It's been far too long since we took a leisurely family stroll together. With the Easter holidays upon us and a desire for local adventure, we opted to embark on a lengthy trek from Maidenhead to Windsor. Though we had previously tackled this same journey about 18 months ago, we decided to switch up the route this time and include the iconic Bray Lake. Our journey began around 10:30 AM, departing from home and heading toward Windsor by way of Bray Lake.    Along the road, we delighted in the sights of biker rallies and vintage car shows. Upon arriving at Bray Lake, we were mesmerized by the bungee jumping water sports taking place. After our visit, we joined the Thames Walk, a familiar path for us, leading us to the entrance of Windsor. Once there, we treated ourselves to refreshing ice cream to cool down under the sun's first warm rays of spring. And when our bellies began to rumble, we sat down for a delicious lunch at Wagamama, as previously planned. After our satisfying lun

This Easter, we found ourselves in a quandary - to travel or not to travel, that was the question. Our hearts yearned to visit our homeland of India, but the timing was a conundrum. Should we venture there in April, or wait until August? After much contemplation and debate, we ultimately settled on July/August, when our boys would be enjoying their summer holidays, allowing us more time to revel in the company of our loved ones. However, we couldn't help but acknowledge the fact that July/August was not the ideal season for visiting India, with the monsoons in full swing. As a result, we found ourselves without any pre-booked Easter holidays and instead opted for day trips and local activities. It was on Easter Sunday that we stumbled upon an unforgettable experience at Pennibridge Farm, spending two hours getting up close and personal with the charming alpacas. After bidding farewell to our new furry friends, we turned to Google in search of afternoon activities. Our options were

I've been wanting to write a travel blog about our trip to Malta for some time now. However, my laziness has been holding me back until today when I finally stopped procrastinating and started jotting it down. Malta was our first trip to Europe with the twin boys. After their great success in the 11-plus exams, we decided to take a well-deserved break and utilize the holiday period of December. We booked Malta as one of our friends had also planned the same location which made our holiday search easier. Here are some facts about Malta and why it's a popular holiday destination: Malta is a small island nation located in the Mediterranean Sea, south of Sicily, Italy, covering an area of 316 square km. Malta has a population of 515,000 people (in 2020). The island nation is in the top 10 of the most densely populated countries in the world. Malta has a rich and diverse history, with influences from the Phoenicians, Romans, Arabs, and British. As a result, the country has a unique

The decision to leave one's home country and move to a foreign land is never an easy one. It requires a lot of courage, determination, and hard work to build a new life in a different place. My husband and I took this big step when we moved to the UK from India in search of better career opportunities. Little did we know that this decision would lead us on a journey full of adventures and surprises. We arrived in the UK with nothing but our hopes and dreams. It was a daunting experience to start from scratch, but we were determined to succeed. We worked hard and were able to establish ourselves in the country, finding stable jobs. Soon we welcomed our beautiful identical twin boys into the world. Being parents in a foreign country came with its own set of challenges, but we were determined to give our boys the best life possible. However, as our twins grew up, we realized that they needed to experience Indian culture, connect with their relatives, and learn about their heritage. We

Who would have dreamt that Contagion movie would become a real-life incident? Who would have thought that 2019 to 2021 would become a notorious year in the future history? Looks like goddess Ashwini has said Asthu when the Contagion movie was shot and it has become a true incident, unfortunately :( When the news initially started spreading in Feb-20, I really thought it is quite an exaggerated one and the media is spreading the news to seek attention. Thought, COVID is just like any other influenza. Oh God!, I am completely wrong. I take back all my irresponsible opinions. Pandemic started hitting badly, crisis came in all angles, all started looking very dramatic, virtual etc in the following months. We all started praying deeply for the protection of all lives and eradicate this demon COVID-19 and this is continuing well after a year.. Due to COVID-19, many of us have lost  a few dear ones. My uncle battled for a month with COVID complications but succumbed to death. I dare to recoll

 I don't know much about Piers Morgan, never ever watched GMB and I don't think we'll see him ever again in GMB. I saw him first in The apprentice - Lord Sugar's programme as an interviewer for the final set of candidates. The way he scrutinizes the candidates with his detective mind, was a flabbergast moment for me and my jaw dropped several times. But then I did some research about him and it was mostly negative, depicting him as a controversial figure. I ended my opinion with the majority then. In December 2020, I was searching for the best books to read and here came - Wake Up by Piers Morgan at the top, bashing great stars. Without a second thought, I bought his book and started reading. I am not a voracious reader and take at least a month to finish a book when I am not travelling to work. So, whole of January I dedicated myself to reading this book. And my genuine opinion now is he is not as bad as I thought. The book talked a lot on wokies, freedom of speech, ra

The story in Girls Burn Brighter is weaved between two girls - Poornima and Savitha who belong to poverty-stricken families. But values or bonds of friendship were rich in them. Definitely, a searing and electrifying novel, highly recommended. Story clearly elucidates the two families both facing critically-ill members and not having enough for anything. Two girls Poornima and Savitha had to bear the major responsibility of their family, future of their siblings etc. Savitha, who started working for Poornima's father, spent most of her time weaving with Poornima. Friendship grew between them which just became richer as the day passed. Poornima's father wanted her marriage to happen so he could wash away with his responsibilities. Poornima would feed Savitha with her version of scrumptious meal which is a mixture of rice, yogurt and banana. Savitha, working hard for her family, wants to give Poorinma a self-woven sari as her marriage gift. Unfortunately, Savitha had to face a ba

  Road Trip - North Karnataka It was one of our to -dos to have a planned unplanned Road Trip around Karnataka and was thinking about it for the last 1 year. Finally, the time kicked-in in 2018 October. After relocating to India in 2016, we plan to do one trip a year a week long along with my parents. In 2017, we did a much awaited North India - Golden Triangle trip and in 2018, a road trip to North Karnataka. Nothing much we planned for this trip, except deciding that we will visit Hampi at any cost. Couple of weeks earlier, the road was planned as Joga - Chitradurga - Hampi - Aihole - Pattadakallu - Badami - Dandeli. Wanted to go for the trip without booking any accommodation but changed our mind a couple of days earlier thinking it may be risky with kids and parents. So, managed to book our accommodation a day earlier in a few places.. Day 1 - Oct 13th, 2018 Trip started at 7AM with the first destination being Joga. Reached Joga around 11:30AM with a breakfast stop at Threerthalli.