Hello and Hello! How is December treating you? Just a few weeks left for the year to end and I can’t wait to get started with the next year! Many exciting things and moves and possibilities are lined up, with travel featuring prominently in all. Speaking of travel, you know that whenever I do not post for a week or so, that means that I am off wandering again. This time, I was in Bombay and I spent the last one week meeting up with old friends, fellow bloggers turned friends, work acquaintances turned friends, strangers turned friends, travel buddies turned friends – you get the gist. Extended chats over tea, lunches, dinners, walks by the sea and rapidly finishing wine bottles; we celebrated nostalgia, little successes, ideas, fun plans, gossip, bucket lists and a birthday. I never thought that I would miss a mad city like Bombay, but I so do right now!    

The other brilliant activity that I did was Heritage Walks in the city. Walking through interesting neighborhoods, listening to and chatting with erudite guides, photographing, soaking in – even if in tiny bits and pieces – the real Bombay. I had chanced upon Breakfree Journeys, an experiential travel outfit run by Rushikesh Kulkarni, and I am so glad that I found them! Rushikesh organized these heritage walks and I have come back very impressed by the quality of the experience and the brilliant people who guide the walks. To start a walk around an old Portuguese neighborhood with a quaint tea service laid out in the balcony of an old villa in the same neighborhood – I knew that I was in for a very interesting experience!  

And the ‘design’ and ‘Oh-Look-So-Pretteh’ highlight of the week was where I stayed. You remember my sharing Abode with you? That’s exactly where I spent the last week and have come back completely enchanted and in love with this quirky, fabulous little boutique hotel! Located right at the heart of where the action is, I was at walking distance from many popular restaurants, new cafes, boutiques, museums, galleries, city landmarks, and the sea. And once back from the hustle and bustle of the city, Abode provided the perfect comfort to soothe the tired bones and the perfect prettiness to soothe the eye. Manned by an excellent staff, I felt totally at ease in a new city and was very well taken care of. Over a leisurely breakfast one morning, the owner of Abode told me about the design process they went through and how they sourced the interesting quirky decor elements. In Abode, I have happily found my home away home in Bombay and that’s where you will find me each time that I travel to this city! 

As expected, I couldn’t get enough of the prettiness and merrily clicked away whenever I got the chance to explore the lovely corridors, nooks and rooms of the hotel.

This superb vacation has started December on the right note for me. I like to consider the month of December as a holiday month, and I take the month to recoup from the year and plan for the next year. Which doesn’t mean that I won’t be here on the blog; just that the posts will be a bit sporadic and holiday-ey. Tell me how you plan to spend this month? And any big plans for the next year? I will be sharing mine very soon! 🙂

[All Images: Bhavna Bhatnagar | An Indian Summer]