Thursday, August 4
I saw an entirely new side of India today. It was wonderful. On the way to Nashik, we passed beautiful, green fields with flowers blooming. Well paved roads wound through the countryside. The fog dipped down to touch the mountain tops as waterfalls spilled over the scenic cliffs.
Several hours later, Priya and I checked into the Taj Hotel. Wow, what an amazing place! Marble stairscases and a well carved balcony surrounded the elegant two story lobby with a huge chandelier dangling in the center. Many small seating areas designed for socializing filled the room. The fabrics were lush with bright pillows tossed about.
After settling in, we headed down to the restaurant. We decided that our mini vacation should start with a Sula dindori reserva wine made right here in Nashik, Maharashtra. Priya ordered several small plates for us to share: malai murj tikka (chicken marinated in yoghurt and aromatic spices), gosht baghar (lamb cooked with spices and yoghurt, tempered with mustard seeds, fenugreek and red chillies) and dal makhini (simmered black lentils). I’ve come to expect the food to be delicious here, and it didn’t disappoint.
After that amazing lunch, we headed to Sula Winery. The roads were curvy and unmarked. At one point we came to a complete stop, but it wasn’t from the typical Mumbai traffic. Several homeless cows decided to have a discrepancy right in the middle of the road. There was a moment of concern for the front end of Priya’s SUV, but they wondered off to the side and allowed us to pass.
Finally, we arrived at the magnificent gates at the entrance to Sula. Priya’s friend owns the winery, but unfortunately he was out of the country. One of his associates took us on our scheduled wine walk at 4:30. Afterwards, we sampled some more dindori on the balcony overlooking the vineyard. It was a beautiful night. Two Americans who were touring India sat next to us and we ended up chatting with them for a bit.
When we arrived back at the Taj, we decided to order room service for dinner. The prices here are amazing. Both of us had dinner and drinks; including the service the total was about $22 USD. Amazing.
Friday, August 5th
After breakfast we decided to take a morning swim. The water was chilly at first, but felt wonderful. One of the staff asked us if we would also like to use the Jacuzzi and steam room. Why not? We were given towels that were large enough to go around us three times, so I wrapped mine like a sari. What a great way to start the day.
We had arranged for a late checkout and then hung out at the hotel taking pictures.
Saturday, August 6th
First day of my last class. I can’t believe I am leaving here in 7 more days!! I have so much that I still want to do!
Sunday, August 7th
I awoke to the sound of the doorbell at 1 am. John (another instructor) had flown in with Brandon from the US. Before heading back to bed, I showed him around our flat and gave him the basic information about how to turn on the water heater, cap the drain and use the remote for the air conditioner in his room. He will only be here for a day or two, so I kept it brief.
After class, Priya had her driver waiting to take John and me to a birthday party for Brandon that had started a few hours earlier. I was grateful that I didn’t have to explain to a taxi driver where she lived in Juhu (north Bombay). When we arrived the drinks were flowing and a lovely assortment of Indian foods covered the tables. I had a wonderful time chatting with Priya, her friends and getting to know Brandon better.
Pictures of the Taj and Sula Winery trip:
I saw an entirely new side of India today. It was wonderful. On the way to Nashik, we passed beautiful, green fields with flowers blooming. Well paved roads wound through the countryside. The fog dipped down to touch the mountain tops as waterfalls spilled over the scenic cliffs.
Several hours later, Priya and I checked into the Taj Hotel. Wow, what an amazing place! Marble stairscases and a well carved balcony surrounded the elegant two story lobby with a huge chandelier dangling in the center. Many small seating areas designed for socializing filled the room. The fabrics were lush with bright pillows tossed about.
After settling in, we headed down to the restaurant. We decided that our mini vacation should start with a Sula dindori reserva wine made right here in Nashik, Maharashtra. Priya ordered several small plates for us to share: malai murj tikka (chicken marinated in yoghurt and aromatic spices), gosht baghar (lamb cooked with spices and yoghurt, tempered with mustard seeds, fenugreek and red chillies) and dal makhini (simmered black lentils). I’ve come to expect the food to be delicious here, and it didn’t disappoint.
After that amazing lunch, we headed to Sula Winery. The roads were curvy and unmarked. At one point we came to a complete stop, but it wasn’t from the typical Mumbai traffic. Several homeless cows decided to have a discrepancy right in the middle of the road. There was a moment of concern for the front end of Priya’s SUV, but they wondered off to the side and allowed us to pass.
Finally, we arrived at the magnificent gates at the entrance to Sula. Priya’s friend owns the winery, but unfortunately he was out of the country. One of his associates took us on our scheduled wine walk at 4:30. Afterwards, we sampled some more dindori on the balcony overlooking the vineyard. It was a beautiful night. Two Americans who were touring India sat next to us and we ended up chatting with them for a bit.
When we arrived back at the Taj, we decided to order room service for dinner. The prices here are amazing. Both of us had dinner and drinks; including the service the total was about $22 USD. Amazing.
Friday, August 5th
After breakfast we decided to take a morning swim. The water was chilly at first, but felt wonderful. One of the staff asked us if we would also like to use the Jacuzzi and steam room. Why not? We were given towels that were large enough to go around us three times, so I wrapped mine like a sari. What a great way to start the day.
We had arranged for a late checkout and then hung out at the hotel taking pictures.
Saturday, August 6th
First day of my last class. I can’t believe I am leaving here in 7 more days!! I have so much that I still want to do!
Sunday, August 7th
I awoke to the sound of the doorbell at 1 am. John (another instructor) had flown in with Brandon from the US. Before heading back to bed, I showed him around our flat and gave him the basic information about how to turn on the water heater, cap the drain and use the remote for the air conditioner in his room. He will only be here for a day or two, so I kept it brief.
After class, Priya had her driver waiting to take John and me to a birthday party for Brandon that had started a few hours earlier. I was grateful that I didn’t have to explain to a taxi driver where she lived in Juhu (north Bombay). When we arrived the drinks were flowing and a lovely assortment of Indian foods covered the tables. I had a wonderful time chatting with Priya, her friends and getting to know Brandon better.
Pictures of the Taj and Sula Winery trip:
No comments:
Post a Comment