text:
Home » Travel: Bike Rides » South India Bike Odyssey: A Journey to Land of Cholas, Pallavas, Pandyas
South India Bike Odyssey: A Journey to Land of Cholas, Pallavas, Pandyas
First published: October 29, 2019
Modified on November 2, 2019
South India has always fascinated me with its rich culture, which has historically made it a target for the kingdoms from the North; be it Alauddin Khilji or the Tuglaqs and later on Aurangzeb. The sheer resilience with which the South has revived itself from each of these repeated attacks by marauding armies is amazing.
I had read multiple stories and articles about the magnanimous temples and the forts created by various dynasties, which ruled over the vast peninsula be it the Vijaynagar empire, Chalukyas, Pallavas, Pandayas, Cholas, Kakatiyas, and Hoysalas etc. Visiting these awe-inspiring places has been one of my dreams ever since I started out on my own.
I could spare two weeks in September 2017, when I did a bike trip through Karnataka and could experience the great works of Chalukyas (Badami, Aihole, and Pattadakal), Vijaynagar Empire (Hampi) and Hoysalas (Belur, Halebeedu). The experience of the Karnataka bike trip was amazing. In this trip, I got to learn about the kings, their dynasties, and their architecture and I could appreciate the efforts involved to create the monuments. The amazing work on the rock-cut caves of Badami, sandstone temples of Aihole & Pattadakal, grand granite temples of Hampi and the most beautiful of them all; the soapstone star-shaped temples of Hoysalas at Belur and Halebeedu where the intricate work on the stone proved beyond the imagination.
I was waiting for the last few months to complete the southern circuit where Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu were consistently in my thoughts. Finally, after 6 months, in March 2018, all the stars aligned and I could spare a month for this much-awaited bike ride.
The plan was to start from our home in Noida and then ride on Saarthi (my bike) through Uttar Pradesh (Agra, Jhansi), Madhya Pradesh (Gwalior, Lalitpur, Sagar, Chhindwara), and Maharashtra (Nagpur) to reach Telangana (Hyderabad). Thereafter, spend a sufficient amount of time riding across Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu to explore all the historical sites to understand more about their ancient kingdoms and their contribution to our rich cultural heritage.
(See on Google Maps)
Noida – Gwalior – Jhansi – Nagpur – Hyderabad (Day 1, 2, 3, and 4)
On March 13, 2018, I woke up at leisure and packed at a comforting pace. I did not feel like hurrying as I was looking forward to a short day of riding today, which would serve as a warm-up ride for the long journey of thousands of kilometers lying ahead, across the length of our country.
Within moments of being on the road, I hit Noida-Greater Noida Expressway, which is a rider's delight. The cars plying continuously above 100kmph were tempting me to pull the accelerator. However, I started slowly at the start of the trip and allowed the reality of the commencement of a dream ride sink in before I tested the man & the machine to the full rigor. I saw myself consistently & comfortably cruising at 70-75 kmph.
Soon, I reached the Yamuna Expressway, which is one of the landmark assets of the country, which has led the riders to break multiple speed records. Once, I was told that Narain Karthikeyan drove a car at exceeding 300 kmph on this road.
However, it took me a ride of 100 km on this highway to touch 100 kmph on my bike (a Bajaj Dominar, which I am told that it can cruise at speeds of 160 kmph. I am yet to test its limits). Though such speed bursts were rare, the entire day was spent in acclimatizing the man & the machine for the riding mode and the challenges that lied ahead.
It was well in the afternoon when I crossed Agra.
During my bike trips, apart from the rough guidelines of the travel route, I do not make a fixed rigid itinerary. There are no advance bookings; be it hotels or the sites. The trip is lived as life on the road and the decisions are taken at the moment. Moreover, I do not prefer to drive in the night and therefore, the dusk when the oncoming vehicles start switching on the headlights is usually the time for me to stop for the day.
Therefore, looking at the riding time remaining in the day, Gwalior seemed like a possible destination for the day and therefore, I cruised past Agra. Soon, I found myself riding through the Chambal region, which was once notorious for the dacoits/bandits.
The ravines of the Chambal region (Beehad) clearly reflected the easy hideouts they provided to the dacoits.
Soon, Saarthi and I crossed the Chambal River.
The roads for the day had been amazing and the Agra-Gwalior route was no exception. Soon, I reached Gwalior well before the sunset and settled for the day. I paid the hotel tariff in advance (so that I can leave next day early morning if I wish, without waiting for anyone) and retired for the day. The day involved riding for about 6 hours and about 325 km.
I was a bit tired, however, the excitement of the successful start of another of my long rides and the full days of biking lying ahead was not letting me rest. Saarthi (my bike) was in perfect shape. No issues during the entire day at all. Saarthi had proved to be a reliable partner during the 2,600+ km Karnataka trip last year and I expect it to take the mettle this time around without any hassles. How that turns out will remain to be seen over next few days.
For now, the bike and the biker rest for the night with the dreams of taking the trip back in time in South Indian lands, imagining the countless artisans working hard on the stones to give shape to the legendary temples, imagining the fear struck soldiers standing guard on the forts witnessing a certain death from the swaths of murdering armies lying across the gates.
The trip for sure would be great fun.
Day 2 was going to be a full day of driving and I was eagerly looking forward to it. This day and many more subsequent days would surely quench my thirst for riding continuously for hours altogether.
While riding a bike, especially on cross-country rides, I have observed that after a while, the bike and biker become one. Effectively, the bike becomes an extension of the biker. Instead of the conscious maneuvering, the riding becomes reflexive. You no longer consciously focus on the road or on the traffic ahead. The bike and its controls follow your subconscious mind and the bike continues on its path.
Your mind, on the other hand, goes in a trance. You start focusing on the beauty of Mother Nature. You start reflecting on your life, your past, your dreams, your aspirations, your deeds and more often than not, you let your mind relax and think about nothing at all. That is the stage where I believe biking gives the biker a nirvana. It is no less than meditation and I love it.
The smooth road, the oncoming wind, the meandering traffic, the sense of control & the confidence when Saarthi negotiates the turns; it all makes riding a literally gliding experience. You do not drive; you glide on the roads.
All this was going to be me not for one or two or three days, but for weeks altogether. No wonder, I was excited and happy that I took the decision to undertake this trip.
I woke up at six and it was already a lot of light outside. I could start my ride much earlier than the previous day when I started from home. Once on a ride, it is easy to pack things. It would be a ritual of packing and unpacking each day for the next month.
While on the rides, I do not prefer using an alarm. The rides are a time to let the body and the mind relax. I let the body follow its own rhythm. Sleep when you feel like; wake up when the body has had enough sleep. No timelines, no deadlines, nothing else to look forward to but the entire day of riding. That is the time when man, the machine and nature become one.
I crossed the Gwalior town. The city was yet to come to its usual clamor. The shops were yet to open.
Soon, I was out of the city and on the highway. I had expectations of the excellent road on which I had ridden from Agra to continue ahead of Gwalior as well. However, I was in for a surprise. The road from Gwalior to Jhansi, for about 100 km was in a very bad shape. The entire stretch was under-construction with many diversions. The start of the day was definitely, not what I had expected. However, once I crossed Jhansi, the road condition improved drastically and riding become enjoyable.
It was turning out to be a hot day. However, nowadays I like riding on hot & sunny days definitely more than riding on cold or rainy days. I just need to keep my full body covered; the hands, the neck and especially the nose because the air that we breathe in, will determine whether our body would be able to take on the challenges that come with riding. If we keep breathing the hot air with nose uncovered, then for sure we would be hit by heatstroke in a day or two and that would mean the end of what could have been a fabulous trip.
I had faced it in the past, when I drove more than 600 km from Varanasi to Agra in June 2010 on part of my bike journey from Kolkata to New Delhi. It was a hot day with the temperature reaching 48*C. I had a heat stroke and as a result, I had to be admitted to a hospital in New Delhi. That was despite I had ensured to drink plenty of water during the ride.
From then on, I had tried different methods to make the body believe that what I am putting it through is a nice and comfortable experience. In my Gujarat bike trip in March 2017, when I rode from Mumbai to Haryana over 2 weeks and covered entire coastal Gujarat, I used to cover my nose with a folded handkerchief and kept it soaked with water. It was very comforting. However, I had to soak the handkerchief mask after every 10km.
In the current trip, I am using a double-folded bandana and it has been working amazingly well. (I did not feel the need to soak it in this entire trip).
Once the road condition improved after Jhansi, I cruised past cities like Lalitpur, Sagar, and Narsinghpur. At Narsinghpur, it was 5 PM and I had covered about 450 km in the day. The next major city on the route was Chhindwara, which was about 125 km away. As mentioned earlier, I do not prefer to drive once the light starts fading. Therefore, I had to decide whether to halt at Narsinghpur or try to push to Chhindwara, which would take me at least a couple of hours to ride. Moreover, from Narsinghpur, I was taking a detour from the NH44, which is the longest national highway in India running from Srinagar to Kanyakumari. Therefore, road conditions were also uncertain. To top it up, I could see the road entering into the hills ahead.
The best option was to seek some local advice. The petrol pump attendant told me that the road ahead was in great condition and even if I wish to ride throughout the night, it should not be an issue because the area is safe.
Content with the feedback, I let Saarthi roll towards the mountains ahead. The road was indeed very good. It was two-lane but without the divider, which a highway rider becomes used to. It was intriguing that the hills were full of dense trees. While driving on this stretch, I realized that I do not like driving alone in the evenings on unknown roads meandering through thick tall trees with scant traffic. The reason below.
This part of Central India has many forest reserves and the stretch I was riding on fell between Satpura National Park and Pench National Park. Documentaries on National Geographic have always mentioned that the national parks are rarely ring-fenced on all their boundaries and many times animals do wander outside the reserves. Pench National Park is a tiger reserve and Satpura National Park has leopard with sightings of tigers as well.
Riding alone on a road across a forest with daylight fading with every minute and very little accompanying or the oncoming traffic, I thought that it is better to take a halt as soon as I find a decent settlement.
The place I reached next was Harrai, a small town, where it seemed everyone knew everybody else. The first person I enquired about a lodge guided me to Sharmaji ki lodge called "Vinayak Mangal Bhawan". The lodge was a decent place with accommodation charges starting from Rs. 150/- for a night.
Sharmaji who owns and runs the place had been a government officer posted in Harrai for most of his life and he decided to build a lodge here post his retirement. The investment in the lodge was huge and the occupancy was low. I was the only customer that they had that night. I settled for a single occupancy room, which cost me ₹400/-.
I was guided to "Mallu ka Dhaba" for dinner, which had tasty food. On my way back, I bought some essentials like a spare charger, a multi-plug extension cord, some raisins, and fruits.
After a full day of riding, I was tired and hit the bed early. I was thrilled with the anticipation of riding through the beautiful road through the green forest during the daytime the next day.
After riding for two more days and staying at Hinganghat (Maharashtra) on Day 3, I reached Hyderabad at the end of day 4. I stayed with my friend, Arun Kumar whom it seems that I only meet during my bike rides. The last time I had met Arun was in 2012 in Himachal Pradesh, when I was on my way back from the Leh-Ladakh solo bike trip.
Hyderabad – Warangal (Day 5)
After driving for 5 days, I finally reached the cities where I had planned to spend time as a tourist and Warangal was the first such place.
Warangal has an interesting history. It was the capital city of the Kakatiya Dynasty and the last known king of the dynasty, Prataparudra II had an interesting series of fights against the attacking forces from North India. In 1309, Alauddin Khaliji's sent his general Malik Kafur to subjugate him. Malik Kafur defeated Prataparudra II in 1310 and therefore, he had to accept the condition of sending annual tributes (many horses and elephants) to Khaliji. In 1318, Prataparudra II stopped paying the annual tribute to Delhi and then the Alauddin's son Mubarak Shah sent his army to defeat him. Prataparudra II was defeated and he again had to start sending annual tribute of horses and elephants to Delhi. Again in 1320, he stopped sending the annual tribute and then Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq sent his army to Warangal to overcome Prataparudra II. The Tughlaq army defeated him in 1323, captured him and was taking him to Delhi as a prisoner. It is said that Prataparudra II committed suicide on this journey to Delhi.
The story indicates the fierce desire of Kakatiya kings to stay independent and as a result, they revolted the moment they got an opportunity to re-establish their independent rule. Warangal had been a scene of multiple battles between armies trying to overcome each other.
I reached Warangal in the afternoon and therefore had ample time to visit the Thousand Pillared temple within the city.
The temple is a beautiful example of ancient architecture and has multiple carvings like a beautiful Nandi.
There are multiple statutes on the temple walls. The statutes are very beautiful with intricate artwork. However, only a few of them are intact. Many of the statues are broken representing the damages inflicted by the invading armies on the cultural heritage.
I was a little disappointed that there were no guides present at the temple site to help tourists appreciate the true importance of the temple. It was in stark contrast to my experience in Karnataka bike ride in September 2017 where every tourist location had plenty of very knowledgeable govt. registered guides who made a visit to the temples a very pleasant and insightful experience.
At Thousand Pillared temple, I had to rely on a single information board from the Archaeological Society of India (ASI), Lonely Planet India guide book and Wikipedia to understand more about the temple.
Warangal – Palampet – Bhadrachalam (Day 6)
Today, I had a plan to visit the Ramappa temple at Palampet, see the Warangal fort and then head to Bhadrachalam in the afternoon so that I may reach there before sunset.
The day started with a nice early-morning jog of about 5 km at the Jawaharlal Nehru Outdoor Stadium. Warangal seemed to be a very health-conscious city by looking at a very large number of people present in the stadium for morning exercises.
I reached the Ramappa temple at Palampet (about 70 km from Warangal) very early and I was the first tourist there. It took me a while before I could get the mobile number of the only tourist guide, Vijay, in Palampet. It took Vijay some time to arrive at the temple and we could cover the entire temple complex quickly.
The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and has a beautiful statue of Nandi.
I came back to Warangal around noon and visited the fort. The fort was completed in the ruins, which does not come as a surprise considering the multiple fights witnessed by it. ASI has done good attempts to preserve the ruins and has created a beautiful garden at the site.
I was at the Warangal fort on a Sunday (March 18, 2018), however, I was surprised when I was told by the security guards that the day was a weekly holiday for the tourist guides. As a result, once again, I had to see an important tourist site by taking inputs from the internet and the guidebooks, which are no replacement for a knowledgeable tourist guide.
I could complete the sightseeing at the Warangal fort soon and then started my journey towards Bhadrachalam about 200 km away.
The drive to Bhadrachalam was beautiful as I had to drive about 50 km through the forest area and then about 100 km through the fertile area along the Godavari River. I must acknowledge that until now, I felt the fear of wild predators lurking behind the dense forest trees along the road whenever I drive through the forests when traffic is very low and I am only one driving on stretches extending to multiple kilometers.
I could get rid of this fear when I had my first visit to a national park about a year later where I was told by the guide that the predators usually avoid roads. The guide joked that people do not see wild predators even after going deep into their habitats inside jungles and I would be extremely lucky if I could spot a predator on public roads through the forests.
I reached Bhadrachalam, a temple town on the banks of Godavari River, in the evening and I had another experience, which indicated that probably I am traveling through the states, which have not prioritized tourism yet.
I was refused accommodation by multiple hotels in Bhadrachalam stating no room for a single traveler. Finally, after checking with many hotels, I could find one hotel who was willing to offer me a room.
Sri Rama Temple (Sri Sita Ramachandra Swamy Devasthanam) at Bhadrachalam was beautifully lit and was a real treat to the eyes.
I planned to visit the temple the next day morning and spent some time at the ghat on the Godavari River. I could see many devotees sleeping on the steps leading to the river. Bhadrachalam, without doubt, has a very high position in the list of pilgrimages for people.
Bhadrachalam – Vijayawada (Day 7)
The morning visit to the Godavari ghat was a revelation of the continued faith of people in the customs, and the importance of rivers in the religious aspects.
I could witness multiple congregations of people at ghats where services of priests were being availed by poor people to complete various mandatory religious customs related to life and death. It was amusing to see the negotiations among the parties about the amount of dakshina/chadawa.
After paying homage to the deity at Sri Rama Temple and getting the Prasadam, I started the drive for Vijayawada, which is about 200 km away.
The drive was a pleasant drive. I had a humbling experience on the way when I saw a person peacefully sleeping on the roadside under the shade of a tree on a simple sheet of cloth. It was in stark contrast to modern day consumerism where almost everyone strives for as many material luxuries in life as possible. I hope I can achieve a little bit of minimalism in my life going ahead.
I reached Vijayawada in the afternoon and visited the famous Kanaka Durga Temple (Sri Durga Malleswara Swamy Varla Devasthanam) in the evening. It is a live temple and mobile phones are not allowed inside. I could do the darshan within a reasonable time as there was not a big rush of devotees. However, I could not take pics of the temple premises.
Near the temple, there is a bridge across the Krishna River connecting Krishna and Guntur districts. The bridge is called Prakasam Barrage and in the evening there is a beautiful light show conducted on the bridge. It was a pleasant experience after the darshan at the Durga temple to sit on the river banks and enjoy the light show.
Vijayawada – Srisailam (Day 8)
Today, I had plans to visit Undavalli cave temples near Vijayawada in the morning and then head for Srisailam.
Undavalli cave temples located 6 km from Vijayawada, are beautiful rock-cut cave temples like Badami, Karnataka.
These cave temples are famous for a huge statue of Lord Vishnu in a reclining posture.
There are many other statues of other deities like Hanuman, and Ganesha.
At Undavalli cave temples, I met Vikas who is an employee of Decathlon and was on a cycling tour to the temples.
After doing some shopping and other jobs, I started my journey to Srisailam about 260 km away from Vijayawada.
Srisailam is a Hindu pilgrimage, which is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas. It has the famous Sri Bhramaramba Mallikarjuna Temple.
The temple is located deep inside the Nagarjunsagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve and one has to drive about 50 km in the dense forest to reach the temple. The forest has about 110 tigers and is known for poaching as well as illegal trades in timber.
So once again, I found myself driving on a road through a dense forest with very low traffic but with a lot of tigers and poachers. Luckily, I could cross the forest road before sunset and felt safe after reaching Srisailam.
However, my experience with the poor tourism priorities of the state was not yet over. At Srisailam, again, I was denied room by many hotels stating no accommodation for single traveler. Moreover, the hotels asked me for permission letter from the local police station before considering my request for accommodation. I was perplexed. The sun had already set and there was no way that I was to drive back to another town through the dense forest infested with tigers and poachers at night.
Luckily, one hotel agreed to grant me a bed in their dormitory section. After a long day's ride and the frustration of denied accommodation at many hotels, I finally had a place to sleep.
I put my luggage in the locker and after a bit of rest, went to the temple for the darshan. At the temple, I was surprised to see the huge number of devotees lined up for the darshan. For proper crowd management, the administration had divided the waiting area into multiple cells, which looked like prison cells with steel bars. Once one cell was full to its capacity, the guards locked the rear gate through which the devotees had just entered. Now, the only way for the devotees was to wait for the front gate to open and then head for the next section of the waiting line. I could see that there were multiple such cells full of devotees before ours, which were locked from the rear gate and the people were waiting for their turn for the front gate of their cell to open. It was a situation where once you are locked into a cell, you cannot go back out even if you change your mind and want to skip the darshan and go out.
I was in no mind to stand in line for multiple hours that it would have taken to do the darshan and I retraced my way back to the entry gate before the rear gate of the cell I was in could be locked. Once I was out of the waiting section, I felt relieved.
I went to the exit gate, which was near the Shikhara of the temple and paid my homage to the deity from outside the temple walls.
I bought the prasadam from the counter and came back to the dormitory to rest for the night.
Srisailam – Chennai – Mahabalipuram (Mamallapuram) (Day 9, 10)
Day 9 involved driving from Srisailam to Chennai, a distance of about 475 km. I reached Chennai in the evening and stayed near Marina beach. I was tired from the full day's ride and therefore, postponed the visit to the beach to the next morning.
On Day 10, I visited the Marina beach early in the morning. The sea at marina beach is quite a distance away from the road therefore, one has to take a pleasant long walk through the sand to take to reach the water. I spent a nice time on the beach early morning.
Today, my plan was to drive up to Mahabalipuram and stay there before I commence my journey deeper into Tamil Nadu.
The short drive of 50 km from Chennai to Mahabalipuram is very beautiful where one drives on the coastal road and continuously experiences the cool sea breeze.
Mahabalipuram is on the list of UNESCO World Heritage List and is famous for Shore Temple, rock carvings and the beach. I reached here in the afternoon and had plenty of time to visit the beach and see the rock carvings in the evening. I planned to visit the Shore Temple the next morning.
Mahabalipuram was hit by the tsunami of December 26, 2004, and as a result, the beach was completely damaged. There are still relics on the beach that remind the visitors about the destruction caused by the ill-famed tsunami.
The most famous rock carving in the town is the Arjuna's Penance, which is carved at the face of a huge rock and depicts various deities, and animals from many stories of the Panchatantra books.
There are many impressive temples that are carved out of rocks, which indicates the enormous amount of time & effort spent by the artisans to create those temples.
Inside these temples, the sculpturers have depicted stories like the lifting of Govardhana Parvat by Lord Sri Krishna in Mahabharata.
