French Riviera Experience & our good old Dal-Rice

Just when I ranted about fresh air and sunshine, it rained whole day today.. This weather is really jinxed.. Last week in France was just the opposite.. no chili winds, no unpredictable drizzle. After getting myself lost in the French Riviera, it was terrible to come back to the land of rains and wind. Plus the crashing incident that happened at the Airport where we left our Visa Card in our Check-in bag was annoying then but laughable later. Overall a good, refreshing  spree to the Coast..

As usual,  I spent half of the time clicking pictures and half admiring the greatest pieces of art work I have encountered in my life. The pictures and art work at St. Paul’s was amazing.. I am no art-collector but loved every single piece..

Many of those were the type I had never seen before in any of the Art Galleries I have been in Europe. Depicted the love of Frenchmen towards Art and antiques.. 

We stayed in Nice which is a beautiful place on its own. You can easily spend 3-4 days just wandering in the streets.. it kind of matches up with the romantic and musical spirit of Paris. With beautifully vast beach, colorful housetops and that typical European greenery all across.. Big brands and Fashion houses was just a bonus :D

The very best thing I loved about Nice was its Airport which runs right from the Sea to the side of the beach. Amazing view it was !!! The journey towards the Airport is another time where you cant take your eyes off the road side. 

  

Scenic views from top while heading towards Monaco and Eze were spectacular… wish I could have visited the same place at night as well for some more photographs…  If you ever go there, this amazing Cactus Garden is a must to visit in Eze. With a lot of species from all around the world, the view from the top was just Breath-taking. Surrounded by Sea on two sides and Mountains on rest, this is a place you would not want to miss if you go there. 

This rant can’t be completed without adding the experience of gambling in the Casino of Monte Carlo which was one of its own.. having said that, I didn’t win anything but the overall experience of loosing £50 was a bit overwhelming :P

Coming back to the real world, the only good thing in coming back to was food. France is no treat in food for vegetarians. You really have to be aware of the right restaurants and places, which we didn’t have that much time for. I had to settle down on Pizza at least once every day.. which isn’t that bad, if you want  to have it. But when everyone else around is gorging on different dishes, it’s hard not to feel outdated and cornered. Some days, if I were lucky I did get Pasta or Risotto but that was it. And yes, warm Paninis were a real life saver, only if you get them everywhere. Such a treat it was have a Panini with a warm Cuppa ( yes, they dont serve hot Coffee btw )

So yes, the food was a major factor I wanted to come back home. And the first thing we had was plain Dal-Rice. There is nothing and absolutely nothing more divine than plain Dal-Rice combined with potato Sabzi or Yogurt. All said and done, the food on which you have grown up is the best. Whether its Dal-Rice, Idli-Sambhar or Puri-Aalu, you feel that ultimate satisfaction only when you eat it after having all the different worldwide Cuisines.. Isnt it ?? 

Some recipes for Dal, Rice and Potato Subzi are given below... just scribble through them and pick your fvourite for your next after-voyage meal... :)

Dal Makhni 

Bengali Daal 

Punjabi Dhaba Daal 

Sukhi Daal Amritsari

Garlic Green Rice

Betroot Tawa Pulao

Coconut Rice 

Cyao !