We had a wonderful, relaxing holiday exploring the Marais Poitevin in west of France. This was a part of our weeklong trip, which I found incredibly beautiful and mesmerizing so thought of sharing the photos and my experience of this, part natural and part man made beauty.
Our day 1 began in the charming village of Coulon of Marais Poitevin, (the capital of Green Venice with beautiful houses on the banks of Sévre Niortaise river) where we rented a flat boat, I preferred to be with a guide: a safe option but Manoj and Bhaskar wanted to row the boat themselves. There began our journey, an interesting one, of navigating through the narrow and wide canals of the wet marsh, soaking in the heavenly beauty of the nature. It was unthinkably quiet as we did this in the early hours of the morning and were lucky enough to see the majestic birds of the region. While I did my job of sight seeing pretty well, the two men behind me had quite a time rowing the boat; chatting, laughing and arguing about not being able to synchronise the movements of the oar. And so, we safely, merrily completed our circuit on the waterways of the marshland.
Day 2 was in Arçais, Magné, Maillezais and Saint Hilaire la plaud villages, While in Magné, Bhaskar ventured on a canoe and went all alone for an hour long expedition. His words when he returned: when I was on the wide waterway of the river all by myself, I realised how large that wilderness was relative to me! TBH, I was scared, not much but yes scared because it was the first time he tried canoeing without any prior experience but at the same time felt happy that he did it.
In Saint Hilaire la plaud and Maillezais we took the traditional boat again and this time I had no doubts or fear whatsoever in getting on without a guide. I already had two beside me .
The beauty of doing the Marais on the boat is that you could see the pretty villages on the banks of the canal, take a halt and hop on the boat again at your own pace. There is also an Ornithologic park at Saint Hilaire la plaud where you can have a great bird view and if you are at the right time of the year you could spot migratory birds too. If you are looking for an interesting place to see in France do visit Marais Poitevin: a scenic, one of a kind and totally unaffected by time destination.
Bare trees, chilling waters, long dawn nonetheless I love winters.It's that time of the year when all you need is warmth: a warm cup of tea, a warm quilt, a warm house and last but not the least a warm smile. Come winters and my city Paris is full of exciting activities: ice skating in the rink is one of them. My son loves it and I love him doing rounds of skates. The Town hall (Mairie) puts a colossal rink in the heart of Paris and at a nominal price, you are all set to experience this wonderful sport.
Ice rink in Chatelet, Paris
No other time of the year you will see strings of lights hung around the trees and monuments and it's the perfect season to have Marron chauds or grilled chestnuts...Umm..yummy! Photos to come as soon as I take them!
One of paris' greatest treats is strolling the glowing Champs Elysée in winters. The boulevard beams with dazzling lights and you might feel that you have landed on some fairy tale spot!
Yet another way to spend the chilly afternon is to sit by the road side café, grabbing a cup of café créme or chocolat chaud and watch the bustle of the city while sipping that hot mug of coffee! The pleasure that it brings is utmost. Enjoy winters while it lasts!
This Christmas we decided to hit Haute-Normandie. It's is a beautiful region in the north of France We have been there before but thought of doing it again because of its sheer beauty. We were three families, booked a beautiful beach house, took our cars and set off for the destination. The best thing about this holiday: it wasn't too cold, for a month of December, it was quite mild. We stayed at Varengeville-sur-mer, a small, quiet village by the sea. The temperature was 10° and we'd to pack ourselves in layers but still it felt pleasant.
The beach house, a castle, and La Mer
Tried an excellent restaurant with the local cuisine (we are vegetarians but our son and the other friends were keen on eating the sea food) for dinner.
Vegetarian platter
My husband and I ordered a vegetarian plat though there wasn't any on the menu but the chef was kind enough to make one for us. The taste still lingers. The vegetables were simply grilled and brown rice was just cooked right. All in all a satiating meal.
Burger au sauce de Béchamel et Frites
That's what my son ordered and looked quite pleased when the food arrived. The burger was quite different from the ones he is used to eating in Paris, as meat was cooked in Béchamel sauce. The only problem was while eating it..Bhaskar was constantly wiping out his mouth and fingers. Otherwise the taste was good as Bhaskar later added happily.
Les Moules
Moules or Mussels for the ones who wanted to try the 'cusine locale'! No idea how it tasted but their expressions said all.
Next day after a sumptuous breakfast at the Beach house we planned for Etretat a town in Normandy which is famous for its elephantile cliffs called Falaises d'Etretat. On the way to Etretat we took a break at a beautiful coastal village Veules les Roses. It has the smallest river in France that runs just a kilometer.
