We have all heard about the tok tok ghoda gadi. But how many of us have  actually heard about a horse tram ? Yup there one in island which is located in one corner of England called the Isle of Man.

Horse trams are found on the capital of this Island called Douglas Port. These horse drawn trams are the world’s oldest surviving horse tram service, dating back to 1876. The trams are fitted with roller bearings to ease the load on the horses bred to pull them. The trams link the 2 miles distance from the Manx Electric Railway to  Douglas Promenade  Sea Terminal and Port.

The horse has got an open carriage attached to it which can seat about 20 people at a time.  The horse rider takes his position in the front and the conductor stands on the side of the carriage.The horses are very friendly and run  for a maximum of 1 hr 20 mins a day for 5 days a week and 4 months a year. The  rest of the time their stable is the only place for them to be.
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Due to my work requirement I need to stay in Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK and I was bit worried about the place as I came to know it is a bit smaller than some of major cities of UK.
However my company arranged a house for me which was situated just in front of the Roundhay Park. You open your eyes and you will see miles long park in front of your window. Every where it is green like a carpet and birds are chirping. I can’t express in words what a feeling it was when you use to live in Bangalore with all sounds and noise.

North Leeds cricket club is in front of my window so no need to go anywhere to watch local matches when you can easily watch from your garden or window as electronic scorecard is visible easily.
Anyway, here I am writing about the biggest park I have seen named Roundhay Park,

Roundhay Park in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, is one of the biggest city parks in Europe. It has over 700 acres (2.8 km) of parkland, lakes, woodland and gardens which are owned by Leeds City Council. The park is one of the most popular attractions in Leeds, nearly a million people visit each year. It is situated on the north-east edge of the city, bordered by the suburb of Roundhay to the west and Oakwood to the south.
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Wiesbaden’s history is more than 2000 years old and begins with the Romans. Wiesbaden has been the capital of the state of Hessen since 1945. It is situated on the northern bank of the Rhine River, below the confluence of the Main, where the Rhine’s main direction changes from north to west.

Wiesbaden

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Venice- dream destination for all of us. A blissful city with friendly people Venice is not just about Churches, Bridges, Gondola rides and boats, there is lot more to add to it. The beaches at Lido, the open market at Rialto Mercato and Glass blowing factory at Murano are a must visit.

Murano Island – A home to traditional venitican glass makers. It is said that a community of glassmakers moved to this Island in 12th century fearing the destruction of  Venetican Republic as the building were made of Wood and the procress of glass making could cause fire hazards. They dominated the world in the quality of glass making for centuries and their work is held high event today. Murano Island is a 20 minute boat ride from the city of Venice. The local transport vaporetti (water buses)  gets you there; you can also look out for a hawker who organises a trip to the Island in a private boat, they take you to a factory to show the art of glass blowing and finally open the door to a private collection of the artisans work.  I decided to choose the second option as it was the easier way out. The ride through the boat was simply amazing. Drops of water splashed on my face as the taxi glided across the vast blue canal. On my way was the San Michele Island which is famous cemetery and an intresting  fuel station for the water taxi and ships.  I had to hold  tightly onto the edges of the boat as I stood up experiencing the wind running accross my face.
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