Music
Love Is Strange – Mickey Baker
A classic 1950s R&B song that was featured in the Dirty Dancing movie as well as been sampled by Pitbull for the 2012 hit ”Back in Time”.
Devil In Disguise – Nancy Sinatra
A rock ballad by the talented Nancy Sinatra that I discovered while out with a friend for a cocktail at a pub.
Magic is the Moonlight – Dean Martin
Inspired by moonlight nights, this sweet song is sung by Dean Martin and summarizes the ideals of romance in an Old Hollywood cinematic way.
She – Charles Aznavour
Charles Aznavour’s cover of ”She” is filled with more sorrow than the one sung by Elvis Costello yet at the same time it delivers a much needed uplifting finale.
Blazing – Alex Sid
A beautiful yet haunting opening theme to the Greek TV series ”Η Παραλία” (The Beach) set in the 1960s Matala, Crete, an important place in the hippy community.
Lose Control – Teddy Swims
Losing yourself in a romantic relationship to the point of obsession is a familiar situation and Teddy Swims’s timbre in all its soul glory lifts the song to perfection…
Tis Autumn – Nat King Cole
A 1940s jazz standard praising the beauty of autumn accompanied by the velvety voice of Nat King Cole.
Make You Feel My Love – Adele
A piano cover ballad of the 1997 song of the same name that is truly emotional and memorable…
Books
The Wish Collector by Mia Sheridan
New Orleans, a city of mystery and magic, of secrets and dreams, and a history drenched in both love and the deepest of heartache.
When ballet dancer Clara Campbell arrives in New Orleans, lonely and homesick, she is immediately captivated by the story of Windisle Plantation and the tragic tale that is said to have transpired beyond its gate. Legend has it that it is abandoned by all living souls, but to Clara’s great surprise, it is not a ghost she hears through the stone wall surrounding the property, but a flesh and blood man. A scarred stranger with a pain deeper and darker than the churning waters of the Mississippi river that flows beside his self-imposed prison.
The ruined man behind the wall hides himself from the world. The last thing he expects is to find a friend in the selfless girl who speaks to him through the cracks in the rock. The girl who keeps returning week after week. The girl who makes him wish for things he has long since given up on. The girl who strikes both fear and hope within his wounded heart. But there can be no future for them, no life beyond Windisle, for no one knows better than him that monsters only live in the dark.
The Duke and I by Julia Quinn
In the ballrooms and drawing rooms of Regency London, rules abound. From their earliest days, children of aristocrats learn how to address an earl and curtsey before a prince—while other dictates of the ton are unspoken yet universally understood. A proper duke should be imperious and aloof. A young, marriageable lady should be amiable… but not too amiable.
Daphne Bridgerton has always failed at the latter. The fourth of eight siblings in her close-knit family, she has formed friendships with the most eligible young men in London. Everyone likes Daphne for her kindness and wit. But no one truly desires her. She is simply too deuced honest for that, too unwilling to play the romantic games that captivate gentlemen.
Amiability is not a characteristic shared by Simon Basset, Duke of Hastings. Recently returned to England from abroad, he intends to shun both marriage and society—just as his callous father shunned Simon throughout his painful childhood. Yet an encounter with his best friend’s sister offers another option. If Daphne agrees to a fake courtship, Simon can deter the mamas who parade their daughters before him. Daphne, meanwhile, will see her prospects and her reputation soar.
The plan works like a charm—at first. But amid the glittering, gossipy, cut-throat world of London’s elite, there is only one certainty: love ignores every rule…
An Offer From a Gentleman by Julia Quinn
Sophie Beckett never dreamed she’d be able to sneak into Lady Bridgerton’s famed masquerade ball—or that “Prince Charming” would be waiting there for her! Though the daughter of an earl, Sophie has been relegated to the role of servant by her disdainful stepmother. But now, spinning in the strong arms of the debonair and devastatingly handsome Benedict Bridgerton, she feels like royalty. Alas, she knows all enchantments must end when the clock strikes midnight.
