Sydney, Australia

 

Sydney is the capital city of the state of New South Wales and the most populous city in Australia. Located on the Australia’s east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about 80km from the Pacific Ocean in the east to the Blue Mountains in the west and about 80km from Ku-ring-gai Chase National park and the Hawkesbury River in the north and north-West, to the Royal National Park and Macarthur in the south and south-west. We drenched ourselves in Bondi beach, one of the amazing beaches I came across in recent times.

Sydney’s marvel is definitely the Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre. It is widely regarded as one of the world’s most famous and distinctive buildings and a masterpiece of 20th century architecture. Designed by Danish architect Jorn Utzon and completed by an Australian architectural team headed by Peter Hall, the building was formally opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1973.  We had a chance to celebrate New Years eve celebrations with amazing fireworks at the stroke of the midnight. Sydney is one of the most beautiful and picturesque liveable cities in the world and no wonder why Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) is indeed one of the greatest Cricketing venues in the world. Had a chance to see Rishabh Pant’s great knock in SCG test live in the beach but ultimately Australians had a the last laugh.

Cheers,

Sathish Kumar S

Volcanic adventurous Iceland

Iceland is a country which was in my bucket list for long time. Reykjavik is the capital and largest city of Iceland. One of the must see places in Reykjavik is the geothermal Blue Lagoon spa near the village of Grindavik. Besides that its a nice city to hang around for couple of days with nice restaurants and churches.

Thingvellir is a historic site and national park in Iceland and has attracted the fascination of geologists since its situated on the border of two tectonic plates: the Eurasian and the North-American plates which makes the landscape unique and has a fissure filled with fresh spring water.

A geyser is a spring with an intermittent discharge of water ejected turbulently and accompanied by steam. The formation of geysers is fairly rare, and is caused by particular hydrogeological conditions that exist only in a few places on Earth!! The temperatures are around 80 to 100 C.. Iceland has numerous such geysers!!

Lava is molten or partially molten rock (magma) that has been expelled from the interior of a terrestrial planet (such as Earth) or a moon onto its surface. Lava may be erupted at a volcano or through a fracture in the crust, on land or underwater, usually at temperatures from 800 to 1,200 °C (1,470 to 2,190 °F). The volcanic rock resulting from subsequent cooling is also often called lava.

Having seen many waterfalls around the globe, Gullfoss is certainly one of the mother of all waterfalls. Unbelievable breathtaking serene beauty and is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the country. There is a hike between the upper and lower viewing platforms takes up to 30 minutes. If you are visiting Iceland in winter, you will get to see the waterfall partly frozen and glistening with ice.

Hekla is an active stratovolcano in southern Iceland, known for being one of the country's most frequently erupting volcanoes and the "Queen of Icelandic Volcanoes". Historically, it was believed to be a gateway to hell, but it is now a popular hiking destination, though with inherent risks due to its active nature. 

Reynisfjara is a popular black sand beach in southern Iceland near the town of Vik Myrdal. It is part of the Katla UNESCO Global Geopark on privately owned land. Conditions on the beach vary greatly and can change quickly. Reynisfjara beach attracts large numbers of visitors year-round due to its striking black sand and dramatic basalt sea stacks, but it is also the site of unpredictable sneaker waves that can surge far inland without warning.

Kirkjufell is a high hill on the north coast of Iceland’s Snaefellsnes peninsula near the town of Grundarfjorour and is supposed to be claimed as the most photographed mountain in the country. Its one of the filming locations for Game of Thrones season 6 and 7. It contains a volcanic rock but is not itself a volcano. Thanks to my friend Prasad who accompanied me in this trip and made it even more memorable.  

Cheers,

Sathish Kumar S

Siem Reap, Cambodia

 

While returning from Australia to India, had a chance to visit Angkor Wat in Cambodia. Its one of the greatest Hindu-Buddhist temple complex covering 1.6 km2 within the ancient Khmer capital city of Angkor. It was originally constructed in 1150 CE as a Hindu temple dedicated to deity Vishnu. It was later gradually transformed into a Buddhist temple towards the end of the century. Hailed as the largest religious structure in the world, it is one of the best examples of Khmer architecture and a symbol of Cambodia, depicted as a part of the Cambodian national flag.

 

It was built at the behest of the Khmer king Suryavarman II in the early 12th century in Yasodharapura as his state temple and eventual mausoleum. It is designed to represent Mount Meru, home of the devas in Hindu mythology and is surrounded by a moat more than 5km. The temple complex fell into disuse before being restored in the 20th century with various international agencies involved in the project. Having brought up in the state of Tamil Nadu with so many huge and gigantic temples, Angkor Wat is yet another temple with not so maintained one.

