Spending a Day at Vivanta Kolkata EM Bypass

October 31, 2019 Leave a Comment

After a couple of very hectic months on the work front, I really wanted to head off somewhere during the festive season. Unfortunately neither did I have enough leaves nor did I have enough money to plan for a trip so when the invite came in from Vivanta Kolkata EM Bypass to stay at the property for a day, I was rather elated to enjoy the mini break. While some people may find it strange, I absolutely love staying in a hotel on my own. There is so much happiness in spending the day relaxing in bed, soaking in a hot tub, watching tv and eating food ordered from room service. It is quite difficult to do all this while travelling so a staycation in the city is the ideal way to indulge in these little pleasures of life.

Vivanta Kolkata EM Bypass

Rooms & Facilities

Vivanta Kolkata is not a new property. It used to be The Gateway Hotel and after a change in ownership, a revamped Vivanta has taken its place. The building remains the same but the interiors have changed a lot. There is a lot more of Kolkata now in the property. Starting from the 187 ft long mural on the ceiling depicting Kolkata landmarks that greet you once you walk into the hotel to the Durga installation in the lobby to the paintings and photographs hung all over to the room décor with the kantha stitch embroidered pillow covers and bed runners, Kolkata is everywhere. Even the mini bar is stocked with local snacks like jhal muri and chanachur.

Other local elements include live Rabindrasangeet and folk music in the lobby, a tribute to the ‘cha and adda’ concept where any guest in the hotel can help themselves to the tea and jhalmuri served in the lobby every evening, traditional cookware used to decorate the buffet area at Mynt and a Viva Achievers Wall where prominent persons from the city and his/her achievements are highlighted. I found all these changes refreshing and I am sure they will be quite interesting for any guest coming to the hotel.

: Vivanta Kolkata EM Bypass

: Vivanta Kolkata EM Bypass

: Vivanta Kolkata EM Bypass

Currently there are 158 rooms that are operational in the hotel out of the total number of 197. I stayed in one of the Executive suites and thoroughly enjoyed the luxurious experience. The room was spacious and comfortable with all standard amenities and what made me even more happy was seeing the huge tub in the bathroom. There are very few things that are as relaxing as a long, undisturbed, hot soak in the tub and that is exactly what I did to end my day. There was also some wine involved 🙂

Vivanta Kolkata EM Bypass Executive Suite

Continue Reading . . .

A Weekend Stay At Purnam Meditation Center & Retreat, Chennai

October 26, 2019 2 Comments

Do you believe that there are no coincidences in life and that everything happens for a reason? I do and that belief was reaffirmed quite recently. Some of you who are reading this blog follow me on social media, have known me for years and I think I know the perception that you have of me. You probably think of me as someone who is a carefree, happy-go-lucky soul who enjoys life to the fullest. 90% of the time I am that person but there are times when I am not. There are times when I constantly worry, I am anxious, I feel dejected, I hate everything about myself and my life. I was going through that phase couple of months ago. I wanted some answers but I felt like I was staring into a black hole. That is when an invite came in. An invite from Ranu for the newly opened Purnam Meditation Center & Retreat in Chennai.

Purnam Meditation Center & Retreat Meditation Hall

When I heard the term meditation retreat, I must confess I was slightly skeptical. I imagined a weekend where I would have to wear flowing robes and meditate the entire day without speaking or going anywhere. Ranu assured that was not the case. Purnam was created to act as a space for anyone looking to spend some quiet time amidst nature, away from the hustle and bustle of daily life. Guests can choose to participate in meditation sessions or just enjoy the peace and tranquil environment. After hearing the description, there were no more doubts and I packed my bags to head to Chennai to spend a weekend at Purnam.

