indoor adventures: yaki onigiri

wonder | wander | women love the kind of food that you can have as a meal or a snack. They're great for eating at the movies, refueling while working, or watching TV together at home. Yaki onigiri, or grilled rice balls, are some of our favourites.

Photo courtesy of Just One Cookbook

celestial grace

Guru Purnima is upon us once again. Signifying the Guru-shishya tradition - the succession of teachers and disciples in traditional Vedic culture and spiritual belief. Hindu ascetics and wandering monks (sanyasis), observe this day by offering puja to their guru.

This year, Guru Purnima is celebrated on the 24th of July. According to the Drik Panchang, the Purnima tithi begins at 10:43 am on July 23 and will end on 08:06 am on July 24.

traditional guru–disciple relationship

Students of Indian classical music and Indian classical dance, which also follow the Guru shishya parampara, celebrate this holy festival around the world.

mushrooms and moss

It's been an unusually "normal" English summer, by which we mean cool and rainy. After the blistering heat we had for the past few years, this mild weather was a relief. 

NYC staycation

On our first visit to New York City since lockdown in March 2020, we were enchanted by our stay at The Whitby Hotel in the heart of upper midtown Manhattan on West 56th Street at 5th Avenue. 

The Whitby Hotel façade

a detailed virtual tour of The Whitby by Kit Kemp

If ever one feels compelled to take a staycation this most definitely was both a sweet way to live it up. What better way to join in the celebration of Big Apple's grand reopening? 

the hotel reception entrance

the delicate glowing pots of Martha Freud

As it so boldly states on their website: The Whitby Hotel is a celebration of contemporary art and design. Just two blocks from Central Park and on the doorstep of some of New York's leading restaurants, galleries and museums, including MoMA.

summer blooms at St George's Gardens

St. George's Gardens were originally the first offsite burial grounds for a local church, or rather two local churches: St. George's Bloomsbury and St. George the Martyr in Queen's Square.

Some of the graves have been left standing, although the bones beneath them were respectfully gathered and housed in the church crypts.