Romance In Venice and The Three Islands

Venice At Night

If Paris is where you find love, Venice is where you find romance. This city is like a cherry on the cake and I absolutely fell in love with it. It was peak summer and tourists from all over the world were around. Yet what I love about tourists is that they enjoy themselves with all their heart and not really bothered about anybody else.  And Venice when you reach gives you a vibe of a cooler, less starched up people. Yet you should know that Italians are very proud people. Some will love you, some won't.

Doges Palace

The B n B we stayed in was great since we had our own room the host was amazingly helpful. We were given a micron to use and we had cup noodles that we purchased from the market. And after priming up, we set out to explore the city on foot. We couldn't take a biking tour here because no bike, cars or buses are allowed inside Venice. There are Ferry bus that take you anywhere and everywhere. Just purchase a two day or three day ticket and you are all set to see all the three islands- MURANO, BURANO AND TURANO. 

Fashionable Venice

Interesting bookshop in the lanes of Venice

Places worth visiting is the Grand Canal, St Peter's Basillica, Doge's palace, Rialto bridge. Bridge of sighs, 

MURANO is all about glass art. If you love to look at blowup glass workshop then you will be shown it for free the moment you arrive. Although they will ask you to purchase something in the end, nothing I could see was within the budget. So stir clear of the factory and go to smaller shops and get something for yourself. 

The glass bowing workshop in the glass factory

BURANO is about beautiful lace work. You can see shops thriving with lace stoles, shirts and handkerchiefs. What's stunning about Burano is the burst of colours as you enter. Beautiful homes, with interesting decor outside will make your day a happy one. It's a small town, so you will walk it off in an hour with clicking a lot of pictures. You can see a few tilted buildings too and interesting to see that they don't want to renovate it. 

Lace stoles

This is an art workshop

The shopkeepers selling these outside

A Portrait Of Burano

The essence of Burano are these little lanes

TURANO is again a city which didn't interest us much so we kinda didn't go very far. You can visit the church which is said to be famous and that's about it. I recommend visiting MURANO and BURANO in particular. The ferry ride is beautiful too.  

The Leaning Tower Of Pisa

THE LEANING TOWER OF PISA

The View from the tower. That is the museum 

When we reached Pisa, we planned to stay there for a night and just enjoy one of the seventh wonder of the world. Again our host from Airbnb, gave us the directions and asked to take a particular bus that dropped us very close to her home. It was a sultry day hence the walking with luggage wasn't entirely pleasant but we reached pretty soon, changed and reached The Leaning Tower Of Pisa. It was not as big as I thought it would be but then we took the ticket to climb up and well, that meant lot of climbing- about 150 steps that has never been renovated. They were slippery and tilted to a side. Also no children and people with heart conditions were allowed up there. I could see why. After briefing us about the history of the tower gave us ten minutes to visit and come back down.   ticket also states a particular time when you are allotted to go in since there were a lot of tourists. And we took a few selfies and had some fun lying on the green grass, just watching the beautiful tower in front of us.

A Memory that's etched forever

The First View Inside

All About the Leaning Tower Of Pisa inside

The top most view of the tower

I tried my best to straighten it but it was too heavy

PISA is a beautiful little town and we specially liked walking here. The street food was yum and as usual I tried pizza (hence all the weight gain) and we also had the opportunity of seeing some local music and dances. I did take videos of it and i think it was kind of music that touches soul. Lots of drums and feet tapping. And where else can you find a group of people waltzing at the pavement of the road? It all happened in Pisa.

5 must do things in Budapest

The view from the Castle Hill

A walk in the castle: It was afternoon when we reached Budapest and had taken a beautiful B n B for accommodation. The best part was it being closer to the metro station. Mikhlos and his friend guided our and made our stay simply comfortable. 

