A French song, a crazy sport and a visionary from the eighth century
Some of my favourite things from this week
Hello dear Reader,
I’m here to disrupt your Wednesday morning with three things you thought you never needed.
A sensual French song
This rendition of La Javanaise by Madeleine Peyroux. Can someone sound like chocolate and coffee? Madeleine Peyroux can.
A snippet from the translated lyrics:
“Whether you admit it or not
As we danced the Javanaise,
We loved each other
For the time of one song.”
(Source: https://lyricstranslate.com/en/la-javanaise.html)
Sport climbing in Tokyo 2020
If you thought skateboarding in the Olympics was bizzare, I present to you:
A 17-year-old finished in the Top 10 by climbing a 50m high wall in 6.23 seconds.
Just for the record: I do not think skateboarding in the Olympics is bizzare.
A secret woman writer in the eigth century
“And yet I especially, corruptible through the womanly frail foolishness of my sex, not supported by any prerogative of wisdom …” wrote Hugeburc at least 1,200 years ago. What a visionary.
This is from the brillant substack newsletter https://florencehrs.substack.com/. The author writes about the oft-neglected lives of medieval English women.
That’s it for the first week of August 2021. Let me know if you happen to love or hate any of my suggestions.