The garden next to Arjuna's Penance has a lot of interesting artifacts. There is a huge boulder, which is precariously balanced on the slope. The boulder is called Krishna's Butter Ball.
Among the numerous boulders and rock pieces spread across the garden, a visitor can see evidence of ancient practices to break rocks into pieces. One such practice was to carve small holes into boulders, put pieces of wood into them and then keep watering the woods. Over time, the wood will swell and then break the rock into pieces.
Mahabalipuram presented as a nice surprise in terms of the beautiful, engaging rock monuments. The evening was well spent. However, I missed the company of good tourist guides who could have brought these monuments to life with their elaborate descriptions.
Mahabalipuram (Mamallapuram) – Gingee (Day 11)
I visited the world-famous Shore Temple early in the morning to enjoy the beautiful sunrise.
Shore Temple was originally constructed in the 7th century CE and has been weathered a lot by erosion from the continuous sea breeze. As a result, many sections of the temple building are locked and are inaccessible for the tourists.
Another famous monument at Mahabalipuram is the Five Rathas from Mahabharata. These are actually rock-cut cave temples and named Draupadi Ratha, Arjuna Ratha, Bhima Ratha, Dharmaraja Ratha, and Nakula-Sahadeva Ratha.
After visiting these monuments at Mahabalipuram in the morning, I drove to the destination for the day, Gingee about 110 km away. It was a short and beautiful drive of about 2 hours.
I reached Gingee in the afternoon and had biryani served in the traditional style on the banana leaf.
Gingee is famous primarily for its fort (Rajagiri), which was constructed by the Vijayanagara Empire in the 16th century. The fort is on the top of a high mountain.
The fort provided a formidable defense for its occupants due to the steep ascent and multiple levels of fortifications at each level.
And if any army managed to climb up to the higher reaches after meeting resistance at lower levels, then they had to over the final and the most formidable barrier, the retractable wooden bridge.
The fort is on a hill, which has a steep decline of about a hundred feet on all sides. The only way to reach the hilltop is through the wooden bridge shown in the pic above. The bridge is retractable. If the enemy managed to come this far, then at these final stages, they have to overcome the most difficult challenge of crossing this gap with arrows raining at them.
I am certain that this point would have seen many gory battles with a huge loss of lives.
The climb up the hill is very challenging and there is dense vegetation on the slopes, which makes it very secluded area after dark. The administration has clearly prohibited anyone from going uphill after 3 PM.
However, once a person takes the arduous climb to the top, then she is greeted with a beautiful view of the fields and the town below.
The fort seems to be a place where some ascetic seems to perform his rituals. I noticed this trident on the way uphill to the fort.
After coming back from the trek up the Gingee fort, I was dead tired and could not think of anything but rest the entire evening. I decided to take full rest and visit the Arunachaleswar Temple at Tiruvannamalai the next day.
Gingee – Tiruvannamalai – Pondicherry (Day 12)
In the morning, I visited the Arunachaleswar temple at Tiruvannamalai, which is about 50 km from Gingee.
Arunachaleswar temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The temple is very large, which has huge gopurams (towers over the entrance gates) on all the four sides. There was a wooden model of the temple premises on display.
The eastern gopuram is a massive one with 13 storeys and rises up to 66m.
The temple walls have many sculptures and it was interesting to see some statues of people looking like Chinese offering their prayers to Lord Shiva (Arunachaleswar), which indicates the frequent cultural exchange and trade between the ancient kingdoms of India and China.
The temple is at the base of a hill known as Arunachala Hill locally known as Girivalam. It is a custom for the pilgrims to circumnavigate the hill to pay homage to Lord Arunachaleswar. Most of the pilgrims undertake this journey of 14 km on foot. However, Saarthi and I could complete the journey a lot quicker.
After returning from Tiruvannamalai to Gingee, I checked out from the hotel and headed to Pondicherry about 70 km away. It took me about 1.5 hours to reach there.
In the evening, I visited the main beach of the city, the Promenade Beach. I found the beach to be a rocky beach instead of the more enjoyable sand beaches. However, the evening was well spent on the beach sitting on the rocks with feet dipped in the water.
There is only one café at the Promenade beach, "Le Café". The café is run by the govt. and has a very good location with nice views from the sitting area.
The restaurant served food that is economical in price and average in taste.
After spending the evening at the beach, I returned to the hotel with plans to visit the sandy beaches of Pondicherry the next morning.
Pondicherry – Chidambaram – Gangaikonda Cholapuram (Day 13)
Today, I had plans to visit a sandy beach in Pondicherry and then first, drive to Chidambaram to see the Nataraja Temple there and then drive to Gangaikonda Cholapuram.
Early in the morning, before sunrise, I visited the Serenity beach about 5 km from the city center. It was humbling to see that the fishermen were coming back from the sea after catching fish at that time. It looked like they had been out at the sea most of the night while I was sleeping peacefully in the comforts of a cozy hotel room
It was a pleasant experience to witness the sunrise at the beach.
I then headed to Chidambaram about 65 km away from Pondicherry. I reached Chidambaram around noontime, after a short ride and checked in a hotel for a couple of hours as my plans were to visit the famous Nataraja Temple here and the head for the destination for the day at Gangaikonda Cholapuram.
Chidambaram was the capital of the Chola Empire from 10th century to 14th century and therefore, the empire created a grand temple for Lord Shiva, Nataraja Temple, here.
The temple has a grand entrance via a magnificent Gopuram.
Unlike most other temples of Tamil Nadu, which are managed by the state govt., the Nataraja Temple at Chidambaram is managed by the priests as a co-operative. The co-operative of the priests collect the donations and then uses the same for temple expenses. Probably, such an arrangement was the reason that the Gopuram had statues of the priests welcoming the devotees.
The temple complex has a big tank called Sivaganga and a thousand-pillared hall called Raja Sabha adjoining the tank, which is opened only on special festival days.
It was a hot day and in the afternoon, the stone floor of the temple complex had become very hot. On top of it, one had to leave the footwear outside the temple complex. It made wandering around the temple complex a difficult exercise. However, I was surprised at the ease in which my guide was walking on the hot stone floor-tiles whereas I was not able to set my foot on them. The quest to earn a livelihood makes people very strong in the face of physical hardships as well.
Nataraja is the form of Lord Shiva in a dancing position. The temple had done justice with its name by beautifully painting all 108 dancing positions of Nataraja at the roof of the temple complex.
The guide at the temple was unhappy that Nataraja Temple is not under the direct control of the state govt. As per the guide, the existing arrangement of priests' co-operative in charge of the temple has made the temple a private enterprise of the priests. The guide told me that the right to be a priest passes only in the existing priest families and the outsiders have very little chance of being a priest here. Moreover, the priests do not allow guides to enter the temple complex without taking a cut from their income. He intimated that many activists are taking legal options to persuade state govt. to take over the temple administration.
I wished him luck and then started on my journey to Gangaikonda Cholapuram about 50 km away.
Gangaikonda Cholapuram has an interesting history. The city was established by Rajendra Chola I when he defeated the Pala Kings of Bengal who had control over North India. Gangaikonda Cholapuram means the Chola king who won over the Ganga River. Rajendra Chola I was the son of the most famous Chola King, Rajaraja I, who had constructed the Brihadishwara Temple at Thanjavur. To commemorate his victory over North Indian Territory, Rajendra Chola I constructed a similar temple at Gangaikonda Cholapuram and then instructed the defeated kingdoms to send water of River Ganga in pots to Gangaikonda Cholapuram, which was then put into the well of the temple here.
The temple at Gangaikonda Cholapuram, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is dedicated to Lord Shiva and has been beautifully maintained with ornate gardens around it.
The temple complex has a large statue of Nandi.
Gangaikonda Cholapuram is a very small village currently and therefore, there are no hotels/restaurants here. I had a hard time finding a place to stay and after a long search, I could manage to stay at a marriage hall.
For food, I had to travel to the main road about 3 km away from the marriage hall and only then I could find a restaurant that served food.
However, it was a surprise that the restaurant charged me only for the roti/chapattis and the non-veg curry was complementary. This was exactly the opposite of my experience in Dubai (Oct. 2017) where the restaurants charge customers for the curry and the bread is complementary.
The meal at Gangaikonda Cholapuram was the most value-for-money meal that I have ever had.
Back at the hotel/marriage hall, the preparations for the marriage ceremony were in full swing and in the continuous music, the sleep was hard to come by.
Gangaikonda Cholapuram – Dharasuram (Kumbakonam) – Thanjavur (Day 14)
I started the day early from Gangaikonda Cholapuram and reached Dharasuram, near Kumbakonam, about 40 km away, at about 8 AM. My plan was to visit the Airatesvara Temple in the city and then head for Thanjavur.
Airatesvara temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site and is maintained beautifully with a garden around it.
The temple has many beautiful sculptures, which show the intricacy of the artwork prevalent at the time of the Chola Empire.
Another feature of the Airatesvara Temple is the large rows of pillars, which look monumental and beautiful.
My visit to Dharasuram, the village with Airatesvara temple, was a short one where I had to spend only a couple of hours to visit the temple and then move ahead on my journey. I was looking forward to checking into any hotel for a couple of hours to safely place my belongings and then visit the temple. However, Dharasuram is a small village with no hotels/lodge facilities.
I was driving very slowly on the road with continuous searching glances on roadside buildings in search of any hotel/guesthouse. However, I could not find any. Finally, a few workers at a restaurant asked me the purpose of my visit. After knowing about my journey, they offered to take care of my luggage, which I could place near the cash counter while I visit the temple.
This was one of the occasions on this trip, where I trusted the strangers with my belongings. I visited the temple and on my return found that my luggage was safe and secure and the trust was honoured.
After having breakfast at the restaurant, I continued on the road to Thanjavur about 35 km away.
Thanjavur used to be the capital of the Chola Empire and is famous for the Brihadishwara Temple built by Chola King Rajaraja I. The temple is on the UNESCO World Heritage site list.
The Shikhara (vimanam, tower) of the temple 13-storey high at 66m. At the top of Shikhara, there is a dome weighing 80 tonnes constructed from a single piece of granite stone. It is said that the dome was placed at the top of the Shikhara by creating a 4 km ramp which was used by the elephants to drag the dome to the top of the temple.
The temple also has a giant statue of Nandi, 6m long and 3m high created from a single piece of rock. The Nandi statue is one of the largest in India.
Thanjavur also has other sites like the royal palace and the museums, which tell us more about the times of Chola Kings. The remnants of the durbar hall are very beautiful and indicate the glory that the place would have at its prime.
The palace complex also has screenings of a short movie, which intimates the viewers about the history of Thanjavur and the Chola Kingdom. I enjoyed this short film and found it insightful.
Thanjavur – Tiruchirappalli (Trichy) (Day 15)
For last many days, my routine had been to drive in the morning to the next temple town, check into a hotel and then visit the monuments of the city, stay at the hotel for the night and the next morning head for the next temple town.
Today was no different and I drove from Thanjavur to Tiruchirappalli about 60 km away. I covered this distance in about one hour and reach Tiruchirappalli with plenty of time in the day to visit both the attractions of Rock Fort Temple and Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple.
Rock Fort Temple is situated on a hill of about 80m high. It consists of two temples, Sri Thyumanaswamy Temple in the midway, which is dedicated to Lord Shiva and the Vinayaka Temple, which is dedicated to Lord Ganesha at the top. To reach the summit, one needs to take 437 steps carved out of the stone.
The top of the hill provides a panorama view of the town.
The parikrama around the Ganesha temple at the top consists of a gallery open from all sides. The open gallery being at the top of a hill greets the devotees with a cool breeze even on a hot day. The cool breeze at the temple top is a welcome respite when compared to the steps leading to the temple, which are burning hot in the sun.
I spent a considerable amount of time in the parikrama gallery enjoying the cool breeze and the view of the town below.
In the evening, I visited the famous Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu. The temple is spread across 60 hectares and is the largest in India. The temple has 21 gopurams (entrance gates). A priest agreed to show me around the temple and being a priest, he could take me to certain sections, which were otherwise locked for access.
The temple is massive with multiple thick stone pillars standing in glory supporting the structure for centuries.
Temple has a lot of beautifully carved structures like statues, doors, pillars with mythological stories etc.
The temple complex is so large that it takes at least a couple of hours to walk across the temple a take a good look at all the offerings. We had started our temple tour in the evening and it was well into the darkness when we finished it.
It was a tiring day involving a steep climb at the Rock Fort Temple in the afternoon and then a long walk in the Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple in the evening. The sleep I had at night was very relaxing.
In Tiruchirappalli, a couple of bikers stopped me on the roads to introduce themselves as fellow bikers from Trichy. It was a pleasant feeling to see the comraderies in the bikers' community across the regions.
Tiruchirappalli – Madurai (Day 16)
The plan for today was to drive to Madurai about 130 km from Tiruchirappalli and visit the famous Sri Meenakshi Temple. It was a drive of about 2 hours and I reached Madurai around noontime and checked into the hotel.
At the hotel, I was surprised to notice that I had a swelling in the right foot, which probably was the result of the drag I felt on my foot while starting the ride in the morning. My foot got stuck in the stairs near the parking when I released the clutch. As a result, the bike put a drag on the foot. I had not felt any pain throughout the morning ride of about 2 hours, so I could assume that it was not a serious injury like a bone fracture.
I visited a hospital near the hotel and got an x-ray done. The x-ray showed that the bones were intact and the swelling was due to the soft tissue injury. I got the medications and rested in the hotel for the afternoon.
In the evening, I visited the Sri Meenakshi Temple, which is one of the oldest temples in India. It was first created by the Pandyas when Madurai used to be their capital.
The temple is a live temple and there are a lot of restrictions on the material that one can take inside the temple complex. Mobile phones are strictly prohibited inside the temple complex. As a result, you cannot take pictures inside the temple, which effectively creates a livelihood for numerous photographers inside the temple who offer to take your photographs with nice compositions of temple structures.
The temple is a large complex with long and wide avenues and a continuous rush of devotees. There were multiple guides pushing each other to get attention of devotees and it was a ruckus. I did not feel like spending a lot of time at the temple and finished the darshan and a visit around the complex fast.
The following pic at the entrance Gopuram is the only pic I could take at Sri Meenakshi Temple.
Madurai – Rameswaram (Day 17)
Today, I drove about 175 km to reach Rameswaram, which is famous for Ramanathaswamy Temple and also as the home town of former President of India Late APJ Abdul Kalam.
Rameswaram is an island that is connected with the mainland with a bridge. The bridge is very picturesque. However, photography is prohibited once you are on the bridge.
Even more important is the railway bridge parallel to the road bridge. The road bridge has a section, which is lifted up to make way for the ships to cross the creek. Once the ship has crossed the bridge, then the railway bridge sections are lowered so that the trains may cross it to reach Rameswaram.
The Ramanathaswamy Temple at Rameswaram is one of the Char Dham in Hindu religion along with Badrinath (Uttarakhand), Dwarka (Gujarat) and Puri (Orissa). This is one of the most important pilgrimages and therefore, attracts a lot of devotees.
The temple complex is very huge, however, photography is prohibited and visitors have to leave their mobile phones outside the temple premises. As a result, I could not take any photos of the temple.
Inside the temple, there are large corridors with numerous sculptures on the pillars. The temple has 22 wells named theerthams and the devotees take a bath in the water from each of the wells to complete the rituals. However, the devotees face a peculiar situation when they reach the temple entrance after taken the ritual bathing because they are obviously dripping wet and find that it is prohibited to enter the temple with wet clothes.
Many devotees who are unaware of this custom and as a result, do not carry spare clothes end up standing in the sun nearby so that their clothes may dry and then they may enter the temple to pay homage to the deity.
After darshan at the temple, I visited the Dhanushkodi beach in the evening. Dhanushkodi is the last stretch of land from India towards Sri Lanka in the Gulf of Munnar. Beyond Dhanushkodi, it is Adam's Bridge that leads to Sri Lanka.
The road from Rameswaram to Dhanushkodi is very beautiful with the sea on both sides of the road.
However, before I could reach the last streak of the land, I was stopped by the police a few kilometers earlier. The police personnel intimated that it was evening time (5:30 PM) and tourists are allowed ahead only until 5 PM as the area is unsafe after dark. Apparently, there had been some security-related incidents with the tourists over last few days.
As a result, I could not reach the Dhanushkodi Sangam of the Bay of Bengal and the India Ocean on this day and decided to come back early morning the next day.
The place near the police barricades had a jetty, which provided a beautiful location to enjoy the sea breeze at the sunset.
Rameswaram – Kanyakumari (Day 18)
I started the day early in order to reach the Dhanushkodi beach and Sangam point by sunrise. In the early morning, the drive on well laid out tarmac roads, accompanying sea and the cool sea breeze was an amazing experience.
Finally, when one reaches the Sangam point and witnesses the waters of two massive bodies of water, the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean merge with each other, then she is left wondering at the insignificance of her own being. Looking at the scale of these large limitless natural creations, one realizes how small her existence is.
At the Sangam point, a pillar with the State Emblem of India, the four lions of Ashoka, is established.
It probably indicates to the fishermen at the sea that they are nearing Indian land, which is important at a place where both Indian and Sri Lankan land are not very far away.
After spending some time at the beach and the Sangam point, I started my journey back to Rameswaram and then to Kanyakumari, the destination for the day more than 300 km away.
I reached Kanyakumari in the afternoon. Kanyakumari, also known as Cape Comorin) in the ancient texts is the southernmost point of mainland India. (The southernmost tip of Republic of India is at the Andaman & Nicobar Islands).
Kanyakumari is famous as the end of the Indian subcontinent, for its Kumari Amman Temple dedicated to Goddess Parvathi and the Vivekananda memorial among other things.
I visited the Vivekananda Memorial in the evening. Vivekananda Memorial is on an island about 400m inside the sea and stands alongside another small island with a towering statue (133ft) of famous Tamil poet Thiruvalluvar.
After taking a ferry ride, one reaches the memorial, which witnesses a significant tourist footfall.
However, despite the presence of a lot of tourists it is not difficult to find a secluded corner and then spend some time sitting at peace getting immersed in the thoughts while simultaneously getting hit by strong sea winds.
After spending a lot of time at the Vivekananda Memorial Island, I took the ferry back and spent the evening exploring other beaches of the town.
Kanyakumari – Bangalore (Bengaluru) (Day 19)
Whenever one visits Kanyakumari, it is customary to wake up early and see the sunrise. I did the same from the sunrise point at the hotel roof. However, unfortunately, the horizon was covered with the clouds and we could witness the sun only after it was a bit above the horizon.
With today's sunrise, the Delhi to Kanyakumari trip, which started on March 13, 2018, has reached its conclusion after 19 days on March 31, 2018. Now the return journey would commence.
From Kanyakumari, I drove until Bangalore for about 600 km on this day. I reached Bangalore in the evening completing about 5,000 km of the road trip.
I left Saarthi (my bike) with my brother at Bangalore, to be transported back to Noida later and took the train journey back to Delhi.
I feel lucky that I undertook this trip, which took me through almost the entire length of the country. I could traverse the lands on the routes undertaken by large armies of both sides on foot. It was mesmerizing to think that on these routes hundreds of years ago, the armies of Delhi Sultanate walked to conquer the Deccan and the armies of Cholas moved to win over Gangetic plains.
I could see the human resolve for independence shown by the Kakatiya dynasty of Warangal and the impacts it has on the city and the forts. It was amazing to the contribution of different kings to the Indian art and culture in terms of numerous temples like the Thousand Pillared Temple of Warangal, Shore temple of Mahabalipuram, World famous temples of Thanjavur, Gangaikonda Cholapuram, Kumbakonam as well as live temples of Bhadrachalam, Vijayawada, Srisailam, Chidambaram, Tiruvannamalai, Tiruchirappalli, Madurai and Rameswaram, which have provided religious contentment to large masses since time immemorial.
It was a thrilling at Gangaikonda Cholapuram to close my eyes at the temple and then imagine that the mighty king has just returned from conquering almost entire India and the water of the Holy Ganga River is being poured in the well.
Listening to the history of the Chola Empire at Thanjavur was a revealing experience. The details of the engineering challenges overcome to create dams to ensure that Thanjavur becomes the rice bowl of Tamil Nadu was humbling.
I learned a lot about myself when I had to search for accommodation at Gangaikonda Cholapuram that did not have a single hotel/accommodation or trusting strangers with my belonging at Dharasuram or the frenetic search at Srisailam when almost every hotel refused me a room. I had the most valuable meal at the roadside hotel near Gangaikonda Cholapuram, which is an experience that I can never forget.
The most important learning by traveling through the heartland of "South India" was that I found so many people willing to help without understanding either Hindi or English. I believe that everyone loves to help travelers probably because they realize that the traveler is undertaking some hardship to visit their lands and they wish to make her stay comfortable and carry back good memories. It is such welcoming attitude of the people that reignites the will to travel time and again.
After 23 days and riding about 5,000 km on the roads, I reached home in Noida on April 4, 2018, which concluded this trip to South India.
It sure would not be the last trip that I take because a lot of states in our marvelous country are still remaining. Until then, take care.
Leh Ladakh Solo Bike Ride
Konkan Darshan on Bike – A ride on Sagari Mahamarg
Exploring Gujarat on Two Wheels: Taking Less-Travelled Road to the Past
Karnataka Bike Ride: Exploring the Land of Ancient Kingdoms
PrevPrevious ArticleKarnataka Bike Ride: Exploring the Land of Ancient Kingdoms
Next ArticleParticipants' Experiences: "Peaceful Investing" Workshop, Hyderabad, Nov. 24, 2019Next


