« Au bout de chaque rue, une montagne… » / “At the end of every street is a mountain…” – Stendhal, 1783-1842 The very mountains that captured my heart when I landed in Grenoble in 2009. I could see them from the window of my bedroom, from my classroom, from the windows of the bus … More Grenoble, where there’s a mountain at the end of every street
Visiting Strasbourg was a dream since I took the ICE from Frankfurt to Paris in December 2003. The first stop in France after we crossed the German border, I remember my delight when after months of not understanding much beyond the basic greetings and numbers, I was suddenly able to follow most conversations. I was … More Christmas Magic in Strasbourg
There can be nothing more frustrating than a strike in the country when you’re travelling. Especially a strike that lasts for days and weeks at end. In a city, where everyone relies on public transport, an unending strike of the RATP, which manages the bus and metro network, is a big deal. It’s a bigger … More Paris during a grève
“Men tell stories,” I say. It is the truest, simplest answer to his question. “Women get on with it. For us it was a shadow war. There were no parades for us when it was over, no medals or mentions in history books. We did what we had to during the war, and when it … More The Nightingale, a tale of unsung heroines.
I’ve read so many anecdotes of people receiving parcels, that were lost in the post, years after they were sent. But not even in my remotest fantasies did I ever think that I’d be one of those people. Sure, I’ve fantasised a lot (and I mean A LOT) about getting a call from Air France … More Postcards from 2006
Yet another one of my delightful finds at the now-famous books by the kilo sale from December 2012, “Suite Française” is an excellent addition to my growing collection of books based on the Second World War. A veritable masterpiece, though written in 1941 during and after the siege of Paris, when the author herself was … More Book Review : Suite Française
Like most people, I love the Impressionists and I started my lessons in Art with Claude Monet’s beautiful works. Sue Roe’s “The Private Lives of the Impressionists” waits patiently on my bedside table to be finished, giving way to a more recent purchase, “Monet’s Cookery Notebooks.” Acquired at the first edition of the books by … More Book Review : Monet’s Cookery Notebooks
My saga with rich cultural experiences continues, with the latest being the Ciné-concert organized by the Alliances françaises in India for the 2013 edition of Fête de la musique. What is a ciné-concert ? The concept harks back to the era of silent films when the screenings were accompanied by live music to set the … More Ciné-concert: “The General” by Buster Keaton with live music by Radiomentale
In the first edition of Bonjour India in 2009 I had walked away mesmerised by the elegance of Isabelle Anna and Quincy Charles who performed Kathak on western music in “Opus à Kathak.” Of all the events I attended in Pune, it was the Kathak performance that stayed with me for the longest time. The second … More Bonjour India : Urban Ballet
Les amateurs du théâtre et de la danse à Bangalore ont eu une expérience insolite le week-end dernier. L’Alliance Française de Bangalore et Rang Shankara (théâtre renommé au sud du Silicon Valley de l’Inde) ont accueilli Krafff, un groupe de théâtre et danse. Mise en scène par Johanny Bert, le spectacle mêle adroitement la marionnette, … More Krafff : une soirée de danse, marionnette et théâtre.
PlainGeets 