So much to write about, but I’ve been so busy with so many things that it’s hard to gather my thoughts into a coherent narrative. So… a few random notes and photos.

Life in Mussoorie is a lot more comfortable (and energy-intensive) than it used to be. Room heaters run on gas cylinders are very common, though apparently every winter there are dire warnings that there will be a shortage of cylinders, and this year it might even be true. Failing those, there are kerosene heaters and bukharis – wood-burning, cast-iron stoves (above).

There are vehicles everywhere now; it’s easy and cheap to get a taxi almost anywhere in town. I’m out and about far more than I ever was before, because I know that, no matter how far I walk out, I don’t have to walk back unless I want to.

Today Ross and I walked down from Sisters’ Bazaar to Landour. Our first stop was the shoemaker where yesterday I had picked up a pair of made-to-order sandals (to wear in warmer climes): Rs. 250, about 5 euros.

Today we ordered copies of Ross’ beloved Fornarina cowboy boots (the green one in the photo below). Hers will be red with black stars, mine black with red stars. Rs. 2500 (50 euros) each. The originals cost 250 euros.

Next stop was Inam the tailor, where I dropped off a length of hand-embroidered Kashmiri wool to be made into a salwar-kameez outfit. These are so beautiful and practical in winter (at least in places that don’t have much heating) – and will definitely turn heads in Lecco!

Then we stopped at the dosa shop – the same old one that was so popular in my student days. Ross wasn’t sure she liked dosa (a thin, griddle-fried bread made from rice flour), but soon decided that she did. This was my masala dosawith wonderful tomato and coconut chutneys, and a side of sambar:

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Mussoorie is still full of unintentionally funny signs:

I had to think about “attechies”.