Eat, Sleep, Breathe, Travel

A new Stonehenge theory: sounds

I like Stonehenge. It’s all mystical and mysterious, and you can’t help but get caught up in the wonder of who put it there and how they managed to do it. And now this guy has an interesting new theory behind the arrangement of the enormous circle of stones. It’s all about sound.

According to researcher Steven Waller, the stones at Stonehenge are organized according to the way sound waves interact. I’ll let you read the article for yourself, but the gist of it is that if you go walk around in a field and two ancient Britons are playing flutes, the interactions of their sound waves make certain spots louder and others quieter. And if you close your eyes, there are certain points where the sound makes you feel like a big object is in front of you. It’s at these positions that the Stonehenge stones stand. Or something like that. It’s kind of complicated.

Of course, there have been all kinds of theories about Stonehenge through the ages. At one point people thought Merlin had the stones put there by a giant. Nowadays, a lot of people think it was the work of Druids. Others think it was aliens.

Stonehenge's mysterious origin is its biggest draw. If you like such mysteries, and if you’re going to be in London with EF College Break, I highly recommend the Stonehenge trip.

Photo: IanL via Flickr (CC)

It’s official: no more “mademoiselle” in France

Anyone going to France this summer? If so, you might find this news interesting. It turns out you should maybe think twice before calling a woman “mademoiselle” while you’re over there.

The French Prime Minister has ordered the removal of the word “mademoiselle” from all official government documents. The term is traditionally used for unmarried women and, as it turns out, it connotes a kind of youthful immaturity.

Interesting. I never knew this. I studied French in high school and college, and lived in Paris for a semester, but I didn’t know that "mademoiselle" had any negative connotations. I always just thought it meant a young woman. Good to know. That’s an interesting thing about speaking foreign languages—even when you think you know the meaning of a word, you can’t know the connotation unless you immerse yourself in the culture for a little while.

The official banning of “mademoiselle” from government documents came after a lot of lobbying from women's rights groups in France. They argued that the word was sexist and that on government forms it unnecessarily pried into a woman’s private life (asking if she’s married or not). Good points all.

Lesson of the day: when in doubt, say "madame."

Photo: Paul Beattie via Flickr (CC)

Mona Lisa’s double in Madrid

People are excited at the Prado Museum in Madrid. The world-famous museum is currently exhibiting a copy of the Mona Lisa, painted by one of Da Vinci’s apprentices in his workshop.

The art world is buzzing about this new find. They say it’s the oldest and most important copy of the Mona Lisa ever discovered. For years they thought this one was painted long after Da Vinci’s death, but recent restoration revealed it was straight out of his workshop. Pretty cool.

The painting will be on display at the Prado until March 13. Then it will move to the Louvre in Paris to be near its original.

The Prado, by the way, is one of the world’s most renowned art museums, Mona Lisa copy or no Mona Lisa copy. I actually haven’t been there (somehow Madrid has eluded me all these years), but I hear only good things. The museum has loads of European art, with a special focus on Spanish painters (Velázquez and Francisco de Goya are the headliners). The collection’s best-known work is Las Meninas by Velázquez.

If you’re going on an EF College Break trip to Madrid, and you like art, you’ll be happy. It includes a visit to the Prado. Though, if it’s a summer trip, you’ll still have to go to the Louvre in Paris if you want to see the newsworthy copy of the Mona Lisa (not to mention the original).

Photo: gushnu via Flickr (CC)

It’s always gelato time in Italy

A few weeks ago, Italy’s national gelato expo took place in Rimini (northern Italy). I can’t seem to find any details about it, other than this article that explains that even during these trying economic times in Europe, Italians have not cut back at all on their gelato intake. They can't do without their gelato.

Gelato is Italian ice cream. It’s creamier, denser, and more intensely flavored than most ice cream in the U.S. It comes in all kinds of interesting flavors. The most popular are chocolate, pistachio, and coffee, but you can also get any number of fruit flavors, nut flavors, and even some more experimental ones like red wine, olive oil, Parmesan cheese and basil.

I’ve done a little research, and I’ve learned that the key to making excellent gelato is finding the perfect balance between the fat (from the milk and cream) and the sugar (from the fruit, chocolate, etc.). You see, the fat hardens as it freezes, while the sugar does the opposite. You also want to make sure you have the right size ice crystals. The tinier the crystals, the smoother the gelato. Ideally you want your ice crystals about a micron in size, for ultimate smoothness.

Interesting. Interesting and delicious.

