Travel Archives - Angela Cave

A little bit of history about cashmere …….

Treats to come…..and a little bit of the history of cashmere.

The Empress Josephine of France might not have been great at choosing partners, but her wardrobe was simply marvellous. Amongst many treasures, she possessed over 200 beautiful cashmere shawls so was obviously a woman of sartorial taste and elegance!

Cashmere, and its use in clothing, has a long history. Marco Polo is reputed to have remarked on the fine quality of the woven cloth when he popped into Kashmir on his travels and Kashmiri traders have been sharing their wonderful wares with us for several hundred years.

There are some wonderful images by artists such as William Simpson of the weavers at work. William Simpson – 1823-1899 – was a Scottish journalist and water colour artist working as a war correspondent. In 1859 he was sent by his employers, the Illustrated London News, to cover the Indian Mutiny of 1857 and also to send back sketches. The artist arrived at Calcutta on 29 October 1859 and travelled widely in Northern and Central India and the Himalayas and Kashmir. In February 1862, he returned to England having drawn about 250 sketches which were later published as a book in 1867 and give a wonderful insight into the country and its artisans.

Even Jane Austin was apparently not averse to a fine shawl – very handy when sitting at ones desk writing – I have a cashmere scarf around my neck as I write this, tho that is where the similarity between me and Jane Austen ends, as you might have guessed.

The more traditional designs are simply wonderful, and I have ordered just a few of the very fine large ones which will be winging their way to me shortly. If we are allowed to have picnics, garden operas, outdoor music and the like then a big snuggly cashmere shawl is very handy on a less than balmy British summer evening. Should we get lucky and have a hot summer cashmere is great too, it has very good wicking qualities so there is just no excuse not to add one to your wardrobe. I have also ordered some very fine soft wool pashminas, dyed to order, in the loveliest of pastel shades, plus some modern patterns in silk, silk wool and cotton silk mixes – see the pics below, they are just gorgeous. I will also have some scarves bearing parrots & peonies, how exciting is that!

As soon as I know when I can be out and about again, I will give you dates of where I will be and in the meantime I, like most of us, am dreaming of summer and just a little freedom and I hope that you are all safe and well.

Angela

Cavea23@gmail.com

If you want more info, or have a special occasion and want a particular colour match do let me know, I can get shawls, pashminas and scarves dyed to order – there is a little lead time due to delivery from India so do get in touch in good time.

Spanish River cruise

Spain is a country with so many landscapes within its 17 autonomous regions that it would take a lifestyle to explore each in detail. It was therefore a pleasure to spend two weeks dipping in and out of some of its major cities, sailing around its shores and then turning up the Guadalquivir River to Seville and Cadiz, where it was party time for the four ships in the Fred Olsen fleet as they moored together for only the second time in their history – so seeing old friends and making new ones was certainly part of the trip.

We sailed from Southampton on MS Braemar on a sunny, still day and so were able to be on deck and enjoying the excitement – flying is one sort of holiday experience but sailing away on holiday always holds a frisson of voyages past and new horizons, and you don’t have to remove your belt and shoes!

Our first port of call was in fact not Spain at all but Portugal. Lisbon, and with a whole day to explore we set off early with guide book in hand. Having a Portuguese friend, I was armed with some insider tips and so went straight to the totally wonderful Santa Justa Lift. The lift dates from the 19^th c, and the structure is resplendent with neo-gothic arches and geometric designs, while inside the polished wood carriages transport passengers up in great style to the viewing platform which gives amazing views of the Baixa district. Our head for heights seriously tested we then felt the need for some sustenance and a Pastéis de Nata was swiftly dispatched with a good expresso, and we then went in search of a shot of cherry brandy – it is a tradition, so had to be tried! Served from a tiny booth, our Ginjenga was expertly poured to ensure that we had a small wild cherry in each tiny glass and judging by the numbers of local customers this is a very popular tradition indeed.

