As I awoke, I decided to have a peek out the window just like I did that first morning in New Delhi. The sun was just beginning to peek around the mountain side and it's first rays were being cast upon our balcony and the stately courtyard below.
It was time for breakfast and breakfast was as grand as the Hotel.
On offer were fresh waffles with fresh blueberries and cream, Three fresh scrambled eggs with truffles, various Rajasthani dishes among others. There were also the usual assortment of breads, cheeses, fruits and fresh juices. I'm sorry if I couldn't elaborate more, I couldn't look past the freshly cooked waffles. Deeeeelish! (I can't believe I used the word "fresh" 5 times in one paragraph)
One surprising and impressive thing that happened over breakfast was that the Hotel GM, Jan Tibaldi, personally came over to ask how we were doing. As we were already done with breakfast, he proceeded to take our plates and silverware away. I was floored! This is the one and only time this has happened to me. I have never seen a General Manager do that before, and with a sincere smile to boot.
As we were still awaiting the appointed time of our pickup from the hotel, I took the opportunity to walk around and relish the hotel grounds.
If Jaipur's palette consisted of calm, muted pastel shades, Udaipur's was an explosion of bright, bold and vibrant colors. Go ahead, go back to Day 4 and compare.
Our guide for this city, Narayan Kharwar, introduced Udaipur to us as a City of Lakes. That in itself should be enough to convince anyone to visit. Sometimes called the "Venice of the East", its numerous lakes are made more picturesque by the numerous peaks that rise up around them.
No visit will be complete without a cruise around Lake Pichola. We initially by-passed the City Palace, got on a boat and did the touristy thing.
You cannot ignore this part of the City Palace as it has been converted into a hotel with a majestic view of the lake. Below this is a bigger vista of the City Palace from the Lake.
Another famous landmark is the Lake Palace. It is now a hotel operated by the Taj Group that appears to be calmly floating on top of the waves.
A view of the Oberoi from the lake.
It's not all hotels that you will see, although architecturally they make for very interesting subjects. These women come to these lakeside steps to do their laundry. The bright hues from their saris make for a very lively photo.
Our intended destination is the Jag Mandir. It is a garden Palace completed on one of two natural islands on the lake by Maharana Jagat Singh. The Royal Family used this place as a summer resort and party venue.
Working our way back to shore and into the City Palace grounds we had to walk by the residence of the current Maharaja. As an invitation to visit and a cup of tea were not forthcoming I had to content myself with a photo of his abode as a memento.
This facade of the museum part of the City Palace contains an image of a sun god statue made of gold. The Maharanas of Mewar are considered descendants of the sun god.
I saw this group of windows in a courtyard and realized that each one of them had a different lattice design. This kind of patchwork expression can be seen throughout the palaces and monuments of Northern India.
The city as seen from atop the Palace. I was told that the price of land here has skyrocketed in the last three years from 2009. Not that I have any intentions.
Understandably with a panorama like this and with numerous expansive courtyards, the Palace has a number of windows and balconies one can use to admire the view.
The windows on this side look out to the lake. I think a friend of mine would classify this design under "shabby chic" (or not so shabby sheik?)
Culturally, one art form that evolved to a high degree of expertise are the miniature paintings that dot a lot of the walls. The images are so tiny and yet are so detailed. Here have a look. The original size of this portion is probably about 4 x 6 inches.
After a bit of shopping, there was a bit of time left to check out the Saheliyon-ki-Bari. This translates to "Courtyard of the Maidens" and is actually more than just a courtyard. It is an expansive bath and garden that would put some water theme parks to shame. This park was built so that the Queen and her 48 women attendants (which were part of her dowry) could have a private place to relax. This place was off limits to men except for the King. It's good to be whom?
The sun was about to dip behind the Mountains of Udaipur and our energy levels were running on empty. This was after all our fourth city in six days. It was exhilarating as it was exhausting. It was an experience to tell the grand kids. Maybe some of them will get to read this and realize that their grandpappy could tell a story. Pardon me if I wax with some sentiment, the recounting of this expedition is a first for me.
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