41. Hermitage Sweet Hermitage

A fascination with medieval history that I thought I'd left behind in my childhood has been the filter through which I've viewed this week. While the world escapes in their own ways, I've dug deep into stories filled with knights and monks and detailed architectural musings on 12th Century cathedrals. Instead of dealing with... *gestures vaguely* this, I'm dreaming of ancient oak forests and ten-day travels on horseback to the nearest city; of tournaments, of banners streaming in the strong wind of a late-spring day, and of plate armour shining in the sun. I'm glad of my daily bread and beer, for it is more than I should expect as a common serf in the outer-suburbs of the lands of De Lacy.

What is it about wattle and daub, pottage and monastery politics that I'm loving so much? Because that's all I'm interested in currently, not even the fun stuff -- I want the dark ages, but no magic or dragons, thanks. Is it comforting to think about life continuing through harsh, unyielding circumstances? Do I like learning about sophisticated people from a time I can barely comprehend not only surviving brutality but thriving and shagging and learning Norman French, Latin and sparring techniques to boot? Am I finding solace in the idea that time has slogged on so far from these times and even the worst plagues, battles, fires and slaughters didn't wipe us out altogether? Or am I envious of a time when people neither understood the importance of washing their hands nor talked about it every second of the day?I don't normally theme these newsletters, but since my week has relied very heavily on escapism, that's exactly what I'm going to focus on. I tried to get a handle on the situation last weekend and all it did was make me go temporarily but extremely mad, so instead I'm in my solar, reading endless rip-roaring post-Arthurian political dramas, drinking beers with friends via video chat and forgetting to write in my journal. And occasionally doing some work until I forget how to spell. (I spelled "bulb" with an "o" yesterday. Still laughing about it. Things are not so well.)Other Stuff

• Follow Felix Quintana as he tours us through his hometown of LA via his gorgeous "blueprint" cyanotypes taken using Google Earth and scratched with his own symbols of the city.

• David Hockney has been creating and sharing new artworks that in his words depict the renewal and love of the new season. The lead piece is titled: "Do Remember They Can't Cancel The Spring."

• Find out about the families who live on the Faroe Islands via this amazingly detailed and interactive longread. I didn't know that some of the islands were connected by tunnels! And that some were only accessible by helicopter! Be warned, there are maps here, and where there are maps there are hundreds of wasted hours of zooming in and out and snooping around, in my experience.

• Author Reif Larsen did my dream job this week -- he wrote a piece on how great travelling via Google Street View is for The New York Times. Nevermind, it's totally captivating. I'll allow it.

• Related to my current Medieval obsession, this essay from The Met on the art of the book in the Middle Ages is fascinating. Additional fun: every picture at the top is clickable to find out more about the contents, and see even more of their pages filled with beautiful illuminations and calligraphy.

• An excellent collection of bikepacking videos found by Tom on Bikepacking.com. Go to Mongolia. Go to The Cairngorms. Go to Canada, go to Colorado, go to Alaska and feel lucky that you don't have to get as cold, muddy, exhausted and filthy as the people in the films. (But maybe note down some of the places for future dream trips.)

• Valerie Kathawala's beautiful story on the wine culture of Vienna is so breezy and enchanting and full of interesting facts-- and I loved learning that in Austria, vineyards are there to be enjoyed by EVERYONE.

• Claire Bullen's tour of the beer cellars of the Czech Republic is as emotive and lavishly descriptive as you'd hope. It made me thirsty. And hungry. And jealous.

My Stuff

• This week Original Gravity reached out to me to ask if I wouldn't mind them re-publishing my piece on holiday lagers. Of course not! I love this piece, and I'm so proud that it was one of my first ever pieces published outside of my blog. I hope you enjoy it.

• I was chuffed to be able to write a big old longread on Wide Street Brewery for Ferment Magazine. Meeting Sean and Carla was a highlight of Carnivale Brettanomyces last year and while I wish I could have been there in person to interview them, I'm glad to be sharing their unique, community-supported, communithy-supporting brewery with you.

David Hockney -- Do Remember They Can't Cancel The Spring