Sunday Night Seafood Adventures at Kolkata Bay House!

It was already 8:30 pm on a Sunday night! Where exactly had the weekend disappeared? Oh yes, Saturday night had been rather spectacular with Usha Uthup keeping us entertained, but Sunday had somehow gone by in a bit of a haze. And now, as is customary on a Sunday evening, we were faced with the all-important question: What's for dinner?

Cooking a meal was definitely out of the question. So, heading out it was!

As we were driving out of our building's gate, my wife happened to spot a new seafood restaurant that had apparently opened nearby. And when I say nearby, I mean practically in our neighbourhood, barely six minutes away! Well, that certainly sounded like an idea worth exploring.

We reached the place much quicker than anticipated and were a little surprised to discover just how close it was. We could hardly remember the establishment that had occupied the premises earlier, mainly because we had never actually eaten there!

Anyway, the new entrant was Kolkata Bay House, and the signage and the rather inviting lighting at the entrance certainly caught our attention.

The place is a quaint little establishment, with an interesting seating arrangement that even includes floor-level seating for those brave enough to embrace the experience. It certainly has the makings of a cosy little joint where one can settle down for a leisurely coastal cuisine feast.

We got ourselves a table and started with two Mint Bay Rejuvenators, which were essentially their take on a Virgin Mojito. Quite refreshing and a good way to begin the evening.

For food, we decided to try their Seafood Platter, which came with:

• 3 pieces of Garlic Butter Prawns
• 3 pieces of Panko Fried Fish
• Half portion of Chilli Octopus
• Half portion of Crispy Calamari

We also ordered a Masala Mackerel.

The drinks arrived fairly quickly, but the Seafood Platter took a little while, which was understandable given that everything was being freshly prepared. There were a few technical hiccups along the way, but considering this is a tiny establishment that has only been around for a few days and is being run by a bunch of youngsters, one could perhaps cut them some slack. Growing pains, I suppose!

That said, the Seafood Platter was quite commendable. The individual preparations were tasty, and there was enough variety to make it an interesting assortment of seafood.

However, the real star of the evening turned out to be the Masala Mackerel. Absolutely delicious! This was the dish that really saved the day and left us wanting more. A well-prepared fish dish can make all the difference, and this one certainly delivered.

Overall, it was an interesting discovery, especially considering that we have a new seafood joint practically in our backyard. There is still some settling in to do, and hopefully the initial technical glitches will disappear as the team finds its rhythm.

We certainly intend to return and explore more of the menu. After all, when a new restaurant opens just six minutes from home, it would be rather silly not to investigate further!

Here's wishing Kolkata Bay House all the best. We'll be back for more seafood adventures!

Music, Masti & Mishti – An Evening with the Original Didi, Usha Uthup!

There are some events that you know you simply cannot miss, and when I received the notification about “A Moment Apart with Usha Uthup” at the Tollygunge Club, I knew almost immediately that this was going to be one of those evenings. Music, Masti and, as it turned out, a little Mishti thrown in for good measure!

Scheduled for 26th September 2026, from 7 pm to 9 pm, the evening promised an entertaining musical experience. And believe you me, it delivered exactly that, notwithstanding the rather slick presentation by the sponsors at the beginning of the show. After all, we hadn't come there to listen to presentations!

It had been quite some time since I had witnessed Usha Uthup perform live, and what an experience it was to see her back on stage. While she may have lost a little of her mobility over the years, she more than compensated for it with her gorgeous sari, trademark oversized bindi, infectious wit, wonderful sense of humour and, of course, that absolutely amazing voice.

I was seated right at the back of the hall, so I couldn't quite make out all the finer details, but I'm fairly certain those trademark sneakers were there too!

She kicked off the evening with some of her classic English numbers from yesteryears, and the audience was more than happy to sing along. There is something quite magical about hearing songs that have been part of your life for decades, especially when they're being belted out by the very person who made them popular.

