Sunday Links

The Citadel of Dinant, a clifftop fortress more than 500 years old, looms above colorful buildings lining the Meuse River. Nico Wüsten, 2019

Scenic Photographs of Belgium (image above)

'There are so many bones everywhere': It's just the black abyss below you. You feel like all these creatures are lying there [in the deep] looking up at you.

Dear Continental Airlines This hilarious letter of complaint from 2004 came up in my Facebook Memories this week. I’m sad to say nothing has changed.

Marge has a unique way to enjoy retirement

79 bizarre statues from around the world Via Miss Cellania. Some are grotesque, others are hilarious. Canada has (among others) a big potato that looks like Mr. Peanut.

Until today I thought that every city had laneways but have just discovered that these urban back alleys are chiefly found in Canada. As children in Montreal we ran wild through these lanes. There were no cars and we pretty well did as we pleased without much parental supervision. Thanks to Perfect for Roquefort Cheese for awakening this memory.

The four rules for a good walk

Sizing chaos: “Few life experiences feel as universal, across generations, as the pains and frustrations of trying to find clothes that fit.” I recently bought a sports bra in my usual size and couldn’t struggle my way into it. It would be a snug fit for a six year old. Via Neatorama

“This ain’t no goddam Tennessee Fried Chicken, no matter what some slick, silk-suited son-of-a-bitch says.” - The Colonel  Read more

The looming insurability catastrophe: Reinsurers (who insure insurers against catastrophe) are refusing to underwrite their clients and, with no reinsurance, there’s no insurance; and with no insurance, no mortgages; and with no mortgages, no property market. Read more: Aeon

Posthumous Marriage is still allowed in France.

 These Korean BB-Style meatballs were so easy and so good I had to share. I served mine with Momofuku noodles. NYT gift link

A striking oddity from Matthew Luckiesh’s Visual Illusions, 1922. Via Futility Closet 

Every time Peter Tork mouths someone else's lines After a brief dalliance with Davey, Peter became my favourite Monkee and imaginary boyfriend. 

Pew Research Center asked people in 25 countries to rate the morality and ethics of others in their country. I’m glad to see that almost all Canadians trust their fellow countrymen. Click on the link to see all results.

The simple layout of this house appeals to me. It might be hard to replicate that view though.

Tamizdat: In the 20th century millions of banned books were smuggled into Russia as part of an American venture, part literature, part propaganda and part spycraft, to destabilize the authoritarian Soviet regime from within. NYT gift link. Via PfRC