This time for Africa !!

Whether its Shakira’s swinging “Waka Waka” or K’naan’s “Wavin’ flag”, wherever you look (and hear), the World Cup is top of mind and conversation. For over a month now, football fans (old and new) have immersed themselves in what must be the biggest single periodic event in the world. Nothing matches up to it.
Here are my thoughts on what were the highlights of this particular world cup tournament.

The level playing field:
If you’ve been following football (particularly the World cup) for the last two decades, you might agree with me on this. I remember as a kid, if someone were to ask who would win the cup, there were just 4 usual suspects – Brazil, Argentina, Germany and Italy. And somehow, till the French ‘revolution’ in the late 90s, these were the teams reaching the finals and winning also. This world cup has been different though – from the beginning, people have talked about Spain (ranked 2 in the latest FIFA rankings), England (‘the golden generation’ as some of its stars are referred to), Portugal and a couple of African nations like Drogba’s Ivory Coast – they have all been in the reckoning. After all the action that has transpired, it does look like as if the playing field has now leveled out far more than in the past. The Asian and African teams have made their presence felt (Ghana missing the semis with a penalty whisker). Less fancied teams like Serbia and Slovakia have shown they can play a good organized team game and preval over more illustrious opponents. With the increased movement of players across the globe for their club assignments (particularly in European clubs), players of lesser nations have picked up strategies and skills that were earlier a bastion of the established football superpowers. Cases in point: Didier Drogba, Diego Forlan, Park Ji Sung, etc. Now it seems that any team can beat any team on its day. All it requires is teamwork, passion and possibly making the most of half-chances on the field.
The "Superstar Trap":
Lionel Messi. Christiano Ronaldo. Wayne Rooney. Some teams this world cup have suffered from what can be called ‘the Superstar trap’. The team, knowingly or unknowingly, starts to play around the superstar instead of collectively as a team. So, a young forward with an equally good chance for netting a goal, will look around for the superstar in his team to pass the ball, and eventually squander his team’s chances. Plays are created to feed the superstar but alas, they forget the superstar receives his due attention from the opposing team also who have heavily marked him. Teams that did well in this world cup like Germany and Spain and the African nations played as a team. A Podolski feeds to Klose, a Ozil passes to Schweinsteiger who in turn sets it up for Muller. All very fine players in their own right, but none of them head and shoulders above the others. Notice no ‘superstars’, but great as a team.
The “superstar trap” has had its disclaimers too. Consider the curious case of Zinedine Zidane and the French football team’s fortunes. In 1998, Zidane was a powering force in France’s World Cup triumph. Four years later, he missed the first 2 games of the World Cup due to injury, and before he could make a ‘fitting’ impression, France were bundled out. Cut to the next world cup, where he played the anchor in France reaching the World Cup finals. Ironically, the turning point in the final against Italy was also provided by him. The headbutt and Zidane’s red card happened, and suddenly the Italians looked much more in control of the game that they eventually went on to win.
The refereeing dilemma:
This world cup has been notorious for the refereeing blunders that have turned the tide of many games. Lampard’s disallowed goal when the ball clearly bounced over the goal line created a furore and would have been particularly embarrassing for Sepp Blatter (the FIFA top boss) who was watching from the stands. So what’s the solution? FIFA’s already said yes to technology playing a bigger role in matches, but is yet to say how. I think the fast-paced, competitive and punishing nature of the game today demands that a team can raise say 2-3 challenges for replay (similar to tennis) on contentious goal allowing/disallowing decisions. Technology used more often than that (say for instance, fouls) would adversely impact the pace of the game and dilute the field referee’s role. But for goal decisions which are potentially game-changing, technology should receive a thumbs up.
What else happened…
Every world cup also brings along its own unique flavour to the history of this competition. Here are some things that WC2010 brought to the party:
Vuvuzelas: Everyone hated them and the Africans loved them. The sound of a million bees as the media described it. Some teams even requested FIFA to ban the use of vuvuzelas in the matches saying they couldn’t hear the referee whistle. All this, and then as the tournament progressed, fans of every country picked up the vuvuzela, painted it in their national colours and accepted it as an integral part of this world cup. Even our ears have got attuned to the vuvuzela sounds, and I think every football game in future is going to sound a bit odd (or normal?).
Jabulani, the football: In every world cup, atleast since 1998, the football produced by Adidas has come under scrutiny. Too light, no control in the air and all that. Sound bytes from ex-players, coaches and disgruntled forwards & goalies add to the drama. The ball was being blamed for the initial goal drought in this tournament too but once Portugal scored 7 in a game and the Germans started averaging about 4, there was really nothing left for anyone to say.
Larissa Riquelme: Nobody did more for Paraguay’s support this World Cup than her. The Paraguayan lingerie model promised to run naked through the streets of her hometown Asuncion wearing only body paint of her team colours. Condition: Paraguay wins the world cup or even if they beat Spain to enter the semis, or… what the heck, she’ll do it anyway. Latest reports suggest she’s decided to do the run anyway this weekend which makes you wonder what really was the point of the whole thing. Larissa was also the advertiser’s delight, cheering with first a Nokia phone and then an Axe ad positioned near where most men were focusing as she cheered from the stands. Most popular fan of the world cup? I guess so!
Paul the Oracle Octopus: From a quiet existence in a sea-life museum in Oberhausen, Germany, Paul is now an international celebrity. To date, Paul has got 7/7 predictions right in this World Cup, including some for which he received death threats. Nobody really knows how Paul does it. Some scientists say he’s attracted to flags which have distinct stripes (Spain for instance). Others argue it’s where he’s physically located in his tank when prediction time comes. Whatever might be the reason, Paul has established himself as the ultimate football pundit and what’s more, he’s now encouraging other animals around the world to take us humans for a ride (Mani the parakeet in Singapore). For the finals, Paul’s predicted Spain will win while Mani’s choice is Netherlands. So, one of them is going to fall from their short-lived stardom very soon. I think I’m going to give Paul’s prediction the winning edge on this one. A little more experience on his side. :)

