Like Delhi, Lucknow has a metro system. So far there is only one line snaking through the town, but it is a joy to ride. Our hotel was only a couple of minutes from the Hussainganj stop. It took us until the end of our three day stay to realise that there was an exit on the same side of the road as our hotel and that we had been unnecessarily taking our life into our hands every time we left or returned.

Lucknow definitely needs the metro system to expand as quickly as possible. We had to use auto rickshaws a few times to get to places in town that the current metro does not extend to and the traffic was completely solid. We saw people beginning to lose it on several occasions which is actually quite unusual in India, where people are exceptionally patient on the whole. I ended up having to stuff bits of tissue in my ears because I thought the decibel level of the horns was going to damage my hearing!

We had gone for a slightly more upmarket hotel (£30 a night instead of our usual £20) as we knew that we would need a relaxing haven to return to at the end of the day with good air conditioning. Although Indian cities are fascinating and I have always wanted to visit Lucknow in particular, they are also exhausting. The hotel, Ganga Maiya, did not disappoint. It has the best shower I have ever experienced in India; no need to use the bucket provided at all (usually you need this to swill water over yourself as the water pressure is so low if there is a shower). We also luxuriated in ordering lots of meals via room service, which is very affordable in India. The staff were extremely helpful and friendly, even providing information about things to see and where to eat in Lucknow on an information sheet in English.

Our first stop was The Residency. This is the site of the revolt against the British in 1857/ first independence struggle when the site was under siege. The complex was built by Nawab Asaf-ud-Daula in the 18th century. The buildings are ruined and full of bullet and cannon holes. There is an attached cemetery containing the graves of many of those who perished during the siege. If anybody is interested in that bit of history I recommend ‘The Last Mughal: The Fall of a Dynasty, Delhi 1857’ by William Dalrymple. He also does an excellent podcast with Anita Anand called ‘Empire’.

It was the time of the Dussehra holiday and the residency gardens were full of families enjoying themselves. Although it is the site of such conflict it was a peaceful place to spend an afternoon. Lots of people wanted pictures with us or to talk to us in English; we began to feel like minor celebrities. Despite our attempts to learn Hindi via duo lingo our capacity to communicate was very limited, unlike most Indians who know at least three languages each if not more – Hindi, their local language and English.

We spent time in the shopping district of Hazratganj the next day. To my amazement there is a Marks and Spencer there (I didn’t go in, I’m not missing home that much yet!). We visited the market specialising in chikan embroidery on clothing, scarves etc. There were some beautiful tops that I was tempted to buy, but I can’t fit anything else in my rucksack at the moment. We visited the famous Royal cafe. It was like walking into a fridge the air conditioning was up so high, but that was a relief after the sweaty conditions on the street. We had the renowned ‘basket chaat’. One helping between two of us was plenty. It is crispy, soft, sweet and salty dish. I could see curd, nuts and some sort of syrup. A thin biscuity material ( a bit like a brandy snap) makes up the basket. It was unlike anything I have ever eaten before but was delicious. We also treated ourselves to two rosewater lassis.

Although my stomach was better by now, my nose was sore following my cold and I was beginning to develop a skin infection. These are common in India. I have got a useful book ’Staying healthy when you travel’ by Dr Jane Wilson-Howarth. We took the original edition to India with us 25 years ago. It was called ‘Bugs, Bites and Bowels’ then which I think is a much better title. By looking at the book, the NHS website and talking to the helpful pharmacist I managed to obtain the right cream to treat the developing infection.

On our last day we visited the main sites of Lucknow – the Bara Imambara and Chota Imambara. The Bara Imambara in particular is a hugely impressive Shia Muslim construction built under the instructions of the Nawab of Awadh, Asaf -ud Daula. We were glad that we hired a guide – he turned out to be an excellent photographer as well. The initial building you enter is an enormous grand entrance hall that although it is one of the largest in the world has no supporting beam structures. The building is made out of traditional materials. After spending some time in the hall we were led into the labyrinth, a series of dark corridors pierced by sudden shafts of light. The guide showed us how shots could be made through the holes in the wall but how the way these were aligned meant that it would be impossible for anybody on the outside to succeed in returning fire accurately at the shooter. There was even a well which the guide said was a ‘swimming pool’ (not sure about that – although the residency complex was also said to contain a swimming pool).

The Chota Imambara (little Imambara) is the site of the graves of Muhammad Ali Shah, his Mother and his daughter and contains a mini version of the Taj Mahal (the grave of Muhammad Ali Shah’s daughter). One of the buildings contains an apparently random collection of chandeliers as well as replicas of religious relics whose originals are located elsewhere including in Mecca. It actually started to rain a little as we were visiting the Chota Imambara, a nice though brief relief from the steaming heat. We were glad that the next day we were heading towards the hills of Nainatal.