Tag: Travel

The Night Riviera to Penzance

On By bratislavIn Trains, TravelLeave a comment

In the world of engineering, there are few individuals as distinguished or prolific as Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Perhaps one of the greatest contributors to the Industrial Revolution, Brunel left his imprint on everything from bridges and tunnels, to shipping and railways, his rich legacy of innovation and design long outliving his rather short lifespan. Amongst his many great engineering feats, there are few that match the sheer utility or grandeur of London’s exquisite Paddington station. A cathedral of transportation, Paddington imparts a sense of occasion to the mundane act of departing or arriving.

Over the years, I’ve had the good fortune of patronizing Paddington several times, but tonight’s journey is different, momentous even. On platform 1 stands the Night Riviera, an overnight sleeper train, that in some form or another has been operated continuously by the Great Western Railway or GWR since 1877. It’s one of the last two sleeper services left in the UK, and the only one to have eluded me thus far. Tonight, I depart Paddington in style.

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Segue to San Diego

On By bratislavIn Travel2 Comments

La Jolla living

On a first visit to San Diego, your unlikely to start with La Jolla, but this tony seaside community, which lies 14-miles to San Diego’s north (technically a part of it), is a fine introduction to west coast living, or at the very least, to life in Southern California – one that is decidedly laid back, and comes with an endless supply of sunshine, or at least the promise of it!

If you can hack the lines, start with brunch at The Cottage (7702 Fay Ave), which offers free coffee and plenty of eye candy as you wait. There are stores aplenty on Prospect St., the main drag in La Jolla, but instead head down any of the steep roads that lead off it, revealing tantalizing views of the Pacific. Walk the winding stretch along the promenade, from La Jolla Cove, past Scripps Park, to the Children’s Pool, and you will be rewarded with breathtaking vistas of a turquoise ocean, pods upon pods of Seals basking in the sunshine, gorgeous wildflowers adorning the bluffs, and all along, a cool breeze in your face. By the end of it, you would surely have forgotten the arduous coast-to-coast flight you just came in on.

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The Goan Holiday

On By bratislavIn Food & Drink, Goa, India, Travel4 Comments

Visiting the state after a gap of 15 years, I have mixed expectations. A lot would have changed, no doubt – some of it, hopefully, for the better. But our arrival into Dabolim is completely underwhelming. Given all the hype the state of Goa has received as a tourist destination, and the massive influx of visitors since (some of them on chartered flights even), the airport remains a complete eyesore and an all-round shit show!

The ride to our hotel is almost an hour long, but over the course of it, our disappointment with Dabolim wanes. The Ramada‘s vaulted lobby is grand in appearance and wears a festive look for the holiday season. As the light begins to change, a walk through its sea-facing, sun-kissed property is at once invigorating, banishing any residual thoughts of the D word…

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