text:
WORLD BIZ
Women take the helm in marketing
Dealer anniversaries
Where is transportation headed?
How 3 leaders in the parts industry are remaking themselves
2020's hits and misses
Eurozone crisis: Brussels nightmare as expert warns euro 'could collapse' – bloc on alert
Eurozone crisis: Single currency is a 'disaster' which has left EU banks in a 'doom loop'
Bitcoin price smashes $35,000 barrier for first time as cryptocurrency interest skyrockets
Brexit 'not a threat' to UK economy says Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey
Pound sterling SOARS to highest point in three years after Brexit deal boosts UK investing
EUR/GBP Price Analysis: Will Recent Pound Momentum Break Key Support?
Pension pots to be boosted for hundreds of thousands as Tories remove unfair fee
Canadian Dollar Forecast: USD/CAD Recovers, Will it Reverse Lower Soon?
Nasdaq 100 Forecast: Stock Leaders Take Backseat as Bond Yields Rise
Baking Soda hacks: How to clean seven common stains with baking soda
White vinegar for cleaning: Expert reveals which items you can clean with vinegar
White vinegar for cleaning: How to clean almost every surface of your home
Property market: More people taking advantage of stamp duty holiday and selling up
Winter fuel support: How to save money on your heating – The NINE best tips
Samsung Galaxy S21 and S21 Ultra revealed: UK price, release date, camera and full specs
Sky Q: Here are 7 tricks you absolutely need to know to master your Sky TV box
Best smartphones, 4K TVs, headphones and laptops – Winners of our 2020 gadgets revealed
Sky Q: Here's 7 tricks you absolutely need to know to master your Sky TV box
AirPods Max review: Stunning sound and premium design come at a ludicrously high price
EU celebrates 20 years of euro – but THREE countries might not necessarily be grateful
- in Business
Euro news: The European Union is marking 20 years since the introduction of the euro (Image: GETTY)
The euro was first launched on January 1, 1999 by the European Central Bank and is used daily by an estimated 340 million Europeans. Still popular today, recent surveys suggest three-quarters of people in the eurozone remain in favour of the euro, which has around €1.2trillion banknotes in circulation, surpassing the US dollar. But the common currency has not been without its criticism over the last two decades, with the euro battling through a global financial crash in 2008 and subsequently, the European debt crisis. In 2011 the crisis peaked, when five of the bloc's countries – Italy, Greece, Spain, Ireland and Portugal – failed to generate enough growth, risking an economic default.
In October of that year, the then-head of the Bank of England Sir Mervyn King referred to it as "the most serious financial crisis at least since the 1930s, if not ever".
Questions have often been raised about if the euro is indeed a failure or success.
It has mainly been southern European nations falling under the spotlight when measuring the longevity and triumph of the single currency, with Italy, Spain and Greece all having their ups and downs with the euro.
Perhaps the most high-profile nation to have almost crashed out of the eurozone is Greece.
When the euro was first launched it was often referred to as the 'euro experiment'
Phil Hoey, editor of Quotezone.co.uk
Athens has been pulled from the brink of financial disaster with three bailouts over the last decade by the troika of the European Commission, European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund.
The trio loaned Greece a total of £259billion (€289billion) in three successive rescue programmes in 2010, 2012 and 2015.
In what was the biggest bailout in global financial history, Athens only last summer finished completing the emergency loan programme.
In Spain, an economic recession began in 2008 with the burst of the housing bubble at the same time as the global financial crash.
Spain was in or near recession from 2009 to end of 2013 after the economy plunged into a downward spiral in the nation's worst economic crisis in 50 years.
The recovery since has outpaced the rest of Europe, driven by stronger exports and rising domestic demand.
In terms of Italy, the crisis-hit nation has spent much of 2018 at loggerheads with European Union (EU) finance chiefs over its controversial budget.
The crisis-hit nation passed the 2019 budget just before a year-end deadline, averting a major showdown with Brussels after being accused of breaching spending commitments.
Italy prime minister Giuseppe Conte with European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker (Image: REUTERS)
Italy re-drafted the budget and cut the deficit next year to 2.04 percent of gross domestic product after Brussels rejected its original target of 2.4 percent.
As the euro reaches its 20-year mark, Phil Hoey, editor of financial website Quotezone.co.uk, explained how these trio of nations could find themselves better off decoupled from the economic powerhouses within the eurozone.
Speaking to Express.co.uk, Mr Hoey detailed how the difference in sizes of economy make it hard to initiate adjustments to economic policies within the bloc.
He said: "When the euro was first launched it was often referred to as the 'euro experiment', a term that implied that it might not work, and even if it did work it wasn't likely to be perfect. And it is fair to say that the euro is far from perfect.
"Firstly, it is not just a 'single currency' – it is also a single interest rate.
"That means the euro requires countries to hand over control of two key aspects of their monetary policy: the power to set their own interest rates, and the power to influence their exchange rates.
"This type of shared monetary policy might not be such a big deal if every country in the eurozone had a similar economy requiring similar tweaks and adjustments, but they don't. Far from it, in fact.
"For example, exports account for a much smaller percentage of GDP in Greece, Spain, Portugal and Italy than they do in the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg or Germany, while productivity rates are skewed in the same sort of way.
Greece news: Greek prime minister Alexis Tsipras (Image: GETTY)
"In theory that means Eurozone countries like Greece, Portugal, Italy and Spain might do better in the long run if their monetary policy was decoupled from that of the Eurozone's economic powerhouses."
But Mr Hoey maintained that the eurozone is unlikely to see any exits in the immediate future as the political upheaval would prove "deeply painful" for the nation leaving the single currency.
He said: "In the short term a 'Grexit', 'Spexit' or 'Itexit' could prove deeply painful for the country leaving the euro.
"It would mean the creation of a brand new, completely unproven currency that investors and even the country's own citizens would be very wary of.
"In fact, it could be decades before a country is able to enjoy the benefits of their newfound economic independence.
"Given the fallout the process is likely to bring, then, the weakest eurozone countries might actually be inclined to move in the opposite direction in years to come – embracing ever-closer economic and fiscal union, instead of economic independence."
Statistics from the European Central Bank (ECB) show Italy and Spain are the only two nations from the original group of 11 eurozone members which have seen their economies shrink since the currency was created.
Shaun Richards, an independent economist, echoed sentiments of scepticism for the euro and detailed how Greece and Italy in particular are now worse off compared to before they joined the single currency.
He told Express.co.uk: "The euro is now 20 years old and here is a factor that often gets ignored which is that in overall terms it is pretty much where it began.
"The trade weighted exchange rate is at 98.7 as opposed to the 100 at its start.
"This has been great for the exporters and manufacturers of Germany but much less so for the weaker economies of the euro area.
"For example Greece did well for a while but then fell into a great depression from which it will not recover for many years.
"Also if we look at Italy we see an economy where economic output per person is now lower than it was back in 1999.
"It was not supposed to be like this as the euro was supposed to provide economic convergence and reform."
Spain news: Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez (Image: GETTY)
James Hickman, CCO of FairFX said it is too most likely too late for countries to turn their backs on the euro now.
He said: "In hindsight I'm sure some countries regret the adoption of the euro, but I believe it's a case of being too late to turn back now.
"The current 19 member countries using the euro are probably better off remaining with the euro, as changing currencies now could have huge economic repercussions including rocketing interest rates and currency devaluation.
"In the early years, countries such as Italy, Spain and Greece might have been better coming out of the euro.
"Having their own currency could have allowed these countries to better reflect their own economic circumstances."
Speaking of Italy, Spain and Greece, he explained one of the biggest challenges would have been struggling with an artificially strong currency.
Mr Hickman said: "Being part of the eurozone has been a challenge as economically these countries have had to struggle with an artificially strong currency, making it difficult for these countries to grow exports.
"Typically when a country isn't doing well economically, the currency of that country reflects it by weakening, making it cheaper for other countries to buy their goods.
"However, this hasn't been the case and Greece in particular has suffered and had to receive numerous bailouts."
But it is not all doom and gloom for the single currency.
Economists argue that the problems within less economical prosperous European nations have been magnified, but not caused by, the euro.
Speaking to Euronews, economist Duncan Weldon argued growth in the eurozone has been positive over the last few years and claimed the currency is "out of the danger zone" for the short term after a "very, very tough five or six years".
He said: "Since 2015, there has been a real recovery in European growth, growth for the last couple of years has been decent.
"In the short term, the euro is out of the danger zone.
"The important thing to remember is that even in countries that have had really tough economic times — Greece, Italy, etc — public support for the euro remains very strong."
Previous article EU celebrates 20 years of euro – but THREE countries might not necessarily be grateful
Next article Pensions: Don't delay – get your pension plans in place
Covid Winter Grant scheme: What is the Covid Winter Grant scheme?
THE COVID Winter Grant Scheme is a lifeline
Galaxy Note 9 review – The ultimate phablet for those prepared to pay the price
Auto subscriptions programs face hurdle in state laws
Pound euro exchange rate: GBP weakens as Brexit talks enter 'final stage'
Bitcoin price today: How much is one bitcoin worth after crash?
Copyright © 2016 Business News

