About an hour’s journey beyond the popular hill station, Mahabaleshwar, lies a piece of paradise – Tapola. The tranquil backwaters of the Koyna dam, the majestic mountains around, the small quaint villages, and the incessant chirping of birds welcomed us to Tapola.
We pitched our tent at Sakha Niwas Tapola, an agrotourism center, in the little hamlet of Harchandi. Well, to be honest, we chose the room over the tent option :).
Maharashtra is blessed with a beautiful coastline dotted with many sandy beaches.
This winter, we spent a few days at Karde beach (near Dapoli) in Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra. Our daily routine included morning swims in the blue sea, long walks on the beach to greet sandpipers and plovers, building complex structures in the sand, and watching the sun set over the Arabian sea.
The Journey:
It took us approximately five hours to reach Karde from Pune by road.
Back in Pune after more than a decade, I have started re-exploring my “home” town.
Often, the sight of familiar neighborhoods kindles trips down memory lane in the city that I called home for more than twenty years.
At other times, I view Pune from the perspective of a visitor. New sights and experiences in the city. Familiar sights and experiences viewed with a new lens.
And so, one weekend, I decided to join the Pune Heritage Walkto discover Pune with a guided walking tour of the city.
The Pimpri-Chinchwad area, home to several major automobile companies, now has a Science Centre. Explore the world of automobiles, enjoy learning science in the “Fun Science” section, and walk among dinosaurs in the open Dinosaur Park. We spent a Sunday afternoon at the centre and thoroughly enjoyed our visit.
The Pimpri-Chinchwad Science Centre(or Pimpri-Chinchwad Science Park) is located near the Auto Cluster in Chinchwad. At the entrance, one can purchase general entry tickets to the science centre, as well as additional separate tickets for the 3D Science show and the Taramandal, an inflatable portable planetarium.
Admire Trieste and its breathtaking surroundings from above by following the scenic trail along the Strada Vicentina(Strada Napoleonica).
And then, walk some more to explore this city along the Adriatic Sea. Go ahead, it’s the best way to discover Trieste!
An Evening Walk in Trieste:
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Chiesa di Sant’Antonio Nuovo. Trieste, Italy
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The Church of San Spiridione. Trieste, Italy
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The Canal Grande.
Welcome to Trieste, the capital of Friuli Venezia Giulia, an autonomous region in Italy. This vibrant city in the north-east part of the country exhibits a mix of Italian, Slovenian, German, and other cultures. It is the home of Illy coffee – reason enough to indulge in a cuppa Joe!
FrecciaBianca trains offer direct connections between Milan and Trieste, via Venice. Thus, Trieste found an entry in our travel planner.
The highlights of our trip to Hamburg were Landungsbrücken, Hagenbeck Tierpark, and Miniatur Wunderland.
During our stay, we also explored several parts of the city on foot. It was an amazing journey of discovery!
Here are some of our favorite picks from this journey:
HafenCity:
At HafenCity, a new developing neighborhood, we climbed the observation tower for a lovely view, walked by the cruise center, observed the Unilever building and Marco Polo tower, wandered aimlessly around Magellan-Terrassen, cooled our heels at Vasco da Gama Platz, walked across Shanghai bridge and admired the canals from here, strolled along Am Kaiserkai Boulevard, and enjoyed a coffee at Osaka Allee.
If the curtain-raiserinspired you to visit Hamburg, here are more reasons to book your tickets!
A Wild Day Out at Tierpark Hagenbeck (Hagenbeck Zoo):
The Tierpark Hagenbeckor Hagenbeck Zoo in Hamburg has been owned by the Hagenbeck family for six generations. It was rebuilt after being destroyed during World War II.This vast zoo is characterized by its “open” design; the animals are housed in open enclosures with moats. The endearing elephants, the polar bears and walruses in the Eismeer, and the beautifully landscaped park and garden make this one of our favorite zoos.
The Free and Hanseatic city of Hamburg was a sudden and unexpected entrant on our list of travel destinations this year. And what a fantastic trip it turned out to be!
In spring this year, we got lucky with flight ticket deals and seized the opportunity to spend a few days in Hamburg. This large German port city on the River Elbe revealed a world of cargo ships and cruise ferries, old warehouses and modern districts, picturesque lakes and verdant parks.
Stresa, on the shores of the large Lake Maggiore, is a quick, easy, and beautiful weekend getaway from Milan. With a train journey of about an hour, Stresa could even be the destination of a day trip from the fashion capital.
We conversed with garden lizards and Amherst pheasants at the beautiful Isola Madre, strolled along Stresa’s lovely lakeside promenade, sighed over the views from the public park, and petted farm animals in the gardens at the Villa Pallavicino.