Go for this, you will not regret it. It's right in front of Terror Haza

The chain bridge on our biking tour

Stuck in a cafe in Rain

Biking the city 

If you haven’t biked in Budapest, well you will be missing out on many places here that’s difficult to cover in a short time. Our guide took out to so many places starting with the Jewish Colony and then we made our way towards the Castle only to have the rain give up on us. It rained so hard and with our bikes being electric, it had to be parked somewhere. We found a tiny cave like space near the castle road and stood there crammed with several others. Now i know how the holocaust must have felt. Reading all about it and visiting places made me a little queasy already. Good news- we were promised another ride on the bike though the next day for free. We covered the chain bridge, St Stephens Cathedral, The Parliament, Margaret Island, Fisherman's Bastion (On the castle hill) and also the fountain where water stops when you try to touch it. 

The Fisherman's Bastion

You can take the trolley bus lines directly to go up

Terror of Haza (house)

If you are a fan of history then come here. Here you will find real videos of prisoners of war who tell their tale of horror and  injustice. They also hand you their literature for each room you visit so, you can take it home. I saw a group of students inside who were well into it. We are not allowed to take pictures or videos since it's all not to be produced elsewhere. There is a underground prison where they tell how the prisoners were tortured and kept and never freed. It was truly a shocking experience. 

The Szechenyj Bath - Hot spring spa  

Budapest has their natural hot springs so if you have walked all day long and need a little loving then do visit the place for a fantastic relaxation time for yourselves. 

The River Cruise

This was a spontaneous romantic plan my husband made. We spent an arm and a leg for the river cruise and went for a dinner cruise where we had the local dishes of Hungary and loved it. We were served champagne (or beer) and after the dinner, we went over the terrace to enjoy a view of the city lights. It was something. The twinkling lights, the silent sounds of the river and you just fall in love all over again. Like I did. 

Our Cruise Ship

The Ice-cream shop and a walk around the city

As we walked around the city, you come across this little ice-cream shop that serves you in the the shape of a rose petal. Its so beautiful and the line is huge huge huge. We chose four flavours and gelato was one thing we had almost anywhere and every where in Europe. It made a great indulging snack too. Make sure that you just walk a lot to enjoy the city because there are little things that you will notice and that will keep Budapest in your hearts forever.

Incredible flower icecream

My stay in Budapest was perhaps the best. I enjoyed the bike ride with my husband and since I am not to outdoorsy, it really helped me to connect with him in different levels. So add doing something adventurous with your partner soon!

The Hero- A War Story

This post is a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda

During Kargil War 1999

I came back home. I couldn't feel my thoughts or my legs. When I looked down at my wheelchair, I put my fingers over it, feeling the loss of power that was once mine. I was a star player in my school and my mother displayed all my trophyes at the mantlepiece. It is still there somewhere. She never changed the decor of her home, she just liked the way things are. But I am not the same anymore. The war did that to me. I was blown by a grenade and was lying, waiting for death to come to me, only to be found by some young jawan, who lifted me and carried me to the Military medical camp. The camp was damp and stuck of blood and death. I was waiting for mine but it never came. I just got better, I got calls from home and my girlfriend wrote me letters. I answered none. She was still doing her graduation. A young nineteen year old who liked art. She was beautiful, I could see no flaw in her really. Her young vibrant face flashed again and again in my eyes but i closed it tightly, defying my feelings. I wanted to let her go. So I didn't answer. I could see cards coming damp because of the rains but I stopped opening them after I was informed I would always be in a wheelchair.  

The door opened and mom came to me with tears ready in her eyes. But we were still in war. I sat everyday in front of the television and watched the news, waiting for some hope, that we won. But time just dragged in front of me. Mom was always around as if waiting for some kind of a miracle but it never came. My amputated legs just lay there, snug in a blanket, taking in the warmth of a cold winter night. 

Then I saw her. She was on TV, and she was among the soldiers, I could hear the bombs, the firing and I gripped the chair, shouting at her, yelling for her to leave, that war wasn't for girls like you. 

She was on the mike, "I was inspired to follow my dreams to become a reporter here. I wanted to know what is war like and how our army gives their best to protect us. So tell me what's your inspiration?".
She was taking interviews of officers and jawans now and they were smiling at her,  captivated with her smile as I was. And someone asked her why was she here. 
"I love an army man. He is my inspiration. always will be". It was like she was looking into my eyes. 

