I am back now and trying to catch up with all the blogs. I have not been able to post much during the last couple of months of last year mainly because I have been travelling as well as life has been happening. So let me tell you I away for a week in Brno in Czech Republic before Christmas. They say a lot of things about mad dogs and Englishmen but I am not mad or an Englishman but still I must have been rather mad to go out sightseeing in temperatures of -9 in Brno. But I did and to tell you the truth I just enjoyed it even though it was so very cold. The cold there was so different to the one we have here in England. I don't have many pictures to show because it was too cold to get my hands out to take a picture but here are some for you to see.
Patrov one of the Cathedrals.
Walk in the woods on the way to the castle and it had a true winter wonderland look even though there was not much snow.
In the castle grounds
A dungeon in the fort
The fort was used by Germans troops during the occupation and here is a piece of their transmitter, you can see the tiny swastica at the bottom.
There was a delightful Christmas market in the town square
and it seemed as if the whole town turned out here in the evening to drink warm wine and hear the children sing carols.
After a week of staying in temperatures in the minus I was in plus 29 degrees in India the following week. Whew that was a huge jump.
Went for a day trip to Pondicherry
which was at one time a French colony.
I bought some absolutely yummy handmade papers from here.
Then I went for a few days to Goa. View from the hotel room
Early morning walk on the beach
and I loved these patterns on the sand formed by the tide.
One of the many Churches of Goa and this one has a mummy of one the Saints St Francis Xavier I think. They bring him out every 3 years and it is a big event in Goa when that happens. No wonder the condition of the mummy is deteriorating.
It also has many beautiful painting which I am sad to say are almost ruined because they have not been preserved properly. These monuments are supposed to be taken care by the Heritage of India trust but it doesn't look as though they are doing much to preserve these beautiful treasures.
View from a pier and I don't know how those kids got down there looks very risky to me.
This is a fort in Goa. As you may know the Portugese landed here and made it their port. They mainly traded in spices, and came here as traders and left as traders. Vasco De Gama who first landed here actually had gone in search of America but he landed in India! I am sure he never regretted it.
Some school children going on an excursion. I thought they looked so colourful.
It was a glorious sunset.
It gave me such a surprise when I saw this board in Goa lol!!
The highlight of the trip for me was when I spotted a dolphin swiming along with the barges in the backwaters while having lunch in one of the hotels. I just couldn't catch him on camera. Can you see that little patch of ripple below the big ripple that is where he went down and he was having a great time swimming along with the boats and barges.
This church looked so magical in the twilight with the wedding group coming out that I had to take a picture.
