From Sunrise to Sunset and Beyond
At AstreVue you can see the sun rise above the hills bordering the Garhwal and Kumaon divisions in the east. If the clouds allow it, you should be able to see the first rays of sunlight pierce the eastern sky from behind Nanda Devi, a little south of the highest of the Trishul peaks, often causing a plume of vapour to rise from the tip of the peak like a wisp of cotton.
As sunlight fills the morning sky it lights up the valleys north and east of AstreVue. A cup of morning tea (or coffee) in hand, you pull up a chair in the balcony and prepare to watch the spectacle. A Kestrel settles on a robust twig looking around for early morning prey.
The morning walk is just what the doctor ordered, fresh air, some exercise, imbibing the detoxifying greenery, watching the early warbler catch the worm or the blue-throated barbet devour the kafal, and working up an appetite for yourself.
Breakfast is at the glass house, the name the dining room has taken on as an ode to the glass walls designed to allow an unobstructed view of the Dadamandi valley to the southwest.
The rest of the morning is available for leisurely pursuits or a vigorous game of table tennis, for a short drive to see a waterfall or for a picnic with the family, a trip to Lansdowne or Tarkeshwar, or just sun bathing with a book in hand.
Some guests like to spend the afternoon exploring the property – going down to the semi-abandoned school and the abandoned farm terraces on the southeastern hillside adjoining the property. Others walk up the adjacent hill just for the heck of it, usually with a camera in hand. The children tend to freak out on the lawns. Board games and cards are also popular at this time of day, though some just can’t do without an afternoon snooze.
Evening tea with veg pakodas is best savoured on the northern lawns, or better still, at the Sita Slopes facing the sunset. And then its time to get ready for the evening.
The evening get together around the bonfire with Shivam and his guitar often proves to be the ultimate highlight of the day with the tandoor adding to the magic.