About Purnam Meditation Center & Retreat

Purnam is located in Olive Sands layout which is about an hour’s drive from Chennai airport. I reached the place quite late at night and what struck me immediately was the peaceful environment of the locality. The sea is a 5 minute walk from the villa and if you listen closely, you can actually hear the sound of the waves crashing from the rooms. The building itself is very spacious and has a beautiful garden and a pool in front. There are three rooms – Anahata, Muladhara and Vishudhi, each designed to focus on particular attributes. Incidentally, the room where I was staying was designed to bring forth the attributes of certainty and stability, ideal for those looking to be decisive and clear. Now do you get why I said in the beginning that I truly believe everything happens for a reason?

The next morning, while at breakfast, I got to know more about Purnam from Senthil and Ranu, the people behind the retreat and also got a better view of the property. Ranu mentioned that when they came across the villa, they immediately knew that this was the one and I could imagine why. Surrounded by trees, with birds chirping and butterflies flying around, the villa is the ideal place to rejuvenate the body and mind. Apart from the rooms, there are also three meditation halls, each designed to enable one to slip into meditative tranquility. There is a common kitchen and dining area and Ranu informed that if guests want, they can also cook their own meals.

I asked what their vision was when they opened Purnam and they said that they want to facilitate guests to experience life in fullness – both materially and spiritually. Guests can select from different meditation programs specifically designed to meet one’s needs. There are programs that help to get clarity, be calm, live a guilt-free life etc. 1-1 personal sessions are also available if one does not want to participate in a group. If guests just want to spend some time in a peaceful and stress-free environment, Purnam caters to that need also. One can choose to relax by the swimming pool or garden, read in the cozy library or the open terrace or verandah, paint, write, unwind in the beautiful, spacious rooms or even work, if that is what they want to do. For people who need some activities along with the peace and solitude, Purnam also offers yoga classes, organises outdoor activities in the vicinity like surfing, adventure sports and even day trips to nearby destinations like Mahabalipuram which is 45 mins away and Pondicherry which is around 2 hours away. For organizations, Purnam can be an ideal place to hold workshops/weekend retreats for their employees.

Meditation Programs at Purnam Meditation Center & Retreat

I wanted to know more about the meditation programs and asked Senthil, who conducts the programs to explain what he does. He explained that meditation is not just about closing the eyes and chanting mantras. Meditation makes the mind calm and has the potential to make one successful and happy if done the right way. He mentioned that the quality of life one lives depends on the well-being of the mind. “Mind is nourished by meditation that works-like using the right manure ensures the blooming of flowers in a plant”. The meditation programs at Purnam are designed to help nourish the mind and enable one to live fully. Senthil asked if I would be willing to participate in a session and I immediately said yes. The time was fixed in the evening, just before sunset.

At the start of the session, Senthil asked me if I had any questions that I wanted answers to or if I wanted to know anything about life or just share what was going on inside my mind. I will not write details of what I spoke because that is personal but all I can say is that after that one hour of guided meditation, I felt so much at peace. I somehow felt that a big burden was lifted off my mind. I felt a strange lightness. I felt rejuvenated and relaxed.

Purnam Meditation Center & Retreat

It has been a while since I’m back from Purnam butI have noticed major improvements in my overall well-being. I feel confident again. And I am back to being the strong, happy, carefree person that you all know. I now know why Purnam happened and I thank the supreme power for sending me. I would encourage all of you to go there and experience the retreat. It is not an ashram. There are no Godmen. It is a place that will give you peace. It is a place that will stimulate your mind. It is a place where you can learn how to live a fulfilling life. If you want to know how it works, Purnam Meditation Center & Retreat is now offering a free meditation session that can be done either in person or on Skype. Click here to know more.

