
Going ashore from ‘Orion’ in a zodiac to view Windjina aboriginal rock paintings at Raft Point – on the Kimberley cruise in 2006
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Going ashore from ‘Orion’ in a zodiac to view Windjina aboriginal rock paintings at Raft Point – on the Kimberley cruise in 2006
CLICK HERE to read story.
2007 – The occasion is my 65th Birthday in Agra, India
The Taj Mahal stands to celebrate the matchless love Emperor Shah Jahan had for his Queen Mumtaz. The famous Bengali poet, Tagore, describing Shah Jahans grief on Mumtaz death, wrote Running tears turned his garment white and the rest of the court followed suit. As did we!
We alight from our white-draped rickshaws walking through white-uniformed horse guards with spears and up a path lit by hundreds of white candles. We lounge on white bolsters under a new moon with plenty of cold Kingfisher and platters of prawn, chicken and beef kebabs from the kitchen of Sheratons famous Bukhara Restaurant watching Alan Guignon performing a recitation of Tagore’s poem.
Our evening beside the Taj Mahal is devoted to “amoré”. The famous Bengali poet, Tagore, describing Shah Jahan’s grief on Mumtaz’ death, wrote “Running tears turned his garment white” and the rest of the court followed suit. As did we!
Musgraves - Brother Mark and Sister Anne on the right; Cousin Jennifer with her husband David on the left
As a footnote:
Little did the 35 guests realise that two hours before they arrived, that this magical setting, now ablaze in white and light, was a car-park for a carpet factory!
Amazing how the Event Planner, Nimi, managed the transformation installing the white stage, the white sets, the white reclining lounges, lighting and sound system in just two hours.
PICASA PHOTO ALBUM
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Guests at "The Musgrave Party" – India, September, 2007 |
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Watch this space for the stories for my upcoming trip.
I recall similar disappointment years ago when I first saw St Peter’s in Rome. The wide sweep of the Square just ‘appeared’ at the end of a row of drab buildings along a long, narrow street. Also one Sunday afternoon in London I lost my way in the city and turned out of busy traffic onto the approach of a bridge. Stopped at traffic lights, I looked up to see the battlements of Tower Bridge in close-up with no magical stretch of river to set the scene. Postcards conveniently remove the blight from many of the world’s famous landmarks.