BB IS FOR GODDESS

Thankfully, Brigitte Bardot made long dark roots on dyed blonde hair fashionable! So now we look cool even when the day to dye the hair approaches. BB is a Goddess and the epitome of cool.

Here I am with a lovely new book, called Coffee Tea and Chocolate: Consuming the World! It is by Yao-Fen You and has just been published by Yale UP. In the middle photos you can see it with a cute tea mug I bought from the supermarket.

Obviously I have not read the book yet, but I read some pages. It is a cultural overview of coffee, tea and chocolate; the three beverages are studied in terms of consumption, attitudes, objects (coffee pots, tea sets &c) and articles in the periodical and popular press.

Personally there is nothing I don't love about coffee, tea and chocolate. Even the words make me feel good! Yum!

Have a good night, always with beauty and a book! 💖❤️️💝💋❤️😀💝💝
#books #coffee #tea #chocolate #TheLipstickPapers #beauty#BrigitteBardot #Goddess #blonde #hair #hairdye

THE JEWEL IN THE CROWN

Going back to the CVAR exhibition, I left the best for last! Here's the Ecaterina Cornaro (Αικατερίνη Κορνάρο) portrait by Tiziano!

Ecaterina Cornaro was the last Queen of Cyprus. She ruled Cyprus until 1489, whereupon she was deposed by the body of merchants who ruled Venice. Cyprus back then was a Venetian colony, and the Cyprus royal family had Venetian origins. Apparently Ecaterina was a popular ruler, and the people were not too happy she left. Recently, I read a book (you can see it in the photo) claiming that Venetian rule in Cyprus was less unfair and oppressive than usually assumed. I think the same is claimed for Crete, which, under the Venetians, experienced its own cultural Renaissance.

Tiziano or Titian is one of the best known Italian artists. I don't think he ever visited Cyprus, though they say Leonardo Da Vinci did.

Apart from a capable ruler, it seems that Ecaterina was beautiful too! I loved this painting, and I think it is the most amazing of all the exhibits at CVAR.

Have a great Saturday night, with beauty always with you! 💋😀💝💄❤️❤️️💖💝
#TheLipstickPapers #Renaissance #Venice #Cornaro #Cyprus #Titian#Tiziano #art #beauty #books #Italy #Italia

BENVENUTO INVERNO!

Lovely Christmas exhibition today at Bellissimo e Carissimo here in Larnaca! This exhibition opens three or four times a year, reaching its apogee in the Christmas or Winter holiday season. As Radio Italia said this noon, "benvenuto inverno", welcome winter!

Bellissimo e Carissimo is located at an amazing antique house near the Larnaca metropolis (meaning the city's church seat). The house itself is owned by the organizers and is absolutely beautiful with carved doorways, wall drawings, patterned tile floors, tapestry hangings and other unique and fairy tale stuff!

The exhibition products are handicrafts, artifacts and exclusive imports from Italy and the US.

There was also the unmissable buffet with free coffee, drinks and sweets! The Ancient Greek tradition of Xenia (philoxenia, φιλοξενία) care and respect of guests, is still basic in our culture 😀

It was really great to visit this event today. In the last picture you can see the two nice little things which I bought.

Have a good start to the week, with beauty always with you!!! 😀💖💋💄💝❤️️
#Christmas #winter #RadioItalia #artifacts #handmade #TheLipstickPapers

BEE HAPPY

Strabo, the Ancient Greek writer, praised Cyprus bread above all the breads in the world - especially bread from Paphos! It's true that Paphos bread is superior. My aunts' home made loaves are indeed the best I have ever tasted and I totally agree with Strabo. The bread pictured here is from Larnaca, however. I saw it today at market and it looked so good I just bought it, though I normally eat sliced bread. You can also see what for me is the best honey, my Bee Happy mug and my plastic tea spoons which I love. The cream one from Starbucks, the hot pink from a Marks and Spencer pic nic set.

The honey is from a guy called Christos Michael. I think he is from Larnaca county; you find these honey products in few shops. If you ever visit Cyprus this is the honey to go for, or maybe Stavrovouni honey, made by the monastery with the same name. Honey was as sacred to the Greeks as it was to the Egyptians, and associated in the Olympic religion with Zeus father of the gods. Bees, or a priestess named Melissa (Μέλισσα, bee) nurtured Zeus when he was a baby.

Strabo is the father of geography; in a series of books, he established geography as a science and described The then known world going as far as Britain and Greenland.

Of course I couldn't resist to eat some of the bread after I photographed it. It tastes magnificent, even better than it smells. Yum! Strabo would have been delighted!

Have a good evening with beauty always with you! 😀💋💝💖💄
#traditionalbread #artisan #honey #bees #Strabo #geography #food #Cyprus#Larnaca #Paphos #Greece #TheLipstickPapers #cuisine#MarksandSpencers #Starbucks