India-Pakistan Border seen from space

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Here is a great view of the India-Pakistan border as seen from outer space! The border appears as an orange line in this picture, taken by the Expedition 28 crew on the International Space Station (ISS) on August 21 and released on September 04. The border, which is a highly lit up fence for surveillance purposes appears as this orange line. The Indian cities of Srinagar in Jammu & Kashmir is to the left and Delhi is at the top centre while the Pakistani cities of Islamabad and Lahore appear at the bottom centre and at the centre near the border respectively. These are the bright spots seen in the photo.

The original picture and the captions can be seen here.

India-Pakistan border as seen from International Space Station

The World in Sixty Seconds

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This amazing video which I got from the MSN website is a series of time lapse images taken from the front of the International Space Station at on it’s orbit around the world at night. The video, done by science educator James Drake can also be seen in his website Infinity Imagined. From the website:

A time-lapse taken from the front of the International Space Station as it orbits our planet at night. This movie begins over the Pacific Ocean and continues over North and South America before entering daylight near Antarctica. Visible cities, countries and landmarks include (in order) Vancouver Island, Victoria, Vancouver, Seattle, Portland, San Fransisco, Los Angeles. Phoenix. Multiple cities in Texas, New Mexico and Mexico. Mexico City, the Gulf of Mexico, the Yucatan Peninsula, Lightning in the Pacific Ocean, Guatemala, Panama, Columbia, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, and the Amazon. Also visible is the Earths ionosphere (thin yellow line) and the stars of our galaxy.

In My Hands Today…..

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Getting Over Mr. Right – Chrissie Manby

Have you ever had your heart broken? How did you get over it? Did a tub of ice cream cheer you up? Did you delete his number and start again? Are you now friends with your ex? Perhaps you’re godmother to his children? In which case, you’re a weirdo and this book is not for you. But if you reacted with denial, begging or a spot of casual witchcraft, then you’ve come to the right place. This is Ashleigh’s journey from love to lunacy and back again….

Minestrone Soup

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I love minestrone soup. This is my to-go soup when I am in a soupy mood. This is very easy to make and is virtually fat-free with the wholesome goodness of vegetables & beans.

I made this soup on Sunday and BB just loved it. He ate it with almost everything I cooked this weekend.

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Ingredients:

  • A handful of dry kidney beans, soaked overnight and pressure cooked till soft
  • Half cup each of chopped vegetables ( you can use any combination, I used a combination of carrots, green peppers, cabbage, spinach and potatoes). Just avoid vegetables like ladies fingers etc which turn to mush when boiled
  • 1 tsp finely chopped garlic
  • 1-2 tsps of extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 handful of macaroni (I used fusili)
  • 1 cup chopped onions
  • 1 cup chopped tomatoes
  • Half a tin of tomato paste
  • Seasoning like Italian herbs, salt, red chilli powder, cumin seed powder

Method:
Heat the EVOO and put the chopped garlic in and let it brown slightly. Then add the onions and saute till it turns translucent. After that add the chopped vegetables and saute it for a while. Add the kidney beans and the seasoning now and turn it around a couple of times to mix it well. Next add the tomatoes and the tomato paste and add about a cup of water and let it boil. Once the soup comes to a boil, reduce the heat and let it simmer till the vegetables are almost cooked. This should be around 20 minutes. When the vegetables are almost cooked, throw in the macaroni and let it cook till al dente. Check for taste and take it off the gas. If at this point, you feel the soup is too thick, add in some water before you check for seasoning. Enjoy…

Would you like to live in a Palace?

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Albeit for a fee and for a few days? Who wouldn’t right? Well if you have the moolah, here is Tripadvisor’s top ten Palace hotels. For more details click the tripadvisor report.

  1. Bussaco Palace Hotel, Luso, Portugal – Built in the 19th century for the last Portuguese Kings, the Bussaco Palace Hotel is one of the most beautiful hotels in the world. It is located in the lush Bussaco National Forest, which was once the grounds of a Carmelite convent established in 1628.
  2. Palazzo Magnani Feroni, Florence, Italy – Dating back to the 16th Century, the luxurious palace once belonged to the artistocratic Feroni family. With breathtaking views of downtown Florence, the Palazzo Magnani Feroni Hotel is located in the historical San Frediano neighbourhood.
  3. Parador de Lerma, Castilla y Leon – Located high above the town, The Parador de Lerma offers once-secret columned arcades. The first Duke of Lerma ordered the construction of this castle for King Philip III in the early 17th century. It served as a place of enjoyment for the King.
  4. Taj Lake Palace, Udaipur, India – The Taj Lake Palace was built as a summer retreat for Maharana Jagat Singh II, the 62nd successor to the royal dynasty of Mewa, between 1743-1746. The extravagant white-marble hotel is located directly on Lake Pichola, and appears to be floating.
  5. Kempinski Hybernska Prague, Prague – Kempinski Hybernska Prague was once a 17th century baroque palace. Now completely reconstructed, the luxury hotel combines modern design with traditional elements, including a private baroque garden and original double entrance doors.
  6. Ciragan Palace Kempinski, Istanbul, Turkey – The Ciragan Palace Kempinski was once an Ottoman palace built by Sultan Abdülaziz between 1863 and 1867. In the early 1900’s, the palace became the meeting place for the parliament, however it suffered a devastating fire in 1910. It has since been restored as this luxury hotel with breathtaking views of the Bosphorus.
  7. Taj Rambagh Palace, Jaipur, India – Today, Taj Rambagh Palace is an exquisite hotel with stunning suites and ornamental gardens. The palace was originally built in 1835 for the queen’s handmaiden, and was eventually turned into a royal guesthouse and hunting lodge. In 1925, the palace became the home of the Maharaja of Jaipur and remained with Jaipur royalty until 1957.
  8. Gritti Palace, Venice, Italy – The opulent palace on the Grand Canal was built in 1525 as the home of the Doge of Venice, Andrea Gritti. It was later the residence of Vatican Ambassadors. The Gritti Palace became part of the Luxury Collection for Starwood Hotels & Resorts in 1994. It still possesses the original ceilings and entrance flooring.
  9. Hotel Du Palais, Biarritz, France – Hotel Du Palais was the summer retreat of Napoleon III and Empress Eugenia. Empress Eugenia was said to have fallen in love with the beaches and landscape of Biarritz as a child, so Napoleon III had the summer residence built for her in 1855. Presently, the elegant hotel still displays the style of the Second Empire.
  10. Hotel de Crillon, Paris, France – One of two identical palaces, King Louis the XV directed the Crillon to be built in 1758. It was once the home to the Duc d’Aumont and the Comte de Crillon. Located in the famous Place de la Concorde, the prestigious Hotel de Crillon is honoured with 18th century classical French decor.