Purnam Meditation Center & Retreat

Phone: +91 9789997878

Email: info@purnam-meditation.com

Location: Uthandi on ECR, Chennai 600119

Siem Reap, Cambodia Travel: Part 1 – Visiting Angkor

May 23, 2019

Angkor Wat, Siem Reap, Cambodia

This post was actually supposed to come out nearly two months back, after my return from Siem Reap. However, life happened and I got really busy with work, more travel and I just did not get the time to write down about my experience. Anyway, here we are and I am repeating what has become my mantra for blog posts now. “Better late than never”. 🙂

Also, since there is a lot that I want to write about, I am splitting the post into two parts. The first one, which is this, will focus only on the sightseeing bit and the places where I went to. Part 2 will be about food and shopping in Siem Reap.

Siem Reap Travel

Planning for the Trip

So, how did the planning start? Randomly actually. I desperately wanted a holiday but did not have a lot of time so one day just decided, how about visiting Angkor and ticking that off my bucket list? Siem Reap is not too far away from Kolkata and can be managed within 3 days. I started checking up on flight fares, hotels etc and then in a conversation with a very old school friend, I brought up the topic. Kasturi, my friend, said that she would arrange for everything because she just started her own travel outfit, The Travelling Life (her IG handle is @the_travelinglife), and I could not have been more relieved. From air fares to hotel and transportation to visa, she took care of everything. And the best thing was that she had free time as well and so we agreed to travel together.

Getting to Siem Reap from Kolkata was not really a breeze. We checked out all affordable options and finally settled on the Air Asia flight to Bangkok and then a connecting flight to Siem Reap. The return flight was via Kuala Lumpur. Since we booked quite late, the fares came to around 25k in total but we also did include 20 kgs luggage. The price goes down a lot if you do away with the checked-in baggage option and can manage only with the cabin baggage allowance of 7 kgs.

Visa is available on arrival but we just found it easier to get an evisa. All you need to do is submit an online application, pay the fee of 36$ and you get the evisa emailed to your ID within a few minutes. In terms of hotel, we selected Saem Siem Reap, a considerably new hotel in the city, located not too far from the city centre.

: Siem Reap, Cambodia

: Siem Reap, Cambodia

Visiting Angkor

Well, if you are going to Siem Reap, then the no 1 reason for your travel should of course be the Angkor temple complex. We visited at the end of March and I can tell you that the place was already as hot as a furnace. But I can also tell you that if you want to see the temples relatively in peace without having a bunch of tourists pushing and shoving, Jan to April is actually the best time to visit. Once the rains start and tourist season begins, it just gets crazy. Our guide said that all you can see are heads inside the temple complexes. So, brave the heat and go earlier in the year.

To gain entrance to the Angkor Archaeological Park, you need an admission pass, called the Angkor Pass. That pass is also valid for other monuments in the Siem Reap area, like Phnom Krom and Wat Athvea. The Pass can only be purchased at the official ticket counter which is around 4 kms away from Siem Reap town and open from 4.30 a.m to 5.30 p.m. We bought a 1 day pass for 37$ but if you are staying in Siem Reap for more days, it actually makes sense to get a 3-day pass for 62$ or a 7-day pass for 72$. That way, you don’t have to rush into seeing all the temples in one day and can space out your visits. Most of the temples are open from 7.30 a.m to 5.30 p.m. Angkor Wat is open from 5 a.m to 5.30 p.m making it possible for tourists to witness the sunrise and sunset. We did not go for either because those times are the most crowded and as much as we would have loved to see the sun rise or set against the backdrop of the gorgeous temple façade, standing in a queue for hours just did not make much sense.

The Most Important Temples in the Angkor Complex

Siem Reap is full of temples and if you are staying there for a few days, you can see all of them but if you have only a day or two, then I would suggest you absolutely see the following which is what we did.