Almeria gave us the opportunity to explore a part of Andalucia that was, for many years, a barren and harsh landscape where the only source of income was the sale of a particular type of indigenous grass collected and sold to visiting British ships who transported it back to the UK for use in the production of glass. Fortunes changed when a young film producer who couldn’t afford to make films in the US discovered that the area was an ideal substitution for the background to westerns- and so the spaghetti western was born, bringing much needed jobs and money to the area. Oasys is the mini Hollywood set where films such as ‘The Good, The Bad and The Ugly’ and ‘For a Few Dollars More’ were made and is an entertaining way to see the landscape and indulge in a little ‘Yee Ha’ fun too, never a bad thing to discover your inner cowgirl!

: Castles and crenellations

: Fabulous fans

: Stunning Seville

Malaga offered wonderful tapas in the central market, tiny deep fried octopus, clams with chilli, grilled sardines and some excellent and slightly frizzante white wine enjoyed whilst the hurly burly of the market went on around us. The dazzling displays of lemons and oranges, tomatoes and peaches were testament to the acres of land devoted to fruit and vegetable production said to serve almost the whole of Europe. An afternoon spent in the charming village of Mijas del Pueblo was a break from the city and the white, white buildings and balconies full of flowers made the climbs up and down the steep narrow streets a reward in themselves.

Gibralter was, as might be expected, a welcoming port of call for a British ship and having been before and taken the cable car to the top we opted to walk to the Trafalgar Cemetery – a cool and shady respite on a hot day and then to The Rock Hotel from whose sunny terrace you can see for miles,

Seville was truly a revelation, the pavilions built originally for the Iberio American exhibition in 1928 stand as a testimony to the architects that designed each one to reflect the style of that country and the grandest of them all is the very grand flourish that is the Plaza de España.

This is a truly amazing centrepiece to the city and I can think of no other where you can climb into a rowing boat and float amidst porcelain pedestals and tiled fountains. When a gentle breeze is blowing you can catch a cooling spray from the central fountain and just stand and take in the whole panorama which must truly be one of the finest centrepieces to any city.

Flamenco is at the heart of Seville and we were therefore delighted to spend an evening at the iconic El Patio Sevillano situated right next to the bullring, where flamenco has been performed since 1952 and where great flamenco figures such as El Farruco and Manuel Vargas started their artistic careers. This was the sort of flamenco that comes from deep within, stamping and whirling and showing joy and pain, love and despair and we were treated to some outstanding dancing from the performers – whose concentration and passion was etched across their faces.

As we were overnight in Seville and moored within a few minutes’ walk from the centre, the following day we took a horse and carriage, along with about 20 other couples from the ship, and our large carriage flotilla made a great flourish as it clipped and jangled its way through the streets, the warm stone walls throwing the sound back at us. It gave us a taste of what the city must have sounded like when horses were the only mode of transport and we cut rather a dash in our shiny and stylish carriages. The heat of the afternoon was mitigated by a stop at the Hotel Alfonso X111 which is to Seville what the George V is to Paris, a Grande dame indeed just a stone’s throw from the Cathedral, and a glass of chilled white wine set us up for some more exploring. An excursion to the bodega of Tio Pepe in Jerez was a fascinating insight into production of the drink that graces many a British drinks cabinet and we were charmed to see the very small glass of sherry set out daily for the mouse population of the cellars – with a little ladder to enable them to reach the glass and take a sip – I did listen hard to hear signs of singing mice, but perhaps they were sleeping it off.

Our last port of call was Cadiz and we set off to explore in the cool of the morning. There is something magical about being in a city when it is just waking up, the rattle of shutters rising, the sound of brooms on balconies and the camaraderie of being out and about before the rest of the population is reason enough to forgo breakfast – and early morning bars are always available to provide an eye-opening espresso. Cadiz is one of Europe’s oldest cities and its maritime heritage is reflected, literally, in the gold tiles on the cathedral allowing sailors to see it from their ships. We walked around the walls with the turquoise sea glittering below and with the heat of the day beginning to press on us we headed back to the Plaza Del Ayuntamiento where celebrations were held to commemorate the meeting of all four ships in the Fred Olsen fleet. This was a special occasion and bands and dancers, inter ship competitions and trips to see old friends filled the rest of the day. Our exit from the harbour, all four ships in line with a fire ship accompanying us spouting jets of spray was a fitting end to a truly memorable cruise. River cruising is very different from ocean cruising, sailing through rather than round the countries you visit, and mooring in the heart of cities means that you are immediately in tune with the local atmosphere, sound and sights. If you have never cruised and find an ocean cruise daunting, a river cruise might be just the option – and a small, friendly ship is the ideal way to enjoy it.

