DINING ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS:

 DINING ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS:

Today we continue our rail travel theme by dining at the Orient Express. 

This dining venue is themed around the legendary train that travels across Europe, the award-winning Orient Express restaurant serves quintessential European cuisine in a compartment resembling its famous namesake. Hors d’oeuvres, entrées, sorbets and desserts are inspired by the countries through which the train travels and best paired with a fine wine, cocktail or aged spirit. 



We started at the bar for drinks, I had an Indian Cabernet Sauvignon and Lynn had a custom (not on the menu) mocktail very much like a Bellini. 



 

 

We enjoyed our drinks and then moved to the dining carriage. Here one is harkened back to an era of classical posh rail travel. The decor of dark wood, fine table settings, window decorations, cutlery,  linens and more. 

The servers are dressed in fine uniforms and are white gloved. 

 

 



The bread service was an assortment of mini loafs, croissants, rolls and a Focaccia. Warm and tasty as they were accompanied with butter, a herbed cream cheese and a chicken pate. All were excellent beyond words. (Get used to me saying excellent beyond words). 



 

Then came a mushroom cappuccino, warm frothy with a wonderful earthy taste. 

 



For an appetizer we had Camembert allumette, red wine poached pears, Gorgonzola, with young lettuce. Yes, excellent beyond words. 

For our mains: Lynn had the Bay Prawns with avocado and orange fennel jus. I chose the Lobster Ravioli with a foam sauce over a cream sauce. Yes, excellent beyond words. 

The Executive Chef and Maitre D came to our table to see how our dining was going. I assured both of the the food and service excellent beyond words. 

Then a surprise dessert arrived. A biscotti cookie crust, with a light parfait topped with a layer of caramel upon which sat a nice blueberry and an edible flower. 

This was a very enjoyable dining experience that I am glad we  experienced. 


    



    

    

1/2 Day 3 Hour Tour of New Delhi

 TOURING NEW DELHI AND THE ORIENT EXPRESS:



 

Last night we had a very nice meal and service at the Captains Kitchen. We thought about dining at the Spicy Duck but they opened too late for our liking. 

Our server understood that we did not want a lot of food and we would split one order of the fish and chips. He actually added addition fish portions, then brought us a very nice desert of a sponge cake with lemon filling topped with a gold dusted chocolate. The fish was battered with a corn meal based batter and reminded me of how we cooked catfish as a kid. 

Back at the room, we discussed making plans for tomorrow. We found a 1/2 day New Delhi tour with Viator. Private car and guide for 4000 INR. We set a late  pick up time of 1000 and this will keep us busy before our dining experience tonight. 



Soon off to breakfast and the prepare for the day. 

DEHLI TIPS: Make sure you have What’s App on your phone as it seems to be the preferred method of tour and ride share drivers for contacting you. 



Another tip is to pack some toilet paper with you daily as some public facilities may not have this necessity available. 

We arranged a 1/2 day New Delhi tour basically as an activity to keep us from staying in our hotel room. 

We have used Viator to book such tours in other cities as they are of good quality and easy to book. 

We met our driver Henry and drove to the Parliament building to pick up our guide Ali. 



The streets were very crowded and traffic moved very slow with horns blaring. I did learn some of the horn etiquette, basically couple beeps of the horn lets the other driver know you are passing. 

It is Monday and many of the places we would normally visit were closed. 

We made three stops after driving past India Gate.

 India Gate is a prominent war memorial in Delhi honoring Indian soldiers, designed by Edwin Lutyens, featuring an eternal flame (Amar Jawan Jyoti) for fallen soldiers, surrounded by gardens, and serving as a backdrop for national events like the Republic Day parade. It's a sandstone arch, inspired by Roman triumphal arches, with names of over 13,000 soldiers inscribed on it.

The first stop was the Ugasen ki Baoli, a step well. There are a few of these in Delhi. Simply put, they are water reservoirs with steps to allow access to the water.  

The date this well was built is uncertain but many think the 14th century. 



 

As we drove about we talked about the form of government in India with 534 elected seats in their parliament. This number will grow with the next census. 

 



Our next stop was the Lodi Gardens. Here in the middle of the hustle and bustle of New Delhi we find this green oasis of calmness. we find Lodi’s Tomb in this botanical park.  

 

                                    Common Myna Bird

 

Lodi Garden is a comparatively recent (in terms of India’s history) addition to Delhi. The area, ruins and tombs were once dotted around the village Khairpur on the periphery of New Delhi. The area was cleared and the people moved in the 1930’s and the park was built connecting the ruins together and planting native trees and flowers. This being the era of British rule, the park was originally named Lady Willingdon Park after the then Viceroy’s wife. As India gained Independence the parks name was changed to the Lodi Garden. 

Strolling along the paths, one does not realize you are in the middle of a large city. 

There were many stray dogs stretched out sleeping on the walkway. We were advised to avoid petting them as they are not that clean and have been know to bite. 

There are reports that the Lodi Gardens are a good bird watching location, we did spot a common myna bird along with several playful chipmunks. On the way out we did spot a rhesus macaque. Later we saw several of them sitting on fences here and there. 



