DocDivaTraveller

Till now about a hundred films must have been shot in Venice. Or even more than that. Every place has a city centre kind of location. Italian cities call them Centro Storico or the historical centre. The centre of the city of Venice is the St Mark's Square or the San Marco Piazza. Everything in Venice is named after Marco Polo..the Venice International Airport, this square and various bus stops and water taxi stations. No matter wherever a film is shot in Venice, there is always a glimpse of the St Marks Square.

We walked to the edge of the canal and then finally took a water taxi to reach St marks Square. There was a surface route definitely, but who had the time/patience/knowledge to reach there by foot? Well the sad part is that we reached in the afternoon; when it was bustling with tourists. To say the place was crowded is an understatement. It was stuffed with visitors! There was absolutely no place to walk!

The St Marks Basilica is a beautiful architecture by itself. It is one of the most famous churches of Italy and is an excellent example of Italo Byzantine architecture. It lies adjacent to Doge's Palace or the Palazzo Ducalo. The basilica was finished building in 832. That's way back. Since then there had been lots of restoration projects. The bell tower or the Campanile offers bird's eye view of entire Venice. But we neither had time nor money to go up there.

I had seen this place so many times in movies that I felt a kind of Deja vu. In fact Venice was more beautiful in reality. The latest song to be etched in my mind was the ''Khuda jaane '' from Bachna Ae Haseeno. I could feel Deepika and Ranbeer running in the courtyard. They must have shot really early in the morning as it was impossible to imagine that place sans the crowd.

The Basilica had just closed when we tried to go inside. It was a boon in disguise as we running short of time. So instead of fretting or waiting, we roamed around the courtyard. We saw the Doge's Palace from outside. The palace had been restored multiple times because of fires and structural failures. It represents Venetian Gothic architecture. It used to be the residence of the highest authority of Venice from the 9 th century. It looked magnificent nonetheless. We were awestruck by the vibes of these ancient wonders and the chirping of the tourists. Finally we decided to board a water taxi to go to Lido island.

Tip: If you want perfect pictures go early in the morning to avoid the crowd. Waking up and strolling on the

9/25/2018 2 comments

As much as I wanted to spend my entire life in Venice, I wanted to explore it further too. Too sad that it was our last day there and that too only a few hours were left. We had two options. Either laze around through the endless number of alleys in the island of Venice or venture into other islands. When you spend quite an amount to buy the 48 hour transport pass, you are always tempted to use it to the fullest! There were so many places to explore and we had been to just Murano and Burano island. We had plans of exploring Torcello, Mazzorba and Lido too but traversing through water took too much time. So I wanted to just soak in the Venetian ambiance.

However I had to take a tough decision owing to my partner's desire to burrow further. Instead for an impossible itinerary of 3 islands, we zeroed on to just Lido island. We boarded the vaporetto from St Mark's Square and voila! We were there in an hour.

Lido was unlike the other islands of Burano, Murano, Torcello, etc etc. Those were non motorable islands while Lido had buses and cars running all over. Even the main island of Venice did not have any surface transport system. Lido reminded me of Marghera, the place where we were staying, a modern and industrialised island. It did not look and feel like Venice at all!

Lido is a long island. The port was at one end and its beach was at the opposite end. As soon as we landed, we asked for directions and started running, The second next vaporetto was after one and half hours and we did not want to miss it. We crossed the entire breadth of the island to reach the beach.

Lido is the sea side town for Venetians. The Adriatic Sea looked vast. I really loved the warmth of the evening sun. I could not wait to jump into it! The water was really warm and lovely. We had been shivering in cold right from the morning and a swim in the warm sea was what I needed to wind off the exhaustion. It was August that's why. Otherwise the temperature of the Adriatic Sea reaches below 0 degree Celcius in winters.

As much as I wanted to stay there, we had time constraints. It was a party environment at the beach. Beer, music and water sports. But we quickly wrapped up our wet clothes and again ran till we reached the port. Thankfully we could catch the water taxi that we had aimed for.

Things to do:

Unless you are a true explorer, one does not need more than 2 to 3 hours in Lido. You can take a swim in the Adriatic Sea, devour a plate of sumptious pasta and explore the streets of Lido on the way back to the port while licking a gelato. This should be enough for ticking this cute island off the list.

