A reading trip to Cuba, no suitcase required. This is the Cuban leg of my Caribbean Summer Reading Ritual (a free 50-page digital magazine that takes you island by island through fourteen Caribbean destinations, each one paired with books, recipes, music and a beauty ritual).

In this episode: a mint tonic to start, three novels (Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton, The Agüero Sisters by Cristina García and Havana Fever by Leonardo Padura), a homemade moros y cristianos and the Buena Vista Social Club playing the whole way through.

Download the free Caribbean Summer Reading Ritual magazine here: CLICK

If this is the kind of armchair travel you enjoy, the rest of the Caribbean is waiting in the magazine, and there are thirteen more islands to visit.

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I began this series with a question: are good manners still worth defending? After spending a month with nine books on etiquette from across the globe, I’ve realized that I wasn’t looking for rules—I was looking for philosophies.

In this final chapter of "The Art of Good Manners," I am taking you on a sensory journey through the Latin world. We’re moving beyond the "architecture" of Anglo-American traditions to explore the soul of courtesy in Romania, Italy and Spain.

I’ll share why my birth country, Romania, taught me that inclusion is an ethical obligation; how the Italian concept of Bella Figura is actually a gift of respect to others; and why a single pronoun change in Spain is sparking a quiet social revolution.

Join me as I reflect on how these small gestures—the greeting, the attentiveness, the willingness to switch languages—are not just decorative additions to a life, but its very texture.

In this episode, I’ll share:

🇷🇴 Romania: Why "The Paris of the East" prioritizes linguistic inclusion.

🇮🇹 Italy: The intersection of aesthetics and ethics (and why "ugliness" is the ultimate faux pas).

🇪🇸 Spain: How the shift to "tú" is creating a more horizontal, equal society.

🖋️ The Manifesto: My final thoughts on why courtesy is the foundation for our shared freedom.

Connect with The Ritual of Reading:

✨ Read the full essay & see the visual diary: https://theritualofreading.com/latin-etiquette-cultural-values/

☕ Support the channel & join the community: https://ko-fi.com/theritualofreading

📸 Follow the visual journey on Instagram: @TheRitualOfReading

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Why do the French ignore you when you sneeze? In this episode, we cross the Channel to explore the "Savoir-Vivre"—the sophisticated, sometimes baffling world of French manners.

From the official Republican protocol of Jacques Gandouin to the modern "self-care" approach of Le Petit Larousse, we’re deconstructing how a country that decapitated its monarchy managed to save its elegance.

In this episode:

• The Sneeze Paradox: Why acknowledging a bodily function is "indelicat."

• Tu vs. Vous: Navigating the linguistic minefield of respect.

• The Flower Faux Pas: Why you should never bring a bouquet to a dinner party.

• Republican Elegance: How the Revolution democratized courtesy for every citizen.

Part III of the "Art of Living Among Others" series. Hosted by Alexandra Poppy at theritualofreading.com