The next and final stop was a craft shop, somewhat high end. Here the sell was on for Pashmina  goods. Lynn did find a scarf she liked and I bought it for her. 

The tag said 100% Kashmiri Pashmina.  The scarf is often called a dupatta, or chunni, chuari and chundari. I have also seen many spelling variations. 

 

Back to the hotel where we are trying to stay awake and get hydrated. 



I think I will do a separate blog entry on our Orient Express dining experience.     

ARE WE ON THE RIGHT TRACK:

 ARE WE ON THE RIGHT TRACK:

                                      The Day Begins

It seems as if this trip is developing a railway theme. 

Having slept fairly well last night, we are still up very early. We made it to breakfast at 0630 when they opened. I must say the coffee here is very good and over all the breakfast is excellent with many choices. The mango muffin was a hit this morning. I also tried the Idlis (a rice cake) with a spicy vegetable stew. Sorry no picture, but it was good. Lynn had an omelet and a side of mango yogurt. 

                                      KEWL Elevator

This morning we are headed to the National Rail Museum.  One of the easy and very affordable ways to get about Delhi is by Uber. Our fare was under 100 rupees (INR) and I left a generous tip. We noticed the traffic was very light and our driver said it is usually quiet on Sunday morning. (the current exchange rate is 100 INR = $1.10 USD) I simply move the decimal point two when figuring the exchange. 

“Let the country Make the railroads and the railroads will make the country” - Edward Pease

Edward Pease, a woolen manufacturer from Darlington, England, was the main promoter of the Stockton and Darlington Railway, which opened in 1825. He is sometimes referred to as the "Father of the Railways".

 
The foundation stone for National Rail Museum was laid by then Honorable President of India Shri V.V. Giri on 7th October, 1971. It was set up as the first ever Transport Museum in India and was named as “Rail Transport Museum”(RTM). The museum was inaugurated and opened for public on 1st February, 1977 by the then Honorable Minister of Railways Shri Kamlapathi Tripathi. The museum was renamed as National Rail Museum in October 1995. 

The National Rail Museum, New Delhi represents the splendid rich heritage of Indian Railway sprawling in over 11 acres of land. Emulating the setting of a railway yard, the extensive outdoor gallery houses a variety of steam, diesel and electric locomotives along with fascinating collection of royal saloons, wagons, carriages, armored trains, rail cars. These original life-size exhibits have been well maintained and restored.

 

 Interactive displays and models exhibited inside the Indoor gallery displays the remarkable stories related to early modes of transportation till date and future endeavors in Indian Railways. There are also some remarkable collections of historical photographs, documents, railway artifacts, static exhibits, antiquated items and old furniture which enhance the experience of the many visitors every year and envisioned them how a single investment of Indian Railway helped in unification and progress of India as a nation.

The museum is spread over 11 acres and is has 91 real size exhibits like different types of steam, diesel & electric locomotives, Royal Saloons, Vintage Cranes, Wagons, fireless steam locomotive and John Morris fire engine (1914) with solid rubber tyres in fully road worthy condition. Museum boasts of having the world’s oldest working steam locomotive “Fairy Queen” featuring in Guiness Book of World Records (currently homed at Rewari Steam Heritage Centre). The National Rail Museum takes pride in having the world’s first steam mono rail using “Ewing System” in fully working condition. 

About 85% of the exhibits are dated between 1853 - 1950. The indoor gallery has a rich collection of coat of arms, records, miniatures models, badges, old rail tickets, photographs and historical documents promising the visitors an exciting journey into the rich historical heritage of Indian Railways and its contribution to the industrial & economic progress of the country.

Entry during the weekdays is 50 rupees and it is doubles to 100 rupees on the weekend. 

We honestly expected the museum to be rather crowed as it is the weekend, but this was not the case. 


We started with the indoor museum. This is very well done and interprets so many facets of the railways of India.  Photos below will show the diversity of topics.

We then walked about and amongst the many engines and rail-cars. I will say some of these are works in progress and the progress is rather slow. Yet, the diversity of the display is very amazing. 



                                                              The Mono Rail Train

                                                                 The Cafeteria Restaurant  

                                   The Joy Train 50INR fora ride, very popular amongst the locals.

                                                              We did not partake of this water 

Interesting to see a mention of Isambard Kingdom Brunel, a Victorian engineer and pioneer of the Industrial Revolution. He had major influence in London and across the UK.   

                                            Who knew there were so many styles of rail road track

                                                                      Amazing models

There is a restaurant on property and several snack stands available. We had a Fanta Orange, our go to travel drink when abroad for 40 INR. The snack stand had a very nice looking toasted sandwich for 80INR. 



There is a very small souvenir shop with only a few items for sale. The gentleman working the shop was pleasant to talk to and he is very knowledgeable about the steam trains on property. He thought we were from New Zealand (someone yesterday thought we were from Australia), that I took as a compliment. 