9/21/2018 2 comments

9/21/2018 1 comments

Director: Tigmanshu Dhulia

Cast: Taapsee Pannu

Amit Sadh

Genre: Drama, Romance

Language: Hindi

Is going to a movie theatre too much of a chore for you? Or just the thought of spending three hours staring at a screen on a stretch make your arms ache already? Well then, I have good news for you! In today's world of digitalisation, everything is available in a few clicks. Digital entertainment has become very big nowadays and has become a convenient option over movie theatres. Web series have already replaced daily soaps for the millennials and soon Cable TV would be reduced to an idiot box in the literal sense.

In this revolution, many new platforms have come up for high-quality entertainment online and ZEE5 is one of them. Hailing from the prestigious Zee family, it has already won my heart.

Recently, the platform came up with ZEE5 Film Festival which is one step moving towards Indo-Pak friendship. Twelve short movies have been made. Out of which, six have been made by Indian directors and the remaining six by Pakistani directors. All these movies are based on a common theme: Love. Few movies have already been released and one of my personal favourites has been Baarish Aur Chowmein by Tigmanshu Dhulia.

This movie is a welcome change for serious movie maker Tigmanshu Dhulia who is better known for hard-hitting dramas like Saheb, Biwi Aur Gangster, Paan Singh Tomar, Haasil, etc. On being asked what made him do this one, he replied that he is game for digital entertainment as this is the future. This movie was made on a tight budget but that was a challenge he was ready to take.

This movie revolves around Neelu (played by Taapsee Pannu) and Siraj (played by Amit Sadh). What starts off as a typical boy-girl love story takes a big turn as some big revelations are made. The chemistry between the pair of Taapsee and Amit Sadh is electrifying and is clearly visible in all the scenes. Taapsee plays a bold & ambitious girl, who has lofty goals for herself. It’s quite hard to imagine anyone else playing the part in a more convincing way. Despite the high sensitivity and the aspect of religious differences in a marriage, the film focuses on how a girl’s opinions are still being underplayed and not given importance. Balancing such diverse themes in one narrative is not an easy task. Kudos to Tigmanshu Dhulia for pulling that off successfully.

So, in the end, Baarish Aur Chowmein is exactly how it was titled. Cool as the rain drops with a hint of spice and drama interlaced beautifully. Don’t miss this!

9/17/2018 1 comments

Bored of having the same look every day? You can quickly change up your look. Changing your look does not always require time-consuming steps and measures. Spending hours putting on makeup and matching your clothes can be avoided when trying to archive a new look. All you need to do is just put on a wig and embrace a new hairstyle whenever you feel like it.

Many people shy away from wigs due to the fear of the wigs looking fake. Keep some tips in mind while choosing your wig to make them a regular part of your daily look.

Do Not Deviate Too Far from Natural Colour

The big mistake that people make when choosing a hairpiece is selecting a starkly different color. When you choose some weird color, you run the risk of people noticing the sudden change. If you do not want people to assume that you are wearing a weave, it is best to buy a wig that is close to your hair color. Instead of changing your color too much change the hairstyle. Instead of going from blond to brown, choose to have blond lace front wigs with bangs and highlights. Stick close to your natural color to start a slow transition away from your natural hair color.

Select an Easy to Style Wig

Styling your wig can help you play with a lot of different hairstyles. How easy it is to style your wig depends on the cap, the material and the length of the wig.

Cap

The two popular caps that are bought are full lace caps and lace front caps. When you buy lace front wigs with bangs, they come with a fixed partition area. The area of the wig that has the lace is the part that you can partition when styling your hair. Full lace wigs provide the flexibility to style your wig as you can part your hair any way you want.

Material

You can either buy synthetic or human hair lace front wigs with bangs. Apart from heat resistant synthetic wigs, most synthetic wigs cannot be styled as the heat can ruin the fibers. Human hair wigs can be styled easily. Human hair wigs are usually straight and can be styled using a curling iron. The styling advantage of synthetic wigs is the fact that they are already styled, so they do not need to be styled before being worn.

