Camper Trends: “Beauer X-Van” Telescopes To Larger Size With Push Of A Button

From a New Atlas online article:

French company Beauer has earned a lot of attention over the years for telescoping teardrop caravans that grow double or triple their size at the push of a button. Now the company’s bringing its tech to van life, launching a plug-and-play module that grows to create a large camper at camp and a smaller, nimbler van on the road. The X-Van installs in 10 minutes and extends the length of the van to add comfy sleeping quarters for two, giving a mid-size van the length of a full-size model.

2020-Beauer-X-van-00

After popping the tailgate, the owner merely hits a button on the pillar next to the driver seat and watches as the electrically actuated module sets up within a minute’s time. The only thing left to do is pop the expansion panels on the module’s sides to increase elbow room inside. The 25-mm sandwich construction keeps the temperature comfy inside.

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Travel: How The Dutch Windmills Are Causing The Netherlands To Sink

From an Undark.org online article:

This subsidence means that in a low-lying nation famous for engineering its way around rising seas, the ground is also sinking lower, creating huge problems for the structures built on top. At a certain point, building foundations begin to crack, sinkholes appear, roads destabilize, and the risk of flooding increases. More construction results in more pressing down of the peat — and more subsidence.

TOURISTS VISITING the Netherlands often stop to take selfies in front of one of the country’s more than 1,000 windmills. Afterward, they might taste one of the many varieties of cheese for which the nation is famous. But most are unaware that these two icons of the Netherlands are responsible for causing the nation’s land to sink.

The windmills were used for centuries to drain peatland for cattle grazing and agriculture at large, and that draining — these days done by pumping stations — is causing the land in some places to sink at an average rate of 8 millimeters per year, or about one-third of an inch. (In some areas, researchers put that number higher, at several centimeters per year.)

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Travel & Touring Video: “Aston Martin DB” Tour Of Scotland (SkyworksWA)

1,000 Miles & 1,000 Smiles
“We make beautiful art that that is meant to be driven and enjoyed” says Aston Martin….
Sadly, many of these works of art are destined for a life locked away in garages and only taken out for shows and events. Luckily we know someone who realises that a DB4, a DB5 and a DB6 love to be driven – enjoyed not only by the driver, but the countless people who stop to look and wave as they pass by. And driven in spectacular locations renowned for the winding roads and jaw dropping scenery. In 5 days, during which it rained every day, these cars covered over 1000 miles through the Scottish highlands, without a single issue (we lie – one electric window issue), and created a thousand smiles.

Aston Martin DB Tour of Scotland SkyworksWA January 15 2020

It was a rare privilege and pleasure to have been invited to film, photograph, and drive these working pieces of art, and enjoy Scotland in a unique way that is in fact priceless, and certainly a very big bucket list tick. The film is quite dark and moody, and almost black and white, but we think suits the occasion… (it’s also what the client wanted!). The brief appearance of the Rapide AMR only added to the convoy. Although it looks quite remote, deserted and desolate it was in fact peak holiday season, so between the traffic, the rain and the distances, every shot in this film was based on one take with no rehearsals… which justified the occasional use of strong language “och aye Jimmy”. However, we hope that this final brief overview of the journey, being a short edit of what was delivered to the client, gives these cars…nay laddie – these Aston Martins… and the location, Bonnie Scotland, the justice they deserve. Enjoy.

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