So that was that. An exciting world cup, full of drama and surprises.
Tonight, the World Cup will have a new champion. Will it be the third-time lucky Dutch or the finally-united-as-a-team Spain? We’ll just have to wait and watch. Waka, waka!

Financial year closing

This one is dedicated to all my friends who slog away in the last week of March because some accountants need to know what is (+) or (–) in a report called the P&L statement. The joke here is - they’ve probably already decided how it will read beforehand. We are all just doing the grunt back-work to make sure their ‘predictions’ look correct.

For the less familiar and the more lucky souls, there are a lot of interesting activities that happen with this financial or fiscal year ‘closing’.
Firstly, audits galore - of stocks, of claims, of expenses, etc etc. It’s like a field day for auditors and that one time in the year when they call all the shots. You can put forth your logics and all, but there always a ready response “Huh? What are you saying? Close to karna hai na! Why are you bringing this up at this eleventh hour?” Because my dear friend, this is the only time I can get your kind attention.
Secondly, this is when the finance guys are at their efficient best, and everyone else at their wits end. The two does not make a fruitful combination for work to happen.

I remember my colleagues in a previous job assignment, R and T, who despised this time of the year. We dreaded the three words “Sanctioned vs. Released vs. Spent”. Budgets under these three heads never seemed to match! We had the most elaborate SAP reports and Excel trackers (greater than 5 colours used per worksheet and tons of cross-linked formulae) but we were still cursing when we sat down to close the fiscal year.

By the way, in India, financial years are from 1st April to 31st March of every year, but it’s not the same across the world. Here are some examples.
· US : October 1st to September 30th
· Australia : July 1st to June 30th
· UAE : Jan 1st to Dec 31st
Now, I don’t think the job market is that good nowadays or too many companies would want my kind of talent, but a good way to avoid financial year closings will be this: Work in Dubai from Jan to March, in India from April to June, in Australia from July to September and finish up in US from October to December. That way, you experience the best part of the fiscal year where you get to make grand plans but are in no pressure to implement them yet (“C’mon boss, the year’s just begun, the next 3 quarters will be great, I tell you”).

The other more personal twist with fiscal year closing, that sales managers particularly experience, is that it is usually the end of the appraisal year also. This means you will literally DIE to deliver that one extra shipment, coax customers to buy that one last goods carton, and find someone, someone who hasn’t yet purchased your insurance policy or credit card. It’s akin to the final desperate stretch the 100 metre athlete makes before the finish line. Of course, his agony lasted 10 seconds, yours 365 days.

Think about it like this...As the clock ticks over from 31st March to the next day, it greets you saying “April Fool! Gotcha again this year! ”... Yeah, yeah, I know. Don’t rub it in. I fall for the same thing every single year.

P.S.: I have a lot of respect for Finance professionals. Without them, us marketing guys will probably have one fantastic never-ending party and completely waste ourselves. So, thanks guys, for keeping us grounded within the columns of your balance sheets :)

“Phir dil diya Hockey ko”

Over the past few days, I’ve been watching the FIH Hockey World Cup on TV. Although India had a dream start (the 4-1 drubbing of Pakistan), it was all downhill after that. When we finally lost to Argentina and ended 8th out of 12 participating teams, it wasn’t a great feeling.

That said, I couldn’t help but get attracted to this game. I don’t watch hockey too often (loyalties lie with football, cricket and tennis sometimes), but as I saw the best teams in the world playing against each other, I felt hockey too was every bit if not more exciting than the other more popular sports.

Consider for example, the pace of the game. An average hockey game has about 4 goals whereas an average football game has only 2, that when the duration of a hockey game is 20 minutes lesser. The game in hockey moves from one half to the other extremely fast, and the attacks at goal can be quite sudden at times. Remember the game between India and Spain? There were 4 goals scored within 4 minutes!
The game is also quite literally non-stop. There are no time gaps between bowling overs or rest breaks between games and sets, where advertisers can squeeze in their 10-seconder. You play for a fast uninterrupted 35 minutes, take a short break and then go again. Free hits are taken quickly, and every member on the field is always on the run.

