Aruna in Vienna.....My thoughts.....

Aruna in Vienna

Travelogue writers are a rare entity in the literary world and women writers are still rarer and this author with that humorous tinge is a very rarest of its kind.

Like most travelogues, this book features the author's whimsical journey traversing through the boders of the erstwhile Czechoslovakia and Austria. European countries always have this aura of gothic style and totuous traceries. On a personal front, I always wanted to visit these European countries like the Czech Republic, Romania (thanks to Bram Stoker) and atlast the rivers of Egypt Civilization.

Coming to this travelogue, it is a fun filled ride by the author along with her friends. Been accustomed to her writing style, she has ticked all the boxes this time with her narrative style and depiction of the vast mountaneous terrains.

The first chapter itself gives an insight of what is coming to come. The comic start to Hungary and the author's funny experiences at the airport greet us with a smile. No Objection Certificate in all government offices are a nightmare and I really don't know if the regulatory authorities even care for it. The word Budapest immediately connects us to Raja and his symphonic connections with the Western nation.

Her mention of Hindu meal served at Qatar Airways flight and the return prebooked meal in Air Arabia will surely bring a deja vu feel among most of the travellers flying abroad across continents. All that glitters is not gold.

Hungary is a landlocked country and is in a temperate zone ably protected by the Alps and the  Carpathians. It was interesting to read about the Stone clad Gothic architecture at Budapest. We all should learn a lesson or two from these countries as how people embrace modernism and their rich cultural heritage. Also praiseworthy is the way how they are very disciplined in all artifacts of life, right from the neat roads till their living spaces. That mention about the multi layered number coding security system was very new and comical to read.

Small sample from her funnier playful excerpt, "அந்தப் பூட்டின் குட்டி பெட்டிக்குள் இருந்தது வீட்டின் சாவி. ஒரு வழியாக மாயாவியின் உயிர் எங்கிருக்கிறது என்பது தெரிந்து விட்டது". Beware I am a ராணி காமிக்ஸ் முகமூடி வீரர் மாயாவி fan.

The author's awareness about the present day politics is humorously connected in those lines in one of those episodes, "முதல் நாளும் கடைசி நாளும் 20 - 25 கிலோ லக்கேஜ்களை சுமந்து கொண்டு அறுபது படிகள் இறங்குவதற்குள் திருமாவளவன் சிதம்பரம் தொகுதி தேர்தல் முடிவு போல் ஆகி விட்டது".

That Budacard mention was superb and very interesting to read. Wish all countries had this kind of monetary systems as a neat little package. The mention about the medieval stew like Ghoulash Soup & Strudel was great to read and visualize. I have read that Italy has the nicest coffee among European countries. The author again brings her inquisitiveness into trying these dishes, coffee (piping hot) across different landscapes.

The author in one of the episodes mentions about the  is right in the way that we Indians see the foreign shores. No doubt Mozart's place is a must at Salzburg but before that we all must atleast have a peek at Panaiyapuram or a Prasad Studio to see the magic unfold before the Maestro.

Her mention about the row of teeth in one of those chapters is a nice pointer that she is a dentist. That mention about the vintage 14th century Astronomical Clock in the capital of the Czech Republic was really an interesting read.   

I won't mention everything here and make it a spoiler. You can be assured that it is not a typical travelogue. This is more like that of a travel film with screenplay by Crazy Mohan. And that's the strength of this travelogue.

This book in kindle..........STRICTLY RECOMMENDED