(^6) travelandleisureindia.in FOR MORE PHOTOS FROM OUR TRAVELS
FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM @TRAVELANDLEISUREINDIA
Team Note
DECEMBER 2017
Postcards From Us
SIMON CLAYS
It’s a close-run thing, but after a year of hectic
travel that’s taken me across three continents,
it has to be a recent trip to London that tips
it. It was my first time back in almost three
years to the day and it was a total tonic to see
the old city with fresh eyes. Washed away
was the jaundice of having worked in the city
for over a decade and the daily drudgery of a
monotonous commute. Gone were the daily
stresses of making ends meet in a city renowned
for its crippling rents and caustic cab fares.
To drink in the city’s architectural marvels
without fretting about a gas bill, to gaze into
that ‘dirty old river’ as it drifts along without
worrying which bit of the Northern Line was
strangled by delays, a joy. Best of all, I was
staying at Café Royal, itself a timeless icon of
the city, perched on a corner where Piccadilly
meets Regent’s Street. A place whose guest
roster is a who’s who of Prime Ministers, rock
stars, and artists, and whose every marble tile,
and ornate mirror boasts a story. Magical.
Best of all, I was staying at Café Royal, itself a timeless icon of the city,
perched on a corner where Piccadilly meets Regent’s Street.
I will think about Armenia, a curious country where I stood atop the dramatic
Khor Virap monastery on a spring morning like a monarch watching over the
Turkish border for signs of life.
FROM LEFT: COURTESY OF CAFÉ ROYAL; G&M THERIN-WEISE/GETTYIMAGES
ANWESHA SANYAL
There is always that one moment I steal for
myself at the very end of the year to sit and
think about the time gone by. I’m typically
on my terrace at this point, with a glass of
pinot noir in the dead of the night, my mind
galivanting between the best and worst
decisions I’ve made. Almost always, the good
ones are about travel and the chances I’ve taken
to move beyond my comfort zone. Inevitably,
a doozy smile spreads across my face.
This year, I will think about Armenia,
a curious country where I stood atop the
dramatic Khor Virap monastery on a spring
morning like a monarch watching over the
Turkish border for signs of life; gate crashed
an adult birthday party and foot tapped with a
young journalist who brought me there; found
a woman who would later show me the power
of relationships by being a mother. I’ve let this
year be about memories I can carry forward to
the next year: of people, places, and experiences.
So should you. Happy travels.
Travel can transform you in more ways than one. As the year draws to a close, we share one journey
that stood out. Let this be a precursor to stories you will document when you bid the year adieu.
8 travelandleisureindia.in
elle
(Elle)
#1