Endless Days of Summer
A newsletter that takes you to another time, and place..
Endless Days of Summer
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I. EDITORIAL NOTE
Welcome to the first issue of Endless Days of Summer, a newsletter for the curious, the nostalgic, and the quietly adventurous.
Each week, we’ll take you on a journey through time and space, offering you the stories that linger like a warm evening breeze. In every issue, you'll find a mini deep dive into a historical moment or figure on The Summer diaries, a quote to carry with you this week, a mantra from a faraway land, and The Hidden Gem. This week, the island of Zanzibar, a true treasure hidden in plain sight.
You'll also discover Art in Details, where we look closely at something often overlooked — this time, the carved wooden doors of Zanzibar and the meanings etched into their frames. Alongside that, expect curiosities, symbols, interpretations, exotic cuisine, and a brief cultural agenda from around the world.
And if you’ve been following our deeper explorations, don’t worry, our in-depth pieces continue, now twice a month. These are the essays where we dive into the life, art, culture, or spirit of a place or time, seeking the deeper meanings that still echo today.
This is not a newsletter about everything. It’s a newsletter about something. Something that awakens the senses and invites you to wander, if only in your mind.
We’re glad you’re here.
Summer R.
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II. THE SUMMER DIARIES
Tales of an Arabian Princess of Zanzibar
24th of August 1866
The wind lifted her veil as she stepped onto the flat rooftop, carrying with it the scent of clove and sea brine from the harbor below. Somewhere, far beyond the coral walls of the palace, her mind rushed with nervous thoughts.
She paused. Behind her, the lattice windows of the women’s quarters flickered with oil lamps and low voices. Her sisters were still awake. They would speak of poems, scandals, and weddings. She had done that too. Once… but not tonight.
This night, she would celebrate the traditional women’s sea bath ritual ceremony. The silks she wore were plain white. Unremarkable. Chosen to help her blend. It was a goodbye without a farewell.
She looked once over her shoulder. The minarets of Stone Town rose like sentinels in the moonlight. Their call to prayer had shaped her hours, just as the rhythms of palace life had shaped her silence.
She exhaled slowly. To run was betrayal. To stay was erasure. She had made her choice, now she would keep it.
When Salme arrived at the beach, she felt the still warm sand beneath her feet. She stepped forward alone into the sea, the salt welcomed her. Her servants trailing behind in silence, stopped at the water’s edge with their veils shifting like sails in the breeze.
In the dark, a small and insignificant boat waited, nearly invisible, its wood barely creaking. Rudolph stood waist-deep, holding it steady. They looked at each other but said nothing. He reached for her when she came near, lifting her into the hull as if she weighed nothing at all.
She did not look up. Not at the moon, not at the stars, not even at the windows lit behind her. Only forward. Toward the great boat. Toward love. Toward freedom.
An Unforgivable Scandal
Princess Sayyida Salme was born royal, but determined not to remain. She fled with a small bag of jewels and, most significantly, a handful of Zanzibar’s white sand, her way of carrying home with her. She slipped away from her past, stowed aboard HMS Highflyer, and vanished into legend.
She was barely 22 and already pregnant by a German merchant, Rudolph Heinrich Ruete. An unforgivable scandal in her court and a political crisis for her family. Sultan Said’s daughter, would now become someone else entirely: a defiant soul on the edge of two worlds.
Long before that night, Salme had begun building a life of her own.
Before The Last Night
Born on August 30th, 1844, at the coastal palace of Beit il Mtoni, Salme was the youngest daughter of Sultan Said bin Sultan—ruler of Zanzibar and Oman—and Jilfidan, a Circassian concubine in his vast royal household. She was the youngest daughter of 36 children. Her early years were spent amid tropical gardens, peacocks and ostriches roaming courtyards, and surrounded by a multilingual court where Arabic and Swahili mingled freely.
At seven years old, Salme moved with her mother to Beit il Watoro, under her brother Majid’s guardianship. He would teach her to ride, shoot and fence—activities not usually permitted for girls, especially royal ones. She would also secretly learn to write, an unusual and even forbidden act for women of her rank. She practiced by copying the Qur’an onto palm leaves or even camel bone, a testament to her intellectual hunger and quiet rebellion that defied court prohibitions against female literacy. She spoke Arabic and Swahili, and even learned some Turkish and German, in secret lessons gleaned through eunuchs and servants.
