Bratislava, Tea Phrases, 1957 Berlin, Authors' Estates & More: Endnotes 02 April

Bratislava, Tea Phrases, 1957 Berlin, Authors' Estates & More: Endnotes 02 April

Friday, 2 April, 2021

Every Friday, we celebrate the weekend — and all the reading and relaxing and daydreaming time ahead — with Melissa's favorite book- and travel-related links of the week. Why work when you can read fun stuff?!

This post is part of our Endnotes series.

rule

Whelp, it’s been well more than a year since we strolled into a fancy cocktail bar, nestled into a comfy banquette, and toasted to life. It appears that we’ll be waiting a bit longer, so we thought we’d take a virtual trip to The Velvet in Bratislava, Slovakia. Decorated in an eclectic mix of art deco, British pub, and over-the-top, it’s atmospheric and opulent. The drinks menu includes 28 signature cocktails that can be enjoyed in any of the separate lounges that divide the space into cozy nooks. And cozy it is! Only natural materials are used in the decor, so it’s rich in velvet, leather, wood, and glass. Bonus: The Velvet’s disco ball is the largest in the city.

  • Decipher the language of tea with the origins of these tea-related phrases. ‘Excitabat fluctus in simpulo is most often translated as He was stirring up billows in a ladle. While other cultures have their own versions, such as A storm in a glass of water in the Netherlands and A tempest in a potty in Hungary… eventually, the British coined their own version as A storm in a teacup…’

  • The Finnish epic poem The Kalevala, circa 1898, is a ride. There’s a ‘divine maiden’ along with ‘talking salmon, forest demons, wolves that stalk the deadlands, incest, suicide, and a mysterious artifact called the Sampo, forged by a legendary blacksmith, which acts like an anchor for the universe.’ Enjoy the English translation.

  • The magazine The Week is a good source for additions to your TBR. What do you think of their 25 picks for a must-read list?

  • This is a delight! Messy Nessy Chic invited readers to write short stories inspired by the photo below, ‘Parisian woman with Turkish veil, seen on Rue de la Paix, 1914’. Here are the resulting tales.

a parisian woman with a turkish veil in paris in 1914

black and white photo of berlin street at night in 1957

  • In a recent episode of the What’s Her Name? podcast, the hosts delve into the life of May Alcott Nieriker, sister of the famous author Louisa. ‘Travel with Katie to Orchard House, where the Alcotts lived 175 years ago, and see the world as May saw it: beautiful, joyful, and full of possibility.’

  • I found this essay about three significant diaries to be so moving and beautifully written.

  • For your sweet amusement: a chocolate quiz.

  • How to raise a child (or grandchild) who loves reading.

  • Let the gently lapping water soothe you in this video walkthrough of Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia. (Shout of love to our reader Nicole for sharing this with us.)

 

May you find things that move you, delight you, and challenge you this week.

Top image courtesy of The Velvet.

Want to keep up with our book-related adventures? Sign up for our newsletter!

keep reading

Every Friday, we share our favorite book- and travel-related links. This week, we've got the world's tallest tree, pie for every state, Bonibook's classic design, Iceland Writer's Retreat, noodle museum, and more.
Every Friday, we share our favorite book- and travel-related links. This week, we've got photos of Prague in lockdown, secrets of the Dostoevsky dash, seeing the world like Wes Anderson, the dove dancer, and more.
Every Friday, we share our favorite book- and travel-related links. This week, we've got famous literary destinations, dime novel covers, the first woman to circle the globe in a zeppelin, travel+creativity, and more.

sharing is caring!

Can you help us? If you like this article, share it your friends!

our mission

Strong Sense of Place is a website and podcast dedicated to literary travel and books we love. Reading good books increases empathy. Empathy is good for all of us and the amazing world we inhabit.

our patreon

Strong Sense of Place is a listener-supported podcast. If you like the work we do, you can help make it happen by joining our Patreon! That'll unlock bonus content for you, too — including Mel's secret book reviews and Dave's behind-the-scenes notes for the latest Two Truths and a Lie.

get our newsletter
We'll never share your email with anyone else. Promise.

This is a weekly email. If you'd like a quick alert whenever we update our blog, subscribe here.

no spoilers. ever.

We'll share enough detail to help you decide if a book is for you, but we'll never ruin plot twists or give away the ending.

super-cool reading fun
reading atlas

This 30-page Reading Atlas takes you around the world with dozens of excellent books and gorgeous travel photos. Get your free copy when you subscribe to our newsletter.

get our newsletter
We'll never share your email with anyone else. Promise.
follow us

Content on this site is ©2024 by Smudge Publishing, unless otherwise noted. Peace be with you, person who reads the small type.