Angkor Wat – the largest of the lot and easily takes about 2-3 hours if you want to see everything so go early in the morning. Don’t forget to click a picture of the façade at the water lily pond in front of Angkor Wat but just be prepared to jostle for space because a crowd of tourists will also be waiting at the exact spot to click that perfect shot.
South Gate Angkor Thom – Angkor Thom (big city) was once the Khmer capital and the south gate is a masterpiece. It is approached via a causeway and on each side of the causeway are railings fashioned with 54 stone figures that depict the Hindu mythological story of the Churning of the Ocean.
Bayon – This temple is at the heart of Angkor Thom and best known for the gigantic face sculptures that adorn its 37 surviving towers. The faces are thought to represent Avalokiteshvara, a Buddhist deity.
Baphuon – Located in Angkor Thom, northwest of the Bayon, this was the state temple once. It is shaped like a pyramid and is said to be a symbolic representation of Mount Meru.
Terrace of the Elephants – This is part of the Royal Terrace, a 360 meter long sandstone wall that is carved with life-size sculptures of elephants.
Terrace of the Leper King – Located to the north of the Elephant Terrace, this terrace is named after a statue of the ‘Leper king’ that originally stood at the centre. Now a replica stands with sculptures of royal dignitaries, priests, nagas and court ladies.
Ta Prohm – Dubbed the Tomb Raider temple because it provided the mystical backdrop for the 2001 Hollywood hit starring Angelina Jolie, the root-riddled Ta Prohm temple is an incredibly fascinating site. Go here early morning or slightly later in the day to get the entire feel of the place.

: Angkor Wat

: Angkor Wat

: Angkor Wat

: Angkor Thom South Gate

: Angkor Thom South Gate

: Bayon Temple

: Bayon Temple

: Bayon Temple

: Ta Prohm Temple

: Ta Prohm Temple

: Ta Prohm Temple

: Ta Prohm Temple

For first-time visitors, before exploring the Angkor temples, I would suggest you go to the Angkor National Museum that houses plenty of images, paintings and artefacts. There are 8 galleries and a film screening called Story Behind the Legend that tells the story of Angkor and the Khmer empire. Tickets are priced at 12$.

Koh Ker

On our second day in Siem Reap, we visited Koh Ker, the capital of the Angkorian empire from 928 AD to 944 AD. It takes about 2 hours to go to Koh Ker from Siem Reap and since the place is not as popular as Angkor yet, there are very few tourists so you can explore on your own.

: Koh Ker

: Koh Ker

: Koh Ker

: Koh Ker

: Koh Ker

: Koh Ker

: Koh Ker

: Koh Ker

: Koh Ker

The main structure of Koh Ker is the Prasat Thom, a seven-tiered temple very similar in appearance to the Mayan temples of South America but on the way there are plenty of temples that you must visit because they house some of the largest Shiva lingas in Cambodia. Unfortunately, no restoration work has been carried out in Koh Ker so the place is not as maintained as Angkor but I found the entire complex to be incredibly interesting. If you are fond of archaeology, history and old ruins, definitely add Koh Ker to your Siem Reap itinerary. You can also climb on top of the seven-tiered temple for great views of the countryside. Entrance is free.

Siem Reap is famous for Angkor Wat and Bayon but there are actually a lot more to see there. I did not know about the pink Banteay Srei or lady temple which I heard is exquisite or Phnom Bakheng, popular for sunrise and sunset viewing. Maybe next time.

That turned out to be a very long blog post but I just wanted to share all the details. Watch out for Part 2 where I will write about the food and shopping scene in Siem Reap.

If you want to visit Siem Reap or other places in Cambodia and want a relaxed, comfortable and hassle-free holiday, ask Kasturi of @the_travelinglife to do everything for you. The best tour planner ever!

Traditional Afternoon Tea Experience At Fortnum & Mason, London

December 20, 2018

Fortnum & Mason is an institution in London. This iconic department store was established way back in 1707 by William Fortnum and Hugh Mason who had connections with the royal family and over the years, this store has become a London landmark. It also helps that the store sells some of the finest goods in the city or perhaps even the country but what is truly iconic about Fortnum & Mason is their Afternoon Tea.