In our conversation  about where we were from, I pulled up a picture of the Big Boy 4014 that I will call the pride of Cheyenne, Wyoming. He very quickly recognized the image and called out “The Big Boy” he knew a good bit about its restoration. 

We spent very close to three hours at this venue wandering among the old trains. 



As we were leaving, a tuck tuck (auto-rickshaw) driver approached and asked if we needed a ride, I was just about to arrange an Uber for our return. He offered the same rate as Uber so we chose  his service. 

The joy of a auto rickshaw is they are open air and the breeze is always welcome. 



Back at the Taj Palace we are meet with a welcoming “Namaste”.  Meaning "the divine and self is same in you and me”.

 

I think tonight we will try the Spicy Duck restaurant. 





OFF TO INDIA: A MIGHTY LONG AIPLANE RIDE

 OFF TO INDIA: MIGHTY LONG AIRPLANE RIDE-

             GIN AND TONIC SEEMS VERY APPROPRIATE
 

 

Well it is gonna be a mighty long day or two getting there. I was lucky and got us a very good business class airfare for this trip. We will fly from Denver to Frankfurt then Frankfurt to Delhi. Total travel time will be about 24 hours if all goes well. Lounge access will be very welcome.  

We are scheduled to arrive at 0130 and will prob crash big time when we get to our hotel. 

 

                  BUT OF COURSE A CURRY IS IN ORDER

 

Then we start to adjust to the new time zone. There will be a 12 hour time difference in our time back home. 

The checking in took a bit longer as all the documents had to be checked. We got all checked in and off to the UAL lounge. As usual for us, we are early enough for breakfast (the cranberry porridge is very much to my liking) and now they are changing over to lunch. 

Our Flights to New Delhi went well and the meals and service were excellent. 

We arrived in New Delhi and made our way through immigration. The eVisa system worked well, the lines were much shorter and moved faster. I would highly suggest one should make sure to have a printed copy of your visa to further expedite the process. (We did). 

 



Baggage claim was where we hit a small bump. Our bags took about one and a half hours to hit the baggage carousel. We had an arranged a transfer to our hotel and the driver was about to give up on us as he was sending text messages. 

I did stop at an airport ATM to get a bit of cash. But eventually we got gathered up and were on the way to our hotel, the Taj Palace. 

At the hotel we received a Bindi and a neckless. A bindi is a red dot placed above ones brow in the center of the forehead. 

Around 3000 BC, the rishi-muni (ancient seers of Hinduism) wrote the Vedas, in which they described the existence of areas of concentrated energy called the chakras. There are seven main chakras that run along the center of the body, and the sixth one (called the ajna chakra, the “brow chakra” or “third eye chakra”) occurs exactly where the bindi is placed.

In Sanskrit, ajna translates as “command” or “perceive,” and is considered the eye of intuition and intellect. According to the Vedas, when something is seen in the mind’s eye or in a dream, it is also seen by ajna. Thus, the bindi’s purpose is to enhance the powers of this chakra, specifically by facilitating one’s ability to access their inner wisdom or guru, allowing them to see the world and interpret things in a truthful, unbiased manner as well as forsake their ego and rid their false labels.

Hindu tradition holds that all people have a third inner eye. The two physical eyes are used for seeing the external world, while the third focuses inward toward God. As such, the red dot signifies piety as well as serving as a constant reminder to keep God at the center of one’s thoughts.

The bindi can be found in Hinduism and Buddhism, it is composed of sandalwood, turmeric and ash.  A pinch of vermilion powder is applied with a ring-finger to make a dot.
In our room, we simply crash with an alarm set for 0900 so we can get some breakfast. 

The breakfast buffet is very very extensive with many items of which I have no clue as to what they are. 


Back to the room and we again crash for a few more hours. Time to do our laundry and we need to explore our lodging a bit more. 

We did explore our hotel and made a dining reservation for Monday night. 

 

      A VERY NICE BUFFET WITH SO MANY OFFERINGS

                                     Inside The Orient Express  

  

 

                                       THE HOTEL GROUNDS

                I thought the oil and vinegar carafe was kewl

There are several very nice restaurants here in this hotel all offering various styles of cuisines. 

One restaurant here is the Orient Express. Themed around the legendary train that travels across Europe, the award-winning Orient Express restaurant serves quintessential European cuisine in a compartment resembling its famous namesake. Hors d’oeuvres, entrées, sorbets and desserts are inspired by the countries through which the train travels. 



I was intrigued by this venue from reading about the hotel. As we were walking about and reading the menu one of the servers asked if we wanted to see the venue as they were currently closed. But of course we did. 

The minute we walked into this restaurant I was sold and wanted to make sure we experienced this dining location. We made a reservation for Monday night. 

We then continued our walkabout the property checking out the garden and pool area. 

The Captains Kitchen was having Pizza Night ( 20 or more pizzas on the menu) and we decided to give it a go. The portion was perfect for us and the pizza very good. Not what we are accustomed to but very very good.  I had a Kingfisher Beer. 



 

After dinner back to the room and finish this entry as we are ready to sleep. 

Thanks for sharing and following along. Tomorrow we will head out to do some exploring.