However, the real transformation happened midway through the evening when she switched gears and moved on to Bollywood.

The moment songs like Dum Maro Dum started playing, the atmosphere changed completely. The audience, which had until then been quite comfortably enjoying the music from their seats, suddenly seemed to discover a new lease of life. People got up, abandoned their chairs and made their way towards the front of the stage. Before we knew it, half the audience was on its feet, dancing and having the time of their lives!

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the magic of Usha Uthup. She doesn't merely sing songs; she gets an entire room to participate in the experience.

An hour and a half later, she had once again reminded everyone why she remains an absolute legend and, more importantly, who the ORIGINAL DIDI of CALCUTTA is!

Of course, no evening out is complete without some attention to the stomach, and we had certainly done justice to the rather amazing assortment of snacks served at the event. Dinner was therefore completely out of the question.

Or so we thought!

As we drove out of the club gates and crossed the road into the lane opposite, my mother-in-law spotted a sweet shop called Narendra Mistanna Bhander. Now, you can take the foodie out for an evening of music, but you certainly cannot take the sweet tooth out of the foodie!

She immediately expressed a desire to have something sweet, and naturally, we had to oblige.

Rasmalai it was!

I hopped out of the car and walked into the shop, only to discover that they were already putting things away and getting ready to close for the day. Thankfully, they were kind enough to entertain my request.

"Rasmalai, please."

"How much?"

Now, not knowing what quantity would be appropriate, I rather tentatively asked for 100 grams.

The gentleman picked up a container and began filling it. I stopped him almost immediately.

"Is that all 100 grams?"

Clearly, that wasn't going to do justice to the occasion.

"How about 250 grams?"

He picked up a different container. Now we were talking! This looked considerably more respectable for a family of serious foodies.

Eventually, 260 grams went into the container. I knew perfectly well that my mother-in-law and wife weren't going to finish all of that between them, which meant I was going to have to take responsibility for the leftovers.

A responsibility I was quite prepared to shoulder!

But wait, there was more.

While the Rasmalai was being packed, I happened to spot Kheer Kadamba. Now, that's one sweet I find particularly difficult to resist. So I picked one up and popped it into my mouth.

Oh man! What a rush!

One simply wasn't enough, and before I knew it, I had polished off another one. Some decisions in life don't require much deliberation, and this was certainly one of them.

With the Rasmalai packed and the bill paid, I returned triumphantly to the car.

My mother-in-law took one look at the container and immediately pointed out that it was far too much for her. My wife and I promptly offered to help her out. She had a couple of spoonfuls, my wife had a few more, and YIPPEE! The rest was all mine!

There went all those millions of steps I had religiously walked during the week. Never mind. I'll make up for them next week. Perhaps!

Looking back, it was quite the perfect evening. A legendary performer taking us down memory lane with songs that have been part of our lives since childhood, an audience that rediscovered its dancing feet, some wonderful snacks and, finally, an unexpected sweet-shop adventure.

What better way to round off an evening of Music & Masti than with a little Mishti?

Thank you, Usha Uthup, for reminding us that age is just a number, music has no expiry date, and the Original Didi will always remain the Original Didi!

And thank you, Narendra Mistanna Bhander, for making sure that we didn't go home without dessert. Some evenings deserve an encore, and this one certainly did!

From Fancy Watches to Fancy Food

 

My mother-in-law wanted to get a couple of her fancy watches attended to, possibly just needing their batteries changed. So, naturally, we offered to take her to South City Mall, where there was a watch shop that could hopefully sort them out.

And since we were going to be out anyway, the obvious next question was — where are we having lunch?

My original master plan was quite straightforward. Leave home around 11 in the morning, beat the Sunday-and-Puja-shopping crowds, get the watch business done and then go for lunch.

Simple.

Which, of course, meant there was absolutely no chance of it happening that way.

