Best Europe guides

My chief go-to guide for Europe is Rick Steves, who has made yearly trips to Europe over 40 years, and personally updates his guides. I trust his advice for anywhere in Europe and found him incredibly reliable in his details. He’ll not only tell you where to go, but also what window to get the ticket the fastest, and when is the best time of day to visit, etc. Most important, he will guide you to the best experiences – the evensong choir at the church, the cheesemaking place with samples, the back entrance to the museum, etc. Standard guides like Lonely Planet or Fodors are obliged to cover the whole country, while Steves smartly just directs you to the selected best. I have all the Rick Steves’ guides, and keep them updated. I find it very worthwhile to optimize my travel by buying the latest edition for a relatively small price compared to the cost of the trip. For a good example try Rick Steves’ Best of Europe (2024). — KK

A guide to writing well

William Zinsser's book On Writing Well emphasizes clarity and brevity. He urges writers to cut excess, avoid jargon, and express ideas simply. Don't fret about style. Strip your sentences, and your voice will emerge. I’ve read it three times and it always pays off.  — MF

Find the most beautiful word

Cellar Door is on a mission to find the most beautiful word in the English language based on public voting. To participate, all you need to do is pick between two word choices until you get tired of doing so. It's fun to reflect on your personal picks and notice how some words seem to hold more charm than others. This process allows you to appreciate the aesthetic qualities of words, such as their sound and rhythm, regardless of their meaning. As of today, the current word on the leaderboard is: diagnostics. — CD 

Long technical interviews

I am enjoying another new podcast doing very long interviews on fairly technical topics. Dwarkesh Patel’s superpower is asking unusual questions that no one has asked the guest before. His Dwarkesh Podcast (also on YouTube) goes deep – and long – on AI, history, and frontier sciences. It’s the ultimate nerd enjoyment. — KK

The Art of Saying No

Found on Reddit, here is a cute illustration of very polite and empathetic ways to decline social invitations. I typically respond with a combination of "thank you for thinking of me" and "I'm sorry I can't make it." If it's someone I definitely want to spend time with, I follow up with an invitation to meet up in the near future. — CD

Free calligraphy classes from Montblanc

My dad gave my daughter his Montblanc fountain pen that’s 50 years old. She went to a Montblanc store nearby, and they cleaned out the dried ink for free. They also mentioned the free online calligraphy classes Montblanc offers. Anyone can join, even if you only have a Bic pen. We took the one-hour French Cursive class together and loved it. You can also watch past sessions. Be sure to download and print the exercise sheets for the classes. — MF

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