When her father died in 1856, twelve-year-old Salme was declared of age and inherited a plantation with residence and cash. The death of her mother in 1859, further cemented her independence with increased patrimony.
The death of Sultan Said bin Sultan triggered a bitter succession dispute that would fracture his empire. His eldest son, Thuwaini bin Said, based in Muscat, was the designated heir to the Omani throne. While another son, Majid bin Said, contested control over Zanzibar. Rather than a unified inheritance, the empire was effectively divided: Thuwaini became Sultan of Oman, and Majid declared himself Sultan of Zanzibar. This split marked the formal separation of the two realms, fueled by political tensions and competing dynastic claims to power, setting the stage for Zanzibar’s independent sultanate under Majid’s rule.
While Majid and Thuwaini settled into their respective domains, their brother Barghash challenged Majid’s authority over Zanzibar. The rivalry between Majid and Barghash ignited internal power struggles. And although Salme favored Majid, her sister Chole persuaded her to join Barghash’s camp. At just fifteen, Salme used her literacy to serve as Barghash’s secretary, drafting secret correspondence for the rebel faction. Her pen was sharper than the swords of many older men.
When the coup failed, she retreated to one of her estates, surviving court politics through discretion and distance. Years later she expressed remorse for her role in the rebellion, acknowledging the gravity of having betrayed Majid, who had once been a beloved and kind brother.
Her life took a daring turn in the early 1860s when she fell in love with Rudolph Heinrich Ruete, a German merchant living across the alley from one of her residences in Stone Town. Their clandestine relationship blossomed under barred windows and whispered meetings until it could no longer remain hidden. As her pregnancy became visible, she faced mounting scandal and threat of punishment. When Sultan Majid ordered her to depart on pilgrimage, likely exile to avoid harsher measures, Salme chose freedom instead.
On August 24th, 1866, veiled within the women’s sea‑bath ritual, she walked calmly into the surf and boarded HMS Highflyer, bound for Aden. In her hands, she clutched a small bag of jewels, and a handful of Zanzibari sand, a talisman she would cherish for the rest of her life. Her newborn son, however, died in France while en route to Germany. Six months later, she was baptized as Emily, and married Rudolph. The couple settled in Hamburg, where they would have three more children.
Emily, once Salme, wandered between cultures and grief. She tragically lost her husband in a tram accident in 1870, and became a widowed mother of three at only twenty-six years old. Salme survived on her pen, taught Arabic and Swahili, and offered private lessons. Though efforts to reclaim her inheritance or settle back in Zanzibar failed, she remained a thoughtful and outspoken critic of colonial narratives and Western misrepresentations of the East.
In 1886, she published Memoirs of an Arabian Princess from Zanzibar, the first autobiography by an Arab woman. The memoir became her bridge between worlds—offering Europe an insider’s view of court life in Zanzibar, slavery, polygamy, and a woman’s spiritual and intellectual quest.
In fact, Emily Ruete was sometimes unpopular in Hamburg circles not because of her origins, but because she repeatedly criticized a society that felt superior to her native one. In her memoirs, she draws several comparisons between life at the Sultan’s court and life in Hamburg that do not favor her new home. For example, she wrote that slaves in Zanzibar had a better life than workers in Hamburg.
She would return with her children to Zanzibar twice, first in August 1885, and again after the death of her brother Sultan Barghash in 1888. Both journeys were attempts to reclaim financial rights and re-establish family connections. Despite her royal status, she was never formally received by her family during either visit, and reconciliation remained elusive. She was, however, greeted warmly by the people of Zanzibar during both visits. These were both brief and emotionally charged, marked more by nostalgia and disappointment than reconciliation.
She would die on February 29th 1924 in Jena, Germany, from severe pneumonia. Her ashes were laid to rest beside her husband, the love of her life, along with her small bag of Zanzibari sand.
A room in the Sultan’s Palace in Zanzibar is still furnished in her memory, and a museum display in Stone Town preserves photographs, writings, and fragments of her life. Her story has also inspired two novels and a film.
Princess Salme’s life remains a portrait of quiet defiance. She broke silences with her pen, spoke in forbidden language, crossed continents and cultures for love and freedom, and offered the world a rare voice from the royal East African court. She left behind not just a memoir but a mirror where East and West collided, and yet each could see their shared human struggles.
Even now, her story invites reflection on identity, exile, and the power of memory.
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III. QUOTE OF THE WEEK
”The pen is mightier than the sword.”
