Sunday 1st March - Other People Photograph Food Too.

It is a bright sunny morning when we stir, if a little on the cool side. After an early breakfast we take a walk around the corner to Lodhi Gardens. We have usually been here on weekdays when it is quite tranquil. On a Sunday morning it is a seething mass of humanity running, jogging, power walking, strolling and barely moving. The soundtrack is cacophonous, featuring youths playing football, dogs, geese and groups of people chanting. Last night's downpour has left temporary ponds in a few places, providing new photo opportunities for the digital generation. We spend an hour walking and watching before returning to base for a bit more breakfast.

One attraction even closer to the Bungalow than Lodhi Gardens is Safdarjung's Tomb. One corner of the perimeter is right across the road. Somehow we have never managed to visit this and this morning presents a good opportunity. It is a site managed by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) who are generally good at keeping sites in good order. This one is described as a good example of late Mughal period architecture. Major work is under way to the exterior of this complex which has not been helped by last night's rain.

When we pay our admission fee we suddenly discover that now D has all the change. Inside the view presented is really quite impressive. Most of the plasterwork and decoration has not survived but there are some glimpses and the structure itself is pretty well intact. We explore the main building then stroll around the grounds, pausing on a shady bench to watch the palm squirrels and the soaring Black Kites. All this place needs is a good cafe.

There isn't one so we head back to Lutyens Bungalow for a cup of tea and a biscuit, before setting out to Gurgaon for the Fifth (Third) Annual Gurgaon Pub Crawl. For geographic reasons this event has not taken place since 2017 but is still a red letter day in the calendars of the participants. It is when we get to meet A, who lives in Manhattan, but visits his family in India each year. The venue is a dusty square in Gurgaon around which a major cluster of brew pubs has grown up. When the event was launched there were only three or four of them but now there are well over a dozen.

A meets us at the metro exit and we catch up as we walk to the square. Not so dusty this year as about 20% of it is under water. Gurgaon also had a lot of rain last night. As it is actually a pleasant sunny day we decide to only patronise establishments with open air seating. The first place has a balcony full of tables and seats made from old scooters, very eye-catching but not too clever for old gits to access. There is a rear balcony with normal furniture where we enjoy beers, chicken nuggets and Bombay potato croquettes.

Next up is a place with a buy one get two offer. Their own brews are quite passable and there is an entertaining cabernet provided by two young men and a young lady who are photographing food that is delivered to their table. It looks good but it is noticeable that they don't eat any of it. D enquires about this and they tell him that they are bloggers and will be eating it shortly. As we all know real bloggers are sometimes so hungry that they start eating before remembering to take the snap.

The third stop on the circuit was notable mainly for D's mistake in ordering the House Special draught which turned out to be strawberry flavoured. That and the flies. The sun is sinking, the volume of the music increasing and bright young things are queuing for our table. We take an auto back to the metro and say au revoir to A before catching the train back north. A young lady offers R her seat but spoils the effect by letting her phone charger, the size of a half brick, fall on R's head not once but twice.

We divert for momos on the way home, which we both consider a treat, but which have so far evaded us on this trip. The evening is rounded of with a high speed auto ride back to base