This week's links. Enjoy.
The Surrealist Muses Who Roared
Joanna Moorehead examines the place of her cousin, Surrealist painter Leonora Carrington, at the heart of a unique — and until now largely unknown — group of European women who in the 1940s and 1950s forged their own vision of Surrealism in Mexico.
Top Five English-Language Bookstores in Paris
These wonderful bookstores would be the perfect way to spend a rainy afternoon in Paris — browse, pick up a novel or two, and then head off to a café to read and watch the world go by.
A Vintage Menu
I find old menus fascinating — they're a glimpse into what people really ate at the time — so I was immediately interested in seeing this 1892 one for the Boston Bakery and Lunchroom (for Ladies and Gents) in Colorado. Love the rules for customers and waiters, too. Via Kottke.
Top 10 Women Travellers in Fiction
Jennie Rooney offers her top 10 picks for the most engaging female adventurers, from Graham Greene's eccentric Aunt Augusta to Alice in Wonderland.
Masterpieces Hidden for 70 Years
Extraordinary art world story in The Independent: "A multi-million pound auction in London last night illuminated, but did not solve, one of the great unsolved mysteries of the art world: what happened to the superlative collection of impressionist and modern art – up to 10,000 works – assembled by the greatest of all 20th-century French collectors and dealers, Ambroise Vollard?"
The Seven Habits of Highly Happy People
A helpful list of ideas and/or reminders for living a richer and more positive life. The sort of thing that seems obvious, but is easy to forget when you're busy just trying to keep up with it all.
Saving Time and Stress With Cooking Co-ops
Cooking co-ops, or dinner swaps, are becoming popular again as people struggle to feed themselves and their families well while dealing with long work hours and busy schedules. Such a great idea.
Water Babies
Total happy cuteness. Photographer Phil Shaw and his partner Ana Torres set up London Baby Swim Series in 2008, offering classes for parents and babies as young as six weeks old — Ana teaches the classes, while Phil photographs the babies. Afterwards the photos are given the parents as a wonderful keepsake.
(photo from CAR Möbel, via just be splendid)