We flew out to India and arrived on 9th January to a temperature of 3c in Delhi! We swiftly transferred to Jodhpur by plane where the sun shone, and we received a very warm welcome at Balsamand Lake Palace as guests of HH Maharaja of Marwar Jodhpur. We were his guests for his 75th birthday celebrations and had a most wonderful memorable time.
To sail in the Ionian, one needs to fly into Preveza to the small modern airport of Aktio on the mainland of Greece adjacent to the island of Lefkas. Our yacht is moored at Nydri which a charming little town with a beautiful beachfront on Lefkas and acts as a gateway to the Ionian islands for sailing and visiting by ferries; a taxi ride takes about fifty minutes to reach the Iris Hotel at the far end of Nydri.
Aline invited to reflect on her experiences and love for the Land of her birth India.
“Thirty-five years after leaving India the Land of my birth and where I grew up the aircraft touched down in Delhi. I was back. It was an emotional arrival and very soon filled with all the charms and challenges of India at midnight at an international airport in gentle chaos that astonished and overawed my husband Graham. The friend who had promised to meet us was not there – as it later transpired poor old darling she came and gave up on us as it took so long to emerge from immigration and luggage collection.
Relaxed, skinny dipping in the favourite courtyard pool I looked up at the clear blue sky, listened to the rippling sound of the kingfishers in nearby trees, spied a drongo darting onto a branch, and counted the bee eaters swinging on a palm frond. I was back exactly seven weeks ago at beloved Kumarakom Lake Resort. The water temperature was like cool bath water and I was recovering from two long flights that were without incident: a two-hour drive to Kumarakom with the affable Johnson at the wheel, and now absolute bliss at the very end of January.
Aline Dobbie was the Guest Speaker at the Consulate General of India in Scotland on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the Approval for the Constitution of India which was approved on 26th November 1949 and then was signed on 26th January 1950 which henceforth became India’s Republic Day.
Having said farewell to our family after three weeks they departed for home and we continued to stay at our favourite place Kumarakom Lake Resort in Kerala just two hours drive from Kochi International airport.
We flew into Delhi on the last day of June. We comprised the two of us, our son and his wife and their three children. For me a most wonderful opportunity to show them all India, the India that I know and love.
Tourists across the globe have been irresistibly attracted to the incred ible beauty of India - foggy hill stations, historical monuments, alluring beaches, shimmering deserts, and rich wildlife. But Aline Dobbie believes, India is much more than its scenic beauty. It is a potpourri of cultures.
Aline has returned from 6.5 weeks in India where she and her family travelled through Delhi, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Kerala. Then on to Karnataka and finally to Hyderabad in Telangana. A most wonderful trip celebrating with family for three weeks and then the rest of the time as just a couple and so many people kind enough to wish us for our Golden Wedding Anniversary with beautiful dinners and delicious cakes. A memorable journey which was also thoroughly enjoyed by her son Stewart, his wife Corinne and their three children Honor, Calon and Oliver. It was so wonderful to have family with us and let them experience what is after all part of their heritage through Aline - India.
