TRAVEL THE WORLD - VARANASI, INDIA

Much of the success of our trip to India in 2007 depended on the railway porters. We took many trains including six that went overnight, and everywhere there were plenty of porters to help us. Often, within the station, it is necessary to climb stairs that take you over the tracks and down the opposite side. With two suitcases for a six-week vacation we couldn't have managed unassisted. The porters also help you find the correct train and coach - a challenge until you learn how to negotiate the system. Trains were uniformly clean, safe and reasonably punctual. It was a great way to experience India and meet the people

TRAVEL THE WORLD - ORCHHA, INDIA

This photo taken in the Orchha railway station in 2007 is noteworthy for a couple of reasons. First, notice how clean the floor is. This is because in India there are sweepers everywhere. These are people from the scheduled (lower) castes whose job is to sweep the streets and other public places. You will see them busy in the early morning before many people are up and about. Within the last ten years or so, the government has taken measures to reserve a proportion of the jobs in the country for such people in order to free them from caste restrictions as to their employment. Although the caste system was made illegal under British rule and also in the 1950 constitution of India, it remains strong in the attitudes of the people.

The photo is also noteworthy because of the way the bull is allowed to wander freely within the railway station. No one except perhaps a recently arrived tourist would find it remarkable that he is here, because Hindus consider cows to be sacred and therefore to be protected. They are seen everywhere, even on the busiest roads where attempts to avoid hitting them can be a serious traffic hazard. It is thought that cows originally gained their status because their milk was essential to life, and bulls because they were, and still are, an essential beast of burden. Sadly, when their useful life is over, people no longer feed these animals, and they are forced to forage for food. You will see them in and around piles of garbage which seem to collect on the side of the road in every town.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - PARIS, FRANCE

When you visit France, be sure to try the trains, which I think must be the best in the world - clean, very fast, modern and not overly expensive. The photo, of the Gare de Lyon, was taken in 2008.