Song of the South

Long weekend's almost knocking on us and a few minutes back we decided, on a total whim, that we are not spending it at home. One week of school and I'm already yearning to hit the road.....so off we go again, this time headed to Savannah, Georgia :)

I am so stoked to see the town Le Monde once described "The most beautiful city in North America," (so claims Wikipedia). I am not using any adjectives till I have been there. Meanwhile, people in the know, you gotta tell me what all to see, do and visit while in town. Anna , Ginnie , I need your help!!!! :)

Have one heck of a weekend, all :)

Glass Ceiling ;)

When Annie displayed her version of Glass Ceiling, I promised to show her mine. We will not only make good traveling companions, Annie, we will make great camera-buddies too!!!! :)

The artist and his art

The artist

And his art

Key West is a place where you can sit back and spend hours watching the ebb and flow of people. One place where its hard to distinguish locals from tourists: the whole place has this hot, summery languor about it. Every time we visit Key West, its only for a weekend, and yet unlike in other places, that sense of urgency does not grip me that we need to go about town lest I miss something worthwhile. I'm the kind who relaxes by exploring (is that a camera-lover's curse??) and yet in Key West all I did was amble around the colorful streets, sea salts on my skin and smell of fried shrimps in the air. It does not take long to internalize the laid back pulses of this island. And while strolling, if I chance upon an artist, I will make sure he's on the memory card ;)

Sunset in Key West

Every time I go visiting a place, I try and retain one special memory that I'll always fondly remember the place by. It does not always have to be a "clicked memory". With Key West it has to be the sunset with palms nodding in the ocean breeze, overlooking the waters that constantly change colors from azure to emerald to gold in the fading sunlight.

Have a great weekend all :)

"Another Brick In The Wall"

I am back from my trip and though it was my second trip to Key West in less than two months I am not the least bit surprised that we chanced upon facets of the Conch Republic that we had missed earlier. It's one of Florida's most culturally distinct parts and every nook and corner is seeped in its own special character. Unlike the flamboyant colors in some other parts of Florida, the colors in Key West in their own unique way, blend with the immediate environment.

These shots are of a store where I picked up 2 bright shorts(in pink and yellow, they are the cutest :DD) unabashedly proclaiming my love for the island. I was told that in Key West, behind every storefront you’ll find surprises and personalities. Funny, the storekeeper was an Indian from Pune and the shorts are "Made In India". lol!!!

An Itch ;)

As I type this my husband's en route to the airport to pick up his cousin who's flying across the pond to soak up some Florida sunshine. And off we go to Miami and Key West again!!!! I'm looking forward to the trip, haven't been to the sea for quite some time and am itching to now.....

Have a great weekend all...I too will have one if the temperatures outside do not kill me before :)

On India's 60th year of independence.

Funny, how when you are millions of miles away from home, simple things like a Rs. 5 (that's about one-eighth of a dollar) plastic flag collected from home becomes a precious part of your life. Here's to India and its 60 years of freedom :)

In his shoes

“Before you would judge me, walk a mile in my shoes.”

"Shoes in contemplation" (:D) of our carriage-driver in Mackinac Island.

It takes two :)

That's yours truly in her married name glory (so much for the anonymity on blogdom!!!), that is if she changes her maiden name, which she hasn't. One look at the ginormous last name, and you'd know why!!! :DD

But this is not what I set out to write about. Remember the Indo-Irish wedding I talked about a few weeks back?? This one's from the wedding. The place cards carried the pic of the couple doing what they like the most: cycling. These guys amaze moi. After their graduation from Berkeley, California, they got jobs in Washington DC and instead of flying to DC, they decided to cycle all the way ....from one coast to another ..that's like 3000 miles (a little less than 5000 km). It's like biking across the breadth of a continent. Reminds me of one of my all-time favorite movies, "The Motorcycle Diaries". Nothing like seeing one's own country this way, eh!!! :)

Peace is the catch of the day here

This is how my weekend was.....calm and restful, spent by the Alafia river. Hope you had a nice one too. This pic is for an old-time blog-friend, Sandy . Long back, she had expressed a desire to see Spanish moss and when I shot this, I remembered her. Spanish moss which is neither moss nor from Spain, drapes the oaks in most parts of South-west Florida.

And oh, I have to share this trivia. Spanish moss was supposedly responsible for the very first automobile recall ever (in 1927). Henry Ford felt he could save money by stuffing seats with moss instead of horsehair. But, it led to red-bug infestation which Ford had not foreseen and the cars and their itchy seats were recalled :)

Abandoned

“There is nothing to regret - either for those who go or for those who are left behind”- Eleanor Roosevelt