DAY 59 : FOUR GIRLS MEET SERENDIPITY......

Four girls...

Turkey-Spain

Oh my god, it just has the makings of the best time ever..

Filled with fun, laughter, gossip, smiles, giggles, shopping, irritation, hugs, kisses, sand, water, beautiful bronzed bodies, burnt shoulders, pink cheeks, glossy mouths, kohl rimmed eyes, bikinis, snorkeling, shoes, bags, sangria's, delectable food, walking, running, climbing, whistling, singing, dancing, crying, hysterical laughing...

Well we found pieces of our hearts, we forgot existed …and found us again...

Not that we were lost and this was a soul searching trip..

But going on holiday with the girls is like a shot of oxygen...

It's a heady feeling.

Like a shot of wheat grass...

It's detoxifying and cleansing...

Gosh it was a trippy..

We all found answers that we never even went in search of...

We found happiness, when we were not even looking..

We went our separate ways on some days , only to meet up again with lots of missing, love , warmth and trust ..

We felt like a sister-hood has been formed without really saying it ..

Feel an unspoken bond of love and trust ..

Like no matter what you doing someones watching your back ...

Gosh I feel blessed and like the luckiest girl in the world ...

That I could do a holiday like this , travel to a destination of our choice , and with girls that I love immensely ..

We were so busy having a blast that the days flew by, it's always too short a time when you having a blast

Mini, Sandy, Jaya and Me...

We did it all..

Four hot-headed, strong- willed, smart and gorgeous girls, planning a holiday together…

Well there were bound to be a lot of arguments, because though we are all pretty alike, we are all so darn different its not even funny…

Mini- the smart, fun and mad Devils advocate, the voice of sense, who went hysterically mad with laughter at moments you would least expect...

Sandy- The sassy-sexy Intelligent chica, who has a body to die for, who says it like it is…and made us laugh till we cried…

Jaya- The writer, easy going Vegetarian, who was up for most of everything. And was partner in crime with me, while we soaked in the culture of Barcelona…

Me- Think I’m easy going, but stubborn, with crazy energy and wanted to do everything and all…and talked too much and always woke up too early…

Had never been on a holiday with anyone of them before, well we have all worked together a lot in and out of the country and traveled together, but holiday well…

We plotted and planned and e-mailed one another …I hated that. Not good with e-mails, so also got shouted at, for not replying…

Mini was in-charge of stay in Barcelona.

Jaya was in-charge of ticketing…

Sandy and me of stay in Turkey.

Mini and me –Stay in Tossa

And all of us had to do research and find stuff we wanted to do in all the places we would be traveling to …

We were all going a little bit mad and excited. We had never really gone on a holiday without kids and the men in our life, so this was new.

We wanted to make the most of this holiday, and soak in the city and shop and party and do it all.

We laughed within minutes of waking up, pranced around in our nightwear.

Drank various teas together..

Screamed at one another from the bathroom..

Put mud packs on our faces and talked funny...

Readied ourselves for the day and went out with a skip in our steps…

We did a lot on this trip..

We carried our own luggage unlike the spoilt way we live in Bombay…

Into and from airports, hailed cabs, bargained with various men for various things, that we had to buy or we would die ha ha

Dragged our ever growing luggage into taxis and dragged them from various streets..

Pulled them into trains, trams and buses more often than not…

And the luggage always increased in weight and number ha ha ha

We fought with guys who thought they could take us for a ride, and gave it back,even if deep inside we were petrified ha ha ha

We went into a Turkish Hamam.

That had to be for us. One of the maddest and funniest experiences…

Where we met burly Turkish women who scrubbed us till we were clean and our skin had a sheen.

But this experience was like a bonding exercise in a weird sort of way...

We laughed and talked , wrapped in towels,with shiny faces, drinking amazing apple tea, still not really believing that we were all there together…

Shopped at the Grand Bazaar and bargained like fiends…came back in trams with a zillion bags…bone tired and so very very happy ..

Devoured clams with lime on the streets.

Went and soaked in all the sites…but were most kicked at being inside the royal harem in Turkey ..

In Barcelona armed with a map, we found our way around town..

Traveled in and out of Gaudi’s city in trains and walked till our calve muscles were weary.

Partied at Garcia and danced the night away…the streets were filled with music and smiling faces…

Got into a train and went to Dali’s museum and from there we went to Tossa…

That was truly the high point of out trip..

We soaked in the sun and got burnt..

Downed sangria's, snorkeled, giggled hysterically shopped and swam some more….

We brought in Mini’s Birthday at this beautiful out door bar in a run down castle atop this hillock with the most amazing view…

Gosh ….could anyone ask for more..

Came back to Barcelona and went back into gypsy mode..

I went and climbed up this mountain alone…

Never done something like that before..

Was not even scared at all..

Felt a deep sense of freedom and insane love ..

We laughed, cried, wiped each others eyes, soul-searched, found answers where we least expected and bared our fears to each other, we sang , danced and forgave each other for everything …

and grew a new respect for each other…

We met “Serendipity”

I love this word…

I love the meaning of this word…'It's the act of finding something valuable or delightful or magical when you are not looking...

OK I added magical...because I feel some wonderful moments are magical..

And I can say with a smile in my heart, that unknowingly and very very often this year I have experienced this wonderful feeling …

Feel that the moment you let go, and you keep yourself open to the universe…

The stars just smile down on you…

Today I don’t have any food from “Maria’s Kitchen “ to offer you , but have something that I want to share with you…

Serendipity Sangria...

• 3 1/4 cups ( dry red wine
• 2 cups sparkling apple juice or Appy fizz
• 4 tbsp gin
• 4 tablespoons citron-flavored vodka
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• Juice of 1 large orange
• Juice of 1 large lemon
• 1 small orange, sliced thin crosswise
• 1 small lemon, sliced thin crosswise
• 1 small lime, sliced thin crosswise

Pour all the ingredients into a large pitcher, mix well, and refrigerate. Serve chilled over ice.
You can also put some cinnamon sticks into it, it really tastes good...
Frankly I have not yet tried this recipe, but it sounds yummilicious, and so want to share it with you, I had a lot of sangria and so did not want to make any ...
But do try this and tell me how it was , and have a glass of this listen to Rihanna belting out, "only girl in the world "..
And you will feel like how we i.e.Mini, Sandy , Jaya and me felt ...
See you all really soon ...
Love always ...