Where did you go this weekend? 📆📌 The Mall

Today, we went to Shopprix mall for our regular shopping but I especially was looking for travel bags as I will soon be returning to Australia. We did not buy any bags though but bought vegetables fruits and frozen items. Later we had our food in a nearby restaurant.

Let me tell you this Shopprix Mall has become our go-to spot for those effortless weekend errands. It's one of those places that blends the local markets with its calm yet modern retail with its multiple shopping options.

My wife feels it's a perfect shopping stop, different from our local shops, so we don't mind motorbiking all the way to this place about 14 km from our place. (We have no car here)

Today, my wife and I headed there for our regular grocery haul, but I had a special mission as we were looking for a travel bag because I received a message on my phone that they were providing a special offer as the coming Republic Day Offer.

With my return to Australia in just a few months, I needed something sturdy, lightweight, and stylish for our next trip from Delhi to Sydney. But to be frank, I was not impressed with the bags on offer, or maybe the rates were not matching with the bag I was looking for, so we bought no bag. But as usual we moved from bags to the fresh produce section.

Let me begin from the beginning. We arrived around late afternoon and the mall was full of families, students, and shoppers even though it was too fogy and winter chill outside.

Shopprix is a massive mall like Delhi's giant malls in this bordering city, but its layout makes navigation easy, especially with Reliance Super Market, which has everything a family needs, including groceries, on the ground floor.

We could see a number of other items and accessories scattered across upper levels. However, we headed straight for the luggage section first and checked rows of duffels, backpacks, and roller bags from brands like Safari and American Tourister.

There were all sized options for my trip in a good price range tempting, especially with those expandable compartments ideal for over packing souvenirs for my dear ones.

I zipped a few open, testing the wheels on the tiled floor; they glided smoothly, but nothing quite clicked. The bags looked more inferior or overpriced than what I had planned. One bag had a good pattern, but it was size 28" but I wanted 30", and the other I could buy was too big 32".

Disappointed yet undeterred, we shifted to the grocery section. In this section the fresh produce section is full of aromas, a mini celebration of local as well as items from different states. We added crisp red apples, juicy kiwis rare in India city markets, and French cucumbers perfect for salads and many more.

The vegetable haul included potatoes, okra, and cauliflower. The frozen section is close by, so we selected a few ready-to-cook Laccha parathas and Potato chops.

Then we checked out swiftly; as hunger hit, we stepped out into a nearby restaurant, a place just 3 minutes' drive on the Delhi-Haridwar highway known for its buttery naans and spicy curries. We settled into a corner, ordering dal makhani and naans. The restaurant was full of flavors, rich with creamy dal, a comforting meal before returning back home.

As we drove home through heavy evening traffic, I felt that familiar pull of transitions on this road since infrastructure is changing too rapidly in this area.

No travel bag yet, but plenty of fresh ingredients to fuel the countdown. Shopprix delivered as always: practical, joyful, and full of little discoveries.

I am sure on my next trip, I'll get the bag here or hit local market for one, so that's how we spent our weekend with a satisfying meal and plenty for our refrigerator. I invite @marito74, @oswaldocuarta and @pandora2010 to join Travel Contest: Where did you go this weekend?

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