India–United Kingdom bus routes

 

Numerous United Kingdom–India bus routes ran from the 1950s to the 1970s. The first of these was "The Indiaman", a service from London to Calcutta that was inaugurated on 15 April 1957. At least 32 other operators ran services, including Albert Travel which ran 15 round journeys from London to India. Overland routes were made difficult by political unrest in the Middle East during the 1970s and ended with the 1979 Iranian Revolution and Soviet–Afghan War. 

The Indiaman in Iran

The first UK–India bus service was "The Indiaman", run by London-based Garrow-Fisher Tours. This left Victoria Coach Station on April 15th 1957 and returned after a 20,000 mile  journey to Calcutta on August 2nd. The journey, which was covered by The New York Times, was eventful with driver Oswald-Joseph Garrow-Fisher recalling the road passing over high cliffs near Mount Ararat at the Turkey-Soviet Union border, soft verges in India, and needing to use planks under the wheels to escape the desert sand in Iran.

On the return leg, the 1957-1958 influenza pandemic forced the closure of the Pakistan-Iran border. The tour diverted from the border to the city of Karachi, intending to find passage on a ship, but upon reaching the port they learned the land border had reopened and so returned that way, a diversion of some 1,200 miles (1,900 km). The British embassy in Tehran had heard a rumour that the passengers had been murdered en route and were so relieved when they arrived unharmed that they hosted a cocktail party in their honour.

The Indiaman was a 1948 AEC Regal III. Garrow-Fisher refurbished the 33-seater bus, which already had already travelled 100,000 miles (160,000 km), for the journey. In its transcontinental configuration, it could carry 24 passengers plus luggage. For the first journey, Garrow-Fisher charged £85 for the outbound fare and £65 for the return; 20 passengers were carried to India and 7 made the return journey. Passengers slept overnight in hotels or camped outside. One passenger, Peter Moss, wrote an book about the journey: The Indiaman – When the Going was Good by Land and Sea. The Indiaman made four return journeys in total.

A bus named "Albert" was run by Albert Travel from May 1968. The venture was started by British travel agent and Australian resident Andy Stewart, who purchased a 1947 Albion Motors CS Venturer double-decker bus from the New South Wales Department of Government Transport; the bus had previously operated the number 2004 service in Sydney. Stewart managed to reduce the asking price from AU$1000 to AU$400 as the bus was not capable of going above 32 miles per hour (51 km/h) and had a large dent in the rear. He fitted it out with bunk beds to suit 14 passengers, extra fuel tanks and drinking water supply. There was also heating in the lower deck, a radio and cassette player, a reading and dining saloon and a kitchen with a gas cooker and sink.

Starting in Australia (the bus transferred by ship to India), Stewart drove 13 passengers on the first trip to London. He made a further 14 round trips between 1968 and 1975, when political instability in Iran forced him to stop. A typical route ran from Victoria Coach Station via Belgium, West Germany, Austria, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, West Pakistan to India where it stopped at New Delhi, Agra, Allahabad, Banaras and Calcutta. Until 1970, the bus was shipped from Calcutta to Sydney. Thereafter, the bus ran to Calcutta from which passengers could choose to fly across Burma to Bangkok, Thailand and continue by train through Malaysia to Singapore where a boat would carry them to Perth or Sydney, Australia. The bus stopped en route to allow passengers to visit sites of interest and local shops. In the early years, a one-way ticket was £85; this rose to £125 by the early 1970s excluding catering. The connection via Singapore to Australia was a further £125. The trip was advertised as "the world's longest bus route" and "your complete home while you travel".

Stewart returned to Australia as a travel agent after making the last trip to London. He retired back to the UK and, in 2001, tracked down the Albert bus, which was in Brighton. He purchased the vehicle in 2009 and renovated it to make a return journey overland to Australia. He raised funds by selling shares at £250 each, with the owners of ten or more shares being entitled to a seat on the trip. The journey was completed in 2012 and the bus remains in Australia making appearances at car shows.

