1. Stayed at Mayura River view, or Karnataka Holidays, Srirangapatna. Very nice place, overlooking the river cauvery. Food is not that good. Value for money. You can book online. Cottages are really good.

This Mayura River view is very good for relaxing. During our stay on one of the days, we had a very heavy lunch and then dozed off for a while. Once we got up, I was amazed to see around 150 people waiting outside my cottage. I was wondering if people misunderstood me to be someone influential. Only later I realized that the crowd was for Karnataka home minister R Ashok who had come to the resort for lunch. I had not brought that many business cards as well. From next time I will make it a point to carry more business cards.

2. Brindavan Gardens musical fountain is wonderful.

3. Chamundi hills and sunset is great as usual. Mysore palace looks gorgeous at night with the special lighting. I am not very sure if its there in all evenings.

We went on a Saturday evening (Between 7 to 7.30 PM. Lights were turned off at 7.30 PM).

4. Ranganathittu is good. Apart from the boating, even other areas within the sanctuary is good for bird watching. Dont worry about the couples who are hidden behind shady areas. Even birds don’t go there. We even spotted a kingfisher close to the parking.

5. There is a huge huge water tank called Thonnur Kere somewhere near Pandavapura (From SH17 take left after srirangapatna while going towards bangalore. Once you reach Pandavapura ask people for banghetta cross and take left there. You can follow the typical bangalorean directions of straigghtt hogi(Which means go for 10 kms by asking people every 1 km if you are on the right track, dead end means t junction etc).

Its a must visit place for people who love old temples (Krishna and Yoganarasimha temples), lovely paddy fields and this water body and lots of birds(Look at the blue bird in the photos above). But better be prepared to watch the mass bathing and diving ritual of fat indian men. In fact some families do group bathing following the kattoadu kuzhalaada aada (Tamil sentence which means something funny) sequence

Entire set of photos available here.

Since Cauvery is overflowing ,last weekend, we(purusan and pondaati) had been to Shivanasamudra. Ok?


* It is around 120 kms from Bangalore (It also depends on where you are in Bangalore)

* There is lots of water, and I suppose it should be the same for next 1 month at least.
* Only 1 hotel in Gaganachukki. So it is better to pack your own food.

* Whilst going, we went via Maddur and on the way back we came via Kanakapura Road. Maddur to Malavalli is bad (Not very bad). Otherwise the roads are good.

* Kanakapura road (NH209) is very good from Bangalore to Kanakapura and from Kanakapura to Malavalli. In Kanakapura the roads are stolen by someone. In case you know who stole them, please inform the police.

* If you are visiting Shivanasamudra, ensure that you view the waterfalls at Barachukki, behind the Dargah and also at Gaganachukki.
*In case you pack your food, beware of monkeys. (I meant the ones with the tail. Not the ones which try to jump or overtake you when you are climbing down the rocks)

Videos:

Onward journey route:

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Return Journey route:

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We left Göteborg by 2 PM on Friday. I had got a very good deal for the trip from a car rental company close to where I live. The car we got was a relatively new Ford Fiesta(It had clocked 10000 kms by then) along with a Garmin GPS. It took some 10 minutes for me to adjust to the left hand driving. After that it was extremely simple and driving was a pleasure. The roads were very good. The GPS suggested two routes.

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One was via Norway, and the other one was via interior sweden (E45 till Karlstad, then 311 and 70).

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I chose the route via Sweden as it was supposed to be scenic when compared to the other route. After a couple of stops, we reached a place called Sälen. From then on, I had to guess the route as the GPS device did not recognize the location of the hostel, Mörkret. But the GPS recognised the national park, as it was a popular location. And the hostel folks had said that the hostel was only 5 kms from the park. So I thought of going to the national park and trace my way to the hostel. I had chosen the options of shorter route, unpaved roads in the GPS and it guided me via a forest. It was quite an experience to drive in the middle of the night inside the forest, on narrow wooden bridges over the countless lakes. We spotted couple of rabbits, a bear(Just for 3 seconds) and few different types of squirrels. They were attracted by light, and I had to switch off the lights for the animals to leave the road. I will never forget the sight of a rabbit trying to trace the direction of the cars headlights! After an hour or so, we were in the thick of forest not knowing how long to proceed. The mobile phone did not pick up the signal. Luckily we heard a dog bark and found a mountain lodge. An elderly gentleman guided us the way to the hostel. By the time we reached the hostel it was around 11.30 by night. It was one of the best and exciting drives.

When we returned, we came via the highway but remembered to stop near the forest and the wooden bridge and take some photographs.

We had asked for 2 single rooms in the hostel, and I was under the impression that it will be like yet another lodge. To my surprise they put us in two different bungalows, which were fully furnished.

Next day morning, we bought some groceries at the nearest supermarket(25 kms) for the weekend and then set out for Njupeskär. Fulufjället is a national park and it covers an area of around 350 square kms. There are so many lakes, wooden bridges, forests that one can visit.

