We all need that “break” from our everyday routine to
breathe, to connect to our roots, to just be ourselves in the lap of nature.
Such breaks not only explains to us what “freedom” means, but helps us be more
humble in this human-made world of “I”’s and more “I”’s.
Inspired by this quote, me and hubby make
sure we travel at least once in 6 months to a place which makes us understand
where we truly belong. So, in our 2 years of marriage journey, our first trip
was to the beaches (Goa-which I haven’t blogged about), then it was the hills
(Kasauli - Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3) then the Riverside (Soulitude by the Riverside - Part 1 and Part 2) and this time it was the
forests. Yes, I’m talking about THE RETREAT, BHIMTAL.
Going to this place was a cat-and-mouse run. We have been
wanting to go here for over a year, but whichever dates we asked for, it was
always full. There was so much we had read about the place already, that when we
finally got the booking confirmation this time, our happiness knew no bounds. As
I have mentioned in my previous posts too, we love travelling by train. There
is a different enthusiasm to waking up early morning, taxi waiting down, seeing
such a hustle bustle on the railway station when half of the world is still in
their sugar sleep, and the train snacks they serve. When we were close to our
destination, the cameras came out and the blogger within awakened. So here’s
some from our train-journey:
Many people I have seen are not too keen travelling in the
monsoons, but for us, the rains bring out a different beauty to the nature. The
views of the mountains and valley from the 45 minute taxi drive from Kathgodam
Railway Station to the Retreat are picturesque. When we arrived, a happy
smiling woman greeted us, just as one of our family members would welcome us to
their home. Yes, that is Paddy, and yes, The Retreat is the homestay she runs.
The place had a very positive impact on us from the moment we stepped inside,
as we knew we are standing in a 19th century colonial bunglow with
the artifacts, furniture, photographs/paintings on the wall and other stuff
maintained just so well up to date.
Our room was a simple, neat and fairly large room with
attached bathroom and there are 2 more rooms similar to this in the bunglow
that are for guests.
The staff greeted us with a welcome drink Lemonade and we
went for a quick stroll around the property.
There is just so much to see
around in Paddy’s garden and around that i am going to post a different photo-blog about it. (Wait for my next post). The flowers in full bloom, different types of plants,
and huge trees of oak, pine and cedar around the estate which Paddy tells us
was earlier a tea Estate. By the time our clicking-session was over, our lunch
was ready. Paddy had already asked us about our meal preferences earlier, and
we had already started drooling looking at the number of dishes she had set on
the dining area outside. So, there we had our perfect delish Indian meal
looking at the lush green garden around.
 |
| Mother nature has her own way of telling us how miniscule we are in front of her. |
There was mutton curry (which hubby really licked his
fingers for), Paneer dry sabzi (perfectly spiced), eggplant stir fry (a little
salty for our taste), Chole (Ahh… just writing about them has got my mouth watering),
rice, some warm chapattis and how can we forget – those tangy and spicy
pickles! We really ate our heart out. And then came the dessert. Spice infused
fresh pears served with a dollop of mint flavoured whipped cream. The flavours
were literally dancing on our tongues. Having had such a yummy meal, we knew we
are in the right place for food :)
The rest of the day just passed by lazying around, catching
up on some sleep and reading. We woke up all refreshed followed by a cup of
masala chai for hubby and filter coffee for me. It just seemed like a place to
be, sitting in the patio watching the night dawning upon us making the same
very beautiful place look like a scary dark area (Fear is all in our mind, it’s
true). Since the weather was cloudy, the moon-God didn’t show us any favour.
It
was time for dinner already. I will go all out here to say, this was one of the
best dinners we have ever had. Since the dining table inside was already
occupied by another family sharing the other two rooms, we loved the idea of
dinner being served to us in the patio. There came the fresh vegetable salad
dressed in citrus flavours, followed by baked chicken, followed by the perfect
al-dente Pasta served along with some home-baked bread and the thin crust
pizza. For whoever visits this place, we would highly recommend the pizza
topped with some veggies, cheese, olives and herbs. This candle light dinner
ended for us with a lip-smacking dessert too.
The next day, rain Gods were bursting heavily. We woke up to
the fresh smell of mud, the music of the rain showers and feeling the smooth
touch of cold breeze playing with our skin. After having some heavy breakfast
comprising of scrambled eggs, cheese tomato omelette, toasts, various types of
jams (must-have’s), cereals, fruits and our tea-coffee, we set out for a small
trek to the Garud-Tal with the perfectly drawn map by Paddy. She packed us a
picnic basket (some sandwiches and fruit salad) and was kind enough to provide
us with umbrellas.
Our small trek full of adventures, watching the local flora
and fauna, enjoying the gorgeous views on the way, and of course giving feed to
the blogger inside us to click pictures.
On the way, we passed a beautiful St.
John’s Church built in 1912 by Mr. A.C.Evans in memory of his beloved mother.
The Garud Taal is one of the “Saat-taal” and had a lake-side Chapel with the
seating area flooded with water from the taal. We enjoyed our sandwiches and
fruit salad there and walked back to the homestay meeting some fur-riends on
the way.
Then we went for a small trek to Bhimtal (there is nothing much to see
there and is more commercialised and crowded).
Back home, and our feet had started showing signs of
tiredness. So we spent the evening sitting in the patio listening to some
wonderful colonial era stories by Paddy. Oh, she is wonderful at this. So if
you guys are interested in knowing about the history, culture or traditions of
that time, don’t forget to ask her. Paddy would happily narrate some to you. Paddy’s
son took it to serve English dinner for us that night and we were served
pumpkin soup, mashed potatoes, pasta in white sauce, some bread, paneer and
cheese cutlets, and traditional pot roast chicken, followed by some traditional
suji pudding topped with caramalised sugar and nuts.
Oh, each of it was just
perfect. No wonder, we had heard some rave reviews about the food. It has a
whole feel of homecooked yet different and lipsmacking. I would say, Paddy and
her son have magic in their hands when it comes to food. Paddy also takes
jam-making or cooking sessions which I was keen to do, but this time it was all
about holidaying and rejuvenating. So, the next time, I am going to enter that
kitchen and watch and learn some tricks and tips for sure.
And oh, did I mention? They have their 3 paw-mates too.
Tessy, Terry and Seeker (we loved that name). Terry came to us with all the
wags from the moment she saw us and let us click some beautiful pictures with
her too. They are the perfect trek-guides when you go for your adventures.
The
place also brought out the child inside us. We played some Scrabble and Jenga
and some cards too. The next morning went by soaking up the warmth of the sun
falling on our face after a rainy day. We seeked pleasure listening to the
sounds of birds chirping, walking on the grass and connecting to our real
selves taking as much as we could from the Nature.
Post breakfast, we spent some time reading, playing and
petting the fur-riends and photographing around. And then came the time to
leave! Yes, it’s always a moment of sadness when you leave such a beautiful
place but we were happy that we are coming home with loads of positive energy
and having made a beautiful friend named Paddy.
For all you explorers and wanderers, The Retreat, Bhimtal is
a perfect weekend gateway from New Delhi. You can check the details on their
website here. So, pack your bags, and go go
go !!! :)
Do check our next photo-blog post.
Happy Travelling!!!