Then, let us look at the skill level required in this game. Admittedly, skill is something all great players of all sports must possess. Similarly, the hockey skills of some great players bewilder you too. I remember a particular Arjun Halappa dribble on the right flank in the match against Australia where he manoeuvred through three defenders to set up a crucial goal. “Wow!” was my reaction. And then there are the drag flickers (or penalty corner specialists for the less initiated) – every good team has one. Their sharp judgement and accurate hits change the course of the game. Little wonder then, that penalty corners are so sought after. The chances of converting one into a goal are high if you have an ace drag flicker in your team.

So, I guess what I’m finally trying to say is – Hockey IS an absorbing, exciting game. It is our national sport and somewhere as Indians, we’ve lost faith in it. It was our national pride when we were winning Olympic golds one after the other, but as the Westerners introduced astro-turf and our team’s fortunes turned topsy-turvy, we too switched off. Meanwhile, Kapil and his devils won 1983, and a man called Sachin Tendulkar started rewriting record books. It was convenient to shift focus as Indians to a new sport and worship new heroes. It was also convenient for sponsors to back the new poster boys and put in all the moolah to create one of the world’s richest sporting bodies. Meanwhile, the managing body of the national sport did not even have enough money to pay the players their modest salaries.

For me, Sachin’s 200 moment is still my YouTube favourite. But the sight of a blue-jersey clad Indian hockey player dribbling away and giving his everything to a sport and a nation that gave up on him, is equally endearing.
As the latest Hero Honda ad appeals, “Phir dil do hockey ko”. Maine to de diya.

Multi-eight

Have you ever played Multi-eight on eastoftheweb.com?
This multi-player word game is one of my favourites. My close friend and ex-flat mate, R and I used to completely freak over it, and it was a daily night-time ritual once we had said our good-nights to our respective girlfriends.

Anyway, I was recently told by a fresh MBA passout that the game is quite the rage in campuses now. I’m not surprised. Here’s why I think Multi-Eight is one of the best online word games:

• It’s a forum for serious word gamers – no social chatting, no “ASL?” or “gg” after every round
• Neat clean, uncluttered, ad-free gaming interface
• Anonymity – the only thing that matters is your username which you can change
• Intensely competitive with multiple game rooms to suit your expertise level. Some great regular players who really up the ante.
• Ups and downs – Ten rounds of fast paced action. You screw up in one round and you will probably lose overall cumulative standings that you might never catch up; At the same time some rounds where you beat the field by a big margin might just become the overall game-changers. Not dips in concentration tolerated here.

R and I have since relocated to different cities. But when we do land up in the same city, the game is once again renewed. We’ve also introduced many of our friends and colleagues to the game, for some of whom it’s become a distraction to work :)

Cheers to Multieight and eastoftheweb. Great stuff!

Europe Trip: Day 16: Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Hyderabad – (Final entry)

Writing this last entry of our Europe trip on board the plane to India. The trip was a memorable, once-in-a-lifetime affair. As I look back, these must be the highlights of our trip:

> The Sistine Chapel and “David” – Michelangelo’s masterpieces
> St. Peter’s Basilica and St. Peter’s Square – home to the largest religion in the world
> The Collosseum
> Trevi Fountain – am waiting for my wish to come true
> Pizzas and pastas – the way the Italians have it
> Swiss countryside and the Alps – picture perfect.
> Swiss culture and efficiency
> Eiffel Tower – by day and night, from below and atop.
> The Louvre and the Mona Lisa
> Cruises on the River Seine and Lake Thun
> Amsterdam – the ‘liberated’ city

That’s it then. So long. Till next time…

Europe Trip: Day 15: Amsterdam

The last day of our Europe trip. Today was spent a little lazily, and justifiably so, before we get back to the usual hustle-bustle of daily life back in India.
Got up late and then went for a canal cruise through Amsterdam. Amsterdam is incidentally the big daddy of water canals. In fact, the whole city is a network of mini-islands and joined together by around 1200 bridges. The canals serve as the main transportation routes and in fact, DHL has its own parcel boats that deliver packages using these waterways! And to think, we associate canals only with Venice.

There’s also something very interesting I learnt about the houses in Amsterdam. Since the land space is limited, most houses have very narrow staircases. This means that it is impossible to move furniture to higher floors from within the house. So there are hoisting beams in front of all the houses along the canals. That’s how furniture gets moved into the higher floors of the houses.

In the evening, we went to the Dam Square and sat around listening to live musicians like many other tourists. Saw some quaint ‘cycle-rickshaws’ if you please, which reminded us of those back in India.

Probably, that’s when it hit us. Our Europe trip was over and early tomorrow morning we take our flight back to India. Sigh! Do we really have to go back? Can’t this trip continue forever?!?

