Engineer Breno Bulus had long coveted his neighbour’s land, with its ancient forest and gardens in prime position overlooking Rio de Janeiro’s Pedra da Gávea mountain and the capital’s sparkling coastline. Situated in Itanhanga, 20km west of Rio, when the plot came up for sale in 2020, Breno snapped it up. Two years later, he…
On the evening of 1 January, my wife watched as I opened a bottle of wine and filled a glass to the brim. “I thought you were doing dry January,” she said. “Yeah,” I said. “So what’s that?” she said, pointing to my glass. “Dry January doesn’t start on New Year’s Day,” I said. “It’s a public…
Sadiye on Iwan What were you hoping for?Good company and good food. First impressions?Chatty and fun. What did you talk about?The NHS and how good it is to have. Rowing. Cycling. Gardening. Home education. Most awkward moment?Asking the person at the next table to take our photo and telling them we were on a Guardian…
Jigsaw puzzling is traditionally considered a relaxing activity associated with mindfulness benefits, but the gentle hobby has gone all Squid Game as competitive “speed puzzling fever” grips the UK. Entries are selling fast for the inaugural UK Nationals event in Bradford on 5 April, when hundreds of contestants will race against the clock to solve…
The questions 1 Which woman posed for, and exhibited with, the pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood?2 Until 1914, the North Sea was commonly called what?3 Which Shakespeare villain says, “I am a villain”?4 On 29 April 2020, what briefly stretched 477 miles from Texas to Mississippi?5 Flemish giant is a breed of which pet?6 What musical movement was…