We got delayed and eventually left home only a little after noon. We first headed to my in-laws' place, picked them up and, by then, the carefully constructed sequence of events had already fallen apart.

So we changed the order of the plan.

Pet Puja first. Watches later.

As usual, my wife had already discovered a new place to eat. She put the details into the navigation and off we went towards Ballygunge Place.

Our destination was Drip Culture Cafe & Bakery.

One immediate relief was the presence of valet parking. With two senior citizens in tow, not having to worry about finding a parking spot was a very welcome start to the afternoon.

And then we walked in.

Drip Culture was quite a pleasure to the eyes. The interiors were warm, spacious and nicely done. Sober without being boring, sophisticated without trying too hard and stylish while still being practical.

But what really caught my attention was the table.

We were shown to a large table for four and, honestly, it felt luxurious.

Nowadays, so many cafés seem to be designed around the principle that a table should barely have enough room for two people and their phones. If you order anything more than a couple of plates, you immediately start playing Tetris with the crockery.

Here, we actually had space.

A large table. Four comfortable chairs. Room to put things down.

What a concept!

The menu arrived next. It was a decent-sized menu without being one of those encyclopaedic affairs where you need half an hour just to decide which section to read.

I like being decisive, and I also knew that with four of us ordering, the decision-making process could easily become an extended family conference. So I quickly settled on a Brownie Loaded Shake and a Pizza Volcano.

My wife went for a Strawberry Ice Matcha Latte, my mother-in-law chose a Raspberry Crème Brûlée, while my father-in-law went through the usual process of considering practically everything before finally settling on a Strawberry Cheesecake Shake.

We also ordered Bratwurst, Chicken Liver Pâté and Penne in Pink Sauce with Chicken.

And then we waited.

Which gave me a chance to properly look around.

There was a lot of staff.

In fact, there seemed to be almost one person for every table. I was quite surprised at how well staffed the place was. Someone always seemed to be around, but thankfully without that feeling of being watched.

As we chatted, the drinks began arriving one after another.

And these weren't tiny café glasses pretending to be drinks.

They were properly sized drinks in actual glassware, each served in different shapes of generous proportions. My kind of café.

Then the food started arriving, beginning with the Pizza Volcano.

Now, this was something I hadn't seen before.

The pizza had eggs on it, with the yolks almost perfectly poached. It looked quite spectacular when it arrived and, more importantly, tasted just as good as it looked.

It disappeared rather quickly.

The Chicken Liver Pâté was another revelation. As far as I can remember, this was possibly the best I've had in a very long time. Rich, smooth and absolutely delicious.

The Bratwurst was tasty, while the Penne in Pink Sauce with Chicken was equally satisfying.

Everything was beautifully presented, but more importantly, the food actually lived up to the presentation. That isn't always the case.

And then there was the service.

Exemplary.

Attentive without being intrusive, quick without making us feel rushed and genuinely pleasant throughout.

By the time we had finished eating, we were very definitely skipping dessert. Which, considering what we had already consumed, was probably a sensible decision.

We asked for the bill.

But before leaving, curiosity got the better of me.

I asked if I could have a look upstairs.

One of the young ladies immediately offered to show me around and escorted me through the building.

And that's when I realised just how ambitious this entire operation was.

The first and second floors housed Hungry Sardar, serving Indian and Chinese cuisine.

The third floor was the kitchen and bakery.

And then the fourth floor housed Yaara – Shisha Lounge.

So this wasn't simply a café occupying a little corner of a building. This was a full-fledged food and hospitality project spread across multiple floors, with three distinct offerings.

Quite an ambitious undertaking.

But after experiencing Drip Culture and getting a glimpse of the rest of the building, I could understand the vision. If the other outlets maintain the same attention to detail, food and service that we experienced at the café, I wouldn't be surprised if this place does rather well.

Eventually, we made our way back downstairs.

The valet brought our car around and we were on our way to South City Mall, mission number two of the afternoon: the watches.

