MUMBAI RECOVERY

Word out of Mumbai is the Taj Mahal hotel is reopening.

The 105-year-old hotel, one of two luxury hotels hit by terrorists in the Mumbai attacks, will reopen on Sunday evening, according to travelmole.com.

"However," the website states, "only the newer Tower rooms and suites will re-open – along with several of the hotel’s restaurants. The iconic older part of the Taj is still under repair after gunmen took scores of guests hostage and battled commandos during a 60-hour siege."

SPARKS ARE FLYING ON THE TTC

Boy, it's hard for a travel writer to get out of town when he can't even get to work on time.

That's almost one hour today on the glorious TTC from Lawrence to Union Station. It could've been worse, of course, but my back and neck still hurt from the constant lurching and hitting of brakes. Why can't these guys just sit tight more often and wait for a green light and then go slowly instead of driving fast and slamming on the brakes?

Actually, in fairness, when we stopped at Summerhill one guy did just that. He also was pretty funny.

"We're going to sit here for a few minutes," the TTC announcer told a packed train. "I could pull up but then half the cars would be in the station. And we can't go anywhere, anyway. So we'll be a few minutes. We had earlier problems between Lawrence and Eglinton. But I really don't know what the problem is."

We all had a laugh, and at least he was honest.

What was weird, and maybe it happens all the time, but when we were stuck (again) between Rosedale and Bloor, a fellow passenger and I on the southbound TTC train looked over as a train going northbound sped past and there were constant sparks rising up from the tracks. I don't usually look down at passing trains on the subway so I don't know if that's common. But we both looked at each other and laughed nervously, as if to say, "uh, is that NORMAL?"

PARK HYATT UPGRADES

The lovely Park Hyatt at Avenue Road and Bloor is upgrading its rooms,with new bathrooms and sleek furnishings that officials say will be "contemporary, but not minimalistic." Bravo to that. Personally, I don't go for the whole minimalist thing. This is an age of recession, so I think we ought to aim for maximist, if that's a word.

The Hyatt folks plan to re-open the old Holiday Inn on King Street West as a Hyatt property in the spring of next year, with lots of improvements to that hotel as well.

CALIFORNIA DREAMING

Golf Vacation Insiders reports the new Bayonet and Blackhorse golf courses (www.bayonetblackhorse.com) are about to open in the Monterey Bay area of California. The pictures look stunning, and it could prove a hugely popular alternative to the big boys like Pebble Beach and Spyglass.