Who was that extraordinary woman? Ever since that magical night, a radiant vision in silver has blinded Benedict to the attractions of any other—except, perhaps this alluring and oddly familiar beauty dressed in housemaid’s garb whom he feels compelled to rescue from a most disagreeable situation. He has sworn to find and wed his mystery miss, but this breathtaking maid makes him weak with wanting her. Yet, if he offers his heart, will Benedict sacrifice his only chance for a fairy tale love?
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Mary Lennox, a spoiled, ill-tempered, and unhealthy child, comes to live with her reclusive uncle in Misselthwaite Manor on England’s Yorkshire moors after the death of her parents. There she meets a hearty housekeeper and her spirited brother, a dour gardener, a cheerful robin, and her wilful, hysterical, and sickly cousin, Master Colin, whose wails she hears echoing through the house at night.
With the help of the robin, Mary finds the door to a secret garden, neglected and hidden for years. When she decides to restore the garden in secret, the story becomes a charming journey into the places of the heart, where faith restores health, flowers refresh the spirit, and the magic of the garden, coming to life anew, brings health to Colin and happiness to Mary.
The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare
Since his return from war, the Duke of Ashbury’s to-do list has been short and anything but sweet: brooding, glowering, menacing London ne’er-do-wells by night. Now there’s a new item on the list. He needs an heir—which means he needs a wife. When Emma Gladstone, a vicar’s daughter turned seamstress, appears in his library wearing a wedding gown, he decides on the spot that she’ll do.
His terms are simple:
– They will be husband and wife by night only.
– No lights, no kissing.
– No questions about his battle scars.
– Last, and most importantly… Once she’s pregnant with his heir, they need never share a bed again.
But Emma is no pushover. She has a few rules of her own:
– They will have dinner together every evening.
– With conversation.
– And unlimited teasing.
– Last, and most importantly… Once she’s seen the man beneath the scars, he can’t stop her from falling in love…
Quidditch Through The Ages by J.K. Rowling
If you have ever asked yourself where the Golden Snitch came from, how the Bludgers came into existence, or why the Wigtown Wanderers have pictures of meat cleavers on their robes, you need Quidditch Through the Ages. This limited edition is a copy of the volume in Hogwarts School Library, where it is consulted by young Quidditch fans on an almost daily basis. Proceeds from the sale of this book will go to improving and saving the lives of children around the world – work that is even more important and astonishing than the three-and-a-half-second capture of the Golden Snitch by Roderick Plumpton in 1921.
– Albus Dumbledore
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by J.K. Rowling
A copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them resides on almost every wizarding household in the country. Now, for a limited period only, Muggles too have the chance to discover where the Quintaped lives, what the Puffskein eats, and why it is best not to leave milk out for a Knarl.
Proceeds from the sale of this book will go to improving and saving the lives of children around the world, which means that the dollars and Galleons you exchange for it will do magic beyond the powers of any wizard. If you feel that this is insufficient reason to part with your money, I can only hope most sincerel that passing wizards feel more charitable if they ever see you being attacked by a Manticore.
-Albus Dumbledore
To Sir Phillip, With Love by Julia Quinn
Sir Phillip knew that Eloise Bridgerton was a spinster, and so he’d proposed, figuring that she’d be homely and unassuming, and more than a little desperate for an offer of marriage. Except she wasn’t. The beautiful woman on his doorstep was anything but quiet, and when she stopped talking long enough to close her mouth, all he wanted to do was kiss her and more. Did he think she was mad? Eloise Bridgerton couldn’t marry a man she had never met! But then she started thinking and wondering and before she knew it, she was in a hired carriage in the middle of the night, on her way to meet the man she hoped might be her perfect match. Except he wasn’t. Her perfect husband wouldn’t be so moody and ill-mannered, and while Phillip was certainly handsome, he was a large brute of a man, rough and rugged, and totally unlike the London gentlemen vying for her hand. But when he smiledand when he kissed herthe rest of the world simply fell away, and she couldn’t help but wonder could this imperfect man be perfect for her?
Movies
Water for Elephants (2011)
Jacob takes a job as an animal caretaker in a traveling circus. There he meets Marlena, a beautiful circus performer. Their shared compassion for a special elephant Rosie leads to love, but Marlena’s cruel husband stands in their way.