Photo: Samuraijohnny via Flickr (CC)

Crazy Valentine’s Day contest in Thailand

In case you haven’t gotten enough Valentine’s Day hype, I thought I’d direct you to this entertaining bit of Valentine’s Day news from Thailand.

Seven couples are competing in a kissing marathon to see who can stay kissing the longest. To win, couples must remain lip-locked continuously, no exceptions—that includes when going to the bathroom and while eating. They use straws to get food and drink into their mouths.

Incredibly, the current record for this contest is more than two days (set last year by a woman named Lakkana Tiranarat and her husband). 46 hours, 24 minutes and nine seconds to be exact. Now, I like kissing as much as anyone else, but I can think of a lot of other ways I’d rather spend two days. On the other hand, the winning couple gets a diamond ring worth $3,333 and a hotel gift voucher. On the other hand, they may never want to kiss each other again.

The contest started yesterday, and will presumably run through the big day tomorrow, when one lucky couple will be crowned champion. Happy Valentine’s Day.

Photo: rogoyski via Flickr (CC)

A Big Birthday in London

In case you missed it, Tuesday was Charles Dickens’s 200th birthday. Of course, Dickens is considered one of the greatest writers of all time, so there was quite a buzz about it online. Google even honored him by doing their thing with the thing.

I like Charles Dickens. I remember enjoying A Tale of Two Cities, and though I never read A Christmas Carol, the movie Scrooged is definitely a personal favorite. If you’re taking a trip to London this summer, you might soak in some of the Dickens bicentennial excitement.

This article talks about how London itself was the true inspiration for most of Dickens’s works. He grew up in the city after moving there as a child, working in a shoe polish factory from the age of 12. When Dickens was an adult, they say he would spend hours wandering the streets, observing, getting ideas from all he saw around him. One area that played a central role in many of his books was Covent Garden. Back in Dickens’s day it was a real working marketplace. Today it’s a popular shopping area. A different vibe sure, but the same footsteps.

If you really like your Dickens, you can check out the Museum of London’s temporary exhibition called “Dickens and London”. It’s about Dickens and London. The exhibit will be there until June 10. If you miss that, all is not lost. You can still see where he’s buried at Westminster Abbey, you can go on a guided Dickens Walk, and you can wash it all down with a pint at one of several historic Dickensian pubs.

Photos: pandrcutts via Flickr (CC)

A couple bright spots in cold Europe

Not sure if you’ve seen the news, but it’s been cold in Europe the past several days. Very cold. It’s actually really no laughing matter at all, as the brutal cold has caused a number of deaths and various other problems throughout the continent.

But I have come across two lighter items resulting from the otherwise bleak situation.

The Mannekin-Pis is having to hold in his pee. You may recall that the Mannekin-Pis in Brussels is one of my favorite statues in the world. Due to the extremely cold temperatures, they've had to turn off his stream to prevent freezing inside the statue's inner workings. Authorities say he will go back to peeing normally when the weather turns.

Farther east, in Ankara, Turkey, one guy is making the most of the unusual snowfall. Check out this video of him snowboarding through the city streets. It’s something you don’t see every day. (I don’t recommend trying this at home. Or in Turkey for that matter.)

Anyway, let's hope for a quick end to the cold snap. We all look forward to warm and sunny summer days in Europe.

Photo: kevsunblush via Flickr (CC)

Groundhog Day around the world?

Happy Groundhog Day, everyone.

Sorry to break the news, but Punxsutawney Phil—the most famous of all the Groundhog Day groundhogs—saw his shadow this morning. We have six more weeks of winter.

This got me wondering if there are any similar traditions in other countries around the world. Here’s what I found out:

Serbian Orthodox Christians have a very similar tradition to our Groundhog Day. On February 15, during the feast of Sretenje, they believe a bear will wake up from its winter sleep. If the groggy bear sees its shadow, it will get scared and go back to sleep for 40 more days, prolonging winter for several weeks.

In Portugal, February 2 is Candelária Day. On this day, according to legend, if the Candelária is smiling (in other words, if it’s sunny out), the winter will continue on, while if the Candelária is crying (it’s rainy), then winter is done. I couldn’t find any reports on this year’s results from today.

On June 27 in Germany, they celebrate Siebenschläfertag (Seven Sleepers Day). If it rains on this day, that means the whole summer is going to be rainy.

Finally, in the U.K., July 15 is known as St. Swithun's day. Legend says that if it rains on St. Swithun's day, it will continue raining for the next 40 days and nights.

Call me biased, but I like Groundhog Day the best.

Photo: SchultzLabs via Flickr (CC)