In the decade following the inauguration of "The Indiaman", at least 32 operators arranged bus trips between the UK and India. These included the Waltzing Matilda, Topdeck Travel, Swagman Tour's Asian Greyhound, Tentrek Expeditions, King Kong, Crazy Bus, Penn Overland and No Sweat Overland Tours. Vehicles varied from double decker buses to converted fire engines and typically took 20 days each way. Penn Travel had a "Marco Polo Tour" route that ran from London to Kathmandu over 72 days. Some of the companies would also arrange hotels en route and broker visas for their passengers. Eastbound travellers were usually westerners seeking adventure while westbound travellers were often economic migrants from Punjab. Operators claimed cultural differences and difficulties at the border crossings made westbound trips more troublesome and charged an additional £20 for these. At least one driver insisted on being armed for all westbound journeys. The closure of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border in 1978 meant some journeys had to be completed by air and the overland routes became completely untenable following the 1979 Iranian Revolution and Soviet–Afghan War.

Vietnam's 1969 as Told Through Honda Cubs

 

The very definition of cool was established decades ago in Vietnam, and it was badass women in áo dài dashing on the street in slick sunglasses. 1960s Vietnam was the prime era for motorbikes, especially petite Honda Cubs which have, by today’s standards, achieved “iconic” status. Though the model was released with a rainbow of color options, judging by the photos, the young fathers taking their children around on a red Honda Cub was a sight to behold. The slick hairdo also contributed significantly to the sleekness of families too.

Via : https://saigoneer.com/

Monnaber Nou, Mallorca

 

 

With my cousin at Monnaber Nou a few month ago

Located in the north of Mallorca next to the Tramuntana mountains, only 15km from the bays of Pollensa or Alcudia and 45km from the Palma de Mallorca airport. The hotel is immersed in a 150ha farm with ecological certification in Mallorca, with panoramic views surrounded by nature. Originally dating from the 13th century, when the Moors ruled Majorca, the Monnàber Nou boasts an impressive history. A stately home since the 16th century, the building has been carefully preserved over the years, maintaining much of the original stonework. The grounds even include a well, olive press and windmill dating from 1680. This history, when coupled with its privileged location in the Majorcan countryside, make this ideal for your peaceful Balearic getaway.

Valldemossa

 

Valldemossa is a village on the island of Majorca. It is famous for one landmark, the Royal Charterhouse of Valldemossa, built at the beginning of the 14th century, when the mystic and philosopher Ramon Llull lived in this area of Majorca. Valldemssa means « valley of Moses » from the Arabic name Musa. Musa was an Arab wali (governor) who owned an estate in the region. Since the 19th century Valldemossa has been promoted internationally as a place of outstanding beauty, largely as a result of the affection of distinguished traveller and cultural writer, the Austrian Archduke Ludwig Salvator.  Valldemossa is a very attractive tourist destination, as it shows early Spanish culture. 

 

Royal Charterhouse of Valldemossa

 

Ramon Llul. A few decades after the Arabs were driven out of Mallorca by Jaume I in 1229, the local philosopher Ramon Llull founded a monastery just outside Valldemossa

In the 1830s the Spanish government confiscated monasteries and the historic estate was sold to private owners, who have since hosted some prominent guests. These have included the Polish composer Frédéric Chopin and his lover the pioneering French woman writer George Sand, who wrote a notable account of A Winter in Majorca. 

 

Jorge Luis Borges with his wife María Kodama in Mallorca 

Later the Nicaraguan poet Rubén Darío was guest of the Sureda y Montaner families who own the Chartreuse estate. To fight his own nightmares Rubén Dario would sleep in monk habits; however, his drinking habits caused a rift with his private hosts and thus his departure from the former monastery and from Majorca. Also Jorge Luis Borges lived in the town with his parents and his sister Norah, after the First World War let them free from their refuge in Geneva. Borges passionate friendship with the young artist Jacobo Sureda Montaner, son of the painter Pilar Montaner, was decisive for Borges writing mainly in Spanish.  

 

George Sand and Frédéric Chopin

In October 1836, Frédéric Chopin met a French woman writer George Sand at Franz Liszt's house. In the summer of 1838, George Sand and Frédéric Chopin became lovers. They spent the following winter from 8 November 1838 to 11 February 1839 together with Sand’s two children in Mallorca. At first, they stayed in Palma de Mallorca and then at the Charterhouse in Valldemossa. 

