ARTS, CULTURE AND OPINION

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A Civilised Start
Breakfast is never just breakfast. It is a performance of time, taste, and identity — a morning ritual in which we reveal more than we consume. Across Europe, breakfast has unfolded as a dialectic: thesis, the imperial abundance of the British table; antithesis, the continental disdain for morning excess.

Brutal Beauty
Concrete is the most misunderstood of materials. Once the bedrock of imperial ambition, it has been scorned, venerated, revived, and ultimately sidelined in the name of sustainability. Yet its architectural legacy is undeniable—a material that shaped both the grandeur of Rome and the stark idealism of Modernism.

Weimar Germany
The Weimar Republic, a fragile democracy that governed Germany from 1919 to 1933, occupies a paradoxical place in history. Few periods in modern history have so vividly reflected the heights of human creativity and the depths of human despair. A shattered beginning

Perfume Nationalism
Perfumes, much like literature, art, and gastronomy, encapsulate the essence of a nation. A mere whiff of a certain fragrance can transport you to a different country, evoking its landscapes, traditions, and cultural character.

Time for a Cocktail
For centuries, cocktails have been a key part of European social rituals. From the refreshing wake-up tang of a breakfast Buck’s Fizz, to the sophisticated sip of an evening martini, the right cocktail can set the mood for any time of the day.

Music for Robots
In the 1960s, the space age spurred technological advancements that reshaped pop music. Musicians, inspired by the space race and science fiction explored futuristic themes where man and machine converged.

Dinner with Jünger
Ernst Jünger was a prominent 20th-century German writer and philosopher celebrated for his contributions to literature and thought.

Fortified finesse
Much like the discerning palate that savours the intensity of an espresso over a pint of watery Americano coffee, appreciators of fortified wines understand the appeal of concentrated flavours.

The Perfect Hotel Guest
Picture the scene: the gleaming surface of the check-in counter, the muffled conversations of fellow guests, and the watchful eyes of the hotel staff anticipating the arrival of their patrons.