Fortnum & Mason Afternoon Tea

Fortnums Afternoon Tea again has a long history. It was started in 1926 at the elegant Tea Salon now named the Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon in honour of the Queen’s visit in 2012, when she formally opened the room, in the company of the Duchess of Cornwall and the Duchess of Cambridge.

The thing with the Afternoon Tea is that it is so popular you need to book way in advance to secure a table. I tried going there once in summer with my friend on a weekend and we were politely refused because we did not have a reservation but most importantly, they did not have any place for the next one month. Yes, it is that busy. Also, you cannot sit there forever. There is a time limit of 1.5 hours which means that for 90 minutes that start from the time you are seated, you can order as much food and refills as you want to from your choice of the menu. If you want to go there, you better go with an empty tummy.

Fortnum & Mason Afternoon Tea

There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea

— Henry James

So what is about Fortnums Afternoon Tea that makes it so popular? Well, firstly, the location is really fancy so you feel rather fancy yourself. The Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon is an extremely elegant and refined setting for the tea. As soon as the elevator door opens to the salon, it becomes clear that you are in for a delightful experience. Because of the festive season, the salon is now decorated beautifully. There is a big Christmas tree in the waiting area and a pianist playing a grand piano.

Fortnum & Mason Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon

There are two areas where you can be seated – the Drawing Room, lined with hand-painted silk wallpaper or the North and South Salons oozing charm and sophistication. The colours of Fortnum, pale green and white are everywhere, from the decor to the china and cutlery.

Fortnum & Mason Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon

The Afternoon Tea is not just limited to the afternoon. It is available the entire day from 11.30 a.m to 7.30 p.m on weekdays and 11.00 a.m to 7.00 pm on Saturdays and you can choose from four options – Afternoon Tea, Savoury Afternoon Tea, High Tea and Vegetarian Afternoon Tea.

We were a group of four who went for the Tea experience at 11 a.m on a Saturday morning and after much deliberation, two of us decided to go for the Afternoon Tea and the remaining two went for the Savoury Tea. In my opinion, go for the regular Afternoon Tea instead of the Savoury version because you get a good mix of both sweet and savoury items in the former. My friend I think regretted his choice a bit because he was constantly eating out of our share and asking me to order for more. This is perfectly acceptable because you can order as much as you want to for a duration of 1.5 hours.

Fortnum & Mason Afternoon Tea Menu

What is in the menu? You get a selection of finger sandwiches, scones with clotted cream (savoury scones in the Savoury Tea menu), strawberry preserve and lemon curd and a selection of tea cakes and cakes from the cake carriage (tea savouries in the Savoury version) along with your choice of tea. For an extra £13 per glass, you can also order champagne.

Fortnum & Mason Afternoon Tea

Afternoon tea has always been a rather elaborate affair in England and I got to know that there are rules associated with it. I’ve never been one to care for rules but these are rather fascinating. For starters, milk is always supposed to be added last to the tea, the correct way to hold the fine china is by making your thumb and index finger meet in the handle, tea should be stirred only with a back and forth motion, finger sandwiches must always be eaten with the hands, not cutlery, scones are pronounced as ‘skon’ and never ‘skone’, scones are always broken, not cut and they are never to be sandwiched back together . I might not have followed all these rules to the T at Fortnums but who really cares? Right? 🙂

Fortnum & Mason Afternoon Tea

Coming back to the menu, the star for me was definitely the sandwiches especially the Smoked Salmon with Tartare dressing and the Suffolf Ham with English Mustard. Incredibly soft and light, these were heavenly. The scones were undoubtedly the best I’ve ever had. I am not particularly fond of lemon curd but I do love my scones with clotted cream and strawberry preserve and I might have had one too many. The good thing is that you can even take back the jars of preserve and lemon curd if you are unable to finish at the table. In fact you can take back anything from the menu that you are not able to finish. The servers will gladly pack the leftovers in a fancy F&M box and hand it over before you leave.

