Sacramento, capital of the U.S. state of California, lies at the confluence of the Sacramento River and American River. The district of Old Sacramento harkens back to the city’s Gold Rush era, with wooden sidewalks and wagon rides. One of several museums in Old Sacramento, the California State Railroad Museum depicts the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad, one of the country’s earliest technological feats.
Monthly Archives: January 2021
Innovation: Diamonds Made From CO2 Emissions
A UK company named Skydiamond hopes to revolutionize the traditional diamond mining industry by using carbon capture technology to do just that. The company calls it a ‘zero-impact diamond’ because the process pulls carbon dioxide right out of the air.
Although, a diamond traps only a modest amount of carbon — one carat contains just 200 milligrams. Pure carbon can take many forms — it all depends on how the atoms are arranged. Graphite is arranged into multiple layers, graphene in a single layer, and if it’s rolled-up, it forms carbon nanotubes. But when each carbon forms 4 strong bonds in a tetrahedral structure, it becomes a diamond.
Most natural diamonds were formed over a billion years ago, more than 120 kilometers beneath the Earth’s surface. This is where intense temperature and pressure cause carbon atoms to strongly bond together and arrange into crystal structures. Volcanic eruptions bring these crystals embedded in magma to the surface. When the magma cools, it hardens in long vertical shafts called kimberlite pipes. And these pipes are what’s sought after in the mining industry.
Travel & Culture: ‘Chá Gorreana’