There was another bombardment in the background and her voice was fading. The camera stopped. 

Has it been years already? She looked grown. Almost hard and so serious about life. I couldn't see that laughing girl anymore. 

"She has become a war correspondent", Mom was wiping her wet wrinkled fingers with a kitchen towel, "And she called me so many times asking about you".
I was quiet. It was better to be.
"Why did you leave her?"
I had no answers. I just stared at the figure, hoping, praying that she comes out of this a winner. She has suddenly become my inspiration. 

PS- Lest we forget the heros of our country. Lets just remember the times when life was difficult for so many out there. 

Life of homeschooling Mom

8 a.m- Wake up the Targeted Kid
9 a.m- Get dressed and worry why he is not still doing his potty
10 a.m- Busy in the kitchen, making two alternate dishes
11 a.m- Get the books out and catch the running kid into the chair.
11:10- Still trying to catch the target
11:15- Opening books but one hand still holding the kid
11:20- Finally he holds a crayon with laughter in his eyes (Make Me, it says)
11.30- The crayons just flew over the paper and he is just done in five minutes. I give him the picture book but he wants to dig into the eraser now.
11:35- The eraser almost give up its life. I give him a break (Maybe I need one already)
11:45- The standing line and sleeping line get started but then the fascination with the eraser doesn't go. So there is a lot of erasing.
12:00p.m- The picture book gets its due. He looks like JCB and Crane and wants those toys now. He is hungry again though.
12:15- I give him chips and escape to the bathroom instructing him to finish one page of colouring. Inside the bathroom: I am thinking about what's going on outside. Is he already digging into the eraser again? Is he colouring? Did he make a mess. And I am also instructing him that i''ll be out in five minutes. (Holding my breath). There is giggling outside and I am sure he found my bottle of cream.
12:30- I peep outside looking for any disasters only to see him busy with colouring. And he actually finished with excellent results.
Almost done with schooling now and I long to hold my mobile again and Facebook or just browse blogs about parenting (What am I doing wrong?)
I kind of make notes in my mind what to do tomorrow and nothing gets done. There is a lot of running and catching...And making him sit.
Final thoughts: I am really not cut out for this job. 

Love At A Coffee Shop- A Transgender Story

This post is a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda.

She looked at me frankly and curious too. I found her enchanting. She had long hair, wavy but ended in curls, blond highlights that might have faded away to a dull finish now. Her eyes were small with a button like nose and a mouth that held the most beautiful smile. I turned over on my seat and blinked at my image staring back at me in the mirror. 
I could see the woman who was hiding behind manly clothes, waiting for everyone to see me as just that. How could anyone know how i felt? A woman. A man. Or both?
I just knew that down inside I was born to be a woman. 
The cup of coffee getting cold beneath my fingers as I fidgeted with a broken pencil, just like my broken spirit. I still had the previous evening to write but the writer in me didn't. I just wanted sit back in my chair and finish the book. I wish it was a romance because if anything that I needed in my life was just love. My parents are still unaware. They think that I am their little boy. My face was changing too and with the hormone supplement, I was feeling sensitive and teary-eyed often.
"Do you mind if I sit with you? The entire coffee shop seems to be filled with young students", the man sat without my consent and I looked away, not wanting to meet his eyes. 
"Sure", I muttered, still staring into my book.
"Would you like another coffee? I don't see that consumable now", he was trying to be light. Trying to laugh but I didn't know how to react. I was wary of his friendliness.
"No. I am fine".
After a few minutes of silence, I found him staring at me, and mostly trying to peep into my book. 
"You haven't written a word since you are here. Do you want to borrow a pen?"
He handed out an expensive looking pen at me, "Take it. It won't bite".
I took it without hesitation. Will that shut him up? I was staring at him now. He was a handsome guy. Not in a model like of way. He had a receding hairline but his eyes and face had an open endearing look that I could not imagine anyone saying 'No' to him. He wore a simple blue stripped shirt with rolled up sleeves, showing off his very tanned wrists and fingers that seemed to clench and unclench over his cup of coffee. He had long fingers and his body was bulky as if he worked out in the gym.
"Would you mind if I tell you that you are one of the most pretty faces I have ever seen in a long time?"
I didn't mind at all.
"I get that a lot".
Even when I dressed as a man. I got that compliment. Not handsome. Pretty. And I glowed under my mother's disapproving eyes.
"You should let me buy you a coffee".
"No thanks. I have a doctor's appointment and I can't really have much of caffeine with my prescription".
My voice had change through time now. Six months! And I did deliberately tone my voice down, try to sound like a girl.
"You look fit to me..."
I wanted to tell him everything and stop this useless flirtation. I am not what you think I am. I am a transgender. But still a woman who wants to come out in this world and be herself.
But I just got up and left, leaving behind a romance that could have been mine. 