 

Prelude in D-flat major

Already after a month, Chopin was writing about Valldemossa in rather sad tones, complaining about the weather and local cuisine. The Mediterranean climate was to agree with the composer; however, that year’s winter was particularly rainy and Chopin caught a cold. On top of that, the piano that was imported from Europe especially for him, was lost during the transport. After the piano was found, it was waiting later for weeks at the Palma port for the duty to be paid. During this time, Frédéric Chopin was forced to play on a poor Majorcan piano. Despite the difficulties, he was working on his next pieces. It was in Mallorca where the collection of 24 preludes was completed (including prelude in D-flat major nicknamed "Raindrop"). 

There was not much left after the visit of the couple of lovers. The locals, afraid of tuberculosis, burnt most of the furniture of the rooms Chopin and Sand had lived in. Museums dedicated to the famous couple are located in the monastery cells 2 and 4. Memorabilia collected there include letters and manuscripts, portraits and sketches, as well as the Majorcan piano, on which Chopin had been composing since January 1836. There are also a Chopin's death mask and a lock of his hair, preserved in a George Sand's book. The museum is private and was founded in 1929 by Anne-Marie Boutroux de Ferrà and her husband Bartomeu Ferrà i Juan.
The Chopin Festival organised by Festivals Chopin de Valldemossa has been held since 1930 in August at the Carthusian monastery.

In cell 4, visitors can see the Pleyel piano ordered by the composer in Paris, which arrived in Valldemossa three weeks before his departure. When Chopin and Sand were leaving, they did not want to pay a high duty for the second time and left the piano to the director of the bank where Sand had opened an account. The piano, not yet fully paid off, was probably a form of a settlement. The piano was passed on in the banker’s family from one generation to another. Its current owners are the heirs of the bank director, the Quetglas brothers, who administer Chopin’s and G. Sand’s cell. The instrument is the greatest pride of their Chopin museum.

 

Port de Valldemossa

The Dry Stone Route

 

I plan to hike my next long-distance trail in April or May 2024 and this trail will once again take me to my beloved island of Mallorca. The Dry Stone Route, Ruta de la piedra en seco, refers to the long-distance trail 221 (GR 221), in Mallorca, Spain. It connects Port d'Andratx to the northwest of this island, to Pollença, to the northeast, thus traversing the Serra de Tramuntana, a mountain range on the north coast, characteristic of this island, listed in 2011 as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. 

 

The Serra de Tramuntana,

It is called dry stone road because of the large number of constructions carried out by the technique of dry stone masonry encountered along the way: low walls, mines, huts of charcoal burners (half-stones, half-wood), icehouses ( Cases of Neu) for example. The GR 221 is the first long-distance hiking trail in the Balearic Islands. The project, presented in 1996, was approved in 1999 by the Island Council of Mallorca and obtained its provisional approval in 2002. The territorial plan of Mallorca (2004) provided for the development of a special plan, which was definitively approved on June 17, 2015, which defines the final route, the authorized uses and the regulations to be applied.

The route of the path measures a distance of 178 km, of which 94.5 kilometers are marked for the main route. It can be extended starting from Port d'Andratx, to the west to Port de Pollença, to the east, or even to Cap de Formentor. Apart from the marked parts, the route extends over nearly three hundred kilometres. It crosses the villages or sites of: Port d'Andratx, Sant Elm, La Trapa, Estellencs, Banyalbufar, Esporles, Valldemossa, Deià, Sóller, Fornalutx, Escorca, Sanctuary and Monastery of Lluc, Pollença, Port de Pollença and Cap de Formentor. In 2023, nine refuges are in operation: those of Galatzó, Coma d'en Vidal (near Estellencs), Can Boi (near Deia), Muleta (near Port de Soller), Castell d'Alaro , Tossals Verds, Son Amer (near the Monastery of Lluc, where accommodation is also possible), Son Tries and Pont Romà (near Pollença).  

