Again the wrong picture - wanted to have the lake palace - but pictures currently loading up so in the mean time you can look at this one - its a building on water!!! or if you want to see the real deal - watch Octop**** - the james bond film - Weve been there!!!!!!

Well 7 hours driving the first day - enough said i think!

Met a girl from Haywards Heath, Debby, and she tagged along for the day - we have a tour guide who takes us around the City - with Sandeep manipulating the traffic. Im not classifiying it as driving any more!

Frist stop was the City Palace and Museum - which overlookes the Pichola Lake - yes the one with the Lake Palce Hotel in it! The Palace had may beautiful rooms and amazing mosaic - (dam us for not taking in camera - perhaps Debby for forward hers through) especially of the peacocks - they must have taken weeks and weeks to make. There were also many miniture painitngs - they take months to make too!

Second stop - the Miniture Painting school/shop - one of the artists showed us how the paintings occurred - the brushes are tiny and paints all from natural sources - a small picture about the size of a card can take weeks to complete - depending on the detail. The artists have to be very patient and meticulous!

Sakelyan Ki Bari gardens next - they have lots of marble nelephants around the pond - very calm and colourful away from the noise and traffic!

Last stop of the day was the Monson Palace - at the top of a mountain over looking the city - the building was a "hunting lodge" for the Marharana (yes this is defo spelt wrong). It is being restored but the views are very impressive (pics to follow!)

Early night tonight as have to be at the airport for 7am - its nearly time for Goa!!!!!!!!! Beach and lay ins! Need to get colour back!