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The short- and long-term consequences of employment disparities among young people of color have generated an urgent national conversation among young people, business leaders, the philanthropic sector, and government leaders. In recent years, advocates for young people have brought to light the barriers to success faced by "disconnected youth," who are neither working nor enrolled in secondary or postsecondary education. Latinos are overrepresented among the disconnected youth population.
In an effort to strengthen philanthropic investments among its membership, the Youth Transition Funders Group (YTFG) asked a group of policy experts to provide recommendations on how foundations can work to encourage effective policy solutions on issues affecting youth in transition to adulthood. The primary challenge was to think beyond the systemic silos that so deeply shape the services and expectations of youth and move towards an overall framework that could produce improved outcomes. YTFG's work is based on the Connected by 25 framework, in which all youth reach the following outcomes by age 25: Educational achievement in preparation for career and community participation, including a high school diploma, post-secondary degree, and/or vocational certificate trainingGainful employment and/or access to career training to achieve life-long economic successConnections to a positive support system -- namely, guidance from family members and caring adults, as well as access to health, counseling, and mental health servicesThe ability to be a responsible and nurturing parentThe capacity to be actively engaged in the civic life of one's community This issue brief offers a summary of those recommendations, focusing on four primary transition points that often threaten the ability for youth to be connected by age 25 to the institutions and support systems that help them succeed throughout life.
Illinois Youth -- Ready for Life?
Heartland Alliance conducted a survey of 162 youth ages 12 to 24 in communities across Illinois to understand their challenges and possible solutions to help them and their peers succeed in five areas: personal relationships, school, work, health, and future planning.


