One of Pompeii’s Greatest Mysteries May Have Been Solved

Plus, Madrid’s New ‘Frying Pan’ Plaza Leaves Some Locals Fuming [Manage newsletters]( [View in browser]( [Image] [Image] The entire world in your inbox. Hello all– I hope your week is off to a great start. I’m finally back on the east coast after a month and a half out west, and while I’m not happy to be cold, it’s nice to be home. Over the weekend I was at the recently overhauled Park Lane Hotel in NYC, which looks out over Central Park in the shadows of the new supertalls. We’ll have more on that renovation soon, but in the meantime our lead feature this week takes us over to Pompeii and a discovery that has remained a mystery for decades. “These graffiti were written in an obscure form of Old Arabic otherwise completely unknown in the Western Mediterranean,” writes Candida Moss. “For almost 35 years the inscriptions were a mystery: Who wrote them? And, frankly, what are they doing there?” [Read, and find out](! For those of you that love urban planning drama, don’t miss [Benjamin Kemper’s dispatch from Madrid]( where the final reveal of the new multi-million-dollar Plaza de España has left a number of locals scratching their heads–or downright apoplectic. Warm weather is, hopefully, up ahead and if you find yourself in New York City and wanting to stretch your legs while seeing some art, [Anthony Paletta’s feature story]( has all you need. In it, Paletta takes readers on a grab bag tour of Manhattan’s greatest lobby art. It’s not only all free–you’ll get a workout too. Wrapping up, we have our first selection this month for It’s Still a Big World, our series on underrated destinations. Winston Ross takes us to [Guadalajara](, and dives into the city’s exciting culinary scene which will leave you hungry and looking up flights. —[William O’Connor](, Travel Editor [Image] [One of Pompeii’s Greatest Mysteries May Have Been Solved]( [The graffiti were written in an obscure form of Old Arabic otherwise completely unknown in the Western Mediterranean. For almost 35 years they were a mystery: Who wrote them?]( [Madrid’s New ‘Frying Pan’ Plaza Leaves Some Locals Fuming]( [Faced with a social media firestorm over Plaza de España’s $85 million makeover, city officials hold the line that the square is an architectural triumph.]( [This Overshadowed Mexican City is a Feast]( [Guadalajara is a Mexican city unwarped by the demands of American tourists, with idyllic year-round weather and world-class eateries at which no reservation is needed.]( [New York City’s Greatest Art Museum Is a Killer Workout]( [You won’t have to enter a single museum or open your wallet, but you will get your steps in.]( [“Chef Bocuse’s duck à l’orange is probably the best there’s ever been. Other people try to emulate it, but his orange sauce was reduced perfectly, the skin was perfectly crisp, the duck was perfectly moist—it was just the best.”]( – Bob Guccione, Jr. [chats with Chef Todd Rogers about the meals that have mattered most to him](. OMG I Want This House! There’s nothing better than being treated to a shopping spree on Rodeo Drive, except maybe acquiring a lavish compound outside of Manhattan to call your very own. Both dream scenarios involve Richard Gere, but sadly, he’s only footing the bill for the former… and then only if your name is Julia Roberts—er—Vivian Ward. But that doesn’t mean becoming the queen of a bucolic New York estate is a pipe dream. For a modest $28 million, [this Pound Ridge compound]( that Mr. Gere has enjoyed for the last 20 years could now be yours for the taking. We’re exploring a sizable, amenity-filled compound owned by one of the Great American Actors—you didn’t think a single pool was all the water activity on tap, did you? For those days when you’re feeling very anti-chlorine, you can wander down to your very own private pond that comes complete with a row boat and a sandy beach. If we hadn’t looked at a map, we wouldn’t believe this property was landlocked. The main house was built in 2000 and for 20 years, Gere made this compound his home, steadily growing it for most of that time. While we are sure he is devastated to leave this gorgeous piece of land behind, the good news is that you can purchase what we’re pretty sure is a whole world unto itself for you and yours. Don’t miss previous OMG, I Want to Rent This House posts, which spotlight the most spectacular and unique homes that you can actually stay in. [Check out the full archives](. Travel to This Lakeside City Full of Surprises With This Book It’s a place that almost defies logic–a sleepy midsize city on a lake that somehow became a global center for finance, politics, and watchmaking. That beautiful city is Geneva, which is the subject of a new book from Assouline, [Geneva: At the Heart of the World]( that is the latest selection for our series on gorgeous new travel-related coffee table books, [Just Booked](. The book is perhaps the richest in Assouline’s recent run of destination-focused books, at least as far as historic content. Flipping through its pages, one can read in depth about Geneva’s central role in the Reformation, its surprising counter-cultural enclaves, and how it came to play an outsize role in the financial world. Visually, the allure of this book comes not only from the photos within but also its cover and slipcase. The former is a creamy solid white with the red and golden emblem of the city, while the latter is an eye-popping illustration of Geneva with its iconic water jet. [BUY ON ASSOULINE >>]( Please note that if you buy something featured in one of our posts or newsletters, The Daily Beast may collect a share of sales. 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