Christmas In Mumbai

I'd absolutely love it if it snowed. This season I was an absolute Grinch! At work and at home...
Christmas in Mumbai is well boring. It's up to you to spread that Christmas cheer.

Hoping it will snow

At my cubicle at work, all decked up

Ha! 

The Church of St Cajetan

The Church of St. Cajetan lies in the shadow of the other churches at Old Goa. Most people would visit Old Goa for the Bom Jesus and Se Cathedral, however St. Cajetan’s has something wonderful and breath-taking to offer you.

The church completed in 1661 is dedicated to Our Lady of Divine Providence. Its name however finds its origins after the founder of the Order of Theatines. St. Cajetan’s almost looks replicates the Basilica of St. Peter's in Rome. The exterior of the church boasts a Corinthian style of architecturewhile the interior features a blend of mosaic-Corinthian architectures. The magnificent façade facing west features towering Corinthian columns supporting a central pediment above which the twin belfry towers arise.

Inside the church, do make a note of the three altars on either side of the main altar. To the left you will find altars dedicated to the Holy Family, Our Lady of Piety and St. Clare, while the altars to the right are dedicated to St. John, St. Cajetan and St. Agnes.

To an art lover this church is where you can get lost in the myriad display of frescos. Off late there’s been a lot of renovation work going on inside the church to its architecture and frescos, so be prepared for a section of the church to be cut off to public viewing.

The Cross at the Quiterio's

No Catholic household in Goa is complete without a cross. You will find crosses engraved on homes or a structure erected in front of houses. Each one is different in design yet built for one purpose – protect the family that resides there.

My home has a cross engraved on the compound wall. But the cross that binds us all as a family is the one that stands in my Grandma’s compound. This is the cross is the protector of the entire Quiterio clan. Prayers to pass in exams, fulfillment of dreams and protection as we venture far and wide in the world have all been offered here and it still does.

The Cross at the Quiterio's

I remember times when as little kids my cousin and I used to help my Grandma scrape the old paint off the cross and volunteer to paint it in preparation for the cross feast. There were also times when all of us cousins used to wait closest to the cross hoping to catch the wax that dripped forth, each one wanting to building a bigger wax ball than the other. As the centre of the household it also came to be the favoured place to click family pictures.

My brother & cousin as kids in front of the cross

Though much as has changed now – we are all adults, grandma’s house is surrounded by a concrete wall – the cross still remains the same, in the spot it was erected on.

Fabulous Stays

Found some wonderful places to unwind in Goa. They not like your typical hotel/resorts which make them even more exciting! So here go my finds.

I so loved this place. It’s called Coco Shambhala. Well I have not been here yet, but Cocoshambhala looks heavenly. Almost out of this world to be in Goa. But I will one day soon go there and certify for a fact that it is how it has been photographed.

Coco Shambhala as noted on the website are exclusive luxury vacation villas. Situated just behind Coco Beach at Nerul in Goa, it boasts of wonderful retreat designed to offer the perfect escape.  Do visit and let me know how your stay unfolded.

The other place that I loved was Lotus Resorts  at Aronda, it's actually on the Goa-Maharashtra border. But, well it just seemed…simple! The perfect pause to a hectic life. I am going here in January, driving up from Goa. I hope it lives up to its promise of backwaters, blue skies and pristine waters.

Candolim in the Rains

When I am down in Goa, there’s one place I make a pilgrimage to. I head to Candolim beach and sit right opposite the ship, River Princess, which got dragged ashore years back. Till today no one can seem to move it. Why I don’t know. It’s not like I don’t care that it’s spoiling the shoreline but after these years I have come to love it.

The River Princes, in its spot!

Every vacation home, my cousin Unaine and I head to our favourite spot. It’s something we do. Hopping onto our bikes we head to shores. We avoid the main stretch of the beach and settle down opposite the ship. We do nothing; we just sit there and stare at the sea or watch the stretch of the beach or watch the ship or the Indian tourist who are so excited to see the sea, such bunch of morons!

Shacks shut down during the monsoon

That's us. Unaine & Me capturing the moment

Most of the time that we have visited this place was during the monsoons. It’s just more beautiful when it rains. A small bylane from the Calangute-Candolim road will get you here.

The pathway that opens out to the beach

Ask the locals how to get there. There are a couple of beachside shacks, but these are closed during the monsoons. It doesn’t matter to me. I love it when there are no tourists interrupting your moment.  After spending a good hour or two, we usually hope back onto our bikes and make our way to the Calangute Grounds to grab some munchies. These include roasted sweet corn and Bhel Puri.

At the Bhel Puri stall

En route expect to find yourself caught up in a little traffic. More than often there will be a local football match going on. And everyone wants to know what’s happening. It’s exciting, do stop and watch too.