So, the next morning I woke up and got ready to go down for breakfast. I had to leave the room by 12 noon so I had time to enjoy a leisurely breakfast. Quickly slipping on my jeans and a light blouse I went down and looked for a table away from the crowd and yet not too alone.

" Coffee Madam!" said the waiter brightly and I beamed back - " Yes! Filter coffee please!" Ah, the joys of filter coffee in South India. Don't ever miss that, everything else can be had in other places, but the guys in Chennai know to make that perfect cup.

I went around the counters laid out with a variety of breakfasts. Somehow I find even if you are in South India the idlies and vadas served in big hotels cannot compare with the perfectly soft idlies and crunchy vadas of the small darshini. So I head for the kara baath ( upma) and order a cheese omelette instead at the omlette counter. Then the rest of my plate is loaded with fruit.

Here in Chennai of all places they had fresh figs diced into fours, but they were raw and hopeless, sadly. The papaya was wonderfully fresh and sweet and ofcourse anywhere in India, the water melon is of the seedless variety. I cant really touch any of the dates and prunes as the sugar content is too high for a diabetic like me.

Off I head to my table and in minutes my steaming cup of filter coffee is placed at my elbow. Frothing and just the way I love it. I take a sip and go to coffee heaven. In the Cafe Coffee Day outlets, one can get the little Italian filters which can make the decoction at home faster than our regular Indian filters.

In a few minutes my indulgence of an omelette arrives, dripping with cheese. I lather it with some ketchup and ready my fork and knife to take the first plunge. Once that is polished I go back to plundering the fruit plate and it's time for another cup of coffee.

The waiter tries his luck. He sends me a regular coffee person with his jug of coffee who is sent packing by me. " Filter coffee only please!" I say in a tone which will not allow any sliding of standards! Meanwhile I saunter around the bread and cake area. Croissants look smashing, so one goes on my plate and a slice of walnut and banana bread and a low sugar chocolate cup cake.

Time to leave, I had indulged enough, so I swiped my room card key and rode the elevator to the second floor. Time to pack too, so I quickly put my phone on charge and started to clear the room. Not much to do but one could leave stuff behind like my injection and tabs which are my lifeline.

At exactly 15 minutes to 12 I left the room and checked out. Sitting in the lobby I waited for my friend Virginia Velu who I was meeting after 35 odd years. It was amazing to be meeting her after such a long lapse of time.
Lunch was on the cards, so Virgie and I looked for a Chinese place to eat our meal. In minutes we found a great little Chinese place where the lunch buffet cost Rs 500 per head. Where could you sniff that price in Bangalore. So we indulged -- from soup to starters to a lovely long meal of a lot of fish and prawns for me. If there is fish on the table, who will look at chicken is my motto!

Virgie took me in an autorick to the Chennai Central station. A stunningly beautiful building built by the British and well maintained till today. We looked for my bogie as the train was already on the platform. Once the bogies were swept clean, I went in quickly and pushed my case on the overhead rack. Sad to wave Virgie goodbye, the train took off to Bangalore and I called home to say I would be arriving in 6 hours and settled down this time with my Kindle, a rarely used gift from David my older son.