Europe Trip: Day 14: Amsterdam

Set off from Paris to Amsterdam this morning on the Thalys Express (The Thalys/TGV are among the fastest in the world, travelling at easily over 250 kmph).
Within no time, we were in Brussels, the Belgian capital (home to Poirot, Tintin and the ‘Manneken Pis’). Then, the train took us onwards to Antwerp (the place with the diamond connection) and then Rotterdam (one of the busiest ports in the world) before finally reaching Amsterdam.

In Amsterdam, we walked to the quaint Haarlem district where our apartment was located. We were surprised by the number of bicycles on the streets and in the parking lots. Learnt later that about 100,000 bicycles are stolen in Amsterdam every year – just imagine how many there must actually be then!

Amsterdam is, of course, the most ‘liberated’ city in the world, with legalized drug usage, prostitution and euthanasia. Most of the tourists are here for a ‘high’ (literally!) and I did see lot of young Brits around, whatever that meant.

Today, we just walked around the streets of Haarlem soaking in the local atmosphere. As the evening sets in Amsterdam, the street cafes get busy. Beer flows (after all, this is Heineken country!) and you can spot the odd tourist rolling up as you walk past the café windows. Although I didn’t try it myself (I don’t smoke), I was told the stuff is quite potent. I can just imagine a few of my friends for whom this place would be heaven. Ha!

Europe Trip: Day 13: Paris

We woke up a little late today, exhausted from all the exploring yesterday. Straightaway, we made our way to the Arc de Triomphe. The monument is in memory of the French soldiers particularly those who fought in the Napoleonic Wars and a ceremonial fire burns bright in the centre of the monument. It also reminded me of the India Gate back home in Delhi, and I was struck by the similarity in their historical significance.



Then we walked down the famous Champs-Élysées, the fashion street of the fashion capital of the world. Showrooms and offices of Cartier, Louis Vuitton, Mont Blanc and Claridges beckoned us to window-shop. (There was no way we could have done anything else!).
In the evening that day, we made our way to the Montmartre village district. A famous address lay at the bottom of the Montmartre hill climb – the Moulin Rouge.

We walked our way on the cobbled streets all the way up to the Sacré-Cœur Basilica at the top of the hill. The atmosphere nearby was like a small carnival - open air cafes, live musicians and artists and of course, various milling tourists and locals. Perfect place for a first date, I said to K. She smiled and nodded her agreement.

Well, the day was about to get even better as we made our way to a cruise on the River Seine. As the sun started to set over the horizon, we travelled along the river soaking in the various other sights of Paris that we had missed – the Musée d'Orsay (home to famous works of Van Gogh, Monet and Renoir among others), the Place de la Concorde (where the guillotine once stood during the French Revolution) and under the oldest bridge in the Paris, the Pont Neuf.
The cruise is an hour long, starting from the Eiffel Tower to the Notre Dame and back, and travels below 24 bridges along the Seine (of a total of 34). A multi-lingual commentary takes you through Paris’s rich history, but tourists are usually more interested in capturing photographs of the excellent views of Paris, especially of the Eiffel Tower.

So, that was Paris – all welcoming and embracing all cultures. Crowded, yet lively and utterly charming.

Traveler Tip: Paris has a superb metro network. Get yourself a metro map and the Carnet booklet of tickets (11 euros for 10 tickets) and you are set to explore Paris on your own. No two places in Paris are far and can be reached through maximum one train changeover. Definitely the best way to get around.

Europe Trip: Day 12: Paris

This day turned around our fortunes. We checked out of our previous hotel and moved to a new hotel “Hotel Camelia” with a very comfortable room. Then armed with the Paris city and underground metro maps, stepped out to make the most of the day.

Our first stop was the Louvre. The Louvre is arguably the world’s most famous and largest museum. It can take probably two full days to explore it fully.
We entered through the famous glass pyramid and made our way through the various corridors admiring the priceless paintings and sculptures, including the ornate Napoleon Gallery.
We were thrilled to see the original Mona Lisa and many other famous works of art like the “La Vierge aux rochers” (“Virgin of the rocks”) painting and the sculpture of Aphrodite known as the “Venus di Milo”.










Just when we were about to leave, we saw the famous 2 inverted pyramids, made famous in the movie “The Da Vinci Code”.

From the Louvre, we walked down the Rue de Rivoli to the beautiful Notre Dame de Paris cathedral. The construction of the cathedral was spread over 2 centuries and finally saw completion in 1345. At the very top is a thirteen-ton bell named Emmanuel.

As you step inside the cathedral, you feel really humbled and at peace. K remarked that this is a beautiful place for worship. I understood exactly what she meant. The St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome was more ornate and splendid but the Notre Dame is where you actually feel at peace and connected to God. I’m not the very religious types, but the atmosphere here even got to me.

Our next stop, while walking along and over the River Seine, was the Soufflot Pantheon. The Pantheon is not nearly as old or famous as the Roman one but makes up for it in architectural beauty. The French architect Soufflot designed this Pantheon and the Latin Quarter, as the area around it is known.

