Calcutta it always will be, especially at Christmas! Busy, bustling, bursting at the seams... A way of life and a spirit very different from other Indian cities - but as everywhere, some things have gone, some have changed and some continue, almost the same over time.
The pastry shop Flurys, now Marwari acquired but as efficiently geared for Christmas as it used to be, with the same eclectic cactus collection on the pavement outside.
Nahoums is still alive, the last Jewish bakery, with the last of its descendants running it and churning out their famed cakes, pastries and puffs.
Jazz has not been so fortunate, with the passing of the much loved jazz guitarist Carlton Kitto. Wondrous music played in a down to earth manner with little fuss and a lot of happiness.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAH7X7LoKd4
Happiness- also embodied in steaming cups of Darjeeling tea, meltingly tender sandesh (a sweet) in banana leaf packets, dazzling orange marigolds, delicately woven sarees. A fragile but still existing world.
Closer to home is the sprawling Gariahat market, with its mounds of fresh fish and seasonal vegetables. We walk down in the mornings, and decide on our menu for the day.
My favourite tonic (that apparently only die hard enthusiasts still partake of) - tender bitter neem leaves with fresh haldi (turmeric). I have seen this combination only in Calcutta.
Sunday mornings are unforgettable, not because I indulge in jalebis and kachoris (a favourite fried and heavy breakfast) but because the local Baul singer comes by, singing incredible songs of faith, love and remembrance.
Each time we visit, we leave with incredible memories.
The pastry shop Flurys, now Marwari acquired but as efficiently geared for Christmas as it used to be, with the same eclectic cactus collection on the pavement outside.
Nahoums is still alive, the last Jewish bakery, with the last of its descendants running it and churning out their famed cakes, pastries and puffs.
Jazz has not been so fortunate, with the passing of the much loved jazz guitarist Carlton Kitto. Wondrous music played in a down to earth manner with little fuss and a lot of happiness.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAH7X7LoKd4
Happiness- also embodied in steaming cups of Darjeeling tea, meltingly tender sandesh (a sweet) in banana leaf packets, dazzling orange marigolds, delicately woven sarees. A fragile but still existing world.
Closer to home is the sprawling Gariahat market, with its mounds of fresh fish and seasonal vegetables. We walk down in the mornings, and decide on our menu for the day.
My favourite tonic (that apparently only die hard enthusiasts still partake of) - tender bitter neem leaves with fresh haldi (turmeric). I have seen this combination only in Calcutta.
Sunday mornings are unforgettable, not because I indulge in jalebis and kachoris (a favourite fried and heavy breakfast) but because the local Baul singer comes by, singing incredible songs of faith, love and remembrance.
Each time we visit, we leave with incredible memories.
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