By now, of course, the Sunday-Puja-shopping madness had properly awakened.

Getting to the back of South City, where the entrance to the multi-level parking is located, seemed to take forever.

And then we discovered why.

The parking was full.

Completely full.

So much for my brilliant morning strategy of beating the crowds.

The Puja shopping season had clearly arrived.

I suggested that we abandon South City and head to Acropolis Mall instead. I figured it would hopefully be a little less maddening.

So we backtracked all the way there.

Eventually, after another round of parking, walking and navigating the mall, we managed to get the watch business somewhat sorted.

And by then, it was evening.

Just like that, another Sunday had disappeared.

What had started as a simple plan to get a couple of watches' batteries changed had turned into a lunch at a new café, an unexpected tour of a multi-storey food project, some seriously good food, a parking adventure at South City, a detour to Acropolis and, of course, another new place added to our ever-growing list of Kolkata eateries.

Not a bad way to spend a Sunday.

And once again, the watches were almost incidental.

The food, as usual, was the main event.

Hungry Sardar - 1st Floor

Hungry Sadar - 1st Floor

Hungry Sadar - 2nd Floor

Yaara - Shisha Lounge - 4th Floor

A Different Gariahat & The First Signs of Puja

 

After that rather unexpected but absolutely amazing lunch, we got back into the car and resumed our journey towards our original destination for the afternoon. But, as is often the case with our Saturday outings, the plan wasn't quite done changing.

We decided to take a slight detour towards Gariahat Market.

Now, finding parking around Gariahat on a Saturday afternoon is hardly something you look forward to. We drove around for a bit, looking for that elusive parking space which, in this part of Kolkata, can sometimes feel like you've stumbled upon a rare archaeological discovery.

Eventually, we managed to park and made our way into the market.

And then came the surprise.

Gariahat Market had changed. And changed quite dramatically.

The first thing that hit us was the sheer amount of space. The second was how clean it looked.

In fact, for a moment we were a little confused about where we were.

This was Gariahat?

The market that I remember as a glorious maze of shops, people, merchandise and, most importantly, shopkeepers extending their displays well beyond the boundaries of their own shops?

It was almost unrecognisable.

For years, the common areas had gradually become extensions of the shops, with clothes, footwear, bags, household goods and pretty much everything else spilling out into the walking space. Navigating through the market often meant squeezing past displays, shoppers and fellow pedestrians, all while trying not to knock something over.

But this time, most of that had disappeared.

The shops had been pushed back into their proper spaces and suddenly there was room to actually walk through the market.

And what a difference that made!

I had heard that Minister Agnimitra Paul had visited the market and conducted a clean-up drive, but hearing about something and actually seeing the results in person are two very different things.

This was impressive.

Of course, old habits die hard. We did notice some shops already beginning to inch their merchandise back into the common areas. Just a little here... and a little more there.

I suppose they'll discover the consequences of their discretion if and when she comes back for another inspection!

But for the moment, shoppers can actually walk around comfortably, browse the shops and, quite remarkably, see the floor of the market.

Hopefully this isn't just a temporary makeover.

And while we're at it, perhaps the same treatment could be extended to the pavements around Gariahat and Rashbehari Avenue.

Now that would be something.

Imagine being able to walk along those pavements without having to constantly dodge shop extensions, parked vehicles, hawkers, people and whatever else happens to have occupied the footpath that day.

One can dream!

Anyway, our business at Gariahat was done and we got back into the car and continued towards our next destination — Metro Cash & Carry.

And that's where we got our first real indication that the next big Kolkata season was just around the corner.

Right at the entrance was a Durga idol.

Yes, that time of the year was already beginning to make its presence felt.

The Durga Puja shopping season is almost like a festival before the festival itself. The moment the idols, decorations and Puja-themed displays start appearing, you know Kolkata is slowly beginning its annual transformation.