This evening we were blessed with great weather and we moved now to the Tour de Eiffel (Eiffel Tower).
The most famous landmark in Paris gets a lot of tourists and we had to get into a long queue for tickets to the top of the tower (the Sommet).
Once at the top, you are witness to a most incredible view of Paris. You can see in the distance, the Arc de Triomphe standing proudly, the Bois de Boulogne with its symmetric gardens and the River Seine snaking its way through the city. It’s also incredibly windy and chilly and we hugged our jackets and ourselves tightly together for a few quick photographs.

At the very top of the Eiffel tower is a bit of history recreated. The tower constructed in 1889 was at first called a monstrosity by the arty French and a famous anecdote goes thus - Novelist Guy de Maupassant who claimed to hate the tower, supposedly ate lunch in the Tower's restaurant every day. When asked why, he answered that it was the one place in Paris where one could not see the structure.
Well, it appears as if Gustave Eiffel did have his set of famous admirers too. Like inventor Thomas Edison who paid him a visit on 10th September 1889 at the small apartment on top of the tower that Eiffel reserved for intimate receptions with prominent guests. This moment has been recreated in the apartment and shows Edison offering Eiffel a model of his well-known phonograph.

We hung around the Eiffel Tower till the sunset. That’s when you get to see a glittering lights show on the tower, until the sky gets completely dark and the tower lights up in all its splendor.

Europe Trip: Day 11: Bern, Paris

Boring and disappointing day this one.
Hopped onto the TGV Express from Bern to Paris. What was supposed to be one of the fastest trains in the world, turned out to be only moderately faster than an Indian Shatabdi, and stopped quite frequently.
Finally reached Paris in late afternoon and made our way to Hotel El Dorado (a Lonely Planet recommendation). Our room in this hotel was lousy – no safety, a lot of noise from outside and no ventilation too. We decided to wait out the night, and then look for a new hotel next morning.
Traveler tip: Don’t believe everything the Lonely Planet tells you. It’s best to check other tourists’ reviews before selecting your hotel on a backpacking holiday. Some good self-research on the Net helps.

Europe Trip: Day 10: Interlaken, Berne

It rained the previous night and we got up to a chilly Swiss morning, ready to move out of Interlaken to our next stop Berne.
In the morning, we walked around Interlaken visiting an old church and sitting on a park bench watching the paragliders land. Interlaken, we concluded, is a town of tourists only – we could only see hotels, restaurants, cafes, souvenir shops everywhere.


The Interlaken to Berne train journey was uneventful and we spent our final evening in Swizerland, playing card games in our room and reminiscing on the beautiful sights of this beautiful country.

There is something else that I discovered – why the Swiss are able to make the best watches in the world. Switzerland is not just picture perfect; it is a country driven by precision and efficiency. If the bus timetable says the bus will arrive at 16:42, it will arrive at 16:42. If it says it will reach the 3rd stop at 16:57, it will reach the 3rd stop at 16:57. Such kind of efficiency and discipline should be a lesson for countries around the world. It’s also a big planning plus for tourists like us.

Europe Trip: Day 9: Interlaken

Woke up this morning in Interlaken in the ‘attic’ room of our hotel. What sounded like a fantastic room with a grand view turned out to be a bit like a cubbyhole and was a little cramped. The Lotschberg Hotel has great guest reviews and an endearing personal touch, just that our room seemed a tad more expensive for what it was. But then Switzerland is among the more expensive European holiday destinations.

We spent a leisurely day in Interlaken, strolling through its streets, surveying its numerous chocolate and souvenir shops (This is the home of the best chocolates and army knives, remember?). In the evening, K and I got on board a ferry that was bound towards Thun. This cruise on the Lake Thun really made our evening – cool breeze in our faces as the picturesque Swiss countryside sailed by.

Traveler Tip: The Swiss Pass is really a useful one to have if you are in Switzerland. It takes you on board trains, buses and we learnt, even cruise ships.

Oh by the way, I have to say this – The Swiss must be the friendliest, most helpful people in the world. Fritz, who was the owner of our hotel, offered excellent advice and morning breakfasts. When we got a little confused on board a bus in Engelberg, a couple helped us decode the driver’s French instructions and helped us get safely to the train station. On board our cruise on Lake Thun, an elderly Swiss man came over himself from his dinner table and offered to take our photographs. Finally, I can never forget the lady who helped us get back to Interlaken from a desolate middle-of-nowhere bus station. She herself walked with us to the bus timetable and helped figure out the only way to get back to Interlaken through complicated bus and train changeovers. We may have not made it back to Interlaken that evening without her help.
Here’s a heartfelt thanks to all those who made our trip memorable.

Europe Trip: Day 8: Luzern, Engelberg, Mt.Titlis

Next morning we checked out of our hotel (actually, a student hostel) in Luzern and headed to Mt. Titlis. The train journey to Engelberg (the stop before the climb to Mt. Titlis) was quite breathtaking and we were witness to some beautiful Swiss countryside. Picture perfect stuff. It’s almost as if God took his (or her) own sweet time to craft this country.

On reaching Engelberg, we took a couple of mountain gondola (ropeway trolleys) to reach the final stop. Here we boarded the Rotair, the world’s only Rotating trolley. The view outside the moving Rotair was spectacular, and you could hear the twinkling of cow bells from hundred of metres away.


