Dede Sophie

Housed inside a cave of boulders, this temple dates over a thousand years. It enjoys a rustic location surrounded by pristine farmland and nature of the Dakshina Kannada region of Karnataka. I am referring to the Kallu (stone) Ganapati temple, a hidden gem located near Saibrakatte, Udupi district. During my 10 day monsoon motorcycle ride across the Western Ghats of Karnataka, I happened to reach Kota, the hometown of my friend and popular travel blogger Shrinidhi Hande. It was he, who recommended visiting this offbeat temple and that’s how we planned an evening visit to this temple and the nearby Mekkakattu Nandikeshwara temple. It was drizzling when we started our respective motorcycles from Kota and the 12 kilometer green route via farms, streams, rivers, paddy fields and villages gave us perfect company. State highways turned into winding village roads and we finally reached this place full of boulders in the middle of absolutely nowhere. A narrow passage (I had to duck n crawl at m

Kia’s Sportage model has been the company’s best-selling car for over 10 years, writes Trish Whelan. Year to date, official Irish sales of the new fifth-generation Sportage are over 3,532. The Sportage range consists of hybrid, mild hybrid, diesel, and a plug-in hybrid electric which arrived here in mid July sharing the characteristics of both a conventional hybrid electric vehicle and an all-electric vehicle.  Many motorists would like to make the switch to EV but are not confident in the charging infrastructure which currently leaves a lot to be desired, so a plug-in hybrid makes sense as a half-way choice, going electric but backed up by a petrol engine. PHEV models account for 11pc of Kia Ireland’s sales. Adding this PHEV to their 22pc EV volume means that one in every three Kia cars sold here comes with a plug.  In looks, the exterior styling is sleek yet muscular, not too aggressive but still an impressive look. The type that appeals to buyers seeking a practical family means of

Today I’m happy to welcome Jeanette Baker, author of CATRIONA, who’s guest blogging here today. Synopsis : Kate Sutherland has always felt out of step growing up in Southern California, but it isn’t until her adoptive mother’s death that she travels to Scotland to discover the truth about her heritage. There, with the help of a high-priestess of an ancient Scottish sect, she experiences the visions that reveal she is one of the twice-born and that five centuries before she walked the earth as Catriona Wells, daughter of an English earl and a Scots princess, first cousin to James IV of Scotland, English spy and harbinger of a shameful secret. Read more »