Cheers,

Sathish Kumar S

Athens, Santorini - Greece

 

Having lived in Europe for long time, Greece always kept me at bay. Recently we had a chance to visit Greece during Anish Autumn holidays. We landed in Athens and explored the city for three days. Its one of the worlds oldest cities with its recorded history spanning over 3,400 years and its earliest human presence beginning somewhere between 11th and 7th BC. According to Greek mythology the city was named Athena, the ancient Greek goddess of wisdom. Acropolis is a must see in Athens, the Olympic stadium and its museum are worth visiting as well.

Then we flew to Santorini Island. A lot of tourists are drawn to Santorini because of its unique landscape, the archaeological discoveries and the legend of Atlantis. The island is the largest fragment of a volcanic archipelago made up of the broken remnants of the largest caldera on earth. We took the Catamaran, had a ride in the mediterranean, good swim in the sea, amazing delicious dinner witnessing the amazing sunset. The iconic villages of Oia, Fira are certainly must see in Santorini. We stayed in Kamari beach, Anish thoroughly enjoyed the beach with amazing weather to drench in the water.

Cheers,

Sathish Kumar S

Boxing Day Test Match, Melbourne Cricket Ground

During the 1991/92 world cup, I remember getting earlier to see the Cricket matches in Australia and New Zealand with color clothing and white balls. It was indeed my childhood dream to watch a Cricket match in Australia. Finally the dream came true to witness the Boxing Day test match between India and Australia in Melbourne Cricket Ground. The atmosphere was so electrifying even for a test match, no wonder why this is still the ultimate form of Cricket. 

Thanks to my college friend Seshadhri who accompanied me from Singapore in this Australian trip and gave a great company through out the journey. It was nice to watch the great partnership between Kohli and Jaiswal but ultimately resulting in a suicidal run out from Jaiswal. It was a great gripping test match and test series, where Australia won the series 3-1.

Cheers,

Sathish Kumar S

Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia

 

Having lived in Europe for long time, Greece always kept me at bay. Recently we had a chance to visit Greece during Anish Autumn holidays. We landed in Athens and explored the city for three days. Its one of the worlds oldest cities with its recorded history spanning over 3,400 years and its earliest human presence beginning somewhere between 11th and 7th BC. According to Greek mythology the city was named Athena, the ancient Greek goddess of wisdom. Acropolis is a must see in Athens, the Olympic stadium and its museum are worth visiting as well.

Then we flew to Santorini Island. A lot of tourists are drawn to Santorini because of its unique landscape, the archaeological discoveries and the legend of Atlantis. The island is the largest fragment of a volcanic archipelago made up of the broken remnants of the largest caldera on earth. We took the Catamaran, had a ride in the mediterranean, good swim in the sea, amazing delicious dinner witnessing the amazing sunset. The iconic villages of Oia, Fira are certainly must see in Santorini. We stayed in Kamari beach, Anish thoroughly enjoyed the beach with amazing weather to drench in the water.

Cheers,

Sathish Kumar S

Sardinia, Italy

 

Sardinia is the second largest island in the Mediterranean Sea after Sicily. Having born brought up in tropical climate near the beach, I must say Sardinia was in different league with pristine clear colorful waters, the landscapes, the food and the hospitality of the people. We landed in Olbia, rented a car and did a road trip around the Island for a week. Alghero, Oristano, Carbonia, Cagliari are some of the cities where we stayed for a night in our road trip.

Cala Luna is a famous beach in the Gulf of Orosei on the eastern coast of Sardinia known for its white sand, turquoise water and striking caves that provide natural shade. It is one of the most beautiful beaches in the Mediterranean and is accessible by boat from nearby ports like Cala Gonone.

It was perfectly planned by Anita to make sure we don’t drive not more than 200kms everyday. All the places in Mediterranean coastline never disappoints with the blue skies, the mild warm temperatures, the sea foods, the colorful beaches. Thanks to Tom Tom, Google Maps the two greatest innovations for me in the history of mankind especially for travel freaks like me.  Mediterranean never disappoints me with blue skies, pristine beaches, nice food, drinks and Sardinia is definitely one of the must see places in Italy.

Cheers,

Sathish Kumar S

Warsaw, Krakow - Poland

 

Having lived in Europe for nearly 20 years and travelled quite a lot, Poland kept me at bay for long time. We decided to celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary in Poland. First we landed in Warsaw, the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its a green capital with around a quarter of the city’s area occupied by parks. We did speed boating in the river Vistula and it was a great experience. We stayed bit outskirts, I really liked the hotel with amazing ambience and nice breakfast.

Then we went to Krakow, one of the beautiful old cities in Europe. Krakow was the official capital of Poland until 1596 and has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural and artistic life. Mary Basilica, Mickiewicz Monument, Wawel Castle, St. Peter and Paul Church, Florianska Street, Cloth Hall at Main Square are some of the notable places in Krakow. We missed to go to Auschwitz, the concentration camps historic place and a must see in life.