text:
cultural services of the
french embassy
Books In French And English
The Missing of Clairdelune by Christelle Dabos
by Adam Hocker | June 19, 2019
I confess that I began reading the second volume of The Mirror Visitor with some trepidation. After having devoured the first with such pure pleasure, I was concerned that the series would not be able to maintain its momentum, that the author would not be able to live up to the extraordinary standard she had set for herself.
Reader, these fears were quickly proven groundless. And it is with great satisfaction that I write to say that Christelle Dabos is in the process of writing a multi-volume masterpiece that defies categorization, age, genre, and expectation. With stakes that are as high as Harry Potter's, and with an intellectual sophistication that rivals if not outstrips His Dark Materials, Dabos has created a universe of such staggering grace and danger that I finished the second installation with a sense of awe that one normally associates only with the classics.
This most recent volume continues the sombre themes and addictive plotline of the first: Ophelia, the exceptional female lead of the series, is still struggling to survive the vicious and brutal world of the court of Citaceleste as she awaits her forced marriage to Thorn; she knows that her ability to "read" objects and to learn their history by touching them is of suspicious interest to certain people; and she is aware that she can trust no one anywhere at any time. But when she starts receiving bizarre threatening letters expressing God's disapproval of her, and when the people closest to her begin to disappear one by one, she knows that her life is very much in danger. The story moves from there into extraordinary territory that manages to combine the momentum and menace of a hardboiled thriller with the beauty of a Miyazaki film.
The Missing of Clairdelune firmly establishes Christelle Dabos as one of the most gifted French-language authors at work today in any genre for any age, and I for one cannot wait to see what this astonishing piece of fiction blossoms into in the next volume.
The Missing of Clairdelune by Christelle Dabos, translated by Hildegarde Serle, Europa Editions
Adam Hocker
Originally from Indiana, Adam Hocker has spent his life travelling and working with books. After having taught English in China, he started working at Farrar, Straus and Giroux as their Sales and Marketing Associate. He then lived in Paris for four years, working as a translator and editor for institutions such as the Sorbonne and Éditions du Seuil. A seasoned bookseller, as well as a great lover of literature, philosophy, and music, Adam is delighted to be joining Albertine as their new bookseller and English language buyer.
Other recommendations by Adam Hocker
Subway: 4/5/6 at 86th St & 6 at 77th St Subway: 4/5/6 at 86th St
& 6 at 77th St Bus: M79/M1/M2/M3/M4
Albertine is a project of the Cultural Services of the French Embassy.
info@albertine.com
Receive updates about events at Albertine.
News & Events Children's Events
For press inquiries, please contact info@albertine.com


