Work keeps one busy and all the thoughts that I want to convert to writing remain in the heart and do not find words..... as the language of the heart is many times in the form of emotion and some times in English, Tamil Telugu and Hindi..thoughts are conceived and they are not delivered as words.
I wonder why this blog? Who reads? So much information is there in internet and how is my silly writing adding any meaning, value to anyone? This thought was keeping me away from my blog for the last 2 years.
After the trip I made with my husband to US and some countries in Europe, I decided that it is time to write again in my blog - if not for anyone else, it is for myself. What if in my old age, I want to recollect memories and want to read how my thought process was and see the photos in which I am present in many cities and towns that I may not visit again. So, here comes my blog on my recent trip.
It was a discussion that got settled quickly that we need not travel all the way to New Jersey for a cousin's daughter's wedding, though she is very close to us. Considering the expenditure, time and our office work, we thought we wont be travelling to US for this wedding. But, the continuous messages, requests and whatsapp messages made us think that if someone is requesting us so much to attend their family wedding, it is a good idea to attend, as the love and affection with which they invite us should be honoured.
So, it was decided that we will go to New Jersey. I had never been to Washington DC and Niagara falls though I had visited USA many times. I put this condition to my husband when he said that we will make this trip. He agreed immediately and added that we should plan a little detour on our way back to some European countries. As I had never visited any European country till now, except UK, I readily agreed and left the choice to him as he knows more about these places and he had visited some of these countries earlier.
It was decided that we will visit Italy and France in this trip and make another trip to Sweden, Austria, Germany, Netherlands etc. We narrowed it down to Venice, Florence, Rome and Paris. Our decision was promptly conveyed to our relatives in USA and our nephew wanted to join us for Italy trip.
I started looking for tickets and rooms to stay. When the work involved and my ignorance about these places made me realise that it is better left to a travel agent, we took the advice of a colleague for selecting the agent. Instructions were given and tickets, rooms and some skip-the-queue tickets were booked through the agency.
Once the Schengan visa got issued for both of us I wanted to read some blogs or wikipedia to get myself familiar with the places we were to visit. Lack of time and energy made me postpone this till 31st July, the day we were to leave for US. So, I left for the trip with no big idea about what I am going to see, except the fact that I will be in for a treat at Vatican's Sistine Chapel with Michelangelo and at Florence with Leonardo da vinci and other renaissance sculptors and painters, and of course the knowledge on Louvre museum from our French lessons in 1976 and the recent book of Dan Brown, the Da Vinci Code.
My friend is living in New Jersey and we sent message to her about our visit. She graciously informed that she will come to airport to pick us up and we can stay with her. So, we landed at Newark Airport and reached their home.
As I was meeting this friend and her husband (an ex-colleague of mine) after a very long gap of 30+ years, evening and night went like a flash as we were catching up on everything right from our landlady at Hyderabad to our children's marriage, our respective career, the happy occasions and not so happy incidents, and of course, Narendra Modi to Trump :-) We had sumptuous Indian meal and slept late.
Next day we left for Washington and Niagara tour arranged by my brother-in-law through a tour agency. We left NJ at 9 am and visited Philadelphia - Liberty Bell, Constitution avenue and the museum.
How they record document and maintain history is amazing. We may have 300 years history in our own homes, but we do not give so much importance and document much... So, good I am documenting my trips - at least the major ones. What if Hiuen Tsang had not recorded his travellogue...
Washington and Niagara falls in the next blog.. till then find out from wikipedia about Liberty Bell and Constitution Museum etc at Philadelphia.. they give a better and accurate account of these hisoric monuments!
I wonder why this blog? Who reads? So much information is there in internet and how is my silly writing adding any meaning, value to anyone? This thought was keeping me away from my blog for the last 2 years.
After the trip I made with my husband to US and some countries in Europe, I decided that it is time to write again in my blog - if not for anyone else, it is for myself. What if in my old age, I want to recollect memories and want to read how my thought process was and see the photos in which I am present in many cities and towns that I may not visit again. So, here comes my blog on my recent trip.
It was a discussion that got settled quickly that we need not travel all the way to New Jersey for a cousin's daughter's wedding, though she is very close to us. Considering the expenditure, time and our office work, we thought we wont be travelling to US for this wedding. But, the continuous messages, requests and whatsapp messages made us think that if someone is requesting us so much to attend their family wedding, it is a good idea to attend, as the love and affection with which they invite us should be honoured.
So, it was decided that we will go to New Jersey. I had never been to Washington DC and Niagara falls though I had visited USA many times. I put this condition to my husband when he said that we will make this trip. He agreed immediately and added that we should plan a little detour on our way back to some European countries. As I had never visited any European country till now, except UK, I readily agreed and left the choice to him as he knows more about these places and he had visited some of these countries earlier.
It was decided that we will visit Italy and France in this trip and make another trip to Sweden, Austria, Germany, Netherlands etc. We narrowed it down to Venice, Florence, Rome and Paris. Our decision was promptly conveyed to our relatives in USA and our nephew wanted to join us for Italy trip.
I started looking for tickets and rooms to stay. When the work involved and my ignorance about these places made me realise that it is better left to a travel agent, we took the advice of a colleague for selecting the agent. Instructions were given and tickets, rooms and some skip-the-queue tickets were booked through the agency.
Once the Schengan visa got issued for both of us I wanted to read some blogs or wikipedia to get myself familiar with the places we were to visit. Lack of time and energy made me postpone this till 31st July, the day we were to leave for US. So, I left for the trip with no big idea about what I am going to see, except the fact that I will be in for a treat at Vatican's Sistine Chapel with Michelangelo and at Florence with Leonardo da vinci and other renaissance sculptors and painters, and of course the knowledge on Louvre museum from our French lessons in 1976 and the recent book of Dan Brown, the Da Vinci Code.
My friend is living in New Jersey and we sent message to her about our visit. She graciously informed that she will come to airport to pick us up and we can stay with her. So, we landed at Newark Airport and reached their home.
As I was meeting this friend and her husband (an ex-colleague of mine) after a very long gap of 30+ years, evening and night went like a flash as we were catching up on everything right from our landlady at Hyderabad to our children's marriage, our respective career, the happy occasions and not so happy incidents, and of course, Narendra Modi to Trump :-) We had sumptuous Indian meal and slept late.
Next day we left for Washington and Niagara tour arranged by my brother-in-law through a tour agency. We left NJ at 9 am and visited Philadelphia - Liberty Bell, Constitution avenue and the museum.
How they record document and maintain history is amazing. We may have 300 years history in our own homes, but we do not give so much importance and document much... So, good I am documenting my trips - at least the major ones. What if Hiuen Tsang had not recorded his travellogue...
Washington and Niagara falls in the next blog.. till then find out from wikipedia about Liberty Bell and Constitution Museum etc at Philadelphia.. they give a better and accurate account of these hisoric monuments!