Veules les Roses: Village with the smallest river
All the above pics are from the small villages by the sea. The region is blessed with scenic beauty..that you would want to take a break to just admire and soak in the beauty.
Finally, we reached Etretat, and quite a sight it was. We had thought that in the month of December it would be empty but no...there were people all around!
Etretat town as seen from the cliff
Cliff that flanks Etretat town
The famous Falaises d'Etretat
We had walked up high on the cliff..chatting, eating, laughing, enjoying all the while. What a lovely getaway from paris!
While getting back to paris we stopped at Dieppe another beautiful port city. See the pics below..:)
Port city Dieppe
La Poste Dieppe
Seagull giving a pose..:)
Few miscellaneous pics:
Just like the old days...though didn't make the castle just wrote the initials..:)
They are trying to float the pebbles on the water.
It was a wonderful trip away from the hustle and bustle of city, with lots of relaxing. Hope you too find yourself some relaxing spot somewhere soon..:))
This small poem I had written sometime back in 2015. Including now in my blog. It should have been done then but I chose to procrastinate. Lazy me!
A seagull flying on the beach in Etrétat, Normandy
My hope like a bird soars high in the sky impossible seems the dream, the hope refuses to die full of vigor, never deters unabashed, unleashed, never quits sparkles and glows in the light of moon and stars!
The glittering city of Mumbai has been home to several talented actors however there have been only few who could through their acting skills, their charming personality and above all their down to earth attribute mesmerize, captivate and rule the hearts of millions.
One such artist amongst them is Rajeev Khandelwal who clearly stands apart!
Already a lot has been written on him and whatever I write today is an ode to the actor whom I have come to admire.
Two words that come to my mind when I think of Rajeev ji: exuberant and lively. His zest for life which is so evident from his write ups, is hard to beat and that is what makes him so endearing.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration if I say that my favourite pastime these days is passing through his blog all the time and it is such a joy to browse his posts, the reason being I could identify with what he pens.
I love the way he locates his idea of 'free time' in one of his recent articles; whether it really exists or not! Such a philosophical thought that I bow my head...this man is not simply an actor, he really is an artist, a thinker in a deep deep sense.
In French literature there was this great philosopher Descartes and he said...Je pense donc je suis..which would mean: I think therefore I am/ exist. This ideology so reflects in the writings of Rajeev ji. He writes so honestly, with such simplicity that you are bound to admire it. Despite the fact that he is an actor he finds time to write and this is one aspect of his personality that I hold in high regard. (apart from the fact that he is riding a wave of crest and yet his feet are firmly on ground) I strongly feel that writing is that form of art which sets you free. Once the shapeless thoughts that shadow your mind take the form of words, it gives you a certain kind of satisfaction; you feel liberated. I could say that because I have felt that.
Coming to his gorgeous self, there is something irresitible about him: his grin, the charm in his voice, the twinkle in his eyes, everything so real that leaves his audience spellbound and always unsatiated. More is less when it comes to Rajeev khandelwal, meaning, the more we get to see him on screen, more greedy we become. I am quite certain all his fans would raise their hands on this.
I am a lover of retro songs and in my imagination and I emphasize in dollops of liberal imagination I've fantasized few songs that would really look handsome on him.
1. Main zindagi ka saath nibhata chala gaya: Imagine, RK singing this song..forget the puffs but I guess this is how our hero lives his life, that's his mantra, always looking ahead no time for regrets.
2. Hum hain rahi pyar ke, hamse kuch na boliye: The song from nau do gyarah is one of my favourites and I assume it will fit well on the soft spoken Rajeev Khandelwal as it puts forward the philosophy of life: Dhoop thi nasseb mein, toh dhoop mein liya hai dum
Chandini mili toh hum, chandini mein so liye.
What a fantastic way to live a life.
3.O nigahein mastana, dekh sama hai suhana: Another favourite of mine...where we see rather imagine the Romantic Rajeev. The actual song saw Nutan ji and Dev sahab and I just loved the chemistry, now would like to see Rajeev ji paired with his heroine...vakai sama suhana he hoga tab!
4. Ehsaan tera hoga mujh par : This absolutely brilliant number had Shammi ji and Saira ji and I'm sure my eyes won't blink for a single second if I would see the hero of this post, shedding his emotions and expressions on this one, making my screen come alive! Marvellous that would be!
5. Udhar tum haseen ho idhar dil jawan hai : the song features glowing Madhubala and the sophisticated Gurudutt. I find the number too gorgeous and so I want it to be picturised on the gorgeous one! Now wouldn't it be delightful to watch the myriad of emotions that will make their way on his chiseled face?