—Edward Bulwer-Lytton, Richelieu; Or the Conspiracy (1839)
Reflection:
The sword compels through fear; the pen, through memory. While steel may claim obedience, ink claims imagination. And once an idea enters the bloodstream of history, no blade can erase it.
So remember, the sword ends a life, but the pen begins a legacy. In the long arc of time, it is not force but meaning that endures.
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IV. THE HIDDEN GEM
Zanzibar
This is a place where the air tastes like cardamom, clove, and sea salt, and the tide washes in whispers of sand and foam. Here, light lies softly on the coral-stone buildings and history sleeps beneath every step. When you arrive, you are stepping into a place almost unchanged by time.
Zanzibar, an archipelago off the coast of Tanzania and in the heart of the Indian Ocean, is a constellation of cultures. If you are looking for a true hidden gem, you’ve just found it.
At the heart of it lies Stone Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Walk through its narrow winding alleys in the early morning, when carved wooden doors creak open and bread is still warm. Stop at the Darajani Market for ripe mangoes and local chatter, then visit the House of Wonders, a faded yet fascinating relic of sultanate opulence. From there, take time to see the Old Fort and the Palace Museum—not just for architecture, but for what they say about the Arab, Persian, Indian, and Swahili exchange. Here, you walk through centuries in just an afternoon.
For an unforgettable festival of senses, the spice farms open their fields to guests, offering tours that end in saffron and clove beneath the warm golden sunlight. The beaches — especially on the northeast coast near Nungwi or Matemwe — are unreasonably beautiful: soft white sand, turquoise shallows, and dhows drifting across the horizon like quiet poems.
Later on, sail on a dhow at sunset, not the tourist kind, but one with chipped paint and a quiet captain. Let it take you toward Prison Island, where giant tortoises outlive empires. Or go further still, to Nakupenda Beach, a sandbar that vanishes with the tide. Perfect for swimming, silence, or the feeling of being nowhere in particular except paradise.
Don’t leave without visiting Jozani Forest, home to the rare red colobus monkey, or spending at least one full day on the eastern coast in Paje or Matemwe, where the turquoise water looks magical and fishermen still cast nets by hand. If you dive, the coral reefs off Mnemba Atoll are worth the boat ride.
Zanzibar is not a checklist, but there are things you should not miss. Clove tea at dusk. Octopus curry on the beach, an old man telling you how things used to be. You will find the scent history that is everywhere.
For the best experience, visit during the dry season — from June to October or December to February — when the days are warm, the breeze is kind, and the light is made for wandering. Bring a shawl when visiting traditional villages or mosques; modesty is as welcome here as curiosity.
Zanzibar is not a place to escape the world, but to return to it, but this time changed.
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V. MANTRA FROM A FARAWAY LAND
This week, as we journey through the rich culture of Zanzibar, I invite you to embrace a timeless mantra locals live by. Whether you’re wandering the spice-scented streets or simply seeking a gentle reminder in your day, this Swahili saying carries the wisdom of patience and steady progress, a guide for a quiet life pace.
Swahili Saying:
"Polepole ndiyo mwendo."
Meaning:
Slowly is the way.
Slow and steady wins the race.
Pronunciation:
Po-le-po-le nde-yo mwe-ndo.
This simple phrase reminds us that haste rarely leads to success. True progress comes through careful, and deliberate steps. A lesson that is as relevant in Zanzibar’s relaxed rhythms as it is in our own busy lives.
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VI. ART IN DETAILS
The Carved Doors of Zanzibar
In Stone Town, the doors speak first.
Long before a word is said, these beautiful wooden entrances convey status, belief, and warning through a symbolic code. They are not merely decorative, they are statements. Each carving is a signal, each motif part of a visual language legible only to those who know how to read it.
Zanzibar’s famous doors are among the island’s most iconic and intricate art forms—each a declaration of identity, belief, and status. Found particularly in Stone Town, these grand wooden portals combine Swahili, Arab, Indian, and Persian influences, shaped by centuries of trade and cultural confluence along the East African coast.
The designs mainly fall into three loose types.
The Swahili ones, the oldest type of doors, are rectangular and with modest intriguing carvings. Arab and Indian styled door designs got more popular during the 19th century. Arab doors are generally rectangular and have intricately carved frames. Some may have a carved frieze with Arabic Quranic inscriptions or symbols, rosettes or even have the resident’s name. The oldest ones have rectangular friezes, whereas newer Indian-influenced Arab doors have round friezes that can include brass studs.
