Signature Club Resort – Staycation

Posted on May 16, 2018 by Caroline Radhakrishnan

When you want to take off on a vacation but do not have the time, then you go really close to the airport and pretend to fly away 😀 And that could work out well for you if it is the The Signature Club Resort (SCR) that you are visiting because this place takes you away from the hustle and bustle of the city and gives you all that you could have wanted on a holiday, including resort facilities as well as sight seeing options in the historical surroundings.

Brought to you by the well known Brigade group, this club resort is set in 2 acres of the 130 acre, vast, longitudinal property aptly named Brigade Orchards, that includes apartments, villas, a host of  amenities and of course delightful mango orchards that tantalize you with low hanging fruit in summers.

I was invited to a staycation at the SCR and being the month of May, I had the advantage of gazing delightedly at fully loaded mango trees.

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The Whitehouse Diner

Posted on May 10, 2018 by Caroline Radhakrishnan

Would you take a successful formula, do away with the winning ingredients, put together another brand and expect to pull it off again ? Well Charles Hayward went wayward and did exactly that 😀

The owner of the very successful 5 year old Connie’s Steakhouse  which is famed for its pork and beef, has now come up with his new baby called The White House Diner (TWHD).

This place unlike its completely meat oriented continental (Connie’tinental ?) sibling, aims to solve the dilemma of their non beef and pork eating diners, by eliminating them (the meats, not the diners :-D) and staying with chicken, lamb, seafood and also a few vegetarian options.

I was invited to taste the cuisine and experience the place and the company of Charles with his anecdotes and stories, and of course the plate loads of food, made my lunch a very hearty and entertaining affair.

 

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The Minister’s Mansion – Kanthalloor – Part 2 – Activities

Posted on April 19, 2018 by Caroline Radhakrishnan

This is a 2 part series that is continued from Minister’s Mansion, Kanthalloor-An Overview

Kanthalloor and its surroundings are a part of the Shola evergreen forest ranges and the rugged terrain provides scenic beauty in the form of waterfalls, mountain views, eucalyptus forests and the wildlife that they hold within.

In addition, the vast range of organic and exotic fruits, vegetables and flowers grown there, make for a very exciting time for lovers of such produce.

 

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The Minister’s Mansion – Kanthalloor – Part 1 – An Overview

Posted on April 18, 2018 by Caroline Radhakrishnan

(A 2 part series on the Minister’s Mansion, Kanthalloor, Kerala which includes the overview and the sightseeing)

Is a Plum assignment defined as a great job to have or a project where Plums hang within reach of your nose ?

The latter is exactly what my latest adventure is about. And not just plums but several exotic fruits within my heart’s reach !!!

Now what would come to mind when one hears the words apple, peach, plum, pear, deodar and ‘Chinnar’ ? Kashmir … or Shimla perhaps ? Would you consider Kerala as a possibility ??? Highly unlikely right ?

Well, while Chinnar is the name of the adjoining wildlife sanctuary (and merely sounds like the Chinar tree), the rest of the trees indeed flourish in this little hill station called Kanthalloor, my latest discovery, that is actually known as the Shimla of Kerala. And when I say known, I mean by the very few people who are aware of its existence.

My stay was at the utterly charming Minister’s Mansion in the little village and this 2 part narration will take you through an overview of this holiday home as well as the sight seeing attractions in the surrounding forests and mountains.

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Akshayakalpa – Part 3- Organic vegetable garden

Posted on April 14, 2018 by Caroline Radhakrishnan

(A 3 part narrative that includes the Concept and Dairy Farms in Part 1, the Main Dairy plant in part 2  and the Vegetable garden in Part 3)

Organic vegetable cultivation – 

At Akshayakalpa, a half acre patch in the premises is used for growing their own organic vegetables which are used in the canteen for the staff meals, used for generating seeds and compost and are also sold in the market.

The original soil has been excavated and then refilled with soil from an organic source.

The garden is under the extremely green thumb of the demure Rathnamma, who manages all the gardening work.

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