यूँ तो माँ की महिमा बताने के लिए किसी दिवस की आवश्यकता नहीं है, परंतु वैश्विक लोकालोक की दृष्टि से सभी माताओं को प्रणाम एवं माँ दिवस की शुभकामनाए । आप स्वस्थ एवं प्रसन्नचित रहे यही प्रभु से प्रार्थना।

“माँ की महिमा कैसे में गाऊँ,
कैसे मैं इनकी महत्ता बताऊँ,
मेरे पास शब्दों की वो शृंखला नहीं,
मैं तो सिर्फ़ चरणो में नतमस्तक हो जाऊँ”
                  - विकास चौधरी “विशु”

Magnetic Florence to Coastal Scenery of Cinque Terre...

It was a time to visit magnetic and busy streets of Firenze (Florence). The stroll on the streets under illuminated lamps brought me a nostalgia feeling of ancestors village "Rampura" in Madhya Pradesh, India. The crowd, lights and music, it had everything you need to make it a perfect romantic evening. The walk over the "Ponte Vecchio" arch bridge on Arno river and the sounds of guitar strings make you sing yourself. The other places to visit are Pitti Palace, Boboli's garden (if you are with kids, skip it), Cathedral (the exteriors are beautiful and must see in day as well night under fog lights). The sunset at Michele Angelo gives you a aerial view of historical center.

The journey continued to PISA where the leaning tower and the green lush lawn in front of it was awaiting for us to capture the moments in our lenses. The perfect weather made our day followed by sumptuous lunch at Tandur in city center.

The last hop in the journey was Levanto and our first experience to stay in hostel. It was not to visit the small town but rather to begin our journey next morning to most beautiful coastal scenery of Cinque Terre (Five Villages). All five villages (Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore) are unique and beautiful. If you are young and without kids you can hike from one village to other. Else you can always buy a day ticket of 12 EURO to hop on train...

Sunset at Michele Angelo...

PISA cathedral and leaning tower...

Leaning Tower but doesn't look so..hmmm?

One of the five villages...

Another one...

Another one...

Fall colors and panorama @ Neuschwanstein Castle ...

Ever wondered, where Mr.Walt Disney got the idea of the castle that you spot in all Disney parks? Here you come, it is from the Neushwanstein Castle at foothills of Hohenschwangau, Germany. The castle was built by King Ludwig II and was supposed to be a private refuge which he would never in his dreams had thought to open it to public. However, the history says it all, the castle was open to public few weeks after his death and is one of the most visited tourist place in Germany. The castle itself may disappoint some of the visitors but the area outside of the castle and panorama view is a treat that will leave you mesmerized. The Mariebrucke (Marie Bridge) is another most visited place, the view from the bridge is breathtaking and most of the castle's picture are clicked from this place. Booking your tickets is highly recommended else you may have to return without a tour of castle. One can easily hike to Hohenshwangu castle but either a horse cart or bus is suggested for Neuschwanstein castle.

Neuschwanstein Castle

Fall colors...

Bustling Barcelona....

The title of the post speaks in itself. The city of Barcelona is really bustling. We fell in love with the city, the energy and the ambiance. From architecture to adventure, it has everything. Here is the list of places that you should not miss while you are in Messi's home ground. Yes, you read it right. Camp Du Nova the footbal club of Barcelona (known as FC Barcelona) is a worth visit even if there's no football match. Recommend following attractions:

1. Sagrada Familia - most visited attraction.. still incomplete
2. Passage De Garcia - you will be able to easily locate Gaudi's work...
3. La Ramblas street - worth stroll....
4. Magical Fountain
5. Camp Du Nova (FC Barcelona)
6. Park Guell - Another Gaudi's work... if you don't have time, you can skip it...
7. Beach - The beach in Barcelona is not really a beach but it offers all kind of adventures from segway to small vehicles to go from one end of a beach to other, parasailing, jet ski....

Transit options: The public transport is reliable and a T-10 ticket is recommended. If you are not with kid, Barcelona is a city to walk or you can take one of the walking tours.

Caution: Do not leave your belongings unattended. Barcelona is famous for pickpocketing.

Sagrada Familia

Gaudi's Work

La Ramblas

Magical Fountain

FC Barcelona

Fantastic Flumserberg.... Wonderful Wallensee...

If you are looking for a place near to Zurich to feel a glimpse of Swiss Alps then Flumserberg is a name... The beautiful mountains out there offers hike and trails.. Once on the top, you can also enjoy rope boating to bring back those childhood memories..The place offers a lot of fun activities inluding but not limited to jumping on big cushion, riding a roller coaster flumzer (tobaggon run) ..
Getting there is easy as well, a direct train (S2) from Zurich HB takes you to Unterterzen and then a cable car to Flumserberg... 
On the way back, Lake Wallensee Resort on the opposite side of cable car station refreshes your soul, mind and body. The views offered by Wallensee are wonderful and the lake itself is serene and pristine as other lakes in Switzerland...

Fun @ Atzmannig...

We visited Atzmaennig in May-2015. A place that hosts excursions from toddler to old aged. It was full of fun, thrill and adventure not to mention the swiss alps, which are integral part of Swiss Beauty.The place is just 1 hr from Zurich by train (S5) and buss (885) respectively. The rides at Atzmaennig are rather less expensive than anyother place. You have to pay anywhere form 1 CHF to 3 CHF for any ride you want to take. There is a big green lush lawn where you can picnic and enjoy time with your loved ones. 

Happy family in a happy field....

Boat pond... where you can simulate the boat steering...

Simply blissful....

View from the top.....

Panoramic Treat..Incredible Bernina..

It was mid-winter when we decided to take a panoramic train trip. We had various options to choose from and we chose the one that was best during that time. Yes, that's Bernina Express. We began our journey from Zurich and changed at Chur to board Bernina express for a beautiful journey and breathtaking views that will always remain live on our minds. The train passes through snow cladded Engadin alps and frozen lakes that leaves you mesmerizing. The train stops at one of the stations for you to get out for photo shoots. The halt is about 30 mins and gives you a chance to play in snow, jump, etc. The journey completes at Tirano, an Italian village adjacent to Switzerland border. We took a toy train during our 2 hours of stop at Tirano to roam around historic downtown. While our way back we got Pizza packed from a restaurant near to station that helped us fill our tummies.