Traditional Indian doors are usually divided in smaller sections with foldable shutters, usually found at bazaar streets of Zanzibar. Another type has heavy brass studs and arched top frame, just like in Indian palaces. Brass studs come from India, where they were used to protect the doors against elephants. In Zanzibar, these brass studs are purely for aesthetic reasons, as there haven’t been elephants in Zanzibar. The latter type may have lunettes containing floral designs, which began appearing in the reign of Seyyid Barghash (1870-1888, a period known for its opulence).
Each carving is a symbol, a quiet message. Part decoration, part declaration.
The Chain
Often wrapped around the frame like a border, the chain was a symbol of strength and protection. A warning of power encircling the threshold. The door’s owner may also be involved in the slave trade.
The Fish
Symbol of fertility and abundance, may also represent the pre-Koranic Syrian goddess Atargatis. It could have also been a clue as to the master’s trade,
The Lotus or Rosette
Linked with fertility and reproductive power, these delicate flowers also marked purity and divine favor. It softened the door’s command with a whisper of beauty.
Frankincense trees
A symbol of sacred trade and scent, they evoked wealth and spiritual grace
The Palm Tree
The palm stood for life and hospitality, a quiet gesture of welcome. Might also intimate wealth and abundance.
Other symbols also appear frequently, beads might mean the proprietor dealt in precious stones; pineapples were a sign of welcome. Sometimes a deep saw-tooth-like motif appears on the lower edge of the lintel, emphasising the changing patterns of light and shadow during the day, and some later examples were even perforated.
Beyond beauty, these doors functioned as status symbols. The size, detailing, and inscription of a door signaled the homeowner’s wealth, religion, profession, and even regional origins. A lavish doorway could reflect the ambitions of a merchant, the pride of a clan, or the piety of a scholar. The doorway became a public-facing autobiography in carved wood.
But these doors also hold deep spiritual and philosophical meaning. They were seen as thresholds not only into homes, but into worlds like portals between the seen and unseen. Their symbolism—part cosmology, part community signal—still resonates. Even worn by time, the doors still whisper Zanzibar’s forgotten histories.
To walk through one of Zanzibar’s carved doors is to pass a silent test. What is welcomed, and what is warded off, has already been decided.
VII. FLAVORS OF THE WORLD
There are places you reach with your feet, and others you reach by your taste. Some experiences arrive on your plate carrying the salt from another ocean, the warmth from a distant spice market, and stories told in simmered silence.
This week’s recipe offers just that—a way to wander, not with a passport, but with your palate. This treasured Zanzibari specialty, is a culinary bridge between African, Arab, and Indian influences. It’s a fragrant, rich, and vivid reflection of the island’s coastal and Indian Ocean heritage.
Recipe: Mchuzi wa Pweza — Zanzibari Octopus Curry
Ingredients (serves 4):
500 g of fresh octopus (cleaned and chopped)
1 can coconut milk
2 tbsp each of oil, garlic, ginger, chopped onion
1 tsp of turmeric, coriander, and a pinch of cinnamon
Juice of one lime, salt & chili to taste
Preparation:
In a pot, sauté the garlic, ginger, and onions until they become fragrant.
Add spices, and stir for 1 minute.
Add the octopus, and sauté to seal; then pour in coconut milk.
Simmer 20–25 minutes until the sauce thickens and the octopus is tender.
Finish it with lime juice, salt, and chili. Serve over rice or with chapati.
Let the flavors linger in your mouth, they may tell you more about a place than words ever could. Enjoy!
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VIII. CURIOSITY CORNER
Did You Know?
Before he became a global rock icon and lead singer of Queen, Freddie Mercury was born in Zanzibar, a place where cultures blend like colors on a canvas. This island’s vibrant spirit and diverse heritage quietly shaped the man behind the music, adding a hidden layer to his legendary story.
IX. SYMBOLS & MEANINGS
The Sankofa Bird
In the Akan culture of West Africa, the Sankofa symbol is a symbol of wisdom, a mythical bird depicted with its feet facing forward while its head turns backward to retrieve an egg. This symbol conveys a powerful philosophical message: “Return and take what was forgotten.” In Twi, San means “to return,” ko means “to go,” and fa means “to seek or take.” The associated proverb, “Se wo were fi na wosankofa a yenkyiri,” translates: “It is not wrong to go back for what you have forgotten.” It serves as a reminder that wisdom and progress depend on understanding and honoring one’s past. What was left behind may be the very thing needed to move forward.