I wish I had pictures of the hero to go with these songs. But as they say, hope sustains life, may be someday this would come true and I would see the man himself lipsyncing the songs ...
Lastly, I quite enjoyed writing this piece, gushing about my favourite star and favourite songs. I kind of did the mélange..unifying the old with the new. A dreamer that I am! And now this post is so dear to me. Hopefully, the person reads it someday for whom it is meant.
Music is such an integral part of my life. I wouldn't be amplifying if I say, music (read old Hindi songs) is one thing that keeps me going and gives me that stimulus whenever I feel low, the best part being that there is a song for every mood in our Hindi Film industry. You name it and you get it.
I had always intended to write a post on the lyricists of our music world however this is such a vast subject that it never happened. A few days back, when I was listening to my favourite show on the radio, I came to know that it was the birth anniversary of Sunil Dutt: 06.06 and most of his songs on air were penned by Sahir, it instinctively gave me an idea to bring forth the two giants of our Hindi films. Sahir who was a wordsmith, whose words still create magic on screen, his thoughts in refined Urdu and equally polished Hindi had brought a revolution during the 60's because of his thought provoking poetries and needless to say his shayris and songs hold true in the contemporary times as well. Sunil Dutt: well words are not required to lay out an introduction, the name speaks volumes! The versatile and the extremely watchable Balraj Dutt aka Sunil Dutt who started as an announcer in Radio Ceylon, debuted opposite Nalini Jaiwant in Railway Platform, gave a memorable performance in solo actor film Yaadein which was also nominated for Oscars.
This post is a tribute to the two stalwarts of our Hindi Cinema...Sahir and Sunil. While choosing just a handful from the ocean of Sahir and Sunil Dutt songs is a task, these five numbers remain my perennial favourite in no particular order.
1. Chalo ek baar phir se: Gumrah (Mahendra Kapoor)
This is a quintessential Sahir song and the song took its shape when Sahir was to see his lady love Sudha Malhotra married to someone else in a party. The moment they met in the party, Sahir popped up with a line...Chalo ek baar phir se ajnabi ban jaye hum dono and the rest as they say is history.
Filmed on Sunil Dutt, the song wonderfully encompasses the anger and helplessness of a man in love with a woman who is no longer his. The song starts with a very happy ambience: a piano, the smiling guest who sings to entertain the host, but soon we are to see the shade of pain overshadowing the smile as a restless Mala Sinha seeks support of Ashok Kumar, which dissolves quietly as the hero gathers his composure again. My most favourite line from the song...Vo afsaana jise anjam tak lana ho mushkil, use ek khubsoorat mod par chhodna achcha. How true is that when the tale cannot be culminated, it's better to find a beautiful way out and just let it be.
2. Kisi pathar ki murat se: Hamraaz (Mahendra Kapoor)
Another Piano song where we see a totally opposite Sunil Dutt and that is why I call him versatile. From a helpless lover he emerges as a strong, secure lover all set to woo his lady come what may.
ye socha hai ke dil ki baat uske rubru keh dein
natija jo bhi nikle aaj apni aarzoo keh dein
har ek bejaan taqaluff se bagawat ka irada hai
Impeccable lines by Sahir and brought alive by Sunil. What more one can ask for!
Watch this song and tell me if he doesn't look a dapper in that black suit....who wouldn't fall for him!
3. Tum mujhe bhool bhi jao: Didi (Sudha Malhotra and Mukesh)
A philosophical song in its own right and only Sahir could have come with such poignant lines.
The song that deals with the unrequited love, the throes of being in love knowing it will never be fulfilled!
Tum mujhe bhool bhi jao toh ye haq hai tumko
meri baat aur hai maine toh mohabbat ki hai
mere dil ki mere jazbaat ki keemat kya hai
Maine kyuon pyar kiya tumne kyuon pyar kiya
in uljhe sawalaat ki keemat kya hai
and the man sings:
Zindagi sirf mohabbat nahin kuch aur bhi hai
zulf o rukhsaar he nahin kuch aur bhi hai
bhookh aur pyaas ki maari is duniyan mein
ishq he ek haqeqat nahi kuch aur bhi hai
Such is the poetry by Sahir which proved his name right...Truly a magician he was with words.
Picturised on Sunil Dutt and Shobha Khote, the number is an excellent example of the infusion of the joys of love and the pangs of separation with some generous dose of practicality. The woman loves the man, the man loves the woman but has his nose dipped deep into the shakles of mankind and hence are doomed never to be together. Hai! Feel sad for the lady.
