Serampore past and present

I'm so enjoying a full mattress after so many weeks on the equivalent of carrymat! 

Almost the first in the restaurant for breakfast this morning with an Uber booked for 7.45. This morning I went Greek with olives and humus, but then also a bit Indian. 


There are two routes to Serampore from Kolkata. The first is the old Grand Trunk Road (which, as a child, Jenny would have used) but now has shops, temples, workshops and houses almost all the way. Being Sunday some of the usual businesses were closed and market stalls had been set up in front. The second route is a modern (mostly) dual carriageway. Bizarrely our driver took the first route resulting in over an hour of horn blowing erratic driving as we weaved at crazy speed (it felt to me) through pedestrians, rickshaws, hand barrows with immensely heavy loads, buses, processions (much flag waving), scooters and other crazy drivers. 

Howrah Bridge 

Something religious according to our driver

Once in Serampore Jenny headed for the college kirk, I had a long and very sweaty walk. 

Sunday morning Serampore street

One of the many ghats on the Hooghly 


Jen joined the morning service at the college which happened to be a full Syrian Orthodox communion - one of the professors is a south India man from the Mar Thoma church tradition. It was full bells & smells. The college rotate the different church traditions - next week is the Mizo Baptists turn. 




Jenny's father was, in addition to lecturer, the clerk of works for the whole campus. This is the son of the man who essentially did all the work! 

Brother of another friend Jen grew up with. There seems to be a great culture of generations working in the college

After the service we spent a few hours with Peter and Leo who have worked around Kolkata and Serampore for many years. Lovely people. 
Also the principal, Subro Sircar was with us. Grand chatty few hours on many subjects, especially history. 

Another room, another leak. This time dripping from a light fitting! 

Evening Kolkata walk. I managed to top up my sim card to last until we head home


The Wonderful game of carrom. Sort of shove h'penny meets snooker

Hot milk stall



Ancient tram

Tomorrow we move to another Kolkata location. The Park is great, but relatively expensive compared with our new digs. 

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