Once we got off the Rotair, we took a snow ski flyer to go the next stop. Now finally, after some many trains, trolleys, ski flyers, we reached our destination – Mt.Titlis, at an altitude of 10,600 feet.

We did this really exciting thing called ‘snow tubing’ here. You basically sit in a circular snow tube (more like a tub, actually) and race down a steep snow slope with sharp bends. Exhilarating, heart-stopping stuff! K and I freaked out completely.

We also realized how popular Switzerland is for Indian tourists. Not only do you see many Indians (especially honeymoon couples) in trains and on roads, Indian-ness is also reflected elsewhere. So, you get local food customizations like the tandoori vegetarian pizza at the restaurant on Mt. Titlis. The music playing inside the Rotair was from “1942, A Love Story” and believe it or not, safety instructions were also mentioned in Hindi alongside other European languages.
Mr. Shahrukh Khan, your movies and songs probably have a lot to do with this, you know.

Europe Trip: Day 7: Luzern, Switzerland

This morning we moved out of Italy towards Switzerland - took a train trip from Venice to Milano to Lugano to Luzern (Lucerne). On the way was the enchanting Swiss countryside – green meadows and hills, serene lakes and quaint cottages.

In the evening in Luzern, we took a leisurely walk through the streets to go to the Lion Monument. The Lion Monument is located in a cozy park surrounded by a small pond, trees and flowers. The monument is in memory of Swiss guards who were killed in 1792 during the French Revolution.

The other place worth visiting in Luzern is the Chapel Bridge. This is the oldest surviving wooden bridge in the world and is over 600 years old. Inside the bridge are series of paintings that depict Luzern’s history. In the middle of the lake connected to the bridge is also the Water Tower, another 13th century construction.

Europe Trip: Day 6: Florence and Venice

Venice is actually a small town and gives you a Chandni Chowk feel, although it has less slightly hustle-bustle and more tourist shops than anything else. But the similarity lies in maze of narrow bylanes where you can get completely lost. Suddenly the lanes open up to a small canal with a bridge on top. As you stand on these bridges, you can see the gondolas and other boats sail by below you.

The amazing thing however is that you can find your way around just using a street map and following the signages on the buildings along the lanes of Venice. This is how we made our way to the Piazza San Marco (St. Mark’s Square).

The St. Mark’s square is a beautiful large square in the courtyard of the grand St.Mark’s cathedral. The square is dotted with numerous street cafes with live musicians – ideal for a romantic cup of coffee with your loved one. Another common tourist activity is to feed the hundreds of pigeons that walk and fly around in the Piazza.
The square also connects to the grand canal and a walk along the Venetian waterfront is an experience to remember.
We wrapped up the day with a souvenir purchase (a Venetian mask, what else!) and a couple of very refreshing and delicious vodka, rum and mojito shots at a fruit juice shop called Frutulla.

Traveler Tip: Unless you are really, really interested in a gondola ride, you can give it a miss. Its exorbitant and honestly, a little over-hyped. I hardly saw any tourists taking the ride, so I’ve probably figured out the cost-benefit equation right.

We move from Italy tomorrow. It has been a wonderful 5 days – of art, history and scenic splendor. Have dropped off a couple of coins in the Trevi Fountain. Hope our wish for a return visit comes true!

Europe Trip: Day 5: Florence and Venice

We had planned for half a day more in Florence before driving on to Venice. So early today, we made our way to the Galleria della Accademia in Florence, home to one of the world’s most famous works of art – the statue of David by Michelangelo.
Giorgio Vasari describes David as : “Never has there ever been a pose so fluent, or a gracefulness equal to this, or feet, hands and head so well related to each other with quality, skill and design.” When you see David, you understand exactly what he meant.

The David statue is over 5 metres tall and to put it simply, breathtaking. The character of David, of course, is from the Biblical tale of David vs. Goliath. The sculpture is symbolic and holds a special place in the hearts of the people of Florence. In this sculpture, Michelangelo depicts David as a young boy with an innocent expression. His sling-shot is almost hidden, indicating that his victory over the giant Goliath was not due to his own strength or that of his weapon but more because of his intellect. David has for centuries been an inspiration for the Florentine people that one can win against bigger stronger foes, through just intellect and the blessings of God.

The Academia also houses some fine works of Allesandro Allori (painter), Lorenzo Bartolini (sculptor) and an exhibit of “La Geometria Della Forma” by Mapplethorpe. But needless to say, it is David and David alone that holds your attention and in fact, is the very reason the Galleria was built in first place around the sculpture of David.

That over, we started over long drive towards Venice, our final stop in Italy. We drove through the picturesque Tuscany countryside, over green hills and meadows under the warm July sun. Tuscan vineyards have given the world some of the most exquisite wines and life here is considered pure bliss.
As the Lonely Planet describes Tuscany, “People here are not catching up with the world; the world’s catching up with them.”

