In the classics, the goddess Circe is alleged to have lived at Aeaea, a place name that is memorably consonant-free. It also happens to be palindromic. Eccentric we may be, but a few years ago, we went to quite some lengths to be in the very centre of a German village called Burggrub at lunchtime on a particular day. The day was 20 February 2002 , and at 12.21 we positioned ourselves in the square. Nothing special happened, but there was something peculiarly satisfying about enjoying a palindromic moment on a palindromic date in a palindromic village. Magic, actually!
Hidden europe 39
Wilderness is a wonderful thing. The American illustrator and writer Rockwell Kent understood how wilderness tugs at the soul: "I crave snow-topped mountains, dreary wastes, and the cruel Northern sea with its hard horizons," he wrote. Yes, we know ...
