We travelled to Thanjavur, formerly Tanjore, by public bus from Pondicherry via Chidambaram. The first leg of the journey was very pleasant - a two-hour drive through rural India admiring the...
Pondicherry – a French-Tamil jewel on the Bay of Bengal
By the time we reached Pondicherry on the coast of south-east India, we were all 'citied out' and ready for a few days of rest, relaxation and fresh sea air. 'Pondy', as it is commonly known,...
Mamallapuram – an unexpected delight
When we planned our trip around southern India, we intended to include an overnight stay in Mamallapuram. In the event, however, we decided to visit the town on a day trip from Chennai. With...
Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu (and more family connections!)
A friend who visited Chennai (formerly Madras) a couple of years ago described it to me as a very 'liveable' city. Unfortunately, arriving there from the chaos of Bangalore, it didn't feel that...
Mysore – a city of contrasts
Mysore was the first city of any size that we visited on our trip around southern India. It was here that we first experienced the all-pervading stench of urine on the streets, not...
Tanji – Gambia’s busiest fishing centre
We visited Tanji as the last stop on our '4 tours in 1...
Schneider’s Finest Bakery – a Little Piece of Europe in Binh Duong!
I have previously written about the pluses and minuses of living in Binh Duong New City, Vietnam. One of the main drawbacks is that we...