Spanish eco-friendly cosmetics company Matarrania uses ancient methods to blend wild plants picked from the surrounding countryside with virgin olive oil for products that nourish the skin and respect the planet. Free from water, they contain only active ingredients, ensuring maximum efficacy. All are organic and vegan, sourced locally and packaged in recycled glass and aluminium. Here we chat with founder Evelyn Celma about protecting ancient ancestral wisdom, living sustainably and the importance of gratitude for a happy life. What inspired you to start Matarrania? “I wanted to create a project to voice and protect traditions related to the use of plants and skin care that might otherwise be lost. It is valuable wisdom that mustn’t disappear, offering us a route to reconnect with the power of nature. Also, I desired a profession that would allow me to manage my time according to my needs.” How do you set your products apart from the competition? “Our key … [Read more...] about Protecting the traditional use of plants in skincare
The secret life of words
‘My skills were once seen as magical powers’ – the secrets of a traditional ocean navigator
For someone who grew up in awe of the ocean, it’s remarkable to think that Tua Pittman has spent the past 30 years at sea as a traditional navigator. Ensconced in a cosy leather armchair in a corner of the walnut-lined living room on board the luxury cruise ship, Seabourn Encore, Pittman recounts the moment that set him on an extraordinary career path: “One year, when I was about 19, a canoe that was sailing from Hawaii to Tahiti stopped in the Cook Islands. Stories about these ancient voyaging canoes have always fascinated me, and after making friends with the crew I accepted an invitation to join them as a member. “My first voyage was tough, but the satisfaction I got from this 10-day sailing adventure captured my heart and I didn’t look back.” He didn’t have the easiest of introductions to a life at sea. “When I was five, my father and grandfather went fishing and were washed away by a rogue wave,” explains Pittman in a … [Read more...] about ‘My skills were once seen as magical powers’ – the secrets of a traditional ocean navigator
How to see the secret side of the Mekong
Dawn on the Mekong. The whoop of a black-hooded laughing thrush serves as a wake-up call. Above swaying jungle palms, the first golden light of day seeps into the sky. Upstream, a sampan, bearing a lone fisherman in a conical hat, surrounded by his cargo and caged fighting cocks, glides over the mustard-coloured water. The river is waking up. Good morning Vietnam. Hunched over the rails of the cruiser Indochine, I feel like Charlie Sheen in Apocalypse Now, surfing in his wake to Cambodia and the ruined temples of Angkor Wat, camouflaged for centuries by tree roots and creepers – tentacles of a primeval forest. Our visit there concluded a 600-mile odyssey that began in Southeast Asia’s most exotic metropolis, Ho Chi Minh City. In Graham Greene’s novel The Quiet American, set when Vietnam was ruled by the French, the British narrator called every night at the belle-époque Hotel Continental on Rue Catinat to sip vermouth cassis. The evocative imagery Greene … [Read more...] about How to see the secret side of the Mekong
The secret etiquette of the Greek taverna
The Greeks have an appetite for life that includes a seemingly insatiable passion for eating out. Perhaps that’s why there are so many different words for restaurant in Greek. The most formal is the “estiatorio”, where you can expect a proper tablecloth and perhaps even surly waiters in white jackets. At the other end of the spectrum is the “bakalotaverna” – a grocery store packed to the painted rafters with tinned tomatoes and washing powder, where the owner cooks up a couple of dishes every day, served at a handful of tables covered in gaudily patterned oilcloth. Then there’s the no-frills “magirio”, a kind of worker’s canteen, where you can peer into the battered pots in the kitchen and pick... Register for free to read this article, or log in to your Telegraph account Register Log in … [Read more...] about The secret etiquette of the Greek taverna
The ‘off-the-grid’ islands of the Cyclades
By Maria Nikolakaki on Nov 29, 2018 in Europe, Greece, Regions, Western Europe Perhaps the most famous group of islands in Greece is the Cyclades. The name derives from the Greek word “kyklos” which in English means circle (circular islands), hence the shape the islands form around the sacred island of Delos. According to Greek mythology, the God of the Sea, Poseidon, turned the Cyclades nymphs into islands from fury. Located in the Aegean Sea and comprised of some of the most well-known and particularly beautiful islands in Greece, the Cyclades have million of visitors every year for very obvious reasons: magnificent sandy beaches, Cycladic architecture in white and blue, traditional and authentic lifestyle, heartwarming locals and of course a cuisine that will not disappoint. The “off the grid” Cycladic islands that deserve to be mentioned are Sikinos, Ios, Folegandros, Sifnos and Amorgos. Dip your toe in the crystal clear waters, have your stomach thank you … [Read more...] about The ‘off-the-grid’ islands of the Cyclades