Interestingly, though, once inside Metro Cash & Carry, we were quite happy to discover that the Puja shopping frenzy hadn't quite reached there yet.

Unlike Gariahat, where the signs of shopping for the month ahead were already very much visible, things inside Metro were relatively calm.

Which suited us perfectly.

We had our weekly grocery shopping to do and managed to get that out of the way without having to fight our way through hordes of Puja shoppers.

And since we were already there, I decided to take advantage of the opportunity and squeeze in a little Puja shopping of my own.

After all, if Kolkata is going to spend the next few weeks getting ready for Durga Puja, I suppose I should make some contribution to the process too.

So, from an unexpected craving for Chole Bhature, to sandwiches, a surprisingly transformed Gariahat Market, and finally our weekly grocery run with a little Puja shopping thrown in...

What had started as a simple Saturday lunch was turning into quite a packed afternoon after all.

From Chole Bhature to Sandwiches — A Saturday Lunch Plot Twist

Another Saturday noon and we suddenly realised that it was probably a little too late to actually put a meal together at home.

So, as is customary in such situations, my wife turned to me and asked the all-important question:

“What would you like to have for lunch?”

For some inexplicable reason, Chole Bhature had somehow lodged itself firmly inside my head. No idea why. No particular craving before that. But once the thought arrived, there was no getting rid of it.

So I suggested we head to the food court at Acropolis Mall.

My wife, however, seemed to think that going all the way to a mall just for lunch was a bit too much effort. She then reminded me of Govindam Pure Veg Restaurant, a place we'd driven past countless times. We'd often wondered, “Will we ever actually go there for a meal?”

Well, apparently not that day either.

We got dressed and headed out.

And then came the first twist.

As we stepped into the lift, an image of Sandwiches suddenly popped into my head.

Not Chole Bhature.

Not Govindam.

Sandwiches.

And as though some strange form of husband-wife telepathy had kicked in, my wife suddenly looked at me and asked:

“Are you sure you don't want sandwiches?”

My head exploded.

I looked at her with the most exaggerated pair of googly-woogly eyes I could manage and asked her if she had somehow been inside my head because I had literally just been thinking about sandwiches.

We both burst out laughing.

And somewhere between our apartment door and the ground floor, the lunch decision had completely changed.

Sandwiches it was.

By the time we got into the car, my wife had already decided on a place. It was new, and she wanted to try it out.

So the destination went into Google Maps, the route was plotted, and within seconds the first voice instructions came over the car speakers, directing us towards Dobby.

We reached Dobby, my wife hopped out and went in while I had to perform the slightly more complicated operation of finding somewhere to park.

Fortunately, I managed to squeeze the car in quite cleverly, helped enormously by the pandal structure opposite, which had already managed to occupy a good chunk of the carriageway.

Durga Puja is nearly upon us.

And yet, strangely, I don't quite sense that mad frenzy in the air that usually precedes Puja in Kolkata.

But that's a completely separate matter altogether.

I had a growling tummy.

So I joined her inside.

The menu was refreshingly compact.

Just the way I like it.

Do a few things, do them well.

That's always been my philosophy when it comes to food menus. When a place has pages and pages of things to choose from, I usually start wondering whether they really do any of them particularly well.

This wasn't one of those places.

It didn't take me long to zoom in on my choice:

Next Level Chick Sandwich and Salted Caramel Cold Coffee.

Decision made.

I'm quite decisive when it comes to ordering.

My wife, on the other hand, took her time, went through the options and eventually settled on the Caprese Sandwich, Salted Fries and Biscotella Shake.

Now ideally, the drinks order should have been the other way around.

But occasionally I like to mix things up.

There was a bit of a fiasco with the card machine when we were ordering and paying. But considering this was a newly opened place, these are exactly the sort of teething problems one expects.

Nothing that couldn't be sorted.

And sorted it was the moment the owners arrived.

But what really caught my attention was what happened before all that.

