Friday, June 30, 2017

A GREAT PLACE TO CAMP AMIDST THE QUIETUDE OF NATURE

This is our third visit to Coonoor and it has been by far, the most memorable of all. A great hostess makes a big difference and Mrs.Leenu Kurian gave us a very warm reception when we landed at Strathearn. She was very helpful and very proactive in giving us all the care that we needed. Strathearn has a lot inside it that gave us that rustic feel of nature. It's a small bundle of nature packaged well and since it's also close the Bedford circle, accessibility to hotels and shops is also really good. The SIMS park is just at a walking distance from this stay. The efforts that have been put in to maintain a heritage Scottish bungalow and to make it so presentable are really praiseworthy. I have always loved sitting lazily on antique furniture and watching the magical hues of nature and I had that opportunity again here. We had a good view of the lawn from the patio. We had all the facilities in place for our stay and an antique touch to it.


At the break of dawn each day, we could hear the chirps of so many birds. I loved the rays of sunlight slowly creeping in at dawn through the antique ventilation located close to the ceiling. We really enjoyed sauntering around the green expanse studded with towering trees and beautiful flowers especially the ones bordering the entrance pathway and the roses standing tall and demanding attention. There are lots of spots where we could take some very good snaps. A few dogs and cats gave us good company. We also had the opportunity to witness the acrobatics of the monkeys. The dining room was superb with a beautiful layout and with tall windows for us to have a feel of the green that lay beyond. We enjoyed the breakfast and chats we had during these sessions. Our hostess was very patient in answering all our questions about Strathearn and Coonoor. 



After the breakfast sessions on both the days, my daughter and I spent a lot of time observing the two huge old paintings that adorned the walls. They were beautiful. I again came back towards the end of the day, sat in the patio and watched one of them in the waning brightness of dusk and in dark times of the night. It looked truly beautiful and took me back in time. These were painted directly on the walls and are as old as the bungalow itself. Strathearn was a great place to stay and we could see attention to detail and the care taken even in many small things and even my daughter spotted some of them. Truly commendable.