The Chicago Fed Midwest Manufacturing Index (CFMMI) declined 1.0% in October, to a seasonally adjusted level of 98.6 (2002 = 100). Revised data show the index decreased 3.6% in September, to 99.5. The Federal Reserve Board's industrial production index for manufacturing (IPMFG) edged up 0.6% in October. Regional output in October was 8.3% lower than a year earlier—below the 5.2% decrease in national output.


Available through Copart's Denver location, this 2003 Porsche Boxster will be sold, via Copart live vehicle auction on Tuesday October 17th, 2017.
The Porsche Boxster is often considered the car that saved Porsche in the late 1990s. At the time, Porsche was struggling financially and needed a savior. Introduce the Boxster, a mid-engined, 2-seat roadster. The name, Boxster comes from the car's engine, a boxer 6 cylinder, and roadster, the type of car it is. First shown to the public at the 1993 North American International Auto Show as a concept, the Boxster began testing shortly after. By 1995, the Boxster began production as a 1996 model. Featuring a mid-engine design, the Boxster provides drivers with a low center of gravity, near perfect weight distribution, and neutral handling. However, the engine had several failures. This was fixed in 1999, with a minor redesign and a better casting process. The Boxster is still produced today along with the Porsche Cayman, a coupe version of the Boxster.
Want to see this Porsche Boxster in person?
This vehicle is available through Copart's Denver location. Viewing and inspecting are available by appointment or within special viewing hours for registered Copart Members. Please contact the location to schedule an appointment or to learn more about viewing hours.
Want to place a bid on this Porsche Boxster?
Pre-bidding on this Porsche Boxster will end at 12:00 PM CDT on Tuesday October 17th, 2017. Live bidding will then begin an hour later at 1:00 PM CDT. Whether you're planning on bidding on this Porsche Boxster or not, be sure to attend the live auction to watch this vehicle sell to the highest bidder.


Microneedling (also known as collagen induction therapy) is a quick and virtually painless procedure that will give you smoother, firmer, and younger looking skin. Microneedling improves wrinkles and fine lines without any downtime. This minimally invasive treatment is based on the skin's natural ability to heal and stimulate collagen production. The premise of this treatment is to simply injure the top layers of the skin with fine needles, thereby encouraging the body to start its own natural healing process and collagen production. By doing this, the procedure delivers excellent skin rejuvenation results for effective reduction of sun damage, facial scars, acne scars, wrinkles and more.


If you're running low on razors or cartridges, CVS is offering $10 ECBs when you spend $30 on select Gillette and Venus products through 12/23.
There are several manufacturer and store coupons that pair in with the deal, making razors and cartridges only $3.56 each! This deal ends tomorrow, so if you are running out for last minute errands before Christmas grab your coupons and head to the store!
like getting it all for $10.67 or $3.56 ea.


text:
https://www.ctpost.com/local/article/You-are-most-likely-to-get-pulled-over-in-these-14050963.php
You are most likely to get pulled over in these CT towns
By Mike Pignataro and Lidia Ryan
Updated 11:24 am EDT, Wednesday, June 26, 2019
The Central Connecticut State University's Institute for Municipal and Regional Policy this week released its fourth annual Connecticut Racial Profiling Project report, which examines data gathered from 94 municipal police departments throughout the state, 11 Connecticut State Police troops and two special agencies on traffic stops that occurred in 2017.
Click through the slideshow above to see the towns with the highest rate of traffic stops per 1,000 residents.
RELATED: Report: CT towns with the highest ratio of minority stops
In 2017, there were 542,000 traffic stops statewide. Wilton, a town of less than 13,000 people, had the highest rate of traffic stops per 1,000 residents.


The Children's Aid Society is fighting transparency and accountability and therefore has been charged under their governing legislation, the Corporations Act in Ontario.
John Dunn, a former foster child and advocate for transparency and accountability in child welfare will appear in court on February 11, at 1:30pm in Ottawa to set a trial date. Updates pending.


I'm having trouble paying my student loans. What should I do?
According to Student Loan Hero, Americans owe more than $1.56 trillion in student loan debt. If you're having trouble paying your student loans, we explain what to do in this Question of the Week.
Disappointed in Your Tax Refund?
If your tax refund is less than you anticipated, you are not alone. We explained what probably happened in this week's Tax Tip.
How Does Your Employer's Retirement Plan Compare?
How does your plan compare to the most recent survey results from the Plan Sponsor Council of America? Find out in this week's Financial Tip.
Tax reform has brought about significant changes in the way that vehicle use is deducted for business purposes. Read more in this week's Business Tip.
Repaying student loans is an important financial obligation. But doing so can take many years of dedication and sacrifice. We walk you through some options in this Question of the Week.
The federal income tax filing deadline for most individuals is Monday, April 15, 2019. We go over highlights in this week's Tax Tip.
The FOMC has raised the funds rate nine times since December 2015, with four increases in 2018 alone. March projections suggest that there may be no rate increases in 2019 at all. We explain in this week's Financial Tip.
Business Owners & Landlords: Are You Collecting the Needed W-9s?
If you use independent contractors for your business or rental, for each individual whom you pay $600 or more for the year, you are required to issue a Form 1099-MISC to avoid losing the deduction for their labor and expenses. We explain in this week's Business Tip.
What do I do if I Can't Pay My Tax Bill?
You thought you were getting a refund and SURPRISE…You Owe! If you owe the IRS, but can't pay the bill, we explain your options in this Question of the Week.
The government shutdown earlier this year doesn't mean your chances of getting audited are lower. Read this week's Tax Tip to learn about some common IRS audit red flags.


