The Sunday Escape
Summer, is the best time of the year.
Yet sometimes the days hum with a restless energy, and the summer heat lingers—a slow, golden haze that makes the world feel both heavy and full of possibility. Maybe you find yourself stuck indoors, longing for a place just beyond reach. Or perhaps you’re surrounded by beauty, yet your thoughts drift to far-off lands.
Wherever you are, here’s a small invitation: a gentle escape.
A moment of light curiosity. A chance to roam through stories, cultures, and hidden corners of the world—all from where you sit.
This week, a Postcard from Somewhere Else, also A Painting and a Poem, and a short Sunday Escape Quiz, all designed to spark your imagination and carry you beyond the everyday.
So take a breath, relax, and let your mind wander. Because sometimes, the smallest journeys bring the richest discoveries.
Answers and a little classification await below :)
POSTCARDS FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE
In a quiet corner of Venice, where the canals seem to sigh against the stone, there’s a bookshop that treats water not as an enemy, but as a guest. Libreria Acqua Alta—the “Bookstore of High Water”—is a labyrinth of words stored in the most Venetian of ways: stacked in bathtubs, cradled in gondolas, balanced in barrels. When the tide swells and the city floods, the books simply rise with it, bobbing like patient little boats waiting for the water to pass.
Inside, the air smells of paper and brine. Sunlight filters through the doorway and glints off the ripples just outside, while cats wander lazily between the shelves, curling up on atlases and travelogues as if to keep the world’s stories safe. There’s a staircase made entirely of old books in the courtyard; climb it, and you can see the rooftops and hear the slow breath of the canal.
It’s not just a shop—it’s a reminder that Venice itself is a living library, each alley and bridge another page in an endless story. Here, among gondolas filled with poetry and paperbacks, time feels as fluid as the water outside, and you can’t help but think: perhaps this is what it means for a city to dream.
A PAINTING AND A POEM
She Walks in Beauty - by Lord Byron
She walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that’s best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes;
Thus mellowed to that tender light
Which heaven to gaudy day denies.
…
One shade the more, one ray the less,
Had half impaired the nameless grace
Which waves in every raven tress,
Or softly lightens o’er her face;
Where thoughts serenely sweet express,
How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.
…
And on that cheek, and o’er that brow,
So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,
The smiles that win, the tints that glow,
But tell of days in goodness spent,
A mind at peace with all below,
A heart whose love is innocent!
SUNDAY ESCAPE QUIZ
Ten Curious Questions to Take You Somewhere Else
1. In West African culture, what does the vibrant kente cloth symbolize when worn during important ceremonies?
A) Royalty and wealth
B) Mourning and loss
C) Fertility and growth
D) Peace and harmony
2. Which ancient Greek festival celebrated the arts with theatrical performances, competitions, and grand processions?
A) Dionysia
B) Panathenaea
C) Olympic Games
D) Eleusinian Mysteries
3. Which coastal city in Portugal is known for its azulejo-covered buildings and soulful Fado music echoing through narrow streets?
A) Lisbon
B) Porto
C) Faro
D) Coimbra
4. The intricate art of henna body painting, often seen during celebrations, originates mainly from which region?
A) Middle East and North Africa
B) South America
C) Southeast Asia
D) Eastern Europe
5. Which Japanese tea ceremony ritual emphasizes harmony, respect, purity, and tranquility?
A) Chanoyu
B) Ikebana
C) Sado
D) Kado
6. In which city would you find the famous Mezquita, a stunning mosque-cathedral blending Islamic and Christian architecture?
A) Seville
B) Cordoba
C) Granada
D) Toledo
7. The Day of the Dead, a colorful festival honoring ancestors, is primarily celebrated in which country?
A) Spain
B) Mexico
C) Peru
D) Colombia
8. Which island nation is known for the ancient Easter Island statues called moai?
A) Fiji
B) Tahiti
C) Easter Island (Rapa Nui)
D) Galápagos Islands
9. The traditional Indonesian dance called the Barong represents a battle between which two forces?
A) Light and darkness
B) Fire and water
C) Good and evil
D) Earth and sky
10. In India, the festival of Holi is celebrated by throwing vibrant colors to mark the arrival of which season?
A) Winter
B) Spring
C) Summer
D) Monsoon
🌿 𝑬𝒏𝒅𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝑫𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝑺𝒖𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒓
Endless Days of Summer is a newsletter that takes you to another time and place—where myths breathe, and memory lingers like incense in the air.