From the main entrance of Fulufjället, Njupeskar is around 2 kms(Though it feels like 4 kms). Entire stretch is well marked, and in some places where it is tough to cross (Tough because of the terrain. Some places the ground is extremely wet, quicksand at some places) they have placed wooden boards for people to walk over. Apart from the beautiful scenery (It is quite different from other parts of sweden), the plantation here is quite nice to see. It seems Reindeer’s do not visit these parts, and thats the reason the plantation is intact. Being the autumn season, the colors were mesmerizing.

The waterfall is quite narrow, unlike the ones I have seen before. But still once you get closer, it is very nice and a sight to watch. I liked the spray of water in the backdrop of black stones. It was cold though(Around 2 degrees celsius)


It was beautiful all around.

Later we went to Göljådalen. In the year 1997, 400 mm of rain fell on the same day and completely destroyed the area. They have made it as a tourist attraction now

After this we returned to the hostel to rest for a while. Later, we went to Gördalen which happens to be in the border of Sweden and Norway. Just for fun, we crossed to Norway. It hardly looked like a border. There was just a board mentioning you are in Norway or Sweden, depending on which side of the road you were in. There was no checkpost, patrol etc. It was interesting to see that a part of the mountain had been shaved off to identify the border

On our way back, we stopped at a lake. I tried taking photos of the ripple that arises on a still water when you throw an object in it

It seems one had to climb the hill for around 2 hours(12 kms) to capture the sunset. Luckily, I could capture the sunset (without the sun) from the hostel itself.

Next morning we left Mörkret by around 9 in the morning, and reached Göteborg by around 5.45 in the evening with frequent breaks for taking photographs, coffee, lunch. The roads are amazing and at some stretches I could drive comfortably at 150 kmph and maintain an average of 75 to 80 kmph overall. Totally I drove for around 1360 kms (Except for 20 kms in Mörkret, when my colleague tried his hands at the wheel) in 48 hours but it was not tiring and extremely good. If you get a chance to visit Sweden (Irrespective of the season) try visiting Fulufjället. You will never regret it.

P.S. Please do have a look at the entire set of photos (with description) available here

We left Göteborg by the morning ship. The ship takes around 3 hours to reach Frederikshavn a coastal town in Northern Denmark. Best part of the trip was the ship journey. To start with I got to see certain parts of Göteborg from water.



This is the first time I am traveling by ship. The ship had around 9 decks, with the bottom 3 decks used for car and truck parking. There are quite a few trucks, as this is the shortest way to reach Denmark from Sweden. And they have a huge lounge for truck drivers which can compete with a 5 star lounge. Apart from that there are conference halls, restaurants, casino etc. My favorite area was the top deck, from where one gets to see the sea and the surroundings.


Once we reached Frederikshavn, we took a train to Skagen(Around 45 minutes). Grenen, is around 4 kms from Skagen and we rented bicycles for this part of the journey. It was wonderful riding a bicycle through this beautiful old town.

Finally we reached Grenen. It was a bright and beautiful day, and we had a great time playing in water and strolling through the beach. We spent close to 2 hours in this beach. It was really nice standing at the point where North Sea and Baltic Sea meet.

Baltic sea is cold, whilst North sea is warm. So when you stand at the meeting point, you feel one side is cold while the other side is warm.

The water was crystal clear, and there were quite a few birds as well. Later, we returned back to Göteborg in the same route.

By the time, we reached home it was close to midnight. But, it was a wonderful and satisfying day.

Some tips:
Stenaline is the ship company that operates the ships between Göteborg and Frederikshavn. If you book in group, you get extremely cheap tickets. From Frederikshavn, you can take a train or bus(not sure of timings) to Skagen. Just outside the Skagen station you have the cycle rentals. Its better to carry food, if you are vegetarian. Try to take the slow ship and not the superfast one, if you are not accustomed to sea travel.

Last Saturday I had been to this castle Läckö Slott some 120 kms north of Göteborg. This castle is in the southern tip of the Lake Vänern. Säffle, where I had been some weeks back, is in the western part of Vänern.

Läckö Slott is best known as De la Gardie’s magnificent castle/mansion on the shores of Lake Vänern, but it is much older. In 1298 Brynolf Algotsson, Bishop of Skara, laid the foundations for a fortified castle here. Probably no more than a redoubt surrounding a few simple houses, it was nevertheless strategically located in the middle of his diocese. (Details)

There is nothing here apart from the castle, and the wonderful lake. But its good enough to spend 4 or 5 hours.

Please check the entire set, over here. I have tried to describe as much as possible

Some information:
Läckö is close to Lidköping. There is a bus 132, which leaves from Lidköping once in two hours. From Göteborg, you can reach Lidköping by taking a train to Herrljunga, and then the amazing Kinnekulletåget. All of these are operated by Västtrafik, and the cheapest way to commute is by buying a day pass(Costs 240 SEK).