2016 10 22 · Chrome for Android: Restore Bookmarks and Recent Tabspare the left side of the screenshot with the right side. The left shows bookmarks and recent tabs underneath the Google search box and the top site thumbnails, the new version that Google launched in Chrome 54 does not.
2016 8 28 · The Chrome browser on Android phones and tablets has a feature called Recent tabs, which makes it easy to reopen a closed tab. The Firefox browser on the other hand does not contain this feature but you can still try to recover a closed tab by going into your web browsing history on Firefox.
2018 11 9 · Recover Using Keyboard Shortcuts. Another easy method is to right click on any of the Chromes tab and then select the option Reopen Closed tab to get back the closed tabs. #3 Using Google Chrome Extension. Well, there is an extension available on the Chrome web store known as Lock it.The Chrome extension does a pretty simple job it locks a website!
2018 10 3 · Chrome's sync feature isn't picking up all of the tabs open on my Android phone. Are the tabs stored in a file somewhere that I can access? My intention is to export the list of tabs so that I could run a factory reset on the device.
How to recover passwords with a little help from Google Chrome. Saving passwords can be such a dang headache, especially if you use a bunch of different ones for the sites you use most as you should.
Reopen recently closed tabs in Chrome Modified 24 August 2018 by Ian Weatherhogg If you have just closed a tab by mistake or need to re visit a recently closed website do not panic all is not lost.
2018 8 16 · Recover Deleted Files from Android Take Samsung as an Example FonePaw Android Data Recovery is designed to recover deleted/lost data on Samsung Galaxy, Google Nexus, LG, Sony, HTC, Motorola, Huawei, OnePlus, AUSU, ZTE and more.
Yes, I am referring to recovering lost tabs for Chrome on my Android device. It's a shame since I have session buddy extension for Chrome desktop that safely stores all my tabs, just wish there was a feature that provided a sense of security for your tabs to be stored safely on android chrome.
2018 10 9 · If you don't want to include action bar tabs and prefer to provide scrollable tabs for a shorter visual profile, you can use PagerTitleStrip with your swipe views. Below is an example layout XML file for an activity whose entire contents are a ViewPager and a top aligned PagerTitleStrip inside it.
2017 2 2 · Chrome, orputer, crashed. All of your tabs are gone, and whats worse, theres no button offering to Re open Last Session when you reload Chrome.
tabs How to restore OneTab old data on Chrome?
2018 7 31 · I had around 2600 tabs on OneTab, and they were available till yesterday, but suddenly Chrome browser was not responding so I forcibly closed it and re opened it, after saving my new tabs I found that OneTab was empty, and there're only those new tabs, the previous 2600 tabs were gone!
2018 3 5 · Google Chrome remembers the last ten tabs or windows you've closed, and lets you restore them. You can get at these in several ways: On the bottom of New Tab page, the most recent few are listed in the Recently closed section.
Close a tab. On your Android phone, open the Chrome app . To the right, tap Switch tabs . You'll see your open Chrome tabs. At the top right of the tab you want to close, tap Close . You can also swipe to close the tab. Close all tabs. On your Android phone, open the Chrome app .
However, no need to panic because keeping this situation in mind Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Opera, Apple Safari, Explorer, Microsoft Edge and other web browsers have put a fail safe option to recover recently closed tabs.
2011 9 3 · Restoring tabs in Google Chrome is more or less same like it is in Explorer 9. To reopen individual last closed tabs, right click on an empty area on tab strip and select reopen closed tab.
How to reopen closed incognito tab in Chrome?
2018 9 16 · Maybe it's changed since you originally answered this question, but incognito mode now lets all its tabs access the same incognito cookies and deletes them all once you close the last tab. So if you are already letting the browser keep track of your cookies in incognito mode, the question seems perfectly reasonable.
2016 7 20 · Re opening closed tabs on Google Chrome is fairly simple. Just right click on the tab area and select Reopen closed tab or use Ctrl + Shift + T keyboard shortcut to do the same. Reopening tabs will bring back your closed tabs in the order they were closed.
2014 4 11 · Most web browsers support tabs by default which allows you to open multiple websites and services in a single program window. Ite as a surprise that the most recent version of the Chrome browser for Android does not support the restoration of closed tabs.
2018 10 28 · Well start with the easy one tab accidentally closed. To fix this, either right click on a tab and select 'Reopen closed tab' from the context menu or press Ctrl+Shift+T.
Then if I do not restore all tabs initially, maybe I need to deal with something else first, I can go to a restore session option in the menu, click on a date and time, and restore my tabs. This should be a fairly straightforward extension of the restore/recover option.
Can I restore closed tabs after quitting Chrome?
2018 10 21 · Whenever I close Chrome accidentally and need to recover my tabs, I first have to open a tab pressing Ctrl+T for the New Tab Page is easiest before pressing Ctrl+ Shift+T to get the previous tabs back. In newer versions Im not sure exactly when, but for numerous versions now, it works without having to open a tab first.


The hard rock pioneers from AC/DC have got your newest piece of band merchandise at the ready with this 'Let There Be Rock' t-shirt in grey. The officially licensed t-shirt is perfect for concerts and events and is available exclusively at EMP. The trendy batik style casually yet strikingly emphasises the AC/DC motif printed on the front.
Tell us your opinion about 'Let There Be Rock'.


text:
FACTOID # 18: Alaska spends more money per capita on elementary and secondary education than any other state.
Interesting education facts »
Encyclopedia > Winona County, Minnesota
Winona County is a county located in the state of Minnesota. As of 2000, the population is 49,985. Its county seat is Winona6.
3 Cities and towns
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,662 km� (642 mi�). 1,622 km� (626 mi�) of it is land and 40 km� (15 mi�) of it is water. The total area is 2.38% water.
Wabasha County (north)
Buffalo County, Wisconsin and Trempealeau County, Wisconsin (northeast)
La Crosse County, Wisconsin (east)
Houston County (south)
Fillmore County (southwest)
Olmsted County (west)
As of the census2 of 2000, there are 49,985 people, 18,744 households, and 11,696 families residing in the county. The population density is 31/km� (80/mi�). There are 19,551 housing units at an average density of 12/km� (31/mi�). The racial makeup of the county is 95.80% White, 0.77% Black or African American, 0.19% Native American, 1.87% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.53% from other races, and 0.81% from two or more races. 1.37% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 18,744 households out of which 30.20% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.30% are married couples living together, 7.80% have a female householder with no husband present, and 37.60% are non-families. 28.20% of all households are made up of individuals and 10.50% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.46 and the average family size is 3.04.
In the county the population is spread out with 22.80% under the age of 18, 18.60% from 18 to 24, 25.10% from 25 to 44, 20.50% from 45 to 64, and 13.10% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 33 years. For every 100 females there are 95.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 91.80 males.
The median income for a household in the county is $38,700, and the median income for a family is $49,845. Males have a median income of $31,926 versus $23,406 for females. The per capita income for the county is $18,077. 12.00% of the population and 5.60% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 9.80% of those under the age of 18 and 9.30% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
La Crescent †
Minneiska ‡
Minnesota City
Dresbach Township
Elba Township
Fremont Township
Hart Township
Hillsdale Township
Homer Township
Mount Vernon Township
New Hartford Township
Norton Township
Pleasant Hill Township
Rollingstone Township
Saratoga Township
Utica Township
Wilson Township
Wiscoy Township
† La Crescent is in Houston County but extends into Winona County.
‡ Minneiska is located in both Winona County and Wabasha County.
Winona County (http://www.co.winona.mn.us/)
Regions of Minnesota
Minneapolis/Saint Paul metropolitan area | Northwest Angle | Iron Range/Arrowhead | Pipestone | Central
Apple Valley | Blaine | Bloomington | Brooklyn Park | Burnsville | Coon Rapids | Duluth | Eagan | Eden Prairie | Edina | Lakeville | Maple Grove | Maplewood | Minneapolis | Minnetonka | Plymouth | Richfield | Rochester | St. Cloud | St. Paul
Aitkin | Anoka | Becker | Beltrami | Benton | Big Stone | Blue Earth | Brown | Carlton | Carver | Cass | Chippewa | Chisago | Clay | Clearwater | Cook | Cottonwood | Crow Wing | Dakota | Dodge | Douglas | Faribault | Fillmore | Freeborn | Goodhue | Grant | Hennepin | Houston | Hubbard | Isanti | Itasca | Jackson | Kanabec | Kandiyohi | Kittson | Koochiching | Lac qui Parle | Lake | Lake of the Woods | Le Sueur | Lincoln | Lyon | McLeod | Mahnomen | Marshall | Martin | Meeker | Mille Lacs | Morrison | Mower | Murray | Nicollet | Nobles | Norman | Olmsted | Otter Tail | Pennington | Pine | Pipestone | Polk | Pope | Ramsey | Red Lake | Redwood | Renville | Rice | Rock | Roseau | St. Louis | Scott | Sherburne | Sibley | Stearns | Steele | Stevens | Swift | Todd | Traverse | Wabasha | Wadena | Waseca | Washington | Watonwan | Wilkin | Winona | Wright | Yellow Medicine
Categories: Minnesota counties | Winona County, Minnesota
Winona County, Minnesota - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (393 words)
Winona County is a county located in the state of Minnesota.
In the county the population is spread out with 22.80% under the age of 18, 18.60% from 18 to 24, 25.10% from 25 to 44, 20.50% from 45 to 64, and 13.10% who are 65 years of age or older.
The median income for a household in the county is $38,700, and the median income for a family is $49,845.


