Where is Europe?

book background, Europe, history, Russia

Is this a silly question?  It certainly seems silly.  Of course, we all know where Europe is.  But do we really?To know where Europe is one has to know where its borders are.  And what are Europe’s borders?  Well, it’s all water, isn’t...

Etymology

book background, literature

There is something about etymology, the study of the history of words, which makes it difficult, once one has started to look up the origin of words, to stop. Perhaps it is because there is always another word that just begs to be looked up, and then another, and so...

Honey Spas?

Russia

Google “Honey Spas” and you will get a lot of suggestions for spas and hot tubs.  Google “Honey Spas Russia” and you will get something very different.In Russia, August 14 is celebrated as The Savior of the Honey Feast. The holiday is also referred to as Honey...

Wormwood and Honey In Ancient Rome

art, book background, philosophy

In Chapter XXXI of The Estate of Wormwood and Honey, Sergey recalls his mother using wormwood as a medicinal remedy.  To overcome the child’s resistance to drinking the very bitter medicine, his mother smears some honey around the rim of the cup.  This...

100 Best Novels (A View from the UK)

Anna Karenina, Dostoevsky, literature, Tolstoy

By chance, I recently came across a list of “100 Novels Everyone Should Read” compiled by the UK publication “The Telegraph.  Putting together such lists and then arguing about them is mostly harmless fun.Looking at the list, my first thought was “What have I...