We reached Venice early evening and dropped off the car.
Traveler Tip: The GPS in your rented car is a very useful and almost essential device to find your way on foreign roads but it comes at a very hefty price. So make sure you do your economics right before hiring a car and GPS. Train travel, though offering less flexibility, might just be a more economical option.

Europe Trip: Day 4: Pisa and Florence

The next morning, we headed out of Rome. We had hired a car which we would be driving to Pisa and then on to Florence. It was a long drive to Pisa, but the Autostrada highway meant that we cruised at speeds of over 150 kmph for most of the time.

Pisa is of course famous for the Leaning Tower.
It is a tricky thing to photograph the Leaning Tower with you standing in front if it. You never know if you are holding the camera straight! And so after a couple of photos where the Leaning tower did not lean at all or leaned more than it actually leaned (it actually became quite hilarious!), we got a good set of photographs.
By the way, you can climb the Tower – it’s just that you need to shell out 15 euros for it. Even then I was wondering if the view from the top would enable us to see the whole of Pisa and it might just be worth it. Then K offered some sound logic, “The only thing worth really seeing in Pisa is the thing that you’ll be standing on top of! What’s the point?” Ha, I think we’d rather roam around the Leaning tower and admire the neighboring cathedral while sipping coffee at a roadside café.

We drove then to Florence and checked in to our hotel for the evening.
Florence is a quaint Italian town with almost as rich a history as the Italian capital. Home to some of the greatest Renaissance artists, including Michelangelo Buanarotti, the town is all art and history.

As the sun went down over the horizon, we headed towards the Ponte Vecchio, the main river bridge-cum-street market in Florence. Sadly by the time we reached, the stores were closed for the day. But it certainly looked like a bustling place in the day. Maybe, we’ll stop over tomorrow.
We made our way next to the Duomo, the main cathedral and square in Florence. Actually, “Duomo” means cathedral church and the majestic building before us went by the more technical name of Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore. It’s a gigantic building with an impressive dome and some stunning engraving and architecture on the exterior.

Our dinner that night was an unforgettable experience. The sights and sounds of the Piazza Republica are still vivid in my mind. We sat at a roadside restaurant sipping wine, listening to street musicians on their guitars and flutes. In the background, was a festively lit merry-go-around that moved along slowly in front of the majestic Republica building. Beautiful.

Europe Trip: Day 3: Rome

Today we made our way to the Colosseum. The Colosseum is huge but it definitely looks bigger in movies.

Once inside however, you feel transported back in time and images from the movie “Gladiator” come into mind. Capable of seating 50,000, the historic structure is broadly divided into two walking levels, indicating the differential seating arrangements that would have existed for nobility and commoners.
The central arena (about 80 by 50 metres) used to comprise of a wooden floor covered by sand. Below this floor lies an elaborate labyrinth called the hypogeum (meaning ‘underground’) which was where the gladiators and wild animals were kept before the contests began.

Once out of the Colosseum, we headed towards the Palatine Hill, home to the foundation of Rome. According to mythology, it is here where Romulus founded the city of Rome around 750 BC.

Another very interesting thing about Rome is the number of fountains that dot the city. Most of these have water taps which have perfectly drinkable water.

Traveler tip: Unless you are one of the paranoid hygienic types, fill up on your water supply at these various fountains while you walk around Rome. Everybody does it, and the Italians endorse it too. The ones where you see a sign saying “Aqua non Potable” should be avoided. These are not suitable for consumption. T

The evening was again spent at the Fontana di Trevi. It has to be amongst the most romantic places of all. You can spot the old and the new holding hands sitting along the fountain, and it is one of the best settings to propose. It’s always full of smiling tourists and locals and of course, you can’t miss the Bangaldeshi street salesman selling red roses and toys who scamper when the local policeman comes chasing.

So that was Rome - beautiful, artistic, steeped in history and a place I would definitely want to come back once again. Ciao!

Europe Trip: Day 2: Rome by foot

“Rome was not built in a day” goes the saying – and today we discovered what it really means.
We headed first to the famous Vatican City, home to the St. Peter’s Basilica and the Sistine Chapel. It happened to be the last Sunday of the month, so the entry was free (saved 12 Euros per person) but that also meant there was a kilometer long line of tourists waiting to get in (seriously, not kidding).

Tragedy struck however, as soon as we crossed the long line and got into the museum and were about to get into the first hallway inside. Our camera - beloved, expensive, just-bought-before-the-trip camera – fell and the viewfinder display went blank. It was like heartbreak and whatever we did, it didn’t come on.
Resigned to our fate, we almost walked through the many winded hallways of the Vatican Museum being able to hardly appreciate the priceless and exquisite artifacts from across the world. That was till we entered the Sistine Chapel.

