Looking back from Kulri
A shared burden
Toothpaste and milk? "We provide the complete morning ..."
The sun creeping in. Nice?
A WTF moment
I huffed up the last few steps of the footpath and asked about “Bond Saheb ka ghar” from a man sitting in the sun. He grinned and pointed. “Up there, on the second floor”. Eh? I had expected a little cottage with a garden, not an apartment in a little crumbling house. I actually blurted out “Bas, this is it?!”
A ramrod-straight, tweed-clad, grey-whiskered Sikh gent who was passing took offence and rebuked me. “He is a very good man. Great men are simple.” I tried to explain that I had read about Mr. Bond’s garden gate. The gentleman’s ire subsided. He explained that the “garden gate” was actually a wicket leading from the first-floor landing to the second floor. I nodded sagely. And passed on to gaze reverently upon The Man’s window for a while.
Later, my friend asked me why I didn’t just ring the bell. Some people have NO sense. Who would like to have their morning disrupted by some stranger with a camera (and, truth to tell, a thirst. I’ve read somewhere that Mr. Bond likes his beer)? But it would have been nice to see his Yoda-like visage.
Mr. Bond's house
there's a DH Lawrence poem like that)
His neighbourhood
From a little way down that road, I could see
I also felt very stupid that I had never made the pilgrimage when I lived in Mussoorie. Oh well, better late ....
**** ****
22 comments:
I've never been to Mussourie, but from your post I can feel the exhilarating freshness of the air, can smell the earth and the scent of flowers; it brings a smily to my eyes :)
We gathered courage to walk up to Mr Bond's door, only to be told he'd just that morning left for Delhi.
Isn't Landour heavenly? What I wouldn't give to go there again.
we've been planning a 3-4 day off (Official Fun & Frolic)-site for the last month ... I read your blog and realised my co has a guest house in Mussourie.
Hmmmmm .........
pardone ... a holiday home, some place called Camel Back Rd ...
We like Egg Shop.
For me hill stations have some sort of yolky relationship. I don't eat much of eggs otherwise. But in hillstations - there is nothing like am omlette. With bread.
I wonder.
Mmmmm... Mussourie. Haven't been there for ages. I think morning doesn't break as spectacularly anywhere else.
Stalker..... heehee...
Lovely shots. Mussourie's one name on my list of places to visit - sadly don't think I'll have the chance to go travelling around India any time in the near future. :\
Priya, that was the Charleville ramble. This walk was on paved roads.
Marauder, farther afield next time.
Bonatellis, wait till the holiday invasion is over. October - clear weather, crisp chill, great views, lower prices. Camel'S Back Road should be good, it's out behind the ridge.
Neha, I prefer omElettes. Slightly runny, with sliced "quarters", eaten off a steel plate while sitting on a bench.
Hutum Bhaya, apatoto "is raat ki subah nahin". Aashchhe boshhor abaar hobe.
Plump, for psectacular mornings you really have to go up above 10,000 ft.
Salil, sympathies. Meantime, vineyards will have to do. Why no pics of the vines?
J.A.P.
Comment 3: I had a different picture of Bond house in my imagination grown out of his stories and interviews.
Comment 2. Don't remember to have seen so many eggs in a single store.
Comment 1. Nice post.
aha!pilgrimage !
-trivialmonk
lovely post....the snaps are superb...so much that i cant resist but ask..."which camera do u use?"
oops dont bother to answer....got the answer in one of ur comments....going thru ur posts....no work today :))
i must say once again.....amazing snaps!!
ei dayal babar brityanto ar ganteer britryaanto jana ache tomar...shei thikujir post ta kothay?
JAP, the trick to securing entry into Bond's house is having Ursula Andress with you.
//dated reference. Hmpf. Egg-eating Neha wouldn't know who Ms. Andress is.
apologies for lowering the standards of the discourse, but isn't an omlette a little om? and by that criterion, isn't an ursula a great bear? and doesn't a great bear provide direction to navigators?
I read a few pasages from Mr.Bond's work when I went to beautiful Mussourie. Now, I know where he lives and will try to venture some day.
JAP, which corners of the world have you not trodden? Mr. Bond's home must be inspiration indeed. His writing certainly provides many garlands of memories.
Aha.. I didn't know I could get so nostalgic so soon!
I made that particular pilgrimage towards the end of FC, and I saw (not met) Mr. Bond too!
beeeoootiphool.
Nothing else will do.
Did not get overrun by the honeymooners?
So whatever did Mr. Bond have to say? "My name is Bond - Ruskin Bond" ?
wow! i remember before I went to his house I imagined a cottage out of English novels and I thought he'll feed us cookies and all that!! His house is lovely though! :) muchly i like the photos .
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