"This ode to love shimmers in the moonlight, floats in the early morning mists and mesmerises with its changing shades at sunset. More than simply a building, it’s the greatest gift one man ever bestowed on his beloved." ~ Rhino Africa

Our adventure to the Taj Mahal...

began in Jaipur, 

supposedly a four hour drive away.

Only if you plow over a few cows lounging in the middle of the "highway", 

 horse drawn carts meandering from one field to the next...

or a party of goats on their way to happy hour.

Best to be mentally prepared for a six to seven hour drive

 and be pleasantly surprised if it is less.

Tip #1

Savvy travelers have reported a better experience driving from Delhi.

Newer "highway" and only three hours.

Also, Jaipur deserves your full attention without a side trip to Agra.

Meanwhile,  

our expected arrival of 4:00 p.m.

 instead found us arriving around 6:30 p.m. just as dusk descended on The Taj Mahal.

The moment I entered the lobby and peered out the back window...

 the voice of Frank Costanza...

whispered 'serenity now'...

'serenity now'.

Tip #2

Spend at least one night at The Oberio Amarvilas.

You will thank me later.

After a lovely dinner including the best lentil soup ever tasted,

the culinary team shared their recipe
 along with a thank you for my appreciation.
Thank.YOU.culinaryteam. 

In order to beat the crowds,

our morning began before sunrise,

 with coffee and croissants served in the bar

 where we met our guide who then escorted us by golf cart

 (another benefit of The Oberoi) 

to the gates of The Taj.

Monkey business kept us entertained... 

while waiting for the gates to open...

to get our first peek...

of this white marble mausoleum.

Tip #3
Arrange a guide for your visit to The Taj.

Their knowledge is helpful of course...

but their ability to clear the area for THE photo is worth every rupee.

As we were leaving...

the crowd was growing...

and the clouds began to threaten.

Back at the Oberoi...

we were entranced by sounds of the bansuri...

and the whiffs of breakfast...

before heading back to our room...

for coffee and a private view of The Taj.

"One of the most well-known highlights of the Great Ocean Road is The Twelve Apostles. Situated in the Port Campbell National Park, the massive limestone structures that tower 45 metres above the tempestuous Southern Ocean, leave its visitors awe-struck in wonder at their size and beauty. Behind the eight remaining stacks (five have fallen since their discovery) are majestic cliffs, around 70 metres high." ~ visitgreatoceanroad.org.au

It would be a travesty to move on...

 to more recent travels...

before sharing the beauty of our road trip...

 along the Great Ocean Road in Australia.

 Small villages await with beaches for human play...

and for dogs to chase birds.

You can whiz by or stop... 

and enjoy some refreshments under the shade of these umbrellas.

From Melbourne...

the 275 Km (170 miles) drive west...

offers quite the reminder of the impact...

wind and water...

have on land...

with the poetic remnants left behind.

This adventure discovering the coast...

is well worth the effort and time...

especially when your day ends...

in the quaint village...

of Port Campbell...

where you choose a lovely place to rest your head.

We left Port Campbell the next morning...

and were pleasantly surprised with camels in a field of cows

 as well as the non-coastal part of our road trip.

"I am proud that I have found my own, very personal imaginative way of decorating. I was raised in the love of Polish literature and history of art. In such an atmosphere there develops the sensitivity to beauty and curiosity about the world. Dear to me are both Impressionism with its ephemerally of feelings and Art Nouveau with its anxiety and asymmetry. I think that designing and searching for new, universal decorations for different works of pottery is a commercial form of taking from the heritage of Young Poland, a trend in the Polish literature of the turn of the 20th century in which the border between art and craft was obliterated." ~Maryla Iwicka, Master Signature Artist

Now…

about this Polish Pottery!

Before moving to Aberdeen I had never heard of such a thing.

 Many natives of Poland live in the UK so I have become aware of highly educated people who are living away from their homeland,

taking manual labor jobs to support their families back in Poland.

I am, on the other hand, quite familiar with pottery.

My home in Texas is filled with Talavera treasures acquired while living in Mexico, 

but who knew there were more colorful creations just waiting on the shelves of factory…

after factory…

after factory,

in what used to be the small town of Bunzlau, Germany 

and now the city of Boleslawiec, Poland, 

known as the 'ceramics city'.

But I am getting ahead of myself.

Waking up way too early,

before the crack of dawn,

was the price we were willing to pay for an additional afternoon of shopping.

The airport in Frankfurt provided sustenance…

and a random surprise realization that my favorite hosiery was born in nearby Austria.

Our flight into Dresden took us even closer to our final destination…

where we picked up the perfect vehicle for all of our shopping needs.

Our men back home were a wee bit jealous of our ride 

and a few heads turned in town 

as six ladies with one solitary goal 

moved through the city with precision,

due to our excellent navigator and driver.

Thanks Susan and Jillian!

What began as simple dots…

known as the "Pfauenauge", or "Peacocks Eye"...

over the years has become…

and a feast for the eyes.

We were fortunate to see the pottery in its beginning stages…

before being placed on a shelf to wait…

for one of the artists…

 to choose their next canvas.

Some pieces are signed by the more famous craftsmen.

Needless to say,

each afternoon,

we shopped until the sun was setting…

beyond the rooftops, 

as if beckoning us to enjoy the other factories on the horizon.

Happy Tuesday.