Entire sets of photos are available here. Please check

Next day, we hired a cycle and went around the camp and the forests near by. Its been a very long time since I rode a bicycle. But after enjoying the ride for around 3 hours, I would say that was the best part of my trip. I am not sure if it has to do with the route, the weather, my mood, experience of riding a bicycle. But it was excellent.


After a while, we rested near the shore of the lake. There was a solitary motor boat, and the view from there was quite nice. The sun was shining brightly, and there was a gentle breeze. I think I was there close to an hour or so. We cycled for close to 20 kms that day.




Later we went to the restaurant inside the camping area for lunch. The only meal we had outside, as it was extremely expensive. After a heavy meal, we rested for a while and did some more activities like riding a Kayak (Canoe) boat, motor boat(We get to control the boat), volleyball, golf (Its very nice). By the time we reached the cooking area for dinner, the match between Russia and Netherlands had just begun. What a match it was? Arshavin is too good.
Next day, we returned to Göteborg. This was one of the most physically active trips, which I completely enjoyed. I am quite motivated now to start cycling regularly, and go on these camping trips frequently. Meanwhile the entire set of photos is available here. Please check.

Entire set of photographs is available, here.

P.S. All photos taken with N95.

Over the long weekend I had been to Prague in Czech Republic. Apart from Prague, I visited another place called Telc(pronounced Telch) in southern part of Czech, close to the Austrian border. It is a historical town and right now it is part of UNESCO heritage site.

According to the local legend, the foundation of Telč is connected with the victory of the Moravian Duke Otto II. over the Czech Duke Břetislav in 1099. It is said that in the memory of the battle the victor established first a chapel, later a church and then a community, which is the Old Town today.

More information about the history of Telc can be found here

It’s a nice place, and the city square with adjacent buildings is quite colorful. The weather was not quite good that day, but still it was nice. I wonder how this place would look in summer. In case you are visiting Prague please do make it a point to visit this small town.

There is nothing except for the castle, chapel and the town square but you will definitely not be disappointed. The ride from Prague to Telc is one of the most scenic ones I have seen in my lifetime. The roads are good, and it takes close to 3 hours. You get to see beautiful Czech landscapes, mountains, rivers, small waterfalls and even layers of snow at certain places.

The town is extremely colorful with wonderful buildings. They have really maintained it well. It was worth the visit.

Entire set of photos is available here

Some information

1. Telc is not that well connected. There are direct buses from Prague only at certain times. And sometimes the buses don’t come on time. When I had to go back, the afternoon bus was cancelled and I had to wait for an hour. Train is another option. But check with the tourist information desk and plan accordingly.

2. Bus fare is around 12 Euros from Prague(Including return)

3. There are restaurants in Telc, where you get vegetarian food (Ask for fried cheese or Gebackner Kasse).

4. Telc is close to a place called Jihlava which has very good connectivity to Prague.

5. Telc has hostels and hotels in case you want to spend a night there.

6. Don’t forget to visit the area around the lake, behind the main castle.

Entire set here.

And last tuesday, there was this world figure skating championship at Göteborg and I got to watch the first day of the event. It was quite nice and amazing. Will check for good quality youtube videos and link them later. Till then, some photos.

Its a quite nice place and certain things I did are
#Fall in snow, many times
#Enjoy the train journey from the engine sitting next to the engine driver With snow on either sides, not to mention that train was cruising at 140 kmph.
#Dog sledge
#Had fun all alone at Jamtli, the cultural village.

Entire set of photos with detailed description, is available here

Ondra renda aasaigal

Skiing seyyave oar naaL poadhuma

Anbe trainer kaetkalaam

1.5 hour slot thaandiyum

Training neeLuma

En kanavil

Naan kaNda

freefall idhu dhaan skiing gurunaadha

imbalance aal pala muraigaL

vizhundhidalaam skiing gurunaadha

pengaL nimirndhu paarthidum yamaha snow scooter pidikudhe

10 dogs izhuthu sellum dog sledge pidikudhe

dhoorathil oru skiier vegamaai vandhaale yeN manadhu padapadakkum

kaaka kaaka kanagavel kaaka endru udhadugaLum muNumuNukkum

snowflakes sindhum top slope il thadukki vizhum eNNam maraNam varaiyil yeN nenjil thangum

unathu training il yenadhu kanavinai kaaNa poagiren

Ice cold megaNgaL – grey vaanil oorvalam poagudhe

Paarkayil yaenoa nenjilae – enakku idhu thevaya endru thoanudhe

nadhigaLile freeze aana ice in maele sooriyanin reflection ai naan kaNden

Now its your turn to ski endru nee kooRuvaai – yena nindren

uNNaal en mookil snow mayam

kuLuru meerudhay – mookai thuLaikkudhe thumma thondruthey

Anbe trainer kaetkalaam

1.5 hour slot thaaNdiyum

Training neeLuma

En kanavil

Naan kaNda

freefall idhu dhaan skiing gurunaadha

imbalance aal pala muraigaL

vizhundhidalaam skiing gurunaadha

Entire photo set available here