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (2018)
In the aftermath of World War II, a writer forms an unexpected bond with the residents of Guernsey Island when she decides to write a book about their experiences during the war.
The English Patient (1996)
At the close of World War II, a young nurse tends to a badly burned plane crash victim. His past is shown in flashbacks, revealing an involvement in a fateful love affair.
Roxanne (1987)
In Nelson, the fire chief C. D. Bales is a man with complex since he has a huge nose. When his friend Dixie rents her house to the gorgeous student of astronomy Roxanne, he falls in love with her but keeps his feelings as a secret. C.D. hires the handsome fireman Chris and Roxanne asks C.D. to help her to date him. However Chris is an average American with very limited culture and he asks C.D. to help him to get in her pants. C.D. writes letters disclosing his feelings for her and Roxanne is seduced by the man that writes such letters. What will happen when she meets Chris?
Documentaries
Tut’s Treasures: Hidden Secrets by National Geographic (2018)
Howard Carter’s discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922 made headlines across the world sparking a global frenzy for Ancient Egypt. But over the decades since the find, many of the pharaoh’s priceless grave goods have disappeared into museum basements and archives across Egypt. Now all 5,398 objects are being reunited for the first time since their discovery at the new Grand Egyptian Museum. Many have never been seen before but together they shed new light on the short, eventful life of the so-called ‘Boy King’ and are now helping experts realize the sheer scale of Tutankhamun’s influence in the ancient world.
Stage Plays
The Quality of Life by Jane Anderson
Dinah and Bill, a devout, church-going couple from the Midwest are struggling to keep their lives intact after the loss of their daughter. Dinah is compelled to reconnect with her left-leaning cousins in Northern California who’re going through their own trials. Jeannette and Neil have lost their home to a wildfire and Neil has cancer. However they seem to have accepted their situation with astounding good humor, living in a yurt on their burn site and celebrating life with hits of pot and glasses of good red wine. Bill and Dinah are both moved and perplexed by their cousins’ remarkable equanimity. But their sympathy turns to rage when they find out that Jeannette is planning to take her own life to avoid a life of grief without her beloved Neil.
A Man of Parts by Piero Chiara
As prickly as a chestnut, this little hardshelled conte from the Italian countryside is full of the tibald realism which began many years ago with Boccaccio. In Luino, in the years just before Fascism when the “”nineteenth century drew to a long-overdue close,”” Emerenziano Paronzini, a dour but distinguished looking man of 45, takes up residence, eyes the rather unattractive sisterhood–all unwed–Tarsilla, Fortunata and Camilla, and eventually proposes to Fortunata. Although Tarsilla does have a pair of legs as the sole support of her ugly face and “”lean chest,”” legs which become surprisingly pliant under the crude charms of one Paolino. However, after their naked discovery under the confessional of the convent chapel by the parish priests, Tarsilla confines her desires to her sister’s husband who by the close is trigamously servicing all of them. . . .
Shops
Rude Lord
📍Kolokotroni 11, Athens, Greece
Rude Lord is a cocktail bar near Syntagma Square that appeals to the tastes of rebels and eccentrics alike.
Drunk Sinatra
📍Thiseos 16, Athens, Greece
Named after the legendary Frank Sinatra, ”Drunk Sinatra” is a sophisticated bar with vintage vibes reminiscing the sparkle and class of the 50s & 60s.
Neratzia
📍Zan Moreas 6, Athens, Greece
Neratzia is an all day café bistro located in the neighborhood of Koukaki, in the heart of Athens. With a beautiful interior and a warm atmosphere it is the perfect spot for a romantic dinner or a friendly coffee gathering.
Raki Aman Meze
📍Agias Lavras 4, Aigaleo, Greece
Raki Aman Meze is one of the most well-known shops in Aigaleo and offers a wide selection of wine and food options as well as traditional Greek alcoholic drinks like tsipouro, ouzo, rakomelo and oinomelo. With music bands performing there daily it’s a great place to relax with your friends and enjoy a fun night out.