Our first sandwich and drink arrived.

Then the fries.

And this was minutes after placing the order.

Now, isn't that what QSR is supposed to mean?

Quick Service Restaurant.

Some of the big fast-food brands that built their reputations on being fast food could probably take a few cues from this place.

Because this wasn't even calling itself a fast-food joint.

It calls itself a Gourmet Sandwich place.

And yet the food was flying out of the kitchen.

I was impressed.

Then came the moment of truth.

I took my first bite of the Chicken Sandwich.

And my tastebuds got confused.

Not in a bad way.

It was tasty. Very tasty, actually.

But my brain wasn't quite sure what it was tasting.

The menu had mentioned the Bengali influence, but somehow my senses were all over the place. You know how your mind associates a particular flavour profile with a particular cuisine? Your brain expects that taste, but your palate suddenly experiences something else.

And then there is that moment of:

“Hang on… what exactly am I tasting?”

I guess the fault was partly mine.

I had preconditioned myself to expect a particular taste.

But thankfully, that didn't stop me from devouring the sandwich.

The chicken inside was succulent, and before long there wasn't much left to analyse.

Just an empty plate.

The fries arrived fresh as well.

And these were proper fresh potato fries, rather than the packaged, uniform fries that have become so familiar at many fast-food joints.

Then came the Caprese Sandwich.

In fact, it arrived while I was still busy with my chicken sandwich.

And despite being completely vegetarian, it was absolutely scrumptious.

Delicious, fresh and very satisfying.

The drinks also delivered exactly what they promised.

And then came the moment of truth for the Biscotella Shake.

I took a sip.

Yep.

Perfect.

By now, regular readers will know that I have some rather exacting standards when it comes to that particular drink.

So when I say it passed the test, that's saying something.

We eventually finished our lunch and were sitting around when the owners, who had been busy chatting with an influencer about her promotion plans and such, came over to us.

They wanted to know what we thought.

And then came the slightly terrifying bit.

They wanted our feedback on camera.

I resisted.

Naturally.

My wife, naturally, encouraged me.

And then, well...

What exactly do you expect from chatty ol' me?

The floodgates opened.

Feedback was shared.

Suggestions were given.

Opinions were expressed.

And somewhere along the way, what started as a quick lunch turned into a mini feedback session.

We congratulated them on the new venture and wished them all the very best for the upcoming Puja season.

Then we paid the bill, walked back to the car and headed off.

And just like that, our Saturday lunch journey had gone from Chole Bhature → Govindam → Sandwich Telepathy → Dobby → Gourmet Sandwiches.

Not quite the lunch we'd planned.

But then again, that's often the fun of a Saturday in Kolkata.

You leave home looking for one thing...

…and sometimes the city, or your wife, has something completely different in mind.

Matcha, Meat Market & A Teenage Curfew

 

By now, if you've been reading my blogs, you'll have realised that Cafe De Lema is right up there on our favourite café list. So when my wife's friend Gudya came calling and said she wasn't really in the mood for a restaurant and would much rather do a café and something light for dinner, the decision was almost made for us.

Cafe De Lema it was!

She had already been out for lunch at Sienna Cafe, so a relaxed café dinner was perfect. And, as usual, once we settled in, the orders almost placed themselves.

You guessed right.

Matcha for my wife. Lotus Biscoff Shake for me. Cold Brew for Gudya.

And then came the food — French Fries, a Meat Market Pizza, Chicken Wings with Buffalo Sauce and a Cannelloni which, I have to say, they do perfectly. So much for "something light"! But then again, when have we ever been particularly good at keeping dinner light?

Of course, one round of drinks wasn't going to be enough.

My wife went for a Strawberry Matcha this time, while I switched gears completely and ordered a Vietnamese Iced Coffee. Because apparently, one can never have too many coffees in an evening!

After dinner, we did something that we had somehow stopped doing a while ago. I have absolutely no idea why. So, I insisted.