Length

The length of your wig is essential when it comes to styling. Shorter wigs naturally provide less length limiting the styling options. So, choose the right length of lace front wigs with bangs to try out different styles with.

Maintain Your Wig Regularly

When you wear your wig on a regular basis, you need to clean it on a regular basis as well. If you do not wash your wig, they can start smelling and looking shoddy. You need to use a mild shampoo, conditioner, and serum to clean and maintain your wigs on a regular basis. Combing your wig must be done regularly to prevent your wig getting tangles.

By choosing the right wig and maintaining them on a regular basis, you can wear your wig often.

9/14/2018 No comments

Kodaikanal is an ideal weekend getaway destination for the entire family. Situated in the dense evergreen forests of southern India, at an elevation of more than 2000 meters, Kodaikanal offers unparalleled views and a climate that remains pleasant and bracing all year round.

With hospitality being such an important part of the local industry, the people are very friendly and the streets are absolutely safe. Kodaikanal is well-connected by rail and road to major cities such as Bangalore, Madurai, and Chennai.

The hill station offers a host of activities for the entire family. Here’s an ideal weekend itinerary for you and your family when you are visiting Kodaikanal.

Day 1

Enjoy a hearty breakfast keeping in mind that the day will involve a lot of walking and excitement.

Morning: Kodaikanal Lake is an ideal starting point since it is conveniently located at the centre of town. You can go boating, or rent bikes and cycle around the lake, or indulge in a little horse-riding. There are some excellent gardens in Kodaikanal, including the famous Bryant Park that boasts of more than 300 varieties of trees, shrubs, and flowering plants.

Afternoon: After a hearty lunch, rent a taxi to take you to Dolphin Point, which is arguably the best view point in all of Kodaikanal. Or take a taxi to Poombarai village, which is situated in the middle of a reserve forest. The final stretch to the village has to be covered on foot and is completely worth the effort.

Evening: Remember to stop by one of the numerous eateries along the way for a well-deserved snack made from the local produce. Return to your resort, have a sumptuous dinner, and relax before going to bed.

Day 2

Sightseeing in Kodaikanal is made especially interesting thanks to multiple trekking trails that lead to some beautiful and scenic view points.

Morning: After another hearty breakfast, head to Coaker’s Walk. It is a charming pedestrian walkway about 1 km long, situated along the ridge of Kodaikanal town and offering a spectacular view of the Nilgiris, along with glimpses of the plains below.

Afternoon: After returning to the resort and having an excellent (and hot) South Indian lunch to rejuvenate yourself, you can spend some hours either going to Vattakanal or to old Kodaikanal (which involves a bit of a walk, mind you!)

Evening: By evening you can appreciate the town by walking along its roads while you search for a hidden temple or go shopping for artefacts, cheese, and chocolates.

Those with a Club Mahindra Membership will have an even better time as they get to stay in a Club Mahindra Kodaikanal resort. Set in scenic locales and with modern rooms equipped with the latest amenities, a Club Mahindra resort in Kodaikanal ensures that your family vacation is perfect. There are various games, sporting activities, and even a spa if you wish to unwind after a busy day.

The most honest evidence for the level of service and hospitality you will be pampered with can be seen in the numerous Club Mahindra reviews online. They attest to the effort and the quality of service offered by the entire staff to make your holiday the best one yet!

9/13/2018 No comments

After frolicking around the colourful houses and bridges, we felt hunger pangs. After all we had been surviving on the breakfast we had in Florence with little knick knacks we had after we arrived in Venice. We realised one thing in Burano. It was not a night spot. The reason is very obvious. It was a tiny island in the middle of nowhere where fishermen lived. What else do you expect?

We clicked pictures till it was dark. Then we realised that we needed to have dinner before the restaurants started closing. Most of them had already closed. Only a handful were open. We decided to dine outside at Ristorante Galuppi. What was the use of having dinner in Burano if the coloured houses were not in the backdrop?

The menu looked a bit overpriced. The cover charge was 2 euro per person. I knew the place would be expensive as it was open when the others were closed. It was run by people of Oriental origin. Hence the guests too were mostly South East Asian.

