@brittarnhild
Five years ago I turned 50. As a special birthday present to myself I booked a travel to India and a long time dream came true. South in India, in Mysore, I stayed three weeks with my Indian mother Carolyn and her husband Hossy. Carolyn and I have been penpals for many, many years. Last year I went back to Mysore for another week, again with Carolyn and Hossy. Since then Hossy, aged 90, has passed away.
During my first stay, in 2008, I met many of Carolyn´s friends. And when we were together, we often talked about literature.
I especially remember a lunch we had with Dutch Jeanne (after I came home, I got the most beautiful tulip card from her, a painting by Jacob Marrel 1614-1681, Detail from a Tulip Book. I still have the card here on my desk). We came early and Jeanne had not finished preparing the food. While she was busy in her tiny little kitchen, Carolyn and I sat in her livingroom. The two old ladies, Jeanne and Carolyn, talked about books and authors, I was listening, with all my heart.
It must have been that day I heard about Amitav Ghosh for the first time. Or had I already heard of his Sea of Poppies?
Anyway, when I came home from India I bought Sea of Poppies, planning to read it at once, but somehow it stayed in my shelves unread. Last year, back in Mysore, Carolyn´s daughter, Sheri, who lives in Rome but was in Mysore at the same time as me, took me to an English bookstore in Mysore, and there I bought more of Ghosh´s books, River of Smoke, which is the sequel to Sea of Poppies (a third book in the triology is not out yet) and also The Hungry Time and The Glass Palace.
Since then all four books have been standing in my shelves. Waiting impatiently.
Until now. A few days ago I started Sea of Poppies, and I am back in India, armchair travelling. And I love it!
The photos are from The Maharaja´s Palace in Mysore.
Here is the post I wrote the first time I visited.