Cheers,

Sathish Kumar S

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

 

Melbourne is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria and the second most populous city in Australia after Sydney. It was nice to hang around in Flinders Street, Melbourne CBD, Princes Bridge. Since it was Christmas time, the city was buzzling with lights, decorations and great mood. We missed to see the 12 apostles since we booked for two days of Melbourne test. 

The city was green, well connected with public transportation and the night life was electrifying but I must say there are no public transportation from Melbourne airport to the city where one has to take the private shuttle which I couldn’t understand after seeing the European cities well connected by public transportation with the airport.  Australia is definitely a great country with lot of positive vibes and its no doubt the country of immigrants from different parts of the world which was built in the last century.

Cheers,

Sathish Kumar S

Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

 

Brisbane is the capital and largest city of the state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. We didn’t get a chance to stay in Brisbane for long time but most importantly we got a chance to see one of the picturesque Cricket stadium in the world, the Gabba. Brisbane’s Skyline Central Business District was simply breathtaking, its one of the fast growing Australian cities with 2032 Olympics happening over there. Brisbane is a global centre for research and innovation and is a transportation hub, being served by large rail, bus and ferry networks, as well as Brisbane airport and the Port of Brisbane.  Australia's third-busiest airport and seaport. A diverse city with over 36% of its metropolitan population being foreign-born, Brisbane is frequently ranked highly in lists of the most liveable cities.

Cheers,

Sathish Kumar S

Lake Como, Italy

 

Lake Como also knowns as Lario is a lake of glacial origin in Lombardy, Italy after Lake Garda and Lake Maggiore. Its characteristic ‘Y’ shape resulted from the movement of the ancient Adda glacier, which was diverted by the mountainous terrain and carved the three branches. Located at the foot of the Alps, Lake Como has been a popular retreat for aristocracy and the wealthy since Roman times and a major tourist attraction with many artistic and cultural gems.

 

We did cyling around the lake and took a ferry to explore the beauty of Como. We did speed boating in Lake Como and it was a tremendous experience since one needs to have a boating license in Germany and Switzerland and its not needed in Italy. It was a perfect long summer weekend, thanks to Prasad who gave a great company and this trip will stay in my memory for really long time.

Cheers,

Sathish Kumar S

SpringBrook National Park, Queensland, Australia

 

SpringBrook National Park is a protected national park that is located in the Gold Coast hinterland of Queensland, Australia. The park is part of the Shield Volcano Group of the UNESCO World Heritage -listed Gondwana Rainforests of Australia. The Natural Bridge is a naturally formed rock arch over Cave Creek, a tributary of the Nerang River. It was formed from a waterfall that undercut a cave beneath the waterfall and dug a pothole on top, until the two joined and the creek flowed through the cave, leaving an arch across the front. It was a good hike with amazing waterfalls, green dense forests trees around.

Cheers,

Sathish Kumar S

Blue Moutains, New South Wales, Australia

 

The Blue Mountains are a mountainous region and mountain range in New South Wales, Australia. The region is considered to be part of the western outskirts of the Greater Sydney area. The Three Sisters sandstone rock formation is one of the regions best known attractions. Several established towns are situated on its heights, including Katoomba, Blackheath, Mount Victoria and Springwood. The range forms the watershed between Coxs River to the south and the Grose and Wolgan rivers to the north. The range contains the Explorer Range and the Bell Range. Blue Moutains reminded me of Shenandoah National Park in United States with lush green dense forests covering acres of land.

Cheers,

Sathish Kumar S

Bendigo, Victoria, Australia

 

Bendigo is an Australian city in north-central Victoria. The city is located in the Bendigo Valley near the geographical centre of the state and approximately 150 kilometres (93 mi) north-west of Melbourne, the state capital. I had a chance to visit my cousin Arun anna after nearly 10 years, recollected all our good childhood memories, the great summer vacations etc etc. It was a great hospitality given by Arun anna and Nithya aunty in their home with nice food, drinks and amazing conversations. We did a city tour, the downtown was simply amazing with nice cathedrals, architectural buildings. What really amazes was the large number of lovely lush green Cricket grounds wherever you go in Australia, no wonder they are a wonderful Cricketing nation.

Cheers,

Sathish Kumar S

India vs Pakistan clashes

 

Its always nice experience to watch India Pakistan match in a public viewing. Recently we had a chance to witness India Pakistan matches together with our Sport Club Roche Cricket members in Birsfelden. It was so fascinating to see India won all three matches against their archrivals Pakistan, more importantly in the finals to claim their Asia Cup 2025. Off late, India Pakistan clashes have not been so competitive with India dominating Pakistan in the last two decades.

