Travels from my TV

Visiting locales made familiar by TV shows can be a thrilling experience

 

Rarely have I waited so impatiently for a TV series to drop than I did for the second season of White Lotus (Disney Hotstar). Not because I had loved the first season – though I did – but because season two was shot in a location in which I had celebrated my birthday barely a month ago. The Four Seasons San Domenico Palace in Taormina Sicily was where the action was this season and I could hardly wait to see those familiar sights on my TV screen.

 

And there they were: the mesmerizing view of Mount Etna, standing majestically in the distance; the formal gardens of the hotel laid out in symmetrical harmony; the dazzling blue of the infinity swimming pool which merged seamlessly into the shimmering waters of the Ionian Sea. There was a special thrill in seeing all the places that I had made mine not so long ago transformed into the set of a TV show.

 

It was also a strange feeling because until now, I had experienced this process only in reverse. This was the first time I was seeing a location I was familiar with brought to life on the screen. Until now, I had always got my first glimpse of beautiful locales on TV shows and movies and then gone on to see them in real life. 

 

My first experience of this phenomenon was in Udaipur nearly three decades ago when I visited the Lake Palace hotel for the first time – except for me, it was less a hotel than the set of the movie, Octopussy, where it had served as the lair of the eponymous Bond villain. There was a special thrill to wandering the terraces and courtyards and recognizing them from scenes in the movie, following in the footsteps of James Bond (or Roger Moore) himself. The high point of my visit was taking a turn in the lake in the Gangaur boat, though sadly, it didn’t come with the bevy of beauties featured in the movie.

 

More recently, I found myself retracing the movements of Game of Thrones characters on a trip to Spain. I hadn’t actively set out to visit GOT locales but as it turned out my destination, Seville, was bang in the middle of Thrones territory. Right beside my hotel was the Royal Alcazar, which had featured in the series. So, how could I possibly resist a visit to the fictional water gardens of Sunspear, the ancestral home of the Prince of Dorne? 

 

Once I had taken that bait, there was no stopping me. Next up was the Osuna bullring, which serves the fighting pit in Meereen. Then it was time for an excursion to the ruins of Italica just outside Seville, a giant amphitheater which was the location of the Dragonpit in the series. And my final stop was in neighbouring Cordoba, whose Roman bridge did duty as the Long Bridge of Volantis in the TV series.

 

My appetite thus whetted I was ready to visit some historical locations made famous in popular entertainment on a trip to London as well. Having failed to persuade my husband to accompany me, I set off on a solo trip to the Tower of London, the place where Anne Boleyn was famously beheaded on the green. Next on my list was Hampton Court, where Queen Elizabeth I – daughter of the unfortunate Anne – spent so much of her youth. 

 

It was the Netflix series, Versailles, that sent me on a tour of the real-life palace, to be dazzled by the hall of mirrors and captivated by the beauty of its formal gardens. And now that I am re-watching The Crown, in anticipation of the new season dropping, I am suddenly seized by the desire to travel to Balmoral Castle, which rumor has that King Charles will soon turn into a memorial to his mother. 

 

But until that happens, I plan to pencil in a visit to Westminster Abbey, the scene of both the coronation and the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II and where the new King will be crowned next summer. I can’t wait to shout ‘I was there’ as I watch the coronation on television!

Memories of holidays past...

That’s all we have to sustain us as we stay closeted at home this summer

This is usually the time I would be heading out to holiday with my husband, escaping the worst of the Delhi summer. But like all of you reading this column, we are currently homebound, with no prospects of venturing out further than the neighbourhood market for the foreseeable future.

Even if international flights were to resume this month or next, I can’t see myself donning full PPE gear to vacation at some scenic destination. Not that the rest of the world is holding out a welcome banner for us Indians – given that we currently rank third in the list of nations with most infections, we are, for all practical purposes, international pariahs. And the few countries that would take us in would insist on a 14-day quarantine, which is about the length of the average vacation.

Of course, there is always the possibility of vacationing somewhere within driving distance of our city. Agra and Jaipur come to mind but, honestly, who would want to drive a few hours to another equally hot destination, and become prisoners of their hotel rooms rather than their homes? You could drive to the hills but most states are asking for a fortnight’s home quarantine, which doesn’t exactly make for a memorable vacation.

So, it’s time to face up to some tough, incontrovertible facts. We aren’t going anywhere this summer. We have to stay home and make the best of it. And my way of doing that is to dwell in the memories of holidays past, so that I can satisfy my wanderlust in my mind, if nowhere else.

Here, in no particular order, are some of the holiday memories that have sustained me as I continue to isolate within my home.

Japan: This was the most magical vacation ever. The night we arrived in Tokyo was the day that the sakura – as the cherry blossom is known as in Japan – flowered. The next day, along with what seemed like the rest of the city, we headed for the central park to feast our eyes on this magnificent sight. The Japanese have a name for this activity; they call it hanami. And as we mingled with the locals amidst the blooming cherry blossom trees – which took in every shade from white to a deep pink – we truly felt part of the inner life of the city. In those transcendent moments, it was easy to forget that we were just tourists and come to believe that the city, and its beauty, belonged to us as well.

Spain: I know that everyone raves about the energy of Barcelona and that the stately beauty of Madrid has its fans as well. But while I love both these cities too, when I sit back and dream of Spain, it is Seville that comes into view. The shimmering gardens of the Alcazar and its magnificent buildings – familiar to Game of Thrones viewers as the Palace of Dorne – had an almost unreal beauty to them as we wandered through in a veritable daze. And it was from Seville that we drove a couple of hours to visit the legendary Alhambra, the castle built by the Moors, in Granada. We were so blown away by its magnificence that we ended up visiting it twice!

Italy: Rome has its antiquities and Milan is justly celebrated as the centre of Italian fashion and style. But is there a more stunning city in the entire world than Venice? I think not. I first visited it more than a decade ago, arriving in the dead of winter when there were no hordes of tourists cluttering up the streets and piazzas. And as I wandered the near-empty alleys gazing on the jewel-like buildings, wandered wide-eyed through the museums and explored the tiny canals that wound their way through sleepy neighbourhoods, I fell in love with this city. I have been back several times since, each time discovering a new facet of Venice which makes me adore it anew.

England: Every summer, London turns into India central, with everyone from Delhi to Mumbai to Ahmedabad and Nasik making their way to this city. For most affluent Indians, summer holidays mean London, even if they are just using as a take-off point to head elsewhere in Europe. Which is why I much prefer London later in the year when the temperatures drop a little and the tourist throngs thin out. That’s when I can make the most of its splendid parks, its superb museums, and its buzzy restaurant scene. Though I must confess that of late when I think of England, it’s not London that comes to mind first. It’s the English countryside in general, and Oxfordshire in particular, where I spent a blissful birthday in the sylvan surrounds of Soho Farmhouse.

Maldives: This one is an eternal favourite, and I have visited it almost every year for the past decade or so. And what I have discovered is that it doesn’t matter where you go in the Maldives, or which hotel you stay at. What makes this destination memorable is the amazing water that encompasses every shade of blue, the pristine white sand beaches, and the blazing sunshine that makes every corner of your resort brighter and more beautiful. There are no distractions as you would have in a city, so you have no choice but to relax, enjoy the view, and order up another cocktail. Bliss!