Some of Nature’s Best Work is Hidden Away in Siberia

We’re constantly looking for untapped corners of the globe. The road less travelled. Proof that tourism hasn’t conquered everything. Today that search took us to the Altai Mountains, in the least-populous republic of Russia, where the frontier meets China, Mongolia, and Kazakhstan. Genetic research has suggested this Siberian landscape was the birthplace of Native Americans. Settlements…

And how would you fare quarantined inside one of these things?

If you know us, you know we love weird architectural history from the height of the utopian design age, but the idea of spending lockdown inside a radical sci-fi social experiment might take some convincing. This odd cluster of spherical houses is known as Bolwoningen, built in 1984 by artist Dries Kreijkamp as part of…

Run Your Own Vintage Bistro in the South of France this Summer

Nope, sorry, I refuse to stop imagining that I live in the past. This time – inside Grandmère Léone’s village bistrot in Provence. It’s about that time of year when Parisians start looking south to plan a summer escape from the city, and on my annual holiday house hunt, I stumbled upon this little gem,…

13 Things I Found on the Internet Today (Vol. DXLIV)

1. These Kitschy Jell-O molds are actually Lamps Made by mixed media artist Elrod (aka Mexakitsch.com). Found via PeeWee Herman’s blog! 2. Billy Meier’s UFOs Eduard Albert Meier, commonly nicknamed “Billy”, is the founder of a UFO religion called the “Freie Interessengemeinschaft für Grenz- und Geisteswissenschaften und Ufologiestudien” (Free Community of Interests for the Border and Spiritual…

An American Impressionist in Paris

We think of the Impressionists and we picture landscapes, dreamy outdoor scenes, or Degas and his ballerinas. But there was no shortage of Impressionists dedicated to the survey of interiors, and perhaps the most prolific among them as it happens, was an American who mastered the art of French style – Mr. Walter Gay… He…

13 Things I Found on the Internet Today (Vol. DXLIII)

1. This Dreamy Paris Artist Atelier For Sale The 38m2 space in the 11th arrondissement is asking 435,000 euros. Found here. 2. Edward Hopper in Paris Unbeknownst to many, Hopper moved to Paris in October 1906 where he found a room in a widow’s apartment at 48 Rue de Lille in the seventh arrondissement. These…

Curiosity du Jour: The Talking Victorian Bouquet

The Victorians loved their secrets. They hid them in the details but wore them on their sleeve with the help of a few small but elaborate accessories. The nosegay, also known as a posy or a “tussie mussie”, was one of the more discrete lady gadgets of yore that had multiple uses… For one, if…

A Forgotten Ode to the Little Paris Shopfront

I was walking along the Seine this weekend, slowing my pace for the lonely bouquinistes (the open-air booksellers that have squatted the quays of the river since the 18th century), when a dog-eared paperback caught my eye. Inside, it was filled with the most delightful illustrations of French boutiques from the 1920s; each storefront’s name inspired…

A Bohemian’s Guide to Greenwich Village, New York, a Century Ago

I‘ve been digging through my fair share of New York’s archives while researching Don’t be a Tourist in New York and fell upon the photographs of a woman who, almost 100 years ago exactly, was doing the very same thing as I: seeking out the city’s local and off-beat gems. Oh ho, let’s go to…

13 Things I Found on the Internet Today (Vol. DXLII)

1. Drive & Listen (a website you never knew you needed) Drive through your city of choice, with all the ambient sounds of the street, while also having the option of listening to the city’s local radio station. Start cruising on Drive and Listen. 2. London’s Thinnest House is for Sale The two bedroom on…