frescos , while the portrait galleries take you to the time of the Polish royalty.  

Parks and lakes drape Warsaw into a city covered by lush fabric . We walked up the Lazienki Park , which translates to Royal Baths Park , where the gardens were landscaped in the 17^th century in a typical Baroque style. A bathing pavilion lends its name to the park and palace here. Amidst the verdant greenery are beautiful palaces and castles , notably the �Palace on the Water � or �the Palace on the Island , also referred to as the �Lazienki Palace. � On the banks of the lake is a Roman amphitheatre and if you walk around the park, you will notice another palace called the Myslewicki Palace , a White House, Orangeries, temples to Diana and a Water Tower.

We finally end our trail as we leave Warsaw and enter the portals of the largest castle to be ever built in the world � the Malbork castle. As you see the castle standing across the Nogat , you learn that this was once a medieval fortress was built in the 14^th century by the Teutonic Knights in what was then known as Prussia. Built in bricks, the World Heritage Site takes you into a fascinating journey of the knights and their stories.
 
The castle takes you into a different world. As you enter the portals, you see a courtyard and enter halls and rooms with old paintings . Although the castle was rebuilt after the World War 2, much of it was recreated to show how the medieval knights lived here. You walk around and see the kitchens, the mills, the large wells and even the restrooms sitting atop a moat with cabbage leaves serving as toilet paper .

The castle the largest Gothic monument in this part of the world and was named Marienburg or Malborg after the patron Saint Mary. There are three main castles built within the fortress and were strongly defended by the knights, who also controlled the trade of amber in this region. The Church of our Lady built inside the castle is still in ruins and it takes you back to the times of the past when the castle has been in siege .

This photo feature was published in Yahoo.

World Sparrow Market�A little birdie in a flower market in Thovalai

Thovalai is one of the largest flower markets located between Nagercoil and Kanyakumari.  A little sparrow chirps merrily on a mound of marigolds on the ground.

On St Patrick�s Day revisiting Northern Ireland

The vibrant beats drive the blues away even after the sixteen hours and more spent in flying and in transit. I finally land in Belfast and the music comes waltzing in , setting the feet in motion and lifting the spirits up. Even the smallest sign of jet lag disappears with the Irish rhythm . �She is the belle of Belfast city,� choruses the singer as I look out of the window from the coach and lose myself in the land of charms and elves.

There are legends everywhere - from little men to giants. Lores and literature are written about mountains and rivers and valleys . Andrew Beggs, our guide, ever full of humour, with a quick repartee here and there, says that the Cave hill in Belfast was an inspiration to author Jonathan Swift for his novel, Gulliver�s Travels. The peak of the hill often referred to as Napoleon�s Nose looks like a giant sleeping, an uncanny resemblance to the sleeping giant in Swift�s novel.

But then the allusion to giants and little men does not end here. The mythical Leprechauns lure you to see their pots of gold hidden beyond rainbows but I can hardly see any colours in the sky . The weather abruptly changes from warm sunshine to rain and storm. We drive through the coastal villages in County Antrim, most of them are seaside resort towns. An icy cold wind bites into you as we step down to see the rope bridge.

Referred to as the �rock in the road� the narrow �Carrick � a Rede Rope Bridge� connects the mainland to a tiny Carrick island. Precariously dangling over the sea , the view from the mainland is breath taking. But then the winds and waves ensure that we do not have a safe passage to the island and off we go, back to the coach, driving along the coast of Northern Ireland to the Giant causeway.

The winds literally knock me down as I lose balance and hold on to the rocks. �It�s the tail end of a hurricane, �says Andrew as he drops us and the coach beats a hasty retreat. Now, I am literally caught between the devil and the deep blue sea as the winds toss me away from the shores and I hang on to every piece of clothing that I have to stay warm and in one piece. But even in that grey mood, the scenery takes your breath away
The giant causeway is a result of a volcanic eruption that led to formation of interlocking basalt columns that tease your imagination. They come in many sizes and shapes. Sometimes you imagine boots, at other times, chimney stacks or even a camel�s hump as the basalt columns morph into various forms .The Irish love legends and they gave a story to this World UNESCO site as well. According to the myth, Irish warrior Finn Mc Cool built the causeway to connect to Scotland to defeat the giant Benandonner. Finn was tired and although he challenged the giant to walk across the causeway , he was not in a mood for a duel. He decided to sleep for a while, while the Scottish giant entered the house looking for him. Finn�s wife wrapped him up as a baby and the sight of a giant baby terrified Benandonner that he fled across the coast, ripping up the columns as he ran along the causeway.