A year later

Same Coffee Shop.

I held my book in my hands. Finished. Published and open in front of the entire world now. The publisher had been excited to get this manuscript, said that India was getting into this 'Pride' moment. This is what it needed. I could literally see the dollar signs in his eyes. And I wasn't too unhappy about my royalty check too. I was independent now. I could afford that sex change operation now. My parents were still coming to terms with my sexuality and I was coming to terms with my life at the moment. I was twenty now. Studying in the college where I used to be a boy. 

"Can I get an autograph, Ms Writer?"
I picked up the pen for another signature. Nina. That was the name I had chosen from Niel. 
"Red suits you".
I looked up and saw him again. He still had the same lazy smile as if it hadn't shocked him.
"Hi again", I said shyly, "So now you know and you can hate me. I am used to it".
"Would it shock you if you if I asked you for a coffee now?"
I lost my voice.
"I mean after you are done with the event. Let's get to know each other again. Man or woman, I really find you intriguing".
And I said yes. It felt freeing. And I felt like I was flying already. 

A Rainbow On The Other Side- A Gay Love Story

When he took her hands in his, he knew that it was already too late. Or was it? He was going to tell her the truth though. Almost five years and they still couldn't conceive. And it was not fair lying now. But she was glowing tonight as if hiding a delicious secret and she stood, tip toed and kissed his mouth roughly, welcoming him home. That was what he loved about this woman, she made his life complete.

"I have the something to tell you", she said before he could say anything more.
He saw the suitcase before he opened his mouth. It was outside the bedroom, in blue four wheeler, small and seemed to be neatly packed. They hardly took any trips outside their home town and his mother being a permanent guest in their home, they never got the time alone they needed.
"Are we going some where?"
"No, I am going. You are going to stay here", she sounded clam and the curls on her forehead bounced as she stood in front of his, her hands neatly folded in the pleats of her saree.
"I am leaving you".
"Is it because of my problem?" He knew that he could't give her a baby and that made her bitter over time, "because please don't go", He didn't know how to plead because his heart was breaking.
Her eyes were sweeping away, hiding the tears, "It was never the baby. I saw you with him".
He sucked in sharply and stared into her eyes, "Again?"
"I know that you...like men".
He looked around frantically, hoping that his mother didn't overhear.
"She knows", as if on cue she answered, "And it's okay. You should have never married me and I shouldn't have pretended that our life was anything but normal".
He winced, "But I love you".
"You don't want me. We have wasted too many years together. It's time to find our path. And you accept for who you are".
He still couldn't say it out loud. He was ashamed. The secrecy kept him sane and this was anything but normal. And wasn't he thinking that he was being so clever?

He saw her leave. He knew that her family wasn't going to like it but he was not going to stop her. He saw his phone and it was buzzing again. He wanted to meet him again. That shady bar that he always went when he wanted to be himself. Now he switched it off. And went to talk to his mother. It was time that they talked things out. He was going to find someone who loved him for himself. But before that he had to love himself.

This Story was written for #Indispire under Indiblogger. The theme is #Loveinspiration