“I would sooner be a foreigner in Spain than in most countries. How easy it is to make friends in Spain!” – George Orwell

Angela Cave

Impressions of Southern India

: Colours and impressions

More travels in India, the beauty of the South

Wonderful colours of the banana vendors in Madurai market

The very best way to arrive at one of my favourite ho tels!

2017 is the year of UK-India year of culture – www. uk-india.britishcouncil.in – inaugurated with a spectacular light display across the front of Buckingham Palace. There is a fabulous new film, Viceroy’s House, the Real Marigold Hotel is on our tv, so what better time to head off to India again to explore more of this fascinating, huge and diverse land.

India always surprises and our first day found us centre stage at an Indian wedding at large temple in Chennai. We had gone to visit and were delighted to see a wedding taking place, garlands and gorgeous saris and lots of noise and music. I was keen to ensure that it would be ok to take photos, which it is absolutely was, and we then found ourselves in the photos too! We were even interviewed on the wedding video! I have an image, 20 years on, of distant relatives saying ‘Err, who exactly are they?’

Two days to recuperate in Chennai and then off to explore the culture of Tamil Nadu, not for nothing known as the land of temples.

This is an area less explored by tourists but incredibly rich in ancient temples which still resonate to the sounds of the Tamil poets, reciting from poems and scripts that, though written in the 6th -12th century and even earlier, are as familiar to the temple attendees as our own hymn books. The Brihadeeswarar Temple is one of the largest in India and part of the Unesco World Heritage Site known as the Great Living Chola Temples. Although over 1,000 years old the temple bustles with activity, Brahmins perform their various duties, worshippers queue in the relative cool of the interior, dimly lit by oil lamps and tiny clay puja lamps, bats flutter overhead and the potent smell of incense and jasmine swirls around creating an atmosphere which made me think that I had been transported back to a temple in ancient Greece. It is hard to describe the atmosphere, a heady mix of many unfamiliar sights and sounds, but we were made very welcome and emerging sometime later into the mid-day glare was a shock, almost as if we had been catapulted back into the 21st century by a time machine! The coir mats laid around the site were incredibly welcome as the soles of our feet were seared by the heat of the stone – and the fresh coconuts we purchased to drink on the way out were certainly welcome. On to Pondicherry, a breezy town by the sea with a decidedly French accent, having been a French and still administered as a French enclave – baguettes and bhajees, kepes and kulfi seem to work remarkably well in juxtaposition and the opportunity to stroll along the seafront is always a draw. Our base in Pondicherry was the elegant Palais de Mahe, cool interiors, a welcome pool and, as ever, the friendliest of service. Pondi is a favourite as it is remarkably easy to navigate being set out on a grid system, has some very stylish coffee shops and boutiques and a delightful central park which offers a little relief from the heat of the day – and the addition of fruit bats hanging around in the trees waiting for evening!

After two days of relaxing sea air we headed off to the extraordinary area of Chettinad – erstwhile home of the Chettinars, legendary bankers and traders who celebrated their wealth and success by building huge mansions using the wonderful materials they imported from around the world, from Italian marble to Burmese teak – and cast iron from Birmingham for the staircases. Most of these extraordinary buildings are empty or have a caretaker living in one of the rooms and they are melancholy places echoing with the lost voices of the families who were so proud to build them. However we were fortunate enough to stay in Visalam which is a beautifully restored mansion with cool floors of the famous handmade tiles and glowing walls of crushed shell and ….. There are no mini bars and tvs in the rooms, as that would mean destroying the wonderful walls, but there is a great communal space where a vintage radio plays, you can play one of the old Indian board games or just recline in a vintage chair and watch the butterflies and chickens before strolling to the pool for a cooling dip. There is so much to see and explore here, including the extraordinary horse temples of the region. Dedicated to the God Ayyanar, these temples exist near villages in Tamil Nadu as Ayyanaar is thought to be the protector of villages, riding out at night on his horse to ensure that all is well. Over hundreds of years worshippers have brought terracotta horses to the temple as offerings and these strange and beautifully crafted gifts line the way to the temple itself. Over the years they have become faded and cracked, losing ears and legs and leaning on their neighbours, the sun fades the colours, butterflies land on noses and lizards flick in and out and it is almost impossible to describe the atmosphere of these ancient places, isolated and silent except for the sound of birds.