I ordered veg tortellini which was stuffed with pesto. It had never tasted something which was so creamy and delicious. Husband ordered spaghetti in butter sauce to save some bucks and it turned out to be simply bland. He however made it perfect to the spicy Indian taste buds by pouring in olive oil and overflowing it with parmesan cheese and chilli flakes. In the end, it was really sumptuous. I on the other hand relished my tortellini one by one. The number was countable and I wished they served bigger portions.

Suddenly it occurred to us that we should not be lingering at dinner so long. So what if vaporetti did not ply all night long? We were not staying in Venice. We had to go back to Marghera and the buses were limited. So we just gobbled our last morsels and payed quickly. Dining beside the canals had taken a toll on us. There were too many mosquitoes! We tried to know the timing of the next vaporetto. The time table said that it was after 15 minutes. We had to catch it by hook or crook or remain stuck there for another one and a half hours.

The island had totally fallen asleep. There were no streetlights. It was really scary. I had full faith in my GPS partner but unfortunately, we lost our way in the dark. Instead of approaching the port, we had moved away from it.

Now we both got really scared. Not a single soul was on the streets to guide us. We were praying that we don't get mugged suddenly. We found an elederly man and we asked the route to the port. It was quite a walk. I looked at the watch and only 5 minutes were left. We started running, All the food that we had devoured were getting churned inside our stomach. Finally we caught the water taxi we had aimed for! Phew!

After one and a half hour we reached Venice. It was ten at night. Luckily, we got the bus to Marghera immediately. Surprisingly, the bus was crowded. We spotted happening youngsters and soon deduced that they were headed to our resort too. Finally when we deboarded the bus, there were a lot of people with us. We heaved a sigh of relief. We walked with a group from Columbia and it was lovely chatting with them the entire way. I thanked God for keeping us safe.

9/12/2018 1 comments

Baby care giant Johnson and Johnson comes up with the gentlest range of products for your precious.

The launch of this range was conducted in the second week of August in ITC Maratha, Mumbai. Mommy bloggers from all over India were flown to Mumbai for this mega launch.

Why do we moms love Johnson's?

Well as you already know from this post, J and J had completed 125 years of existence in India. Now that's a really long run. This itself proves the credibility of the brand.
Secondly and more importantly, they are the pioneer of revolutionary concepts like no more tears shampoo, absolutely mild Top to Toe wash, baby soaps and all other baby products.
All these are clinically proven. They are the only brand to use IFRA certified fragrances in their brands. Formulated by scientists and tests conducted all over the world.
Last but not the least, Johnson's is loved by all. I was a Johnsons baby and now I am a Johnsons mom!

What is this new range about?

The ever safe baby brand decided to formulate an even gentler and milder range of products for our babies. They discarded sulphates, pthalates and parabens from the products, eliminated dyes and made them clear.

So here are the products that will make a difference in your kid's life:

Johnson's Rice and Milk baby cream: Our old favourite cream has come up with a new avatar. Apart from the fact that it is free from chemicals, this cream contains the goodness of rice and Milk.

Also it's pure white colour which means no dyes have been used and fragrance is also very mild. My daughter loves being slathered in this cream after shower and before bed.

Kid's shampoo: As you already know, Johnson's have been the pioneer in discovering the No more tears formula decades before. You can read the brief history.

Now this revolutionary shampoo has been made transparent so that you can be assured of its purity. It comes in a tear drop shape for easy use. The bottle itself is pink/ yellow in colour which gives the distinct tinge from outside. Like all the other products, its chemical free and mildly perfumed.

Top to Toe wash: Again this revolutionary baby wash has been made free from suphates, pthalates and parabens. The bigger bottles come with a pump which means easy to use. We mums have to multitask all the time.... ain't it? Also the pump can be locked which would prevent your naughty munchkin from committing any mishaps!

Baby lotion: Since ages (even before my daughter was born, I had been using and a big fan of Baby lotion and wipes. And these items continue to be a favourite for my baby too.

Like all the other products, the big bottle comes with a pump. The lotion is white in colour and mildly perfumed. It's non sticky yet very moisturising. Me and my daughter love it!

Have you tried the gentlest version of our favourite baby brand? Which is your most favourite product?

9/04/2018 No comments