The Showers of Bangalore

April showers are coming in May, in Bangalore.
It was unbearably hot this time. For the past few years we have hardly had any proper winter also.
Bangalore which is supposed to be a Garden City, is now become a Garden of Concrete Jungle.
From being compared to a hill station, it has now become a famous Garbage station.
Last year the winter lasted only for about 15 days.


At last, we have rains, the plants and the trees are really enjoying the rain.
I took some pictures of the rain today.  As the saying goes: When it rains it really pours....

How beautiful is the rain! 

After the dust and the heat,
In the broad and fiery street,
In the narrow lane,
How beautiful is the rain!
- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Rain in Summer

Everywhere water is a thing of beauty gleaming in the dewdrop, singing in the summer rain.
- John Ballantine Gough

Can you see the huge drops of rain falling, it was so beautiful to watch

 Let the rain kiss you. Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops. Let the rain sing you a lullaby. 
Langston Hughes

I really love the rain, what about you?

31st Wedding Anniversary At Taj West End

We got a coupon to stay at any Taj in Bangalore for 1 day and 1 night where you get to pay half rate for the room and for the lunch.
We have Taj Vivanta in Whitefield itself, which is supposed to be very expensive, but we had lunch there twice and did not find any thing great, nor the modern architecture it boasts of, is spectacular in any way. Then we have two other Taj Hotels, one is Taj Gateway, and the other one is Taj Residency, both are not worth spending your half rate coupons.I suggested we go to Taj West End , which is closer to the old style Bangalore, just opposite the Race Course, it is a very pretty hotel set in a large beautifully landscaped  area and has an old world charm which is simply irresistible. It is like a resort, with absolutely no noise, and is very peaceful.

We chose Friday, (although our wedding anniversary was over on Thursday itself), as the coupons are valid only from Friday to Saturday, and this half rate discount comes only once in a year. What better time to make use of this deal, so here we were in Taj West End, one of the oldest Hotels of Taj in Bangalore.
In their own words:
" The Taj West End, a lush, 20-acre garden in the middle of Bangalore, a bustling city. Noted as a Leading Hotel of the World, The Taj West End is a sanctuary for today's discerning business traveler and offers up an array of cutting edge business technology, including Telepresence (high-definition global video conferencing) and a 24-hour Business Centre.

For the leisure seeker, there is plenty to do. Sip drinks under a 125-years old Banyan tree. Laze in the sun. Linger over high tea and let us demonstrate that even though the old days certainly had plenty going for them, the present is even better."

We had a wonderful lunch at their Restaurant: Mynt a place for fine Dining experience.
For upbeat atmosphere around the clock, there is no better choice than Mynt. Authentic Indian, Italian, Lebanese and Mediterranean cuisine is served from large interactive counters and kitchens for an open, engaging experience.

Natural sunlight from skylights and tall bay windows created a lovely ambiance inside and guests who like the outdoors, could also head to the garden for an alfresco dining experience.


Their thin crust Pizza was  to literally to die for, you can see for yourself in the pictures above. They had lovely Italian food along with food from other Mediterranean countries, it was simply delicious, I wish I had place to taste every thing. I mostly had Italian and Greek food, I didn't go anywhere near our Indian food at all. Then there were freshly made ice creams, cakes, and plenty of Indian sweets for dessert, oh, my God it was too good. Their service  too was excellent.

 The next day for breakfast,  their choice of food was mind boggling, but this time the Indian Breakfast  was too good to resist, with Masala dosa, Rava idly, Pav Bajji, Tomato Rice, Upama, Adai, Uttappam and everything done to perfection.
Lovely fresh fruits, and freshly made fruits and vegetable juices were fantastic.
Of course, there was a counter for Western Breakfast too.
Their home made kind of filter coffee (Tata Coffee) too was excellent.
Now the rooms had sauna, steam also in the bath, and the regular coffee/ tea maker, plus the Bar.
They really surprised us with a chocolate cake,  which they had specially made for us as they knew our Wedding Anniversary.

Since we were close to Malleswarm, we decided to visit the famous Mantri Square/ Mall, and did some window shopping in Malleaswarm too,( we did not buy anything), in the evening after lunch, as we would never visit this part of the city,  because of the traffic jams in normal times. 
We had to eat tiffin at Sri Krishna Bhavan, which has been there for years and years and is very famous. So although we absolutely had no place to eat,  after our lunch, yet we stuffed ourselves with their Masala Dosa.
The next day after Breakfast we had to leave by 12pm.
It was indeed a good way to spend our 31st wedding anniversary. Now back to some heavy exercise and some good lean and healthy diet.