Sunday Smörgåsbord #063
A December sea dip, salty saunas, and a plethora of Christmas dinners. Plus, another year of crying over Strictly.
NB: [PW] signifies a paywall, though some providers allow you to read a set number of articles for free.
Hi friends,
Back in January I chose Vitality as my word of the year.
I wanted my year to feel energetic, inspiring, alert, so I decided to find activities which activated these emotions in me. One came straight to mind.
As a result, every month in 2024 I’ve been flinging myself into the water. Now, this is maybe not as bad as it seems when you are lucky enough to live in Valencia, but I hope similar dips in Helsinki and Finnish Lapland are testament enough to my commitment. And this weekend, I finally braved my own British waters (see below for more details).
Yes, it’s been hard - and cold - at times. Yes, I’ve had to drag myself out of bed at times to get myself to the beach for 9am. But just like writing one of these posts, or a particularly hard gym session, I never ever regret it.
So tomorrow I’m going to get up and do it all over again!
Have a great week,
Emma x
PS - A special shout out to my friend Sarah who has nurtured this special ritual with me. Without you I am not sure if every monthly dip would have happened <3
PPS - Certain medical issues can make saunas and cold plunges more dangerous for some people than others. If you’re thinking of doing them, it’s worth checking with a trusted Doctor first.
🍳 Recent servings, in case you missed them…
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📰 Features & Podcasts
‘The Germans flocking to Paraguay to escape immigrants at home’, The Times [PW]. It’s stories like this (and the obits, see below) which are why I still bother with a Times subscription. I would probably never have come across the sudden surge in Paraguay residency applications from Germans otherwise. Reasons from new residents include, but are not limited to: cheap land, low taxes and— yes, the irony is in fact lost on them— Germany’s immigration levels. Already there are some signs that the new residents are dishing out what they’ve been complaining about back home, and the popularity of Hohenau, a colonial town once also home to Nazi doctor Josef Mengele, does not reassure. Like with many Brexit turkeys voting for Christmas, I wonder how directly their back home voting patterns correlate with their hypocrisy levels.
‘Shalom Nagar obituary: Executioner of the Nazi Adolf Eichmann’, The Times [PW]. Just a fascinating story of a relatively ‘regular’ man who was tasked with an objectively horrifying task: to execute Adolf Eichmann, the architect of the Holocaust. If you wonder what that does to a man, I can spare you a full read by confirming: deep-seated trauma, but nonetheless I found this an incredible testimony of a key witness to our shared history. It’s a difficult and visceral read in places, so proceed with caution.
‘The architectural mastermind behind modern Singapore’, Ted Talks Daily [podcast]. I went for a Sunday afternoon stroll and navigated onto this Ted Talks presentation from Liu Thai Ker to accompany me. The son of an artist, Liu was appointed head of design at the Housing Development Board in Singapore in 1969, only four years after Singapore became independent. When the British left Singapore, four out of five residents lived in squatters, wooden houses. Within thirty years, Singapore was unrecognisable, and Liu was a huge part of that change. Still a practising architect in his late eighties, I was struck by his thoughts on short-term versus long-term planning, and why he favours the latter. It’s probably no surprise then, that he now also advises China on urban planning.
🎨 Arts, Culture & Entertainment
Strictly Come Dancing: The Final, BBC1. I may or may not still be crying. One of the best finals ever, the most diverse, the most talented group of celebs, and, perhaps the most tear-jerking. I don’t watch every episode of every series but whenever I do I am always reminded how dance is such a fantastic community, and of the sheer joy that dancing brings, whatever your ability. But wow, it also made me miss my Nanna. She would have loved this final. And if you’ve not seen it before, watch this and tell me who is the pro!