The cold gales give us no respite. We stagger around, probably a bit like the giant Benandonner trying to escape its blows and watch the waves lash against the rocks, unleashing its force all around them. It�s time for a nice warm whiskey and we make our way to a quaint little village, Bushmill, named after a river and a windmill, and drive past the oldest licensed distillery in the world � Old Bushill�s Distillery, established in 1608. We head out to the Bushmill�s Inn, also believed to have been built in the same year as the distillery, although parts of it have been restored and converted into a hotel. Lunching in a historic and a quaint inn has a different charm as we hear a bit of its history and drink and eat to our heart�s content, listening to the strains of �Whiskey in the Jar �
The coach moves on as we head towards Belfast, the capital town of Northern Ireland and we are immediately spoilt for choices. The Titanic tour for instance that takes you back to the days when the town went ballistic over the ill fated ship. You hear stories of hope and despair and visit those empty offices where the ship�s fate was decided well before it set sail, with barely 20 life boats.

And then we are on the city tour, which gives you a peek into its troubled history when internal conflicts and wars ravaged the city for over three decades .Even today the murals and the high walls on the streets speak of the phase when the Catholics and Protestants communities were at loggerheads with each other .The mood turns a bit sombre as we hear stories of violence , but the Irish do not let it last long. We then admire the Edwardian architecture in the city driving past some towering monuments as we move from one quarter to another.
And before we know it, a day ends as we find ourselves quenching our thirst in the famous 19^th century Crown Bar, listening yet again to �Whiskey in the Jar � followed by � Belle of Belfast. � It is true that as Shaw says, �Ireland, sir, for good or evil, is like no other place under heaven, and no man can touch its sod or breathe its air without becoming better or worse.� I believe I have become a wee bit better after my tryst with the Irish.

Skywatch Friday�The Gol Gumbaz of Bijapur

The very symbol of Bijapur, the Gol Gumbaz towers over all the monuments in the town. The monument is a mausoleum built in the 17th century for the Sultan of Bijapur, Mohammad Adil Shah and it is proudly referred to as the �structural triumph of Deccan architecture.� The dome , one of the largest in the world was supposed to be like a budding rose, emerging from the petals of the flower that stood at its base and hence it was called the �rose dome�.

For more skies of the world visit Skywatch.

A little update on women's day

So its women's day today. Maybe another day dedicated to tokenism , but any day is good as long as one feels special. So I thought I would use this day to do a wee bit of bragging. I have been featured in three different places this year . Last month I got a mail from Hotel Depot and they mentioned that I am in their list of Top 30 travel bloggers from India. I am honored. IXIGO.com has featured me in their list of travel writers and bloggers as a part of the Women's Day Special . A dear friend, Sudha Mathew, a travel blogger has done a short interview of me on her blog and Renuka has featured me in her blog as well. Thanks everyone. I also went for my first photo studio hfor a high profile women's magazine which is featuring me as an influencer in the travel blogger category. Details on that soon.

So, in other news, I have been writing loads of stories this year and I have completed virtually 50  stories in the last couple of months for a variety of publications. I have started editing and contributing for The Hindu Traveller, a fortnightly "traveloid" , have written a cover for Sunday Herald for which I received some appreciation on mail and am making a debut in one more publication - waiting for that to appear this month. Meanwhile, Yahoo has been publishing my series on palaces and my photo features . So, its been a good start and I hope this continues..

Here are some stories that I did last year for Women's Day - Safe Destinations in India for Women in Yahoo, Women Travellers on Sify and a feature on three women travellers in Rediff.  

India through my eyes�A vendor outside Azhagar Temple, Madurai

Look around any temple in India and you would find vendors selling anything from balloons to masks. This was photographed outside the Azhagar temple, dedicated to Vishnu located near Madurai.

Markets of the world� Jamuns and Jalebis of Mussoorie

We were walking along the streets of Mussoorie when the food blogger amongst us, Nandita aka Saffron Trail spotted the man and his jamuns and jalebis. So off we went clicking away. This was part of the Conclay event organised by Club Mahindra at nearby Kanatal.