Cheers,

Sathish Kumar S

Hyderabad, India

 

Hyderabad is one of the great cities in India, the pharma hub famous for Hyderabadi Biriyani. Had a chance to travel to this great city for work related and present on the AI topic in ISPE Annual India conference. Nice to catch up with my old colleagues and buddies and it was a perfect get together after a long time. Thanks to ISPE India chapter for organizing this conference in a grand manner.

Cheers,

Sathish Kumar S

Rosenlaui Glacier

 

Rosenlaui glacier is a 5km long glacier in the Berner Alp in the canton of Bern in Switzerland which has an area of around 6.14 km2. I had a chance to do nice hiking with my friend Prasad on a lovely sunny day. The drive to this glacier is simply awesome with some breathtaking views of the Alps. We had a nice lunch after the hike followed by nice dinner in Prasad’s home, with movie in the open theatre, small party while charging our Tesla and visit to the Murugan temple in Bern.

Cheers,

Sathish Kumar S

Appa's 70th birthday

 

Recently we had a chance to celebrate Appa’s 70th birthday in Le Royal Meridien in Chennai. Appa has been a true inspiration and motivation for me in my life on how he handles life in a smooth and happier way. We celebrated Appa’s 60th birthday in 2014, time flies away and thanks to almighty that we had a chance to celebrate his 70th. Wish him all the best, happiness, joy, good health and hopefully he reaches 75th and 80th. Thanks to all my friends , relatives, well wishers who grace this occasion and it was a nice get together after a long time.

Cheers,

Sathish Kumar S

Patrick visit to India

Its always a great feeling when some of my German friends visit me in Chennai and show them the culture and beauty of India. This time Patrick visited me in Chennai in Jan 2025. We went to Bangalore and visited some nice places over there. In Chennai we went to Mahabalipuram, the shore temples, drenched in the sea, nice food in the restaurants. Patrick thoroughly enjoyed this trip since this was the first time he came to India and more importantly he enjoyed the spicy food in India.

Cheers,

Sathish Kumar S

Feldschloesschen - Tag der offenen tuer 2024

 

Feldschloesschen is one of the biggest breweries in Switzerland and its in Rheinfelden. Every year they have a open day where one can visit the brewery, look at its operations, have a gala party with food and drinks. In 2024 edition Swetha and her family visited us and we had a great time visiting the Feldschloesschen fest. Anish and Avanesh spent quality time together and it was a day to remember.

Cheers,

Sathish Kumar S

Commentating Switzerland vs Luxembourg

 

Recently had a chance to commentate in Basel for an international match between Switzerland and Luxembourg along with my good friends Amritha and Arvind. Thanks to Cricket Switzerland who gave this opportunity for us to talk about the game which we all love to the core. The most important aspect of the commentary is to make sure you are not overlapping with your fellow commentator.

Cheers,

Sathish Kumar S

Holi Celebrations

Holi is a Hindu festival that celebrates spring, love, and new life. Some families hold religious ceremonies, but for many Holi is more a time for fun. It's a colourful festival, with dancing, singing and throwing of powder paint and coloured water. Holi is also known as the "festival of colours". Thanks to my good friend Neel who invited me twice to celebrate Holi with his friends.

Cheers,

Sathish Kumar S

Dreilaender Men’s Indoor Cricket Tournament 2024

Winter at its peak, third advent Sunday, gloomy days, how to engage it? Yes, Indian Asssociation Basel conducted its annual event – Drei Laender Indoor Cricket Tournament 2024 edition in the beautiful indoor hall of Halle Matte Magden. Eights teams participated in this tournament and they were split in to two groups.

Group A

1. Novartis Cricket Club

2. A1 Sports Club

3. Cricket Verein Zug

4. Kerala Warriors

Group B

1. Zurich Mavericks

2. Zurich United

3. Sports Club Roche

4. Solothurn Cricket Club

After the league matches, Novartis Cricket Club and A1 Sports Club emerged as table toppers 1 and 2 respectively in Group A. Sports Club Roche and Zurich Mavericks emerged as table toppers 1 and 2 respectively in Group B. In the first semi final match, Novartis Cricket Club won against Zurich Mavericks and in the second semi final match, Sports Club Roche won against A1 Sports Club.

In the finals, Novartis Cricket Club won comfortably against Sports Club Roche and they were the deserved winners. Thiruvathavoorar Tharishanan from NCC won the Best Batter award. Ankur Ajmera from NCC bagged the Best Bowler award. Akshay Patil from NCC won the Most Valuable Player of the tournament award.

Indian Association Basel take this opportunity to thank all the club members who participated in this tournament and making it a successful event. IAB wishes all Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2025. Looking forward to the next edition of Drei Laender Indoor Cup in 2025.

Cheers,

Sathish Kumar S