Savoury Afternoon Tea

Fortnum & Mason Afternoon Tea

From the tea cake selection, my favourite was definitely the Black Forest cake and a light as air cake with sugar rose petals on top. I was told that it is the Queen’s favourite as well. Not wanting to miss out on anything despite struggling to eat another morsel, I tried the Victorian Sponge cake, Battenberg cake and the Chocolate cake from the Cake Carriage. The Battenberg cake has been served with the Afternoon Tea since 1926 and is said to be created to celebrate the marriage of Princess Victoria to Prince Louis of Battenberg in 1884. This colourful cake with iced marzipan was a bit too sweet for my taste but everyone else loved it. Throughout my 1.5 hrs, I made sure to try as many varieties of tea as I could and ended up drinking chocolate violet, peach, vanilla and strawberry with the latter being the best of them all.

Fortnum & Mason Battenberg Cake

Fortnum & Mason Rose Cake

Fortnum & Mason Victoria Sponge Cake

Overall, I loved the experience and I cannot thank the person who invited me there enough. Savouring the famous Fortnum & Mason Afternoon Tea was on my wish list for a long time and it certainly did not disappoint. The service was impeccable, the food was beyond amazing and the staff, super friendly and helpful. I will certainly go back if I am in London again and I will click much better photographs 🙂

Fortnum’s Afternoon Tea

Have you been to Fortnum & Mason? What did you think of the Afternoon Tea?

Inside Chatsworth House – The Grand Home of The Dukes of Devonshire

June 22, 2018

It was back in February when I first got to know of Chatsworth House. I was watching a Netflix series on the Secrets of Royal Palaces and one of the episodes was on Chatsworth House, a grand estate, home to the Cavendish family since 1549. That episode really intrigued me. The history behind the house and its inhabitants, the opulence, all upped my interest level and I made it a point to visit the estate once I returned to the UK.

Chatsworth House

The opportunity came in April. I was going to Sheffield for two weeks and I got to know that Chatsworth was only a 40 minute bus ride away. And the best thing was that the House was now open to public. For nearly a decade, it was undergoing a restoration worth 32.7 million pounds with the aim of bringing the 500-year old House to its original glory and the doors opened again in March. It seemed as if the universe wanted me to visit. Plans were chalked out, bus tickets from Sheffield Interchange to Chatsworth House were bought and on a cold, Sunday morning, five of us set out to explore this stately home.

History of Chatsworth House

Chatsworth is home to the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire and has been passed down through 16 generations of the Cavendish family. It was built by Sir William Cavendish and then passed down to his son William, who rebuilt Chatsworth over a period of twenty years. During the Georgian period, Chatsworth was owned by five different Dukes of Devonshire, all named William. The 5^th Duke William in 1774 married the vivacious and fashionable Lady Georgina Spencer (Lady Diana’s ancestor) and that’s when the story becomes interesting. Georgina after her marriage learned that her husband already had a mistress, Charlotte, with whom he had a daughter and all that he wanted from Georgina was a male heir. Possibly frustrated with her marital life, she threw herself into the world of extravagance, throwing lavish parties and gambling away her riches. The story gets even more interesting when she traveled with her husband to Bath in 1782 and met Lady Elizabeth Foster or Bess. The two ladies became great friends and Bess came to Chatsworth to live with them. Unfortunately, her husband and Bess started an affair soon and strangely, Georgina accepted the “menage a trois” that resulted. After Georgina’s death, William married Bess and she became the new Duchess of Devonshire.