Sankofa appears widely in Adinkra cloth prints, carved stools, and gold weights, expressing the importance of cultural memory and identity. Over time, it has become a broader emblem of heritage and resilience, especially in the African diaspora.
Today, the Sankofa remains a potent symbol urging reflection and retrieval of lost knowledge before moving forward—rooted in both oral tradition and visual culture, it embodies the balance between past and future. The Sankofa reminds us that the past is not lost, it waits for the willing. Memory, in this light, is not burden but medicine.
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X. CULTURAL AGENDA AROUND THE WORLD
July–August 2025
Curated moments of nature, cosmos, history, art, and ritual.
⛵️ Gion Matsuri Festival - Kyoto, Japan—July. 1 – July. 30, 2025
A centuries-old summer tradition, where majestic floats parade through Kyoto’s streets and sacred rituals honor ancient spirits. This festival is a living expression of seasonal spirituality and community reverence.
🌻 Frankenmuth Flower Festival - Frankenmuth, Michigan — August 1–3, 2025
Enjoy acres of bright sunflowers, artisan vendors, live music, community yoga, and a playful Sunflower Fun Color Run. This festival feels like stepping into a serene floral dreamscape.
🎨 Suttons Bay Art Festival - Suttons Bay, Michigan — August 2–3, 2025
A charming lakeside arts fair with around one hundred juried artists, community music, children’s activities, local crafts, and stunning marina views—intimate and inspiring.
🎶 Appalachian String Band Music Festival - New River Gorge, West Virginia—July 30 - August 2025
An immersive week of old‑time and acoustic music, spontaneous jams, workshops, dancing, and communal storytelling in the heart of Appalachia. A soulful and authentic hidden gem of tradition.
✨Perseid Meteor Shower Peak - Lake Tahoe, California/Nevada, USA—August 12, 2025
Experience one of the eastern United States’ darkest skies as meteors streak across the heavens. The event blends stargazing with mythic storytelling, connecting the cosmos to human wonder.
🌸 Swan Island Dahlias Annual Dahlia Festival - Canby, Oregon, USA—August 1–September 30, 2025
A vibrant celebration of over 350 varieties of dahlias in full bloom, featuring garden tours, photography, and expert talks.
🌿 Montagu Herb Festival - Montagu, South Africa—August 29–31, 2025
Explore the world of herbs with workshops, culinary demos, and local plant sales celebrating traditional healing and cuisine.
🎶 Pickathon Music Festival - Happy Valley, Oregon, USA — July 31 - August 3, 2025
An intimate festival featuring a curated lineup of diverse music genres with a focus on community and sustainability.
🌻 Sunflower Fun Color Run - Frankenmuth, Michigan, USA—August 2, 2025
A lively 5K run through sunflower fields, with music, food, and family-friendly activities celebrating community health.
🌸 Rutland Flower Show - Rutland, UK — August 15–17, 2025
Celebrate horticulture with floral displays, garden competitions, artisan crafts, and live music in a charming countryside setting.
🌺 Onam Festival - Kerala, India — August 26–September 5, 2025
The harvest festival with floral carpets, boat races, traditional dances, and a grand feast celebrating community and prosperity.
🔥 Boryeong Mud Festival - Boryeong, South Korea — July 25–August 10, 2025
A joyful, messy celebration of mud with healing properties, music, and playful activities for all ages.
🌸 Raksha Bandhan - Nationwide, India — August 9, 2025
A cultural festival honoring the bond between siblings, marked by the tying of protective threads and gift exchanges.
XI. Final Thoughts…
Thank you for reading Endless Days of Summer. If you’ve made it this far, it probably means something in these words stirred your soul.
If you enjoyed this issue, consider subscribing, leaving a comment, and sharing it with someone who dreams in the same direction.
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Until next time.
Endless Days of Summer
Sounds like you’ve uncovered some secret histories
Thanks for this fascinating story about a woman between times and cultures. That took a lot of guts in those days. The opening is a grabber. The story offers plenty to relate to for modern readers as the battle between safety and freedom goes on.
I used to edit an adventure travel magazine, and we did a cover story on Zanzibar. Zanzibar is definitely on my list, and your tips are very helpful.
I write about travel and exotic places too. You might be interested in a piece I did on solo vs. travel with others. https://samo25.substack.com/p/one-for-the-road