Decided in 1996 and started in 2013, this trail is the first long-distance hike in Mallorca. It includes old paths, in turn peasant, Roman, mule or pilgrimage. The dry stone route takes its name from typical Mallorcan works, including dividing walls, properties or farms, wells, made without mortar, as well as the surfacing of the path. It crosses notable sites of Majorca and rises to almost one thousand two hundred meters above sea level, at the pass of ses Cases de Neu in the vicinity of the Monastery of Lluc. Near this same place, the GR 221 crosses the GR 222, the other long-distance hiking trail on the island which leads from Artà to the Monastery of Lluc. The path allows you to discover points of interest: the close view of the island and the natural park of La Dragonera, the isolation of the destroyed monastery of La Trapa, the old charterhouse of Valldemossa, the luminous valley of Sóller, Gorg Blau, artificial lake and water reservoir, the Puig Major, summit of the island, at nearly one thousand five hundred meters (1,436 meters) above sea level, the spectacular Pareis torrent, the Sanctuary of Lluc, the religious and traditional heart of Majorca, the Puig de l'Ofre , the Puig Maria and its Romanesque church, with an extraordinary view of the bays of Alcudia and Pollença, the famous cape of Formentor, from where contemplation of Menorca is sometimes possible.  

The course can be embellished with a dozen variants, which are as many detours by other notable points: the Puig de Massanella, one of the highest peaks in Majorca, accessible on foot, the village of Calvià, the castle of Alaró. The excursion, or the trek, is practicable all the year. Weather conditions can make this difficult. The months of May to June, together with October, are the best months to discover or to frequent this path. The heat of July and August can make the route more difficult, in addition to the tourist influx concentrated on the coasts, at this same time of the year. The same goes for thunderstorms in September, rains in November, March and April, and snowfalls in December, January and February.

 

Hotel Formentor, Mallorca : The possible utopia

 

Nearly a century ago Adan Diehl from Argentina fell in love with the peninsula of Formentor, located next to Pollença in Mallorca. There, he was dreaming of a place where aristocrats, businessmen, artists and writers from all around the world could gather. This spot becomes the name Hotel Formentor. A dream or madness? 

Adan Diehl, second from the left

Guests of the Hotel Formentor in the 1930s

For its uniqueness, troubled history and diverse roster of guests, who were residing in its rooms, the Formentor belongs to the category of unclassifiable hotels. It is not a typical hotel; even its origin can not be compared to others. Moreover, it is not just a building since all its natural environment has been preserved as if the constructive and speculative frenzy, that has affected the Mediterranean in the second half of the twentieth century, had not existed. Still standing, this place can be considered as a contemporary miracle. Adan Diehl, born in Buenos Aires, was the typical globetrotter who became an inspiration for novelists such as Scott Fitzgerald, Foster or even Thomas Mann in the first third of the twentieth century.  

Cultivated, cosmopolitan, elegant, he wandered the half of the world treasuring the friendship of aristocrats, businessmen, artists and writers. He was one of those who were capable of crossing America for a bet or getting lost in a three-week cruise on one of those transatlantic liners where every dinner required a strict etiquette. At that time tourism was not a mass phenomenon yet and travelers usually formed a restricted seasonal club to visit the iconic establishments of Cote d'Azur, spas of Baden and Davos, the Casino in Monte Carlo or ski resorts in Chamonix or Hallstatt. A life between suitcases, express trains and exceptional hotels until the day Mallorca crossed his path. In one corner of the island, near Pollença, he discovered a peninsula with tiny bays studded with twisted pine trunks, veined rocks changing color constantly, and with golden gleams of the Mediterranean light crackling over the sea scratched with white foam waves.  

This landscape that seemed drawn from the Argonauts' journeys or from Aeneid's travels, was Formentor. Fascinated, Diehl invested much of his fortune in buying the remains of the Mediterranean that increasingly cost more to find despite the beauty of the island. The peninsula had been owned by the Costa family, to which belonged the poet Miguel Costa i Llobera, who wrote the famous poem “The Pi de Formentor”, then it was handed over to the Argentine who was ready to bring his project to a successful end, regardless of expenses. By courtesy of Felipe Bellini, who later projected a road paid for by the new owner, he prepared the building plans inspired by currents of modern nationalist movement that was conquering international architecture of that time. The hotel opening brought a new economic perspective to the area. High salaries, working conditions with eight-hour working days and the prestige of working in an establishment of such characteristics unleashed a struggle among inhabitants of Pollença and the surrounding areas to get a job in Formentor.  

