Kosmos

Culture, travel, fashion and culinary delights: the Kosmos pages of Lufthansa Magazin bring you interesting and useful tidbits from around the world

It doesn’t always have to be Mallorca – or Ibiza, Crete or Corsica for that matter, either. There are thousands of other islands in the Mediterranean alone. — © Cristóbal Schmal

Mr Know it all

Secret island happiness

It doesn’t always have to be Mallorca – or Ibiza, Crete or Corsica for that matter, either. There are thousands of other islands in the Mediterranean alone. Our expert knows a few wonderful, lesser-known spots.

Gavdos, Greece

The 1970s are still going strong: Visitors to Gavdos, Europe’s southernmost island, still sleep on the beach as in the wildest hippy days. Some stay for weeks or even months on Gavdos.

Comino, Malta

Caves, shipwrecks, tunnels – Comino, Malta’s small neighbor, has plenty to offer divers. For snorkelers, there’s the popular blue lagoon to explore. Stay on after the day trippers have gone home and you have the three-and-a-half square kilometers of island almost all to yourself.

Procida, Italy

With about 10 500 inhabitants on about four square kilometers, no other Mediterranean island is as densely populated as Procida. Best of all, it’s still worth making the trip! While its sister, Ischia, attracts hordes of tourists, Procida is still very much the real Italy.

Worldwide

Sunny Time

Gentle on the eye, cheerful and fun: sunny items to ward off those workaday blues!

Eye-catching: Yellow crew-neck cotton jersey sweatshirt by Holiday Boileau.

mrporter.com

Party animal: USB loudspeakers for music, videos, games and parties.

amazon.de

Retro: The 1974 Vita Parcours sneaker by Bally is celebrating a comeback.

bally.com

Organic: This popcorn is also vegan, gluten-free and gone in the blink of an eye!

heimatgut.com

© Sammlung Landesbank Baden-Württemberg/Heinz Pelz

Berlin, Germany

One foot after the next

Wanderlust. From Caspar David Friedrich to Auguste Renoir opens at the Alte Nationalgalerie in Berlin on May 10 (Photo: “Solitude” by Hans Thoma).

smb.museum

Argentina

Gaucho reality

Descendants of Iberian immigrants and Argentina’s first nations, gauchos have often been romanticized as free spirits who lead a hard life as cattle farmers on the South American pampas. Argentine photographer Aldo Sessa captured the reality and traditions of gaucho life in powerful images and has now published a book called Cauchos. Icons of Argentina

assouline.com

Down on your knee

Culture clash

Down on your knee, out with the ring: This is how men traditionally propose in the West, but it’s only one of many traditions.

a matter of choice

“Would you make miso soup for me every day?” In the past, Japenese women could expect their suitor to pop this question, but these days, most would prefer to be admired for more than just their cooking skills. In traditional families, however, the parents have the final say.

a matter of respect

Men in Fiji first approach a woman’s parents, who can expect to receive a beautiful pair of whale teeth as an engagement gift.

a matter of convention

Talk about traditional: Among heterosexuals in the United States, men propose to women 95 percent of the time. In Scotland and Ireland, women like to take the initiative – but only in a leap year, on February 29.

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