IL - Pallazzo - Panchgani

Out of family pressure, recently I had a chance to visit panchgani instead of standard mahabaleshwar trip which we do annually.
This time, we stayed at a hotel called IL - Pallazzo, the same place where a leading star had got married. Here is what I feel about the hotel:
Situated on about an acre of hilly plot, this hotel was a parsi residence, built in 1926. Now it is a hotel. The location is not very attractive. The only advantge being that it is about 5 mins from tableland and 2 mins from Panchgani central market. Other wise there is no breathtaking view or something like that. However the fun lies in its construction. It has a colonial feel. The rooms are large and double the standard height. They have all wooden furniture carefully maintained and decorated by polish, paint etc. There is a private dining for each room. The bathrooms are also large and have all modern fittings, a fusion with the colonial construction. The private dining is not actually a dining but a makeshift dining in the rooms verandah. But it does feel like a private dining. There is a large well maintained garden opposite the main wing of the hotel and a common dining area too. There is a swimming pool, skating area, badminton court, table tennis table, gym etc, but personally i feel it was a bit overkill on these facilities since in a 3 day visit no one is really going to use all of these facilities.
The food is not very good, though my family members liked it. It had a peculiar parsi taste, was different. As I said, I did not like it but my wife and kids did. The desserts were awesome though, especially the mava cake ( a cake stuffed with sweet fillings and topped with chocolate).
For 13980 INR for all 4 (2 adults and 2 kids) of us for 2 nights and 3 days, I think it was a ok deal, if not best.
I would recommend it to anyone who loves to stay in old houses and wants to just chillax in the pleasant climate.

Budding artists

Mirror mirror on the wall.....

I want to modify the famous question "Mirror mirror on the wall, who is the fairest one of all?".
My version would say, "Mirror mirror on the wall, tell me the truth once and for all".
Am I really controlling my life? I don't really feel I am in control, though I am a spectator by choice for the game. Once, long time back as a player, I felt the same. Then who controls me? who decides I should be driving a Zen Estilo or a Honda City? Because When I buy a honda city I start getting a question, who decides whether I should drive a honda city or a Honda Accord, for that matter?
"Mirror mirror on the wall, tell me the truth once and for all", who is the master of all?

The Launch

I see everybody has been blogging for a while now, so I thought why should i remain aloof.