AGRA

Plodding along the well worn tourist trail we made our way to Agra, home of the greatest monument to love, the Taj Mahal. Agra, however, is a city full of historical important and architectural jewels, like the fascinating Agra Fort, Sikandra and Fatehpur Sikri. Agra was the capital of all India under the Moghuls in the 16th-18th centuries, and as a result many magnificent buildings were constructed during that period.

Images of Taj Mahal abound on every street corner, in every shop and stall yet nothing, can capture the dream like quality of the monument itself. Even the throngs of tourists scrambling through the gates and around the monument cannot detract from the Taj Mahal sitting serenely in its stunning setting.

Alice on the "Diana" bench, the one the Princess of Wales famously sat on....alone.

Agra Fort was a bit more exciting for William and James. They particularly liked the two ditches around the fort with their imaginations coming to life with images of a dry moat with leopards and lions, and a wet moat with lurking crocodiles and alligators to keep out the enemy.

The fabulous carved marble screens and baths kept David interested too.

Sikandra is the resting place of the Moghul emperor Akbar the Great, during whose reign India enjoyed a period of religious tolerance, peace, and prosperity.

Unlike the busy area around Taj Mahal, this monument is approached through a garden with deer grazing on the lawns and cheeky monkeys sitting around sunning themselves and grooming each other.

Just outside Agra is Fatehpur Sikri, short-lived glorious imperial capital of Akbar. To escape the crowds and congestion of Agra, the emperor built this magnificent complex of palaces, forts and mosques. However, due to its meagre and inadequate water supply, the capital had to be abandoned after only 14 years occupation.

Alice William and James sitting on Akbars bench!