Ever since I saw the film Loving Vincent, I’ve liked Van Gogh’s paintings even more. It’s a beautiful film animated in the style of his paintings. When I tried to book a ticket for the Van Gogh museum, it was sold out for several days. The next tickets would be available after I left Amsterdam. … Continue reading / view photos Loving Vincent
Category: Travel
Speulderbos Forest hike
On Saturday, I joined Vineet, for a magical, gentle walk through Speulderbos Forest, about 70km east of Amsterdam. I loved the wonky trees and insect carvings. About three-quarters of the way, the skies opened and unleashed two months’ worth of rain! We were soaked to the skin! In the morning, I had a cold shower … Continue reading / view photos Speulderbos Forest hike
Rijksmuseum
With temperatures in the mid-thirties, yesterday was a day not for walking but museums. Even the wind was hot and managed to make me feel warmer! Ever since my first trip to Amsterdam, the Rijksmuseum epitomises Amsterdam for me and, in particular, the Night Watch painting there. I remember buying lots of postcards and sticking … Continue reading / view photos Rijksmuseum
Coffee shops
One of the notable changes since my last trip here is the spread of “coffee shops”. People don’t come up to you and whisper “hash brownies” any more. You can now openly buy cannabis-infused food – from chocolate bars to lollipops – that’s packaged to appeal to everyone. Now that cannabis has been approved for … Continue reading / view photos Coffee shops
Remembering my first time in Amsterdam
Like most Indian families in London, when we were growing up, our annual holiday consisted of a day trip to the seaside in a coach. About thirty families descended on Margate or Clacton-on-sea with our homemade curries. That was all we could afford. We really had baaji on the beach. After my first summer job … Continue reading / view photos Remembering my first time in Amsterdam
India itinerary
When in India, I used an app to track where I went. This was primarily for geotagging my camera photos but it gave me a map showing everywhere I went to and how far I travelled. The total distance was about 12,000km. That’s roughly the equivalent of going from John O’Groats to Land’s End ten … Continue reading India itinerary
Cherry blossom
Cherry blossom trees in Japan, yes, but also in Birmingham 😊
Goodbye India
Paradoxically, I leave India not because I’m tired of travelling but because I could stay in India for a long time! Having started off being afraid of travelling in India, I’ve become comfortable here. Over time, I’ve found a way to move around with relative ease and comfort, whether it’s by air, train, coach, local … Continue reading / view photos Goodbye India
Mumbai airport
If you’re wondering why I’ve posted so many times today, it’s because I have a 9-hour wait between flights! I’ve taken the opportunity to bring posts up to date. For my final day in Mumbai (and India), I walked around looking at the colonial-era and art deco architecture, and finished off in the bustling Crawford … Continue reading / view photos Mumbai airport
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya
The CSMVS, as it’s known, is a museum of the history of India as seen via art, archeology and natural history. It also has exhibits from around the world. It’s a sort of combination between the British Museum and the Natural History Museum in London. My main reason for visiting it was to get some … Continue reading / view photos Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya