Year 3 -3 March 2026 – Jules arrives – travel to Mavatupuzha-India
I did not sleep well but I received a message from Jules that she had got on her flight from Heathrow and it was scheduled to leave 45 minutes late for New Delhi. Jules did not have long to change in New Delhi for Cochin so I hoped that would be ok. Her message had said that she would have to go through Immigration check in her bags again which is a requirement in India.
I had breakfast and looked up the flight status and it stated it would arrive 1 hour and 15 minutes late leaving only just over an hour for the next flight which was due to leave at 15.25 Indian time.
I packed and decided to go to the Benniale which was next door in Aspinwall House.
The 6th edition of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, titled "For the Time Being" and curated by Nikhil Chopra, is ongoing in Fort Kochi, Kerala, through March 31, 2026. As India's largest contemporary art exhibition, this artist-led event features 66 artists/collectives from 20+ countries, showcasing installations, paintings, and performances in varied venues. "For the Time Being" explores contemporary themes through a, often performance-heavy, lens. The exhibition is in Aspinwall House and includes art installations, film, painting, sculpture, and performance art, alongside workshops and educational activities. The Kochi-Muziris Biennale is a project of the Kochi Biennale Foundation, founded by artists Bose Krishnamachari and Riyas Komu in 2010 to promote contemporary art in India.
Set against the backdrop of the Arabian Sea stands the Aspinwall House in Kochi. Its compound has many buildings, some of which were offices, warehouses and godowns, including a residential bungalow. The mansion blends Indian and European architectural styles in its wooden floors and intricately carved doors and windows. The East India Company owned the building. Oughterson Campbell & Co. purchased it in 1844, which was then bought by Ritchie Stewart & Co. in 1846. John H. Aspinwall, a regular trader, joined the Scott Brothers as a partner in 1863. He acquired it in 1867 and started one of the earliest commercial enterprises in the Malabar Coast, Aspinwall & Co. It dealt with services like shipping, timber, spices and other agricultural products. Aspinwall was a pivotal figure in the history of Kochi. He presided over the Cochin Chamber of Commerce and was the Chairman of Fort Kochi Municipality from 1875 to 1878. He passed away in 1884. His partner, W.N. Black, took up the company along with his brother, E.H. Black and expanded it further. The fire of 1889 destroyed the entire building. Many of its godowns were damaged. The current construction is from 1890.
In 1956, Aspinwall became a public limited company with support from the Travancore Royal family. The Royal family bought the remaining shares in 1971 after the English company opted to sell their stake. Aspinwall & Co. Ltd. is involved in sectors of tourism, logistics, specialty coffee, natural fibre products and rubber. Its registered office is at Kowdiar, Thiruvananthapuram. DLF purchased the Aspinwall House property in 2018. It is one of the venues for the Kochi-Muziris Biennale.
I was not sure what to expect and purchase by ticket which cost me about 90p. It was contemporary art with some of it I would not regard as art. A room full of fridges with different foods in them -quite cool I suppose!!. It took me 2 hours to go round with a large number of different artists some of which made some films which were interesting. It was thought provoking and a lot of it in my view rubbish but some of it was good. The question is what is art? Well that can be interpreted in many ways – remember the bricks at the Tate Gallery!!
I returned to the hotel for a cool drink and a bite to eat. I then went for a swim and Jules landed about 2.15pm and she rushed and with the aid of some help she made the plane by a minute to spare. She would therefore get there on time. I therefore had a shower and then played snooker on a full-size snooker table they had until it was time to leave for the airport.
It took about an hour and a half to get to the airport and we were about 30m minutes early. The airport was clean and obtained its power from solar panels.
Jules’s flight was a little early which was good and she was soon walking out of the terminal with a beaming smile. It was great to see her and we got into our car with the driver and were driven to Mavatupuzha which was about 1.5 hours’ drive. It was dark by then and the journey was through urban sprawl and it was the usual Indian driving.
We arrived at what was called The Indian Summerhouse and it looked very old and had a large courtyard with a walkway around it. We were given a welcome drink and cold towel. We were shown to our room which was very large with a lounge and large bathroom and toilet with clear glass over. We then were rushed off to supper which was a 3-course set meal by them with a thali as the main course. We sat by a water feature with very old stone walls lightly lit.
After supper Jules was tired after her flight and wanted an early night. It was great she had finally arrived and we can now continue with our planned holiday.
The picture of the day is an exhibit in the Benniale.
Need/Opportunity Year Three
In year three I will be going from Thailand to Sri Lanka, India, Maldives and then on to Mauritius, Reunion, Cape Town, St Helena, Azores and back to the UK.
I am looking for one crew from Mauritius/ Reunion Island to Cape Town (mid June to end of July). If of any interest do email me.
The blog will continue as we continue the journey. If you have any comments or suggestions about the blog then do email me on hine.nick9@gmail.com