Wonder is where it starts

“Wonder is where it starts, and though wonder is also where it ends, this is no futile path. Whether admiring a patch of moss, a crystal, flower, or golden beetle, a sky full of clouds, a sea with the serene, vast sigh of its swells, or a butterfly wing with its arrangement of crystalline ribs, contours, and the vibrant bezel of its edges, the diverse scripts and ornamentations of its markings, and the infinite, sweet, delightfully inspired transitions and shadings of its colors — whenever I experience part of nature, whether with my eyes or another of the five senses, whenever I feel drawn in, enchanted, opening myself momentarily to its existence and epiphanies, that very moment allows me to forget the avaricious, blind world of human need, and rather than thinking or issuing orders, rather than acquiring or exploiting, fighting or organizing, all I do in that moment is “wonder,” like Goethe, and not only does this wonderment establish my brotherhood with him, other poets, and sages, it also makes me a brother to those wondrous things I behold and experience as the living world: butterflies and moths, beetles, clouds, rivers and mountains, because while wandering down the path of wonder, I briefly escape the world of separation and enter the world of unity.”

Posted in Books, Europe, Writing | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Cheap Flights

This hilarious video is not new, but I just discovered it and had to share it for a laugh.

 

Posted in Air Travel, Europe, Film, Music, Public Transport, Tourism | Tagged , | 3 Comments

omnium-gatherum

Using survey data, responses from community boards & city council members, and over 37,000 responses from NYC residents, a team at the NY Times has made a detailed map of the 350+ distinct neighborhoods in NYC.

This map shows the 50 countries in the world where you can (mostly) drink the tap water. But: “Fewer than one billion people have a tap at home that issues potable water.”

A Saint of your Own Province

“To gain your own voice,
forget about having it heard.
Become a saint of
your own province
and your own consciousness.”
– Allen Ginsberg

I have been luck enough to have seen the Northern Lights three times while visiting Iceland, but missed them in Alaska and Canada. But it turns out that the best place for viewing the Aurora Borealis in Canada is Yellowfish. Nestled in Canada’s Northwest Territories, Yellowknife is not just a gateway to the vast wilderness of the Arctic. It’s also one of the most mesmerizing spots on Earth to witness the spectacular Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis. See more: Moss and Fog

Shakespeare Insult Kit

We have a wooden tea canister from Japan that we picked up on our travels many years ago. So, I was intrigued by this wondeful video of an 89-year-old craftswoman from Japan who makes wooden tea canisters together with her son. It all starts with a tree trunk.

 

 

Posted in Art, Asia, Books, Maps | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Books for Cooks

We have dozens of cookbooks collected over the years, but rarely open them these days. Instead we just Google recipes like Philistines. Still, I’d love to stop in at Books for Cooks the next time that I’m in London.

In 1983 Heidi Lascelles came up with a tasty concept for a bookshop with an in-store kitchen that could put cookbooks to the test. Each day a different cookbook would be selected and recipes from that book would be cooked and served for lunch to customers. Regular customer Eric Treuille frequented the shop hoping to get the attention of a staff member named Rosie and before he knew it, they would eventually take over running the store together. Eric has been in the business long enough to know what makes a book special. Having cooked hundreds of recipes from different cuisines, tell him what you’re looking for and he’ll be able to recommend the right book in a heartbeat.

NB: if the video fails to launch in your browser, please visit our homepage.

 

Posted in Books, Bookstore Tourism, Europe, Film, Restaurants, Tourism | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Everybody loves a booktree

London’s St. Pancras Station has inaugurated the 2023 holiday season with a wonderful Christmas booktree. Created in collaboration with Hatchards  the 12 meter tall installation is not just a festive centrepiece; it’s a literary wonderland inspired by British authors.

The booktree features a whimsical design with a winding staircase and 270 shelves adorned with over 3,800 hand-painted books, including timeless classics like Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” and C.S. Lewis’ “The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe.”

Within this majestic tree are eight cozy reading nooks where train travelers can immerse themselves in the magic of the holiday season, figuratively and literally. Each booth is equipped with speakers that allow visitors to select a five-minute excerpt from an audiobook, exclusively provided by Penguin Books. They can choose from a selection of sixteen different audios, featuring authors like Charles Dickens, Beatrix Potter, Zadie Smith, and more.

Wendy Spinks, Commercial Director at St. Pancras and HS1 Ltd, said: ”This year’s St. Pancras International Christmas Tree is an ode to the wealth of literature that transports us to exciting and novel worlds. From real-life travel experiences to the fantastical lands of our imagination, we hope that festive visitors feel the magic and are inspired to pick up or gift their loved ones the most timeless gift of all, Books.”

 

Posted in Books, Bookstore Tourism, Europe, Public Transport, Tourism | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

“The Fall”

“The Fall”

by

Russell Edson


There was a man who found two leaves and came indoors holding them out saying to his parents that he was a tree.

To which they said then go into the yard and do not grow in the living-room as your roots may ruin the carpet.

He said I was fooling I am not a tree and he dropped his leaves.

But his parents said look it is fall.

 

Posted in USA, Writing | Tagged , | 4 Comments

All Parts Matter

I recently stumbled upon this excellent infographic from TheBookDesigner.com. As a collector and bookseller, it can be problematic at times describing the contents of a book. This is particularly the case when it comes to antiquarian titles. It’s essential to be on the same page—excuse the pun—when providing details about a book’s contents.

Posted in Books, Writing | Tagged | Leave a comment

Everybody Has A Podcast

Maps.fm is a clever project that lets you use a world map to select podcast episodes that are about or related to a specific location on the map. Want to instantly be able to access every single podcast ever recorded about Manhattan or Iceland ? Maps.fm will suck you into the podcast universe with its goldmine of choices. It’s a great resource if you’re planning a trip or just want to while away a hour or two. I like the idea that you can quickly and easily access individual podcast episodes without a deepdive into the entire catalog.

 

Posted in apps, Maps, Tech | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Signs, Signs, Everywhere A Sign

Before my recent trip to the Portuguese island of São Miguel, I checked out what typres of road signs I could expect to encounter. Still, I was surprised and confused by some of the traffic signs along the islands windy, mountain roads. Many were related to agricultural vehicles and farm equipment, but some were just baffling. To create his short film SIGNS, filmmaker Daniel McKee spent months collecting images of thousands of road signs from around the world, then arranged and animated them in a logical sequence. The music by Resonate complements the videos’ driving pace.

 

Posted in Car rentals, Europe, Film, Tourism | Tagged , | 1 Comment

The Final Caturday of the Year

Cursed cat peed on my book

 

Posted in Art, Books, Libraries, South America | Tagged , | Leave a comment