A Sin I Die to Commit...

This pensioners’ paradise, now metamorphosed into a fast-moving baby boomers as number of techno-geeks settled down with their laptops and often jamming mobile connectivity. There’s still much to be spoilt of the contented, laid-back time wrap and ‘pensioners cheque’. Many of us who filtered into the city counting ‘moolah’ and find adjustment as big compromise but the crispy golden sunlight striking the eyelashes and "bun in the oven" is a big compensation.

Learned to derive immense pleasure from staring at blank walls (when you're living alone in an empty home with no TV, definition of what's fun and what's normal takes a back seat) the tradition-old bakeries of Pune is simply unmatchable for their lip smacking assortments.

Almost all my friends who come to Pune from Bombay on their weekend splurge have the special ‘Shrewsbury’ from the 1955-built Kayani’s at East Street, run by the Iranian emigrants. Yea, we all want the butter to melt in the mouth but this is like the virus. Down the block, fantasies come to true as you rest under the Victorian porch of Marz-O-Rin, teething soft and fluffy chutney sandwiches or sweetened donught washed down with butterscotch shakes. Sit quietly in solitude, focus your attention, stimulate your taste buds, and mindfully savor the delicacies from the Pune cafes and bakes spread across the cityscapes.

While walking down Aund Road from Bremen Chowk towards Khadki with plenty of greenery and foliage on both sides, the Lamington at the Spicer College Bakery Shop is worthy for a treat. With chocolate icing and moist sponge cakes, the place serves variety of healthy goodies like carrot cake, nut cake, doughnuts, and Soya milk. If you don't have an oven, there's City Bakery. Their "melted chocolate chip" cookies are amazing. You got your pension and I'll give you this monthly tip to save on gas money and hop at German Bakery at Koregaon, unlike the brethrens at Nepal, Kashmir, and Goa, offering whole wheat breads and Nutella sandwiches with organic or herbal tea and juices from what-not. Its sin and you sell soul to Mephistopheles.

A reason to splurge on bakeries at Pune is most of them produce packed-by-hand bread and sell it over the counter. Soft, supple, and fresh…umm! Lovin’ it