Travels and thoughts

It was a misty morning, damp and humid with a slight summer drizzle in Innsbruck, Austria. After a superb dinner at L’osteria, an Italian eatery strongly recommended by our receptionist, we had a refreshing sleep and were up by 0530 hours. The constant intake of beer and wine induced by the relaxed atmosphere and beautiful environs, was taking its toll on the waist. Plagued by a guilt feeling, we decided that a mountainous hiking trail was what the doctor ordered to start our day. The mountains beckoned to us from the window of our hotel room. Armed with a jacket, just in case the Dubai residents suddenly felt cold, we set off towards what the local Austrians call the jump, thinking that would be fairly exacting trek.  Guided by instinct and a nose for the slightly adventurous, we crossed the underpass at Tivoli, past the Olympic stadium towards what seemed some residential quarters. The quarters past a corn field were pretty ordinary with no architectural stand out as...

The hills are alive with the sound of music.... The words of this song resonated with me from childhood. I watched Sound of music at Rex theatre Bangalore in the year 1977. I was just about 10 years old and the movie and the songs left an impact on me. The Von Tropp family. Maria with her musical talents, the city of Salzburg, the fountains, rolling and gentle hills which would blend with the clouds, every bit of the movie was enriched in my mind and heart. We had a Murphy LP player at home . we would look forward to the weekends, it would be a ritual to listen to the songs and sing along with them. The years passed but the images of Sound of Music did not diminish. 2018... our friends and we decided on a trip to Europe. Austria was one of the destinations. I was excited that I would visit Salzburg and relive my memories of my youth. Salzburg is on the banks of the river Salzach. The old town is dominated by its towers and churches and the massive Hohensalzburg Fortress...

Our first visit to Zurich 10 years ago did not provide lasting impressions - maybe the city expected us to be a bit more mature in tastes! Over the years, we have repeatedly visited this beautiful country and began loving it on each visit. On the current second visit to Zurich, we stepped out for a morning walk, having been woken up by sound of chirping birds that drifted through open windows of our friendly, conveniently located, quaint and compact hotel  Rex Sorell.  It was a summer morning in Jun and the weather was bracing especially for us from Dubai, UAE. As we walked a short distance from the hotel, we were greeted with the view below - But then, let me start at the beginning. We flew on the Emirates A380 for the 6 and a half hour  flight with a bunch of friends that landed at Zurich at 2030 hours. By the time, we reached the hotel and finished depositing our luggage in our respective rooms via the minuscule elevator, we were quite famished. True to Europe...