Dede Sophie

One of Karnataka state’s stunning natural wonders, the Yana rocks and caves are a treat to the eyes. Towering majestically over lush green forests of the Western Ghats, these magical rocks and caves make for great jungles treks, rock climbing expeditions and fantastic monsoon holiday destinations. In this time of lockdown, I thought I should take you on a virtual tour to this lush wonder and give you a drone’s eye view of this mesmerizing landscape. Best explored during the rains, Yana is a place that is a mix of nature, spirituality, religion and adventure. You should either explore the landscape on foot thus appreciating the dynamic flora and fauna of this region or embark on a road trip through the forests and many waterfalls of Uttara Kannada. Rock climbers and adventure enthusiasts will love its steep walls and cragged surfaces. Nature lovers will love the diversity of the Western Ghats and water babies can find solace in the many waterfalls nearby, especially Vibhooti Falls tha...

Skoda’s Enyaq Coupe EV has gone on sale in Ireland at a starting price of €56,710, writes Brian Byrne. With a rated range of up to 545km (real-life use may not achieve that) the car offers a model option to its SUV sibling, and a 570L boot capacity is only 15L less. Skoda Ireland says the Enyaq Coupe’s launch here was delayed by 12 months because of demand worldwide, and demand for Skoda’s EV still continues to outstrip supply. There is a choice of two battery sizes, rear- and all-wheel drive, plus power outputs ranging from 180hp to 265hp. 

The Girl in the Green Raincoat: A Tess Monaghan Novel Even a brief glance at the back of the book will tell you that this novella ( William Morrow, 158p, Isbn-006193836X ) starts out as a modern-day retelling of the classic Hitchcock film, “ Rear Window “. Instead of a broken-footed James Stewart peeking into the varied lives of neighbors from the vantage point of his window, here we have a highly pregnant Baltimore PI Tess Monaghan whose doctor-ordered bed rest leads her to watch with interest the goings-on in a nearby park where her eye is caught first by a dog and then its owner, a woman dressed in a green raincoat. A few days later, the bored detective’s curiosity is further piqued when she spots the dog running through the park, quite owner-less. With the help of her friend and sometimes assistant, Whitney (a role played glamorously by Grace Kelly in the movie) and others, Tess launches an avid bedside investigation into the disappearance of the dog’s owner ...