Mais oui!! J'arrive!!!
From the moment the car drove into Pondicherry, we could smell the fresh sea air and clean streets!! The roads were actually pot hole free and the pavements were made of ... pavement!!! Even the very few open sewers smelt like roses!!! What a welcome change!! And so to all you Frenchies that I have ever been rude to, I would like to take this moment to apologise profusely. For this little French Colonised town is a sight for sore eyes and an aroma for sore noses - thank you!!!
Our hotel - 'The Executive Inn' is classed as a decent budget hotel, but the mere fact that they provide their own plug for the bath/sink was an immediate indication that we were finally going 'up market'!! This time, there were no complaints about the room, it immediately passed the 'Claudine seal of approval' and as for me, well I was delighted that free wifi was available!!
Perfectly located; we are staying about a ten minute walk from the sea front (Bay of Bengal), and an assortment of FRENCH RESTAURANTS where Indian food is pushed to the last page of the menu.
And ... there is a proper, classy, clean and professional BEAUTY SALON across the road from us - yahay!!!
Not only is the street layout on a simple grid system - as in New York and LA, but they are also finally sign posted and written in the local language as well as in French!!
We arrived here three nights ago and have one more night left before moving down to Mahabalipuram. (try saying that a few times after a couple of vodkas!!)
Yesterday we went to visit the Sri Aurobindo Ashram for a moment of silence and contemplation. This Ashram was founded in November 1926 by ... Sri Aurobindo. A few months later he decided to step back from public view and appointed his co-worker Mirra Alfassa to run it, henceforth she has been known as 'The Mother'.
Over the years, the Ashram's effects have appeared over the town of Pondicherry where you can now find for example: "Sri Aurobindo Autocare Services", "Sri Aurobindo Handmade Paper Factory and shop" and various other "Aurobindo" named services. The most famous being "Auroville" but more of that later.
The Ashram itself was as expected very quiet and peaceful, but Claudine was upset to find out there were no yoga classes available, instead we were offered to join the other visitors and 'inmates', (as they were referred to), in the courtyard, to sit in medatative silence. We sat and closed our eyes and I have to say I did start to lose myself into the meditation but as per usual the little Impish part of my brain decided to put the kibosh on all that and threw in an image of a succulent piece of chocolate cake and that was it, I had to go find a patisserie! (Well we were in mini France).
Then in the afternoon we approached the hair and beauty salon with trepidation, I was a bit worried after my previous experience in Fort Cochin but as mentioned before, we were delighted to find the salon and staff very welcoming and professional.
I got all my waxing done, (beach here I come) and even went for a 'Hair Spa Treatment', which involved a deep conditioning treatment as well as an amazing head massage. However, now I don't look so much like a Sadhu with dreadlocks but more like a throw back from the 70's with extra soft frizzy hair - because SARA even though they are experienced hair dressers, they still don't know about hair gel or mousse for curly, frizzy hair, in fact the poor bloke decided to blow dry my hair rather than leave it to dry naturally and I think even he was impressed that I managed to get my head through the doorway afterwards!!
Today we went to visit 'Auroville' - I washed my hair twice this morning to ensure it would like a bit more respectable.
Auroville was founded in 1969 by 'The Mother' just outside of Pondicherry and has become an experimental township where, and I quote 'The Mother': "Auroville is meant to be a universal town where men and women of all countries are able to live in peace and progressive harmony, above all creeds, all politics and all nationalities. The purpose of Auroville is to realize human unity."
The buildings in the town - designed by Roger Anger - are stunning, as are the gardens that are still being developed. And right in the middle of the town is an enormous golden sphere that looks like a large golf ball (or even a bit like the EPCOT Centre in Florida), known as The Matrimandir.
We were allowed into the visitors centre and invited to watch a short film about the village and the Matrimandir, where they explained to us that 'The Mother' saw it as: as "a symbol of the Divine's answer to man's inspiration for perfection". Silence is maintained inside this amazing piece of architecture as it is through out the surrounding land. But as visitors we were only allowed to look at it from about half a mile away and even though I tried to sneakily open a little gate we discovered hidden in the bushes that led to a winding path down towards the sphere. I was stopped by a stern: ''MADAM'' shouted from behind us and we turned to see a rather unfriendly looking security guard glaring at us and shaking his head.
And so Claude and I skulked off, muttering under our breaths as to how ridiculous the whole thing was which also led into a full on debate about cults, religions and Svengalis. When we looked up we found ourselves stood under the most amazing 140 year old Banyan tree - it was massive and so overwhelming we were both stunned into silence as we admired nature at it's best.
And now, I have to rush as I am returning to the beauty salon for a relaxing facial and a pedicure - I feel that seeing as I spend my working day pampering others with beauty treatments, that it is about time I got a bit of pampering myself.
And so, until we reach Mahalibapuram, I will bid you all farewell ...
