This morning we set off walking with our guide from the hotel to the City Palace in the old town of Karauli. It was about 1 km from our hotel so we were able to walk through the old town (keeping a close watch on where we put our feet) and were able to observe people at their work.

Karauli is famous for the source of the red sandstone which was used to build the Red Fort at Delhi and Agra Fort. The other craft item which comes from here is lacquer bangles. The lacquer itself comes from other parts of India but the workmanship is from Karauli. Many of the buildings are painted in a blue/lilac colour which is believed to keep mosquitoes away.

The old City Palace dates back 600 years. The fort and palace was the official residence of the royal family of Karauli till 1938 until they moved to our hotel. We had the place to ourselves as most tourists do not stop at Karauli but travel directly from Agra to Jaipur via the fast motorway. Our guide from the hotel was able to take us through the entire palace, including up to the rooftop area and on to all the floors so we could appreciate views of the entire structure and surrounding area.

The Maharajas certainly did things on an elaborate scale so the size and detail were magnificent. The City Palace is a treasure trove of architecture, stone carvings, gorgeous jali work, glass inlay work and ornamented stucco work. It featured impressive archways and interconnecting rooms, many of them colourfully painted with frescoes.

Back to the hotel for a "snack" lunch of rice, veg curry, dhal and chapattis on the terrace.

After a rest during the heat of the afternoon, we went on a tour of the hotel/palace grounds, taking in their stables (which had some of the famous Marwari strain of horses used for polo), herd of cows (which were being milked) chickens, guinea fowl and the Maharaja's collection of vintage cars. There were a few peacocks roaming the gardens but were rather shy so you couldn't get close to them.