We stood outside the café and took a selfie together.

Nothing fancy. Nothing particularly significant. Just the three of us standing outside, smiling at the camera. But sometimes it's these little things that you realise you've stopped doing without even noticing.

And then, because the evening wasn't quite over yet, we took Gudya to Bonne Creme, which is just around the corner. This was meant to be a little surprise for her.

And surprise her it did!

She was pleasantly taken aback by the place and, more importantly, by the rather tempting selection of ice creams. Naturally, there was no way we were simply going to look at them. We each picked one and, with that final dose of dessert, we were officially done for the evening.

Or so we thought.

On the drive back, Gudya's mother called.

And suddenly, Gudya was transported back to her teenage years!

We couldn't stop laughing as she told us what was going on. She had forgotten to take her house keys with her, and her mother and the maid were actually staying awake waiting to open the door for her.

It brought back memories of those days when we'd stay out practically the entire night and our parents would be sitting at home wondering when we'd finally return.

Except this time, it wasn't some wild night out.

It was just café dinner, ice cream and a selfie.

Apparently, adulthood doesn't necessarily mean you've outgrown getting a phone call from your mother asking when you're coming home!

And just like that, another perfectly ordinary evening became one worth remembering.

The Evening Walk Experiment – Patuli, Parks & A Footbridge Full of Photographers

My neighbour and I seem to have finally found our rhythm when it comes to exercise — an hour-long evening walk.

Nothing too ambitious, mind you. Just an hour of walking, talking and hopefully burning off some of the consequences of all those dinners we seem to be having!

We are still experimenting with the most suitable route. The idea is to find somewhere that gives us a good hour of reasonably uninterrupted walking without having to negotiate too much traffic, potholes, uneven pavements, parked cars, random obstacles and the general chaos that makes walking around Kolkata such an adventure.

Today, we decided to head southwards along the E.M. Bypass towards Patuli.

And, well, it was an interesting experiment.

As we walked into Patuli, we passed the Fire Station. Now, I don't know whether it was because of the time of evening or whether the place is simply like that, but the Fire Station looked remarkably abandoned for something that is supposed to be fully operational.

Not exactly the reassuring sort of place you want to see when you're walking past a Fire Station!

A little further on, we came across something much more pleasant — the Satyajit Ray Park.

We hadn't really planned on stopping, but the park looked so well maintained and inviting that we decided to investigate. It was actually quite a lovely little surprise. Clean, green and obviously cared for, it provided a welcome contrast to the rather chaotic roads around it.

Of course, stopping to investigate a park during an exercise walk is perfectly legitimate.

It is still walking.

Eventually, we turned around and started making our way back.

That's when I spotted the massive Foot Overbridge that had been constructed here some time ago. Naturally, my photographer's instincts kicked in and I had to go take a closer look.

We climbed up and discovered something quite amusing.

Apparently, the Foot Overbridge has another, unofficial purpose.

Photography.

There were people standing all over the bridge taking photographs, selfies and generally enjoying the elevated view. The bridge seemed to be getting considerably more use as a photography platform than as a pedestrian crossing!

So naturally, I joined them.

I stopped in the middle and took a few photographs myself. From up there, you get quite a different perspective of the road and the surrounding area. And honestly, if you're going to construct a massive bridge and put you several metres above the traffic, you might as well enjoy the view!

But by the time we got back to the main road, we had reached a conclusion.

This wasn't going to be our walking route.

The roads were simply too uneven, the walking wasn't particularly comfortable and, more importantly, it just didn't have the right vibe for an evening walk.

And apparently, "vibe" is now a legitimate criterion for choosing an exercise route.

So the search continues.

One evening, one hour at a time, we are slowly mapping out Kolkata — while pretending that all this exploration is primarily about fitness!

And who knows?

We may eventually find the perfect route.

Or at least one with fewer potholes.