Chatsworth House

Many books have been written on Georgina’s life and the various scandals at Chatsworth as well as movies have been made. A recent one is The Duchess starring Kiera Knightley which was actually shot at Chatsworth House. Watch it if you are interested 🙂

The Chatsworth Estate

The estate is huge and is the size of nearly 20 football fields as told by our guide inside the house. It is located in the Peak District which is one of the most beautiful and picturesque locations in the UK. The estate includes the House, Farmyard and Playground and a 105 acre Garden. The price for tickets to see all of these is 23 pounds for adults and 14.50 pounds for children. If you don’t want to see everything together, prices are slightly lower. We did not go to the playground and only bought tickets for the House and Garden which was 21 pounds. If you are taking a car, it is better to book tickets online from www.chatsworth.org else you will need to pay a charge for parking. We took a bus that dropped us off right in front of the gates so we just got our entry tickets from the counter.

Chatsworth Estate

Chatsworth House

The Chatsworth Garden

I have honestly never seen a garden this big and this beautiful! The history of the garden is also an illustrious one. It was first started in 1555, then restored around 1811 on a grand scale and then changed again around 1858.

Chatsworth House Gardens

Highlights of the Garden include beautiful green houses to grow exotic plants, Fountains, a Cascade, a Vinery, a Maze, a Kitchen Garden, Summer House, Golden Grove etc. I went at a time when everything was grey and dull and I can only imagine how spectacular the garden will look in full bloom.

The garden is huge and if you want to see everything, it will take you approx 2 hours to walk around. If you are lazy like I am, you can also book a buggy ride for about 5 pounds to take you around. The person who was driving my buggy gave me a valuable piece of information – Bollywood has also explored Chatsworth House. Some parts of the horrible film Humshakals was also shot there!

Chatsworth Gardens

Trivia – Around 1834, William, 6th Duke of Devonshire received a shipment of bananas from Mauritius. He liked them so much, he ordered his gardener to cultivate them in the greenhouses of Chatsworth House. And those bananas were names as Cavendish Bananas.

The House

At first glance, the House reminds you of The Palace of Versailles and I got to know that the French Palace was actually an inspiration to the Dukes when they were building and remodeling the house. Inside, the opulence and grandeur is breath taking. Have you seen the 2005 film Pride and Prejudice? Remember the scene when Elizabeth Bennet goes exploring in the sculpture gallery of Mr. Darcy’s house? Well that house in the film is Chatsworth House and that sculpture gallery very much exists.

Chatsworth House Sculpture Gallery

As soon as you enter the House, you realize that you are in the midst of some remarkable and precious works of art collected by the Cavendish family over generations. You get to see centuries-old sketches by the Great masters, ancient Egyptian statues, and luxurious interior decorations interspersed with contemporary art pieces especially that of ceramic, something that the current Duke of Devonshire is very interested in.

The Painted Hall is one of the most stunning rooms with a grand staircase leading to the first floor and balconies on both sides. The Painted hall is striking because of the murals painted on the ceilings.

Chatsworth House Painted Hall

Ascend the stairs and you come to the State Apartments. The first Duke hoped that King William II and Queen Mary would visit him in Chatsworth and the rooms as they were prepared for the royal couple are there for us to see. The King and Queen never came down but if they did, they would have definitely liked those rooms!

Rooms prepared for royalty

The House is full of Sketch Galleries and one of the rooms is full of art from Da Vinci, Raphael, Rembrandt and Guercino. One of the most striking pieces of art in the House for me was the Veiled Statue of the Vestal Virgin by Raffaele Monti.

A Veiled Vestal Virgin by Raffaelle Monti

In the South Sketch Gallery is a stunning portrait of Duchess Georgina made to look like Goddess Diana. Georgina was said to be very interested in collecting crystals, fossils and minerals and we can still see some of the pieces that she brought into the house.

Chatsworth House is not just a mecca for art enthusiasts but also for bibliophiles. There are nearly 30,000 books in the Library including some original manuscripts and works.

Inside Chatsworth House

There’s so much to see in Chatsworth that it is very difficult to condense everything in a blog post and I realize that I’ve already written a lot. It is a beautiful and fascinating place with a riveting history. If you are ever in the Derbyshire area, definitely make it a point to visit the estate. I am sure you will be as marveled by it as I was.