Betty and the Real World

The Promise of Happiness has a ton of real world touchstones. Let's get going:

• Tiele's dog is named Lola because 'whatever Lola wants, Lola gets'. This is from the musical Damn Yankees.
  

Whatever Lola wants Lola gets And little man, little Lola wants you Make up your mind to have no regrets Recline yourself, resign yourself, you're through

Hubba-hubba. Tiele is a man of parts...

• In Norway, Teile and Becky share a view of the 'famous Molde panorama'--not a circular painting as it turns out but a sweeping vista of 220 peaks. If ever a certain Baron was looking for a little spot of snogging out at Inspiration Point he could take his pick, now couldn't he.
  

• When they travel with the Baroness they hit the high spots. Dinner at Saur's in Den Haag (the set dinner will cost you 55 Euros these days) and then a stay at The Connaught--recently renovated with what The Telegraph calls 'embellished with lashings of gilt'. Lashings of anything are right up our alley here at The Uncrushable Jersey Dress...
  

• In Hamburg the Baroness travels past the Kennedybruke (of course that u has an umlaut but I can't be bothered)--The Kennedy Bridge. There is another in Bonn with the same name--renamed 10 days after the assassination (what a lovely gesture of solidarity)--but I can't find info on the Hamburg one. Same idea? Perhaps.

The Moon For Lavinia glances past reality as well:

• In Greek mythology, Lavinia was the second wife of Aeneas. I know, that sent me diving for the dusty copy of Virgil's Illiad too...Aeneas has a year-long affair with Helga...erm...Dido, the un-stable Carthaginian queen who commits suicide in a messy way when he leaves her. It is as that follow-up that Lavinia's serenity and non-stabbing/pyre-self-immolation really shine.