Wednesday 22 February 2012

Rewind... Goa and Nostalgia

Goa, a huge chunk of it,to me means Fernando's Nostalgia. Because it's one of the most awesome experiences I've had while travelling; because it was one of those places fueled all my senses, especially my 6th sense - Imagination!

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Initially was at north goa.. looks like a highly commercialised kerala too! Was really disappointed with it.. then went to south and old goa.. Now that part of the trip was fantastic( if the part where 1k was ripped off by our taxi driver is ignored!!!) 

The south goa trip happened coz both of us had read about this restaurant called 'Nostalgia' and wanted to go at any rate.. Honestly, if getting there is also counted it was the most expensive part of the trip, on it own.. but it was soo sooooo soooooo worth it.. I honestly can't start to describe the place..

type 'nostalgia goa outlook traveller' and click the first link.. it's a book link so cant paste the article..

 { http://fernandosnostalgia.wordpress.com/2010/03/22/fernandos-nostalgia-article-in-outlook-traveller-july-2008/ } [Another reason I dint write more about it was the reason this article does far more justice to it than I ever could .. Must read!]

The best part of the place was that it was better than the expectation.. and we had such extremely high hopes, which kinda figures from the fact that we traveled across the state just to eat at this place.. I can't explain how charged the place is.. least for me, the moment I stepped into the place I could feel the passion and enthusiasm of the man who built the place.. the details, man, the details... he's hung copper vessels( no fancy antique types, but ones we see in out kitchens) and name plates from the beams( amoung the many things he's hung!)..
And you can see red elephants peep out at you from the greenery , which surrounds the place.. I could (even) see a hummingbird hovering by one of the eater's head( for the flowers on the creeper which were hanging from the roof!)

Courtesy :http://travel.outlookindia.com

And talk about being eco-friendly( this place is more than 20 yrs old!!! Keep that in mind), for air conditioning, they have sprinklers on the roof and water there is recycled back thru pipes.. and barely any plastic in the entire place... if I had found a book shelf hidden anywhere amoung the eclectic collection I would either wanted to buy the place or least get adopted by the lady.. Best part was how the owner of the place came and talked to us coz we were so enthu about the place and she was telling us about her husband( btw, he studied in Christ!! Where I was studying at the time) and made the experience unbelievably personal...

Honestly, her husband sounds like someone we would have loved to know.. Want to go back one day and find everything about him and write a book on him.. the small insight she gave about how they got married itself( love marriage!) tells me his life would have been really crazy.. And you should see his picture too... so crazy looking!!! Have to come back and find out more about him for sure!! Me and Sanjay were sitting and wondering how it would have been for him to have started the restaurant since it was pretty obvious that he was from a well off family( just imagine going back home and saying 'Mom, I want to be a cook, for a profession!!!')
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It's been 2 and half years since I wrote this. It still haunts me in a beautiful way. And I still have to get back and learn the rest of the story. Yet another dream to bring true!

Take care,
Phil and his muse!

P.S : Do forgive the 2009 kid who was extremely careless with language!
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