text:
Home » Master News » BSC winter play tells not-so-typical love story
BSC winter play tells not-so-typical love story
Post Date: Dec 03 2018
Bismarck State College presents "Gruesome Playground Injuries" Dec. 6-9 under the direction of BSC alum Amber Rae Bernhardt. Performances are Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and 2:30 p.m. Sunday in Sidney J. Lee Auditorium.
With a cast of only two, "Gruesome Playground Injuries" tells a different type of love story. Doug and Kayleen meet at the nurse's office in their elementary school – she's got a painful stomach ache and he's banged up from a running dive off the roof of the school. Over the next 30 years, these scar-crossed lovers meet again and again, brought together by injury, heartbreak and their own self-destructive tendencies. With great compassion and humor, playwright and 2010 Pulitzer Prize finalist Rajiv Joseph crafts a compelling and unconventional love story about the intimacy between two people when they allow their defenses to drop and their wounds to show.
The role of Kayleen is played by first-year BSC student Naomi Chaffee (Bismarck). No stranger to the stage, Chaffee has played lead roles in the Shade Tree Players productions of "Anything Goes" and "Guys and Dolls" as well as numerous Bismarck Public Schools musical and theater productions. The role of Doug is played by first-year BSC student Stephen Loftesnes (Bismarck). A member of the BSC Drama Club, Loftesness has also been involved in the Kubasaki High School productions of "And Then There Where None" and "A Doll's House" and the Pacific Okinawa Players productions of "25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" and "You're a Good Man Charlie Brown."
This play is produced by BSC Assistant Professor of Theatre Dr. Danny Devlin. Dean Bellin, assistant professor of theatre, is the show's scenic/lighting designer as well as the technical director. Light board operator Nick Winistorfer (Bismarck), sound designer and sound board operator Drew Pengilly (Bismarck), stage manager Samantha Brady (Bismarck) and assistant stage managers Isaac Fettig (Bismarck) and Trey Zent (Bismarck) round out the crew.
Reserved seat tickets can be purchased in advance at bsctheatre.com, by calling the box office at 224-5677 or visiting the BSC Campus Information Center in the Student Union on campus. Tickets also can be purchased on performance days at the box office in Schafer Hall.


Ivy Cottage is an attractive grade II listed detached thatched cottage which is full of character and charm. The property located In this sought after village location set in approximately 1.5 acres and boasts a wealth of original features including wall, ceiling beams and inglenook fireplaces.
Ivy Cottage is an attractive Grade II listed detached thatched cottage which is full of character and charm. The property is located in a sought after village location set in approximately 1.5 acres and boasts a wealth of original features including wall ceiling beams and inglenook fireplaces.
This beautifully presented detached cottage is located in a popular village location. As you enter the cottage you are greeted with a spacious entrance hall and a staircase off to the first floor. An opening then leads you into the formal dining room with original wall and ceiling beams, an inglenook fireplace which is complimented with a wood burning stove. This is a fantastic room for entertaining guests. A separate sitting room has original beams and is a perfect place to sit and relax with an open wood burning stove for those cosy winter evenings. Leading on from the sitting room is a study which could also be used as a guest bedroom. The dining room opens into a kitchen/breakfast room where you will find plenty of cupboard space, dual aspect front and rear windows, an integrated dishwasher and pamment stone flooring. A rear lobby makes an ideal boot room and a shower room leads on from here which has a low level W/C and pedestal wash handbasin, plus large storage cupboards with plumbing for a washing machine and tumble dryer.
The first floor contains a spacious landing with all original beams and a latch leads into the master bedroom which has fitted wardrobes providing fantastic storage space.
Bedroom two is also a double room which again has fitted wardrobes. The bathroom compliments the first floor and has a bath, low level W/C and wash basin.
To the front, the property is approached by a long shingle driveway which leads through double gates to a lawned front garden with mature apple trees. There is a double cart lodge which has an adjoining workshop and store with plenty of parking.
To the rear of the cottage there is a further lawned garden and inset shrubs and trees. The property is set in approximately 1.5 acres (subject to survey) and wraps round the cottage. The garden is very private and enjoys views across open countryside.
Wortham itself is well served with popular tea rooms, a village store/post office, public house, tennis club, bowls club and a primary school with good road communications to the A14 and A140. Further facilities are available in either Diss/Rickinghall/Botesdale or Eye, just a few miles away. Wortham may be of particular interest for those who wish to live in the Hartismere School catchment area for which a School Bus serves the village. Diss is the nearest town providing major supermarkets and mainline railway station to London Liverpool Street in around 90 minutes.
Oiled fired radiator central heating. All mains services are connected.
I found your listing. Please send me more information about Ivy Cottage, Long Green, Wortham, Diss, Norfolk, England (ID ref # 1111). Thank you.


text:
<resources>
    <string name="app_name">Amidst</string>
    <string name="action_settings">Settings</string>
</resources>

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Sign Me Up For the Mailing List!
Get updates of our units available and special offers.
All information furnished regarding apparatus for sale is from sources deemed reliable but no warranty or representation is made as to the accuracy thereof and same is submitted subject to errors, omissions, or other conditions and prior sale, or withdrawal from the market without notice. All dimensions are approximate.
Have Questions About a Unit?
© 2016 Command Fire Apparatus.


I want to write music, to write songs, that reflect, illustrate, and illuminate every passage of Scripture, every great and challenging teaching of every significant branch of the body of Christ. There is already so much good and great music and words that have been created for these purposes. And in an affluent society like ours, with such widespread education and leisure time, thousands of new works are being created all the time.
My creations are just a few drops in an enormous and powerful river. Others will dip their cups into the river and drink of others' works, and receive powerful nourishment and enlightenment from them. Maybe, if I work hard enough, create works that are good enough, and all happens by the grace of our gracious and generous Creator God, perhaps my works will go on to nourish some of those who come to the river to drink.


text:
Online Harms White Paper Response to Consultation – UK Government
by Jane McLaughlin | Mar 2, 2021 | Resources | 0 comments
Online Harms White Paper: Full government response to the consultation
Presented to Parliament by the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and by the Secretary of State for the Home Department by Command of Her Majesty on 15 December 2020
The Online Harms White Paper is the "most comprehensive approach yet to online regulation" and ~counterpart to the EU's Digital Services Act.
The Online Harms White Paper set out the government's ambition to make the UK the safest place in the world to go online, and the best place to grow and start a digital business. It described a new regulatory framework establishing a duty of care on companies to improve the safety of their users online, overseen and enforced by an independent regulator. This will build public trust in the services that these companies are offering, and support a thriving and fast-growing digital sector. The White Paper proposed that regulation be proportionate and risk-based, ensuring companies have appropriate systems and processes in place to tackle harmful content and activity. It also made clear that the framework will protect users' rights, including freedom of expression online.
This response to the Online Harms White Paper sets out plans for a new duty of care to make companies take responsibility for the safety of their users. It builds on our manifesto commitment to introduce legislation to make the UK the safest place in the world to be online but at the same time defend freedom of expression.
Read the UK Government Response to the Consultation on the White Paper.


Fraunhofer Portugal AICOS has been shortlisted for the 'Norte Investigação' award. The initiative 'O Norte Somos Nós' is managed by CCDRN – Comissão de Coordenação e Desenvolvimento Regional do Norte, in partnership with Jornal de Notícias.
The winners will be determined through public online voting, at onortesomosnos.jn.pt, and each person can vote up to once a day, until November 24th. The winners will be known on November 30th, at 9 p.m., during a gala event in the Tramcar Museum (Museu do Carro Elétrico), in Porto.
The award aims to recognize exemplary innovations and practices in northern Portugal, in institutions funded or partly funded by ON.2 - North Portugal Regional Operational Programme, managed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
In the 'Norte Investigação' category, the jury looked for the region's best scientific and technological institutions, developing research projects with recognized merit.
To vote for Fraunhofer Portugal AICOS, click here.


RICHMOND, Va. — Parts of Virginia area experiencing flooding and a flash flood watch remains in effect for much of the state until Friday morning.
Dozens of roads in Southwestern Virginia were impassable Thursday afternoon as heavy rains from Tropical Storm Michael pounded the Commonwealth.
Swift water rescue teams came to the aid of residents trapped by the rising waters in Danville Thursday evening, according to WDBJ.
Video showed floodwaters inundating the road in front of the Tanglewood Mall in Roanoke.
"It's like a beach here," a child can be heard saying in the video.
Additionally, drone video from WSLS showed flooding along the Roanoke River.
Meteorologists warned heavy rainfall will spread across the state during Thursday evening. Rainfall will be torrential, with over 1″ possible in under an hour. Total rainfall could exceed 5″ in some locations.
Seek higher ground. Don't camp near water.
Avoid drainage areas, river, creeks, and streams.
Turn around, don't drown. Never drive over water.
Be especially cautious at night!
As the storm moves by and away from our area, strong wind gusts will occur. Some gusts over 35 mph are likely with gusts over 45 mph possible, especially across eastern and southeastern Virginia. A wind advisory is in effect for much of the Richmond metro area, and a high wind warning is in effect for the southeastern coast.
☔Finally a break from the rain. But we could still see a few showers this week.


text:
Q: How to convert Core ML weights.float16Value to np.float16 array? I'm attempting to read the bytes data from a convolution layer's weight attribute as float16.
I use coremltools.models.utils.load_spec() to read in the protobuf representation of the model.
Then, iterate through the layers to find the convolution weights.
for layer in spec.neuralNetworkClassifier.layers:
if layer.HasField("convolution"):
    #print(struct.unpack("f", layer.convolution.weights.float16Value))
    print(type(layer.convolution.weights))
    print(type(layer.convolution.weights.float16Value))
    x = struct.unpack('<f', layer.convolution.weights.float16Value)

Which results in:
<class 'NeuralNetwork_pb2.WeightParams'>
<class 'bytes'>
error: unpack requires a buffer of 4 bytes
I've also tried np.asarray().
How could I convert the byte value floats to a numpy float array?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


The Region of Waterloo offers support to people who are looking for employment or who would like to enhance their skills or develop a new career.
Check out our online job board for job openings, career presentations, and job fairs in the community. Sign up to have job opportunities sent straight to your inbox as they are posted. You can also subscribe to our Employment Opportunities and Training e-newsletter to have the list of most recent job postings sent to you weekly.
See our calendar of workshops and training for more information and to register.
Drop in to one of our locations below to use a computer, printer, fax, TTY, or open a voice mail box for your job search.
You will also find resources on career planning, the labour market, and opportunities for education and training.
Waterloo - 99 Regina St. S.
Kitchener - 235 King St. E.