From Kitchen Karma to Bourton-on-Water via Moreton-in-Marsh, the Cotswold countryside

One sultry May afternoon I stumbled upon the vivacious Kitchen Karma's "weekend break" blog post from the English Countryside.
Her narration clearly encapsulated the excitement of her trip and she made her adventure with her 'Girls only' escapade simply irresistible.

Cotswold now was on my most desired bucket-list!

Cotswold on the web:

As Google says: "A rural area of south central England covering parts of 6 counties, notably Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire. Its rolling hills and grassland harbour thatched medieval villages, churches and stately homes built of distinctive local yellow limestone. The 102-mile Cotswold Way walking trail follows the Cotswold Edge escarpment from Bath in the south to Chipping Campden in the north." 

Well, how can one resist the enticing feeling of being amidst this magical abode!

Wish come true: Universe grants my deepest desire!

Nursing the desire to explore this personally it almost felt like Universe granted me a wish exactly a year and a half later. I was part of a special assignment at work which required for me to travel to London and spend a work week training with my colleagues in the UK. I managed to squeeze in a couple more days for a quick escapade to my deepest desire- The Cotswold!

Glimpses of UK

Planning my trip to Cotswold: 

My end destination: Burton-on-Water and my mode of transport could be nothing other than train followed by the Pulhams Bus to take me on this adventure. Afterall, feeling the countryside was critical to the overall experience.

Moreton-in-Marsh to Bourton-on-Water via Stow-on-the-Wold:

To reach Burton-on-Water I needed to travel to the closest rail station Moreton-in-Marsh, a small quaint English village that had a stunning Railway Station and a cute Bust-stop a few steps away.

My destination station as I continue to explore Cotswold.

Moreton-in-Marsh, makes me want to eat it! :)

The quaint little station after a spell of rain.

This is where I got onto my connecting Bus.

I took the First Great Western Rail to get to my destination while I enjoyed the beautiful sights of Reading and Oxford en-route. The 5th stop from Paddington landed me at Moreton-in-Marsh.

The railways are so similar to the ones in India.

View of the terrains from my train ride.

Somewhere between Reading & Oxford.

A connecting Pulhams Bus reached me to Bourton-on-Water via Stow-on-the-Wold, again another small quaint town with the most stunning winding roads interspersed with ponds and vast green meadows.

On my bus ride, the clouds made me wonder whether I'd have a wet one!

Intersection of the roads lined with luscious greens and contrasting skies!

While I traversed through God's stunning creation I also crossed 2 more little villages Upper Slaughter and Lower Slaughter which would eventually become part of my unplanned trek on my way back later in that day!

Each of these are little stops need an independent post to give you the experience of this amazing land called Cotswold. Over the next few stay tuned as my English adventure unfolds!

Until then...

Xoxo
Sensuous2Spiritual

  

Farmers' Market came to town!

Its not that often for a Farmers' Market to come to a Suburban locality like mine. And when it does, we don't miss!

Last Sunday was exactly one of those beautiful summer mornings. My Son's school closed for the long summer break and there was no better way than to begin the holidays with the Farmers' Market. Though a hot and humid day, we spent a lot of time enjoying the open air under thatched roofs that saved us from the direct sun and the sweet flavorful fresh sugarcane juice.

The market was flooded with fresh farm produce and household products. There were fashion products woven from natural material and a whole lot of activities with potters, eco-planting kits and fanfare to add to the fun elements of the fair.

Not to mention, the neighborhood added to the festive feel. Lots of chit-chat on cane beds placed under the shade of large Gulmohor trees and make-shift swings added to the rustic festivities.

Here are some captures of this fun day with the family at the Farmers' Market.

We were perfectly timed for breakfast and what better than feast on freshly made sumptuous Indian grub!

Coconut water was available in abundance. The natural thirst quenchers.

Fresh juicy fruits that one just couldn't have missed!

The mouth watering farm fresh vegetables. They always have such a distinct flavor and taste.

The farmers ensured they stock up lentils at the sale...

So the next stop was obvious. It was time for condiment shopping. Fresh tamarind, onion, ginger and garlic all stacked up around the corner.