From the moment the car drove into Pondicherry, we could smell the fresh sea air and clean streets!! The roads were actually pot hole free and the pavements were made of ... pavement!!! Even the very few open sewers smelt like roses!!! What a welcome change!! And so to all you Frenchies that I have ever been rude to, I would like to take this moment to apologise profusely. For this little French Colonised town is a sight for sore eyes and an aroma for sore noses - thank you!!!
Our hotel - 'The Executive Inn' is classed as a decent budget hotel, but the mere fact that they provide their own plug for the bath/sink was an immediate indication that we were finally going 'up market'!! This time, there were no complaints about the room, it immediately passed the 'Claudine seal of approval' and as for me, well I was delighted that free wifi was available!!
Perfectly located; we are staying about a ten minute walk from the sea front (Bay of Bengal), and an assortment of FRENCH RESTAURANTS where Indian food is pushed to the last page of the menu.
And ... there is a proper, classy, clean and professional BEAUTY SALON across the road from us - yahay!!!
Not only is the street layout on a simple grid system - as in New York and LA, but they are also finally sign posted and written in the local language as well as in French!!
We arrived here three nights ago and have one more night left before moving down to Mahabalipuram. (try saying that a few times after a couple of vodkas!!)
Yesterday we went to visit the Sri Aurobindo Ashram for a moment of silence and contemplation. This Ashram was founded in November 1926 by ... Sri Aurobindo. A few months later he decided to step back from public view and appointed his co-worker Mirra Alfassa to run it, henceforth she has been known as 'The Mother'.
Over the years, the Ashram's effects have appeared over the town of Pondicherry where you can now find for example: "Sri Aurobindo Autocare Services", "Sri Aurobindo Handmade Paper Factory and shop" and various other "Aurobindo" named services. The most famous being "Auroville" but more of that later.
The Ashram itself was as expected very quiet and peaceful, but Claudine was upset to find out there were no yoga classes available, instead we were offered to join the other visitors and 'inmates', (as they were referred to), in the courtyard, to sit in medatative silence. We sat and closed our eyes and I have to say I did start to lose myself into the meditation but as per usual the little Impish part of my brain decided to put the kibosh on all that and threw in an image of a succulent piece of chocolate cake and that was it, I had to go find a patisserie! (Well we were in mini France).
Then in the afternoon we approached the hair and beauty salon with trepidation, I was a bit worried after my previous experience in Fort Cochin but as mentioned before, we were delighted to find the salon and staff very welcoming and professional.
I got all my waxing done, (beach here I come) and even went for a 'Hair Spa Treatment', which involved a deep conditioning treatment as well as an amazing head massage. However, now I don't look so much like a Sadhu with dreadlocks but more like a throw back from the 70's with extra soft frizzy hair - because SARA even though they are experienced hair dressers, they still don't know about hair gel or mousse for curly, frizzy hair, in fact the poor bloke decided to blow dry my hair rather than leave it to dry naturally and I think even he was impressed that I managed to get my head through the doorway afterwards!!
Today we went to visit 'Auroville' - I washed my hair twice this morning to ensure it would like a bit more respectable.
Auroville was founded in 1969 by 'The Mother' just outside of Pondicherry and has become an experimental township where, and I quote 'The Mother': "Auroville is meant to be a universal town where men and women of all countries are able to live in peace and progressive harmony, above all creeds, all politics and all nationalities. The purpose of Auroville is to realize human unity."
The buildings in the town - designed by Roger Anger - are stunning, as are the gardens that are still being developed. And right in the middle of the town is an enormous golden sphere that looks like a large golf ball (or even a bit like the EPCOT Centre in Florida), known as The Matrimandir.
We were allowed into the visitors centre and invited to watch a short film about the village and the Matrimandir, where they explained to us that 'The Mother' saw it as: as "a symbol of the Divine's answer to man's inspiration for perfection". Silence is maintained inside this amazing piece of architecture as it is through out the surrounding land. But as visitors we were only allowed to look at it from about half a mile away and even though I tried to sneakily open a little gate we discovered hidden in the bushes that led to a winding path down towards the sphere. I was stopped by a stern: ''MADAM'' shouted from behind us and we turned to see a rather unfriendly looking security guard glaring at us and shaking his head.
And so Claude and I skulked off, muttering under our breaths as to how ridiculous the whole thing was which also led into a full on debate about cults, religions and Svengalis. When we looked up we found ourselves stood under the most amazing 140 year old Banyan tree - it was massive and so overwhelming we were both stunned into silence as we admired nature at it's best.
And now, I have to rush as I am returning to the beauty salon for a relaxing facial and a pedicure - I feel that seeing as I spend my working day pampering others with beauty treatments, that it is about time I got a bit of pampering myself.
And so, until we reach Mahalibapuram, I will bid you all farewell ...
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