many happy returns!

We're finally settled back into our beloved Hyderabad! Our time in Benares was a delight, full of gorgeous architecture and marvellous people, but after a three-day train journey we're quite glad to be back in our cozy flat.

I've returned with two great large trunks of glorious wonders to share...but I shall tell you more about that later. For now, I've a peek for you at the beautiful city along the Ganges where we spent our days!









Swimming in the glorious Ganges again - yes, I did make myself rather miserably ill (again) for subsequent days, but the brief moment of absolute peace I found in the sacred river was well worth any temporal woes!



Here's the mailbox in which I deposited the several letters and postcards I wrote during my stay. I do so adore writing letters, and am always looking for new friends with whom to exchange epic missives - just drop me a note in the comments!



How very stately these two young Indian children are in their smart little school uniforms - and how very, very tired and disoriented I and the lass look after wobbling out of our train!





This jolly old man works diligently in this corner every day, repairing shoes in rain or shine (and a great abundance there is of both)!





A good friend who I met some time ago in Benares gave me a refresher course in screen-printing, and I brought back the works for making some of my own designs. This one (soon to be available at my Etsy) celebrates the droves of small wing'ed and many-legg'ed companions I have here in India - though it was a mosquito which buzzed past my eye in this picture, not a fly...





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Oh the superb day-glow kitsch of circus adverts! I love it when one of the many circuses come to town and I can collect all of their delightful posters.



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India is a city full of lingams - to be exact, phallic imagery which is worshiped in the name of Shiva. Mr.Nutmeg and I are not above the occasional mischievous insinuation...behold the multitudinous lingams in vertiginous size and colour!





The quarters in which we stayed were quite near this lovely shop where a group of friendly men spent all day stirring great large vats of dye while cracking jokes and munching sweet paan, finally draping the vibrantly-coloured garments over anything at hand to billow like great bright sails.





It becomes increasingly clear that the sublimity of Indian architecture could never be properly portrayed by the scope of my paltry lens. I've begun to experiment with capturing it from assorted angles to catch a slight wisp of its magnificence....