In this week’ s edition, we cross the desert to the beautiful oasis of Siwa and discover the journey of Alexander the Great to become divine.
Come with us. Let the days stretch longer.
Read it here 👇🏻
Sunday Escape - All the correct answers.
1. In West African culture, what does the vibrant kente cloth symbolize when worn during important ceremonies?
Correct answer: A) Royalty and wealth
Kente cloth, originating from Ghana, is a symbol of prestige, history, and royalty—its bright patterns telling stories of cultural pride and status.
2. Which ancient Greek festival celebrated the arts with theatrical performances, competitions, and grand processions?
Correct answer: A) Dionysia
The Dionysia honored Dionysus, god of wine and theater, where dramatic plays first flourished, shaping Western drama’s roots.
3. Which coastal city in Portugal is known for its azulejo-covered buildings and soulful Fado music echoing through narrow streets?
Correct answer: A) Lisbon
Lisbon’s walls are adorned with traditional azulejo tiles, and its Fado music carries the city’s melancholic soul through winding alleys.
4. The intricate art of henna body painting, often seen during celebrations, originates mainly from which region?
Correct answer: A) Middle East and North Africa
Henna’s deep cultural roots trace to these regions, where it marks joyous rites of passage with delicate, temporary designs.
5. Which Japanese tea ceremony ritual emphasizes harmony, respect, purity, and tranquility?
Correct answer: A) Chanoyu
Chanoyu is the refined tea ceremony focused on mindfulness, aesthetics, and deep respect in every gesture.
6. In which city would you find the famous Mezquita, a stunning mosque-cathedral blending Islamic and Christian architecture?
Correct answer: B) Cordoba
The Mezquita of Cordoba stands as a breathtaking symbol of religious coexistence and architectural grandeur.
7. The Day of the Dead, a colorful festival honoring ancestors, is primarily celebrated in which country?
Correct answer: B) Mexico
Mexico’s Día de los Muertos is a vibrant celebration where families honor their ancestors with altars, marigolds, and offerings.
8. Which island nation is known for the ancient Easter Island statues called moai?
Correct answer: C) Easter Island (Rapa Nui)
Rapa Nui’s moai statues remain mysterious guardians of the island’s rich Polynesian heritage.
9. The traditional Indonesian dance called the Barong represents a battle between which two forces?
Correct answer: C) Good and evil
Barong dance dramatizes the eternal struggle between good spirits and dark forces in Balinese mythology.
10. In India, the festival of Holi is celebrated by throwing vibrant colors to mark the arrival of which season?
Correct answer: B) Spring
Holi, the festival of colors, welcomes spring with joy, renewal, and exuberant celebration across India.
🌿 Your Result: What Kind of Traveler Are You?
0–2 correct: The Dreamer
You may not have the answers, but you’ve got the wonder. You travel with your imagination—and that’s where every real journey begins.
3–5 correct: The Wanderer
You’ve seen a few paths and caught a few scents on the wind. You don’t need a map—you follow what feels curious.
6–8 correct: The Collector
You notice details others miss. You gather places like stories, and stories like treasures.
9–10 correct: The Native of Nowhere
You belong everywhere and nowhere. A citizen of lost cities and hidden islands. You don’t travel to escape—you travel to remember.
Until Next Time
I hope this little escape brought a bit of beauty to your day—something to stir your imagination, even if just for a moment.
If you enjoyed this “escape”, please like, share, subscribe and pledge your support, so we can bring more moments like this. I’d love to hear from you.
Thank you for wandering with me.
Endless Days of Summer 🌸