All Saints Church, Bedford, Coonoor.

The minute I reached the old iron gate of All Saints Church, I felt the scene get transformed into sepia-tone and me being taken back a century.

* The sky was a beautiful shade of blue.

* Pine trees seem to frame the church into a memorable picture.

* Tombstones of many young martyrs who served the British army lay scattered around.

* A sense of peace & calm prevailed.

* A solitary bench at the entrance.

* A dog laying at the steps, looked up at us with disinterest and went back to sleep.

* The church caretaker opened the church door and welcomed us inside.

* I stepped in and a strange feeling of serenity & love for the almighty encompassed me.

* The caretaker's son & his friend were placing copies of the holy bible on the prayer benches for the evening.

* How beautiful. How touching. How memorable.

Erin Villa, Coonoor.

*Sigh*
I am completely at a loss for words.
Erin Villa is located in Upper Coonoor. Nestled in the lush green tea estates of the Nilgiris.We entered the place through an old wrought iron gate and were immediately transported to another world. Never in my life have I seen so many colours together in one place. *Sigh*
*Sigh*
*Sigh* *Sigh*

We were in ..'our dream'. A dream where...

* Pink bougainvilleas were drooping down to talk to their neighbour the white pansies.

* Lovely butterflies fluttered in the garden.

* Red, Orange & Peach hibiscus framed the doorway.

* Beautiful green benches lined the garden.

* At a distance the clouds were descending on green hills.

* My husband & me also became Mallika, and three kids wandered around the garden in excitement.

Needlecraft in Erin Villa is a place where the very nice lady Naaz sources & sells beautiful lace, embroidery & cross-stich bedspreads, doilies, tablecloths, towels, handkerchiefs and many gorgeous things from convents around the place.

To sum it all we came back with memories filled with colours, flowers & lace...:-))

Kurumba Village Resort.

'In the lap of nature...' said the tagline of this resort. I was a bit apprehensive about the place since we decided on the place purely based on reviews online and our passion for trying out a road less travelled.Once we took the narrow lane down one of the valleys I knew this was going to be one great holiday in the 'lap of mother nature..'

* with a canopy of trees as far as the eyes could see.
* a symphony of music played by cuckoos, oreoles, barbets, hill mynas and many different birds.
* monkeys playing peek-a-boo in the balconies
* sipping refreshing nilgiris tea while watching the full moon rise in the eastern night sky.
* sitting around the bonfire on a cool summer night.
* reading 'Rain in the mountain' by Ruskin Bond by the poolside.
* the excitement of spotting fireflies in the dense dark mountain night.
* Life couldn't get any better.

You can check out their website here:http://www.kurumbavillageresort.com

World Environment Day.

Let's make our planet a better place. Let's do our bit.
I plan to
* Switch off lights & fans when not in use.
* Close the tap water while brushing.
* Carry my own basket or bag while buying vegetables & groceries.
* Find innovative ways of reusing bottles & jars.
* Minimise use of plastics.
* Trying walking instead of taking out the car.
* Teach my daughter all these things so that she can also do her bit in making this WORLD -Beautiful.

...hilly holiday.

We decided to take a quick holiday before our daughter's school session resumes and we get sucked into the daily routine of city life.
After much research we zeroed in on the Nilgiri Hills. Our destination was a resort nestled in the Coonoor valley...but the journey was as breathtaking if not better than the destination.

* Lush green hills covered with tea plantations.
* Quaint little roadside shops.
* The fragrance of eucalyptus & wintergreen trees.
* A nip in the air as we started the ascend on the 36 hairpin bends on the hilly road.
* White-washed churches.
* Narrow lanes leading upto old British style bunglows.
* An old world charm just enveloped us as we passed by many tiled houses.
* Trucks carrying fresh vegetables from the farms on the hills.
* Grey clouds threatening to rain.
* The mountain railway tracks appearing now and then at various bends of the hilly road.

...left us completely enthralled and in a state between a sweet dream & reality.Little did we realise that the reality waiting at the end of the road nestled in the lap of nature was no less than a dream.

I am back!

Well, I am happy to be back: To be using my computer to check my mails and flickr.

I am a bit sad: My Nikon Coolpix 885 camera which is a contant fixture in my handbag had a fall and am trying to get it repaired and retrieve loads of pics I have been taking during the period of my absence from cyberspace.

Hope to be back soon to share all the interesting things & pics.
Till then here's something from my archives.

Taking a blogging break!

I am taking a break from blogging for a while.
Will be ~
* Scrubbing my kitchen floors clean.
* Re-potting my mint plants.
* Arranging & re-arranging the furniture in my home.
* Sipping endless cups of 'Garam Chai'.

So till then, enjoy your cup of tea!

Flowers in my home.

Every week beginning I pick up fresh flowers from my local florist and make simple flower arrangements like keeping flowers in empty jam glass bottles (Martha Stewart Inspiration?) & have a common theme in the various rooms...

Check out some previous posts on my love for fresh flowers in my home... here , here & here.

Ode to 'A Cup of Tea'.

'A cup of tea to say thank you
For all the things You've done,
And wishes that the day will bring You happiness and fun..'

©birdiekity May - 1998

Daytrip to Kanva Reservoir.

After major discussions,
The Destination: Kanva Reservoir.
Distance from Bangalore: 69 Kms.
The team: Me, My enthusiastic husband, a (waiting for an Indian adventure) cousin from the U.S. & a very naughty daughter.


* Great Idli-Vadas from Kamat Lokaruchi.

* Lovely village scenes enroute.

* Gulmohar Trees in full bloom.

* Mango trees drooping with the weight of fresh green raw mangoes.

* Friendly village folks giving us directions to the reservoir.

* Beautiful, open expanse of land with the reservoir at a distance.

* Mohan-the boatman who took us in his coracle.

* Simple, friendly fishermen who offered us tea.

* Waddling through the shallow waters.

* Life is simple. Life is beautiful.

If you need a break from the hustle-bustle of city life, head straight to Kanva. Where the only things you'd probably hear are cuckoos in the mango groves and the shwish of the boatman's oars.

Obssessing over a cup...

I just can't get over this lovely green Ikea cup, that I pleaded my husband to pick up on his recent visit to the U.S.
The shape is beautiful and handle a little odd but I think that is what makes it so appealing to me.*Sigh*

Well, now you know the various ways of using a cup.;-)