Farmers market without honey is not a market at all! :)

The grapes were worth its weight!

Beautiful terracotta art being taught by a fine artist.

Some more cooler terracotta indulgences- mishti doi (sweet curd) in a bhadh (clay pot). Unique to the fair and made me want to run back to Kolkatta!

Some greens to encourage the crowd to begin planting a home garden...

The sweetest stall at the fair! The juice was simply the best I have had in years...

The art n craft under the thatched roof!

The little patient hands!

Some home decor ideas...

With so much of action packed in one half of the day we were exhausted and yearning to crash land at home. :)

So we bid adieu to the Farmers' market and its fluttering buntings and wish that there are many more such beautiful experiences packed through our summer break.

Signing off on that fluttering note... :)

Xoxo,
Sensuous2Spiritual

Rose wine and crystals!

There is something about Rose-wine and crystals that attract me beyond words.

I can work on the decor aesthetics for hours to get that perfect lure in place before we pour the wine into the crystal ware.

It is quiet a romantic set-up and for someone who loves this wine, it just cant get any better!!!

:) Here are some of my shots in getting the decor just right before I slug on the light and berry flavored liquid from my most precious collection of crystal!

Cheers!!! :)

Weekend Family Time: A family that cooks together stays together!

More than often by the time I am into Wednesday evening I begin to plan for the impending weekend; a time I long for with my nearest ones! The mundane Monday to Thursday schedule is made easier when I start thinking of the beautiful upcoming Friday, Saturday and Sunday!

I love to cook. Something I get to do only on special occasions but lately I am making it a point to be in the kitchen throughout the weekend. With a growing up lad and a 1/2 day Saturday work Husband it makes me feel really good when I see them lap up the dishes cooked specially for them! For that matter, who doesn't!!!

So the planning begins with a good research on World Cuisines. With 1/2 the house being vegetarian it is always not that easy to zero in on the composition of the table spread! :) To me a break from Indian food is a boon and I am getting to feel that with the other 2 members of the house as well.

Salads, soups, one pot dishes and variety of breads is a good combination so far. In case you want to, do look up my Pinterest Food Segment. Once this is zeroed in comes the fun part of actually preparing the food. I love the time I spend in the kitchen cutting, chopping, mixing, tasting and dishing out the produce! Voila, in almost negligible time a sumptuous meal is all set and ready to be served. It feels effortless since I do what I like doing best and my favorite 2 (when at home while I cook) hover around crackling, chatting, fixing me a drink and DJ-ing while I make the magic happen!

PS: Last weekend the success was in my Red Rice Soup and Stir Fried Greens spread with a variety of breads along with a sizable portion of fresh cut water melon.
Click here for the recipe. I used red rice instead of wild rice and cooked it in a clay-pot. Substituted Chicken to more veggies! :)
I cooked the soup over slow flame for almost 3 hours. Used a whole lot of mushrooms, carrots, spring onions, squash and broad beans. You could choose to add veggies like asparagus, bamboo shoots, etc. incase you want a variety that is less used!

Next up comes the planning for the aesthetics around food presentation. Typically the doting Husband and Son duo set up the table for us. In-fact the better part is that since we have begun using weekend time as a "family time" many of our unused cutlery are getting their due usage. I love the way the table decor ends up so very often. My son adds a special touch to it by adding a handwritten menu card along with a table number on it! Who says your home cant feel like a specialty restaurant!!! :) lil joys of life!

Finally, with hot steaming food, an inviting table and some awesome people around we have the fun and frolic of our weekend going strong.

Life in a busy metro like mine feels 'worth it' after all!

Happy weekend folks!

Sensuous2Spiritual

March; a month full of colors!

March, the sound of this month floods in visions of colors; that of fresh blooms of flowers, buzzing bees, longer days and in a country like that of mine, the much awaited celebration of Holi!

As promised, here is the Sensuous2Spiritual calendar for the month of March for you.

To download your copy of the March calendar, please click here.

Wishing all you folks out there a precious and colorful month ahead!

xoxo
Sensuous2Spiritual