Hotel staff in the 1930s

That was the basis of one of the identifying hotel features: quality and professional service that have been maintained over time as a symbol of identity. The refinement of the interior and the care of every detail were an obsession for Dielh and his wife, Maria Elena Popolicio, who took charge of service, facilities and decor: Canopy beds and canopies of silk, silver cutlery, Mallorcan furniture, dinner sets from Limoges, linen tablecloths, glassware from Baccarat; nothing was enough for Formentor where for the most distinguished visitors golden cutlery was prepared. Jean Patou designed pajamas especially for the hotel and Mariel Rochas a gown that evoked the aesthetics of the Cote d'Azur. To crown his utopia, Diehl invited all his lifelong friends. Many of them such as Anglada Camarasa, Santiago Ruiseñol, Joaquín Mir or Pedro Blanes became enthusiasts of the seascapes with the tiny bays. In 1931 the first Formentor Wisdom Week attended by figures such as André Maurois, the Count Keyserling, Bosch Guimpera, Gómez de la Serna or Josep Pla took place. Throughout the time the cultural dimension has been a constant theme of the hotel and one of the most brilliant legacies of its founder over time. 

Jane Birkin in 1982 at the Hotel Formentor on the set of Evil Under the Sun

Adan Diehl did not make many mistakes, only one that was fatal: designing a model that was half century ahead. His commitment to environment-friendly tourism the contrary to overcrowding, respect for the nature, the preservation of the natural landscape were so visionary that surely few, if any, could understand it. He had enjoyed the adventure for five golden years before abandoning the property and the island, totally ruined. He could have saved his heritage by cutting down the Formentor forests, but in an act of generosity referring to the values of the past, he decided to present Pollença and its visitors with this landscape, where, as he thought, he had found his Ithaca. The whole village saw him off, all the authorities, working class and law-abiding people were watching him leaving like Antonio when he was abandoned by the gods in Alexandria. He did not neither whine nor complained about his bad luck, he kept his composure and charm to the very moment before the embarkation when he lost his Formentor forever. Closed doors, the Civil War, the World War and several ownership changes left the hotel to languish until 1953 when a group of businessmen from Mallorca and Ibiza decided, with financial aid from the Banca March, to revive the Formentor spirit. The Buadas family was one of the most important members of this group.

Joan Buadas, and especially his children Tomeu and Miguel, brought back to life the soul of the hotel as it had been at the time of Diehl. The famous travellers, royals, as Edward VIII, Rainier and Grace Kelly of Monaco, the stars of cinema such as John Wayne, Sir Laurence Olivier, Gary Cooper or Audrey Hepburn, and of course the writers, they all came back. They met again on its terraces, beaches, in its great halls
full of Castilian and Catalan literature. The literary prices were awarded again, highlighting Formentor, won in its first edition by José Luis Borges and Samuel Beckett. Moreover, the International Literature event that was supported by the editors Carlos Barral and Camilo José Cela was held. Barn Lane, Damaso Alonso, Gerardo Diego, the Goytisolo, Blas de Otero, José Hierro, Robert Graves, Italo Calvino and a pleiad of writers, who gave life to the club of poets, took part in the Formentor affairs. The Buadas family, who kept the reins of the hotel until 2006, respected its commitment to the Formentor spirit and held numerous events, exhibitions and cultural initiatives throughout the years, such as the awards for humour and tolerance between 1984 and 1990.

In 2006, Barceló Hotels acquired the Formentor, retaining both its philosophy and landscape heritage that makes this hotel a symbol despite the ravages caused by the uncontrolled tourism and real-estate speculation that have destroyed much of the Mediterranean coast. Run as family business, Barceló has assumed this model that returns to search travellers rather than tourists, visitors who value, as well as a
service and equipment of high quality, the uniqueness of this almost unspoiled horizon, the history surrounding this establishment. A model of that man who dared to dream of a company that has become the heritage of all Mallorcans.

Words by Andrès Puch via spend-in.com/ 

The Formentor hotel in Mallorca, recently sold by the Barceló group to the Emin Capital investment fund, will reopen in 2023 under the Four Seasons banner and after a renovation during which it will increase from 122 to 110 rooms.  Take a look at : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9wE48tS5rU