Author: Alex Lawrence

In Praise Of Swimming (Pools)

Hotel Brescia, Darfo Boario Terme, Italy

I have always been a fan of swimming pools since I was very little; I was four years old when my parents used to take me to the local waterpark while vacationing in the Italian region of Calabria, where most of my family comes from. I learned to swim without armbands around that time; my parents struggled to get me out of the water because I wanted to spend as much time as possible in the pool.

Aside from tennis (I enjoy ice-skating and soccer, but mostly as a spectator), swimming is the only sport I have ever been interested in; the feeling of lightness, staying immersed in the water… it’s something that beats out everything else. In addition to that, the color blue calls to mind feelings of serenity and calmness and it conveys an impression of reliability.

As well as being fun, it is a great way to keep ourselves fit, happy and healthy. It can provide us with a low-impact workout and its mental benefits help us relax and feel good about ourselves. We live in stressful times and the current global situation may impact our well-being, but if we manage to find space for something we love, this will contribute to improve our lives and help us make better decisions. For me, a swimming pool is the ideal place to reconnect, breathe out the worries of everyday life and work out a bit. I also have low blood pressure so the summer heat usually makes me feel exhausted and with no energy left; swimming makes me feel at peace with myself and takes away the feeling of tiredness caused by the high temperatures.

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Five Objects Of Fashion Inspired By France

For this “Five” edition, let’s take a look at five fashion objects I own that are evocative of France and its timeless glamour:

1) Karl Lagerfeld Signature Crossbody Bag: I fell in love with this bag in the spring of 2019 and it was gifted to me by my father on the occasion of my birthday.

I was a bit indecisive about which color to get (light pink or beige were my main options) but then I came across the black version and it really caught my eye. Besides the fact that black goes with everything, I felt it was the most practical shade for a daily use (it’s the ideal bag for me when running errands on foot, but also for a chic apéritif in the city; I would pair it with an all-black outfit, probably black jeans or faux-fur pants and a black biker jacket).

Three years later, it shows no particular signs of wear (apart from a little scratch on the golden Karl signature) and I still use it often, mostly in the wintertime.

I love the fact that it combines classic and contemporary elements, being a centerpiece for different styles; it also provides adequate storage in my opinion.

2) Chanel Paris – Riviera Eau de Toilette: this is part of the “Les Eaux de Chanel” collection, which was inspired by Gabrielle Chanel’s travel destinations.

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Campaign Against Animal Abandonment

My father and his partner’s nine dogs

I adhere to the various anti-abandonment campaigns of animals in the summertime promoted by animal welfare associations and organizations.

All these campaigns stem from the desire to discourage pet owners from abandoning them before they set off for the summer holidays, when this occurrence reaches its peak. In Italy, where I live, the abandonment of an animal in the street is a criminal offense and the situation of stray animals, particularly in Southern Italy (where most of the animals we’ve adopted come from), has reached dramatic levels.

People need to stop treating dogs, cats and other pets as objects to be used only as a pastime to get rid of when they get tired of them. Taking responsibility is the first step towards stopping abandonment; I am proud to say that over the years part of my family has rescued numerous dogs who have been mistreated, abandoned and even brutally abused. Now these dogs have a loving home and they’ve been given the chance to live a happy, dignified life. I often spend time with them and they’ve helped me cope with my emotions during a particularly tough time. They love us unconditionally and are very protective towards the family. I am grateful to have them in my life and I will surely talk about each one of them individually on this blog. I also created a dog retrospective that can be found on my Flickr profile , where I show their funniest and most authentic moments.

Death On The Nile – Agatha Christie

death-on-the-nile
Image Credits: HarperCollins

“How true is the saying that man was forced to invent work in order to escape the strain of having to think.”

This was my first book by Agatha Christie (I had heard about her mystery novels over the years thanks to the Murder on the Orient Express 1974 film adaptation by Sidney Lumet), so I was a bit nervous when I began reading it because I didn’t know her writing style, therefore I didn’t know what to expect.

Death on the Nile takes place in 1937 on a cruise ship along the Nile; the rich and famous used to flock there at the time to see Cairo (which was considered very glamourous in the 1930s) and the Egyptian pyramids.

Linnet Ridgeway, a rich and famous heiress, is traveling to Cairo with new husband Simon Doyle for their honeymoon; Simon used to be her best friend Jacqueline de Bellefort’s fiancé and the two of them had previously asked Linnet for help in finding work (they were having a hard time because of the Depression). Linnet has basically stolen Simon away from Jacqueline so the latter won’t go down without a fight and is stalking them on their Egyptian honeymoon.

Aboard the same Nile cruise there happens to be Hercule Poirot, a famous Belgian detective who is the main character in a series of Agatha Christie mysteries.

The other passengers include a large cast of characters and they all have an intriguing past; Linnet’s trustee Andrew Pennington, her maid Louise Bourget, American socialite Marie Van Schuyler, her cousin Cornelia Robson and her nurse Miss Bowers, Tim Allerton and his mother Mrs. Allerton, communist Mr. Ferguson, romance novelist Mrs. Otterbourne and her daughter Rosalie, solicitor Jim Fanthorp, an Italian archaeologist named Guido Richetti and well-known physician Dr. Bessner.

It all seems to go rather smoothly until one night Linnet Doyle (née Ridgeway) is found murdered in her cruise cabin.

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