Our Little Secret, Netflix. It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, and as a result Netflix is beginning to look a lot like the Hallmark channel (side note: is this the way Netflix is purposefully heading?) Flicking through the options, I found myself wondering whether or not it’s single-handedly reviving Lindsey Lohan’s career, thanks to multiple festive outings featuring her over the last few years. This Christmas she’s popping up in this festive family farce about exes who must spend Christmas together after discovering they're dating siblings from the same family. The biggest question is why they didn’t just immediately admit they know one another, but at least it gave ample opportunity for Lohan to show off her comedy muscles (and the incredible work she’s had done on her face). Yes, it’s ridiculous, but nevertheless a light and enjoyable way to spend an evening gorging ourselves on cheese and wine.
Queer Eye, Series 9, Netflix. The starter to our Lindsey Lohan main, we wolfed down several episodes of the new series of QE, this time set against the camp and kitsch backdrop of Vegas. I’m always intrigued as to what draws people into living in Sin City (aside from, you know, all the sin), and as usual the fab five have found an unusual bunch to perform their miracles on. The big question for this series was whether or not the shock exit of Bobby Berk (probably my fave) could be papered over with the arrival of new interior designer, Jeremiah Brent. I’m sorry to be so shallow but… Bobby who? Jeremiah listened, he cried, and he served excellent interior looks, transforming entire apartments in days. Antoni “have you heard of mezze?” Porowski… you should take notes.
📺 What have you seen lately that’s worth a read, watch or listen? Let me know in the comments.
🍹 Lifestyle
It was the week before (the week before) Christmas, and rather than being quiet as a mouse in the house, I was out and about stuffing my face all over London. On Tuesday I met a friend for lunch at Blacklock Covent Garden, (16a Bedford St, London WC2E 9HE) where we made the waiter’s life hard by talking rather than looking at our menus, then easy by ordering exactly the same thing. A crayfish cocktail to start followed by a deliciously tender steak sandwich, washed down with a glass of fizz: were we in the West End or a Jilly Cooper novel? If this is a working lunch then get me back to the office, pronto.
Next up was dinner with the girls at ‘O Ver St James (1 Norris St, London SW1Y 4RJ). We went in expecting casual pizzeria, and got upmarket-feeling Italian - I guess that’s dining in St James for you. The food was great, with a huge selection of fancy pizzas and a dark cherry and hazelnut dessert that is reason enough to return.
And the gaudy icing on the eating out cake was Ave Mario (15 Henrietta St, London WC2E 8QG), part of the same group as the fantastically popular Gloria Trattoria. The decor is fun; think neon, velvet banquettes, a sixties mirrored dining room downstairs and vibrant colours. What was not so fun was the 30 minute wait for a pre-booked table. And I’ve got to say, compared to Gloria this felt too much style over substance unfortunately. In fact, last edition’s pasta at Mamma Pazzo blew this spot right out of the water.
The Saltwater Sauna, Avon Beach, Christchurch. Where best to spend the weekend after a week of pre-Christmas excess than the seaside? And, to be more specific, at this new sauna-and-wild-swimming spot at Avon Beach, Christchurch. Another business idea of mine snapped up but when it’s done this well, all I can say is, thank God - I don’t think I would have ever done it this well. Not least because the Saltwater sauna is run by an expert in the business: a Finn, Arlene Lukkarinen, and her husband, Sam Glyn-Jones. The two newly-opened saunas are right on the seafront, with huge windows that give stunning picture-frame views of the sea. We were lucky to be there on a beautiful sunny day, though the water was still freezing. What a way to start the weekend.
That’s it for this week. I hope you find something in this list that sparks joy or curiosity.
If you’ve got any recommendations on articles, podcasts, Substacks or shows for me to dive into, please drop them in the comments. Until next time!
❤️ Thank you for reading. If you liked this post don’t forget to hit the heart to let me know and help others find my writing.
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Just catching up on my Scrambled Eggs so this comment is late, but love the sea dip ritual! You are hardcore, but maybe we can do a REAL collllld cold water swim somewhere together sometime. Saltwater Sauna looks absolutely lush xx
That dance 🪩 Nanna would have loved it xxx