4. Meri mehboob kahin aur mila kar mujhse: Ghazal: (Mohammad Rafi)
Now, this is one song that prompted me to see the movie and when I had seen it...I was swept away by Sahir's poetry, Sunit Dutt's charm and Meena Kumari's beauty! Urdu language and Muslim traditions come alive on screen and acting by the two legends is just superlative. This is a movie which is known not for its story but for its poetry and songs.
This particular song is a harsh thrash on another song that is sung in praise of Taj! Hats off to Sahir sahab who could pen down such words in that era and took to the criticism that followed after the release of the movie Ghazal.
Anginit logon ne duniya mein mohabbat ki hai
kaun kehta hai ki saadik na they jazbe unke
lekin unke liye tashheer ka samaan nahi
kyuonki voh log bhi apni he tarah muflis they
And the other stanza that says:
ek shanshah ne daulat ka sahara lekar hum gareebon ki mohabbat ka udaya hai mazaaq!
5. Hum jab simat ke aapki bahon mein bahon mein aa gaye: Waqt (Asha Bhonsle, Mahendra Kapoor)
I had myself juggling between this song and the one from Hamraaz; tum agar saath dene ka wada karo, but then the song from Waqt found its place here as I did not want to repeat the movie.
This is with the beautiful Sadhna, a dreamy number that is so soothing to the senses. A unique song written by a unique poet and performed by our unique Dutt sahab! Enjoy!
Million thanks to the actor and the poet. The actor who gave us the classics and the poet whose pen was mightier than the sword.
While listening to Yaadein on Radio 4 FM, a programme on old hindi songs, tonight, I happened to know that Suman Kalyanpur has a strikingly similar voice to that of Lata mangeshkar's. The songs, which I ignorantly believed to have been sung by Lata are actually sung by Suman Kalyanpur. Many of her songs are sung in Lata's style: her intonations, her voice has such an uncanny resemblance to Lata's voice that the revelation was simply shocking.
Today, 28th january also happens to be her birthday and that being the prime resaon that a whole slot of 2 hours was dedicated to Suman Kalyanpur's songs and thankfully I became aware of this fact! Listen to this song, 'na tum hamein jaano' and let me know if you are not misled by the voice. I grew up listening to these songs yet was blissfully unaware of the singer. How injust is that to the singer. May be that was the time when every other singer was just overshadowed by the two sisters and if the voice happened to be like theirs then the chances of remaining in the shadow increased manifold.
Suman Kalyanpur mostly sang duets with Rafi and beautifully she sang!All of them were roaring hits. One song worth mentioning here is 'baad muddat ke vo ghadi 'which was to be initially sung by Lata but subsequently was sung by Suman Kalyanpur. Listen to the melody and not once you'll miss Lata's voice. Her rendition is so perfect and well what do I say of Mohammad Rafi; he is capable of doing anything to you: he could make you laugh, cry, tug your heartstrings, make you shake your leg. Even after so many years of his death, his voice is as fresh and vibrant.
Now, that I've been listening to just Suman's songs for 2 hours, there are so many other songs; solos and duets which I would like to post here but that would be a bit extensive task for me. I'll keep that for some other time. Anyway, listen to this one, 'rahein na rahein hum'. It has both the versions; the first half is sung by Lata and the other half by Suman. Both are exceptionally wonderful. That was the era where everything; music, lyrics and voice were extraordinarily beautiful.
Another song without which my post about this true artist would be incomplete is 'na na karte pyar tumhe se kar baithe'. If I were to make a list of my all time favourites then this number would definitely be there.
Actually,I must thank Mr. Farrukh Viqar, RJ at 89.1 Radio 4 Fm for airing Suman kalyanpur's songs! Listeners like me got the chance to know about her, her similarity to Lata's voice that became a curse for her for she didn't get her due in the Hindi film industry. One song, not many of us know was sung by Suman and then it was sung by Lata Mangeshkar. 'Haal-e-dil unko sunana tha, sunaya na gaya'. This one number was first sung by Suman Kalyanpur in 1964and is from the film Fariyaad. Listen to Suman's voice, it's totally magical.
Now, take a look at the song sung by Lata Mangeshkar. It's 'haal-e-dil yun unhe sunaya gaya'. It's strikingly similar, on the same tune and same style of singing. It is from the film Jahanara released in 1964.
The one sung by Suman kalyanpur came few months before the one sung by Lata Mangeshkar. Now does that ring a bell! Why Lata ji had to sing a similar kind of a song composed by Madan Mohan?
Was she trying to outdo Suman kalyanpur? Because rarely do we see such kind of similarities in songs.
Though Suman kalyanpur's voice was like Lata Mangeshkar's yet it had a distinct flavour of its own. My salute to this singer who remained and still remains to be an unsung legend.
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