Oh Calcutta

Snatches of Calcutta; the Oberoi’s Chauffeur, a Sikh in Sudder St, an explanation of Hijab in the Muslim quarter.

Bengali Child Catchers, & other smatters and snatches.

Kolkata, West Bengal, deeply mysterious one day, way enigmatic the next. Here the time honoured rules just don’t apply. This Lady, for example, seems to believe that orange and green shouldn’t be seen…unless there’s a wacking great pot on your head. Or is it pink and yeller that shouldn’t be seen…unless there’s a blue and […]

Kolkata International Photography Festival

We’re very excited to be heading to the Kolkata International Photography Festival. En route, on Rash Bihari we meet this elegant lady and amicable priest. Bengalis love a great demo. But also stop to smell the flowers. A quick coffee. Then we plunge into the Museum, one of several campuses (or should it be campi […]

Barbers, Busts, Buddhists, Bitches, Buildings, Bus Boys and Bed Head Ticket Counters.

Calcutta ? It makes the Naked City seem like a kindergarden. This guy was keeping a close eye on things. May have a hot date ? A VERY close eye. And I think we can all agree that the result was outstanding. More importantly of course, the chicks will dig it. As you can see […]

Bengali Bonhomie. Kolkata Kindness.

Kolkata. Take 2. It’s grand to revisit but especially when a city has captured your heart. There’s something about Kolkata. The place. The people. The joie-de-vivre. The haunting smells of cardamom, rose, garlic, onions and incense. The bite of chilli to your eyes. The constant squawking crow-chatter with their balletic swoops hither and thither. We […]

The Indian Museum

We revisited the Indian Museum on Chowringhee, an amazing shrine to Civilisation, and passed these characters on our way down Sudder Street. The Indian Museum is one of the great museums of the world. A cathedral to culture and industry. Vast rooms, one upon another, each the size of ballrooms, pillared, plastered, soaring ceilings, doors […]

Breakfast Epiphanies

Forget about Tiffany’s these are our epiphanies… When travelling included-breakfasts are a big deal. Depending on their largesse they can keep you going for the day AND the heavy duty of sightseeing and walking miles not knowing where you’re going. We have come across some exceptional ones in our travels Vientiane, Laos The transcendental rice […]

The Fairlawn, Kolkata

We’ve splurged on The Fairlawn in Kolkata for 2 nights. A splendid old bungalow which makes a bold, persistent and unashamed declaration of love to the colour green. (We are told that old, venerable, recently departed and lately lamented Mrs Smith, the formidable and legendary Lady of the House, had the paintwallahs out each day […]

Kristen and the Cecil-Jees

It had to happen. Kristen has been discovered, become the lead singer in a cool band and they’re hitting the Bengali circuit. Here are the band in their first publicity shot, just about to head to South Kolkata for their first major engagement.

Kolkata West Bengal

When the Gods danced the universe into being to the music of time Bengal was their dance floor. Nowadays, in the rest of the world, that music is heard too rarely. You might listen to a seashell or eat brown rice and adopt the lotus position for a week, or smell a new born baby, […]