The moment you step foot into the Sistine Chapel and look up at the ceiling, you cannot suppress a “Wow!” The entire ceiling of the chapel, 12000 square feet of it, is covered with Michelangelo’s masterpiece. The famous “Creation of Man” is in the centre of the chapel ceiling.
Apparently Michelangelo spent four years painting the chapel ceiling and finally even refused his commission! (Talk about somebody’s priorities in life.)
Anyway, the Sistine Chapel is also the seat of the Vatican cardinals’ conclave for the election of the Pope. On the occasion of a conclave, a chimney is installed in the roof of the chapel, from which smoke arises as a signal. If white smoke appears, created by burning the ballots of the election and some chemical additives, a new Pope has been elected. If a candidate receives less than a two-thirds majority, the cardinals send up black smoke—created by burning the ballots along with wet straw or chemical additives—it means that no successful election has yet occurred. You might have seen this in the recent movie “Angels & Demons”.

Past the Sistine Chapel, we walked through some more hallways, and finally came out in front of the St. Peter’s Basilica where you can see the whole wide expanse of the Piazza St Pietro (St. Peter’s Square). I felt humbled, standing as I was, in the heart of the largest religion in the world. And how many people around the world would love to be here once in their lifetimes. Felt lucky.

We walked out of the Piazza, had a pasta lunch (what else!) at a roadside café and then bought a new camera. Ready to start clicking again!

The great thing about Rome is all you need to explore it is a map. All tourists carry one and all cafes or hotels will freely give you one. It looks like the one below. Quite detailed and simple to follow.

Anyway, we then walked towards the Castel Sant’ Angelo. It looked like just another building in picturesque Rome, so we didn’t explore it thoroughly. (I didn’t realize until later back in India and after I saw “Angels and Demons”, that this building houses the supposed Illuminate lair and is where the ‘Preferiti’ are imprisoned in the book and the movie.)

We then made our way to the famous Piazza Navona where I discovered another example of how Romans keep their city beautiful. Just before the Piazza, there was a building under restoration. In order to maintain the artistic beauty of the neighbourhood, a huge painting (of the building exterior) covered the entire 50 odd feet of the building’s length. In fact, you could almost walk down the street not realizing there is a building under restoration. Artistic beauty truly preserved.

The Pantheon, the oldest monument in Rome, was our next stop (we are still walking by the way). This monument was built way back in 27 BC - that makes it over 2000 years old!
Step inside and you see the perfectly rounded interior – the height to the oculus at the top and the diameter of the inner circle is exactly the same (about 142 feet), meaning a huge sphere of that diameter can fit perfectly inside the Pantheon. Amazing!

This was a long day. We also visited the Spanish Steps (a popular tourist destination) and the Piazzo Venezia (a beautiful building) and picked up some souvenirs from a local market, all the while admiring how the whole city seemed to have only cobbled streets. We reached our hotel finally, dead tired from all the walking but thrilled nonetheless to be here.

Europe Trip: Day 1: “All roads lead to Rome”

We landed in Rome at about 9.30 in the morning but unfortunately were at the Fiumicino Roma Airport till about 3 in the afternoon. That’s because our baggage didn’t quite reach with us. We had a stopover in the morning in Zurich for about half an hour and had to shift flights. That’s where Swiss Air was not able to move our baggage from the first flight to the next one.

Traveler Tip: Don’t take any connecting flights which don’t have a gap of atleast 2 hours between them. While you might have to while your time away at the intermediate airport, atleast you and your baggage will arrive together at the final airport.

There wasn’t much time left that day but enough daylight to go to the nearby Fontana di Trevi (Trevi Fountain). Standing at about 85 feet high and 65 feet wide, this is the largest and grandest fountain in Rome.

The fountain gained iconic popularity after featuring in a memorable scene in the 1960 film “La Dolce Vita” (Italian for “The Sweet Life”) by Federico Fellini. In the scene, Anita Ekberg glides into the fountain’s waters and beckons Marcello Mastroianni to join her.

But don’t you try it – I believe there is a fine of about Euro 500 if you try stepping into the water at the fountain. So we did what most tourists do, sat around the Fontana di Trevi, admired the exquisite sculptures and then threw the customary coin in the fountain while making a wish. It’s said that doing this brings you back to Rome. I’d love that – there goes my 10 cent coin!

We stopped for dinner at a local Italian café. Over spaghetti and pasta and wine, said cheers to our first night in Rome and a great trip ahead!

Trip of a Lifetime

Recently, K (my dear wife) and I decided we need to get away from our daily humdrum lives and take a break. The break assumed ambitious proportions and soon translated into our trip of a lifetime - we decided to go to Europe on a backpacking holiday. We roped in N and S, another couple friends of ours and started the planning. After about a month of travel and stay bookings, visa chasing, forex gathering, etc., we were off on 26th June to Rome, our first destination. The next few posts are about our travels through Europe and our daily experiences.

The Beginning

This blog does not have humble beginnings; at least I should like to think so. :-)
It started in a room in Interlaken, Switzerland. As I looked out of our attic window on a lazy holiday afternoon and saw the picturesque mountains of the Alps with the occasional para-glider over the green valleys, I started writing.
I’ve been meaning to write yes, and for a long time too, but somehow the meaning never translated to something on paper or rather a webpage.
So, here goes, my first online writing pursuits. My thoughts, travels, experiences now taking a digital identity!