As ever our driver Joshy was a vital part of everyday life, keeping us safe, avoiding the inevitable driving hazards and organising what needed organising – everyone should have a Joshy! My favourite moment was when he was navigating us through a very busy street, buses everywhere and coming towards us was a traditional bullock cart which he said I absolutely needed to see. Swift u turn and back over the regional border, much to the bemusement of the border police who had just waved us through coming the other way – follow that bullock cart!
The heat of the plains was soon replaced by some cooler air – up into the tea plantations to stay in a thatched villa in the trees, at the Spice Village. This is a place to recharge and rewind, where Langyar monkeys can be seen in the distance, the 50 restaurant ensures that no ingredient has travelled more that 50 kms to your plate and Woods room offers an amazing glimpse into the early days of Lake Periyar, – and a wonderful vintage billiards table. It is also where, when the temperature drops below 27 degrees a hot water bottle is thoughtfully placed in your bed!

Down again to the backwaters and some rest and relaxation – time to sit out and watch the nightly fruit bat fly past at Coconut Lagoon, take a leisurely trip in a slow boat and appreciate life at a slower pace. Children pedalling past on their way to school, smart and proud in their uniforms, Mum doing the dishes, temple music drifting on the air and life on the backwaters gliding past with the flash of a kingfisher. We are always glad to see our friends in these charming and unusual hotels, catch up with what is going on and meet new friends too – it feels like being part of a very big and welcoming family and is very special. So it was with slight trepidation that we were driven a few short miles around the lake to a new experience at the Kumarakom Lake Resort. Situated with open lake views this is where HRH Prince Charles spent a recent birthday – and I have to say he chose well! The setting is stunning and our villa with its own pool was a welcome retreat at the end of an exhausting day relaxing! I had an ayervedic massage which is one of the very special treats that one can have in this part of India – a cultural tradition that is taken very seriously, some treatments require a doctor’s appointment before you start, but my massage with ayurvedic oil was a total treat. The only challenge was, with well oiled feet, making it from the massage couch to the shower, but that safely navigated but I emerged as sleek as an otter!

Our final stop was Kochi, where the latest Marigold incumbents were based – and at last to coincide with a great cultural event – the Biennale, a fabulous and unusual celebration of art. Our base at Brunton Boatyard gave us great views over the iconic Chinese fishing nets, history restaurant gave us innovative and wonderful food and as ever at this end of the holiday the chance to sit back and reflect on old friends and new friends, anticipated pleasures and new discoveries – and the lure that makes us come back time and again to uncover yet more layers of the great culture and welcoming people that is India.

Travellers tips:

Take a torch – essential for frequent powercuts.
If, as comments about our own travels would suggest, you are worried about getting a poorly tum, here are our top tips.
When you get to your hotel put a bottle of mineral water in the middle of the wash hand basin to remind you not to ever put tap water in your mouth, including cleaning teeth.
Take Travel Support pills from a good chemist – putting good bacteria into your gut to fight any baddies you may encounter!
Don’t eat ice cream, and if you can avoid it don’t have ice in your drinks unless you are very sure that it is ok to do so, five star hotels seem ok.
Avoid re heated rice at buffets – wherever you are, this is a really big cause of bad tums.
Be sensible about what you eat and give your tum time to acclimatise – don’t order the hottest dish on the menu to be macho, be good to your digestion!

Our sincere thanks to:
CGHEarth We now consider these hotels our home from home in India, the warmth of the welcome never dims and the commitment and dedication of the staff is quite exceptional.

Kumarakom Lake Resort a very special place, new to us on this trip but already an essential part of the next!

Kuoni who always go the extra mile to ensure that our travels are memorable in the best possible way – and to Joshy our wonderful driver -and friend.

‘If there is one place on the face of earth where all the dreams of living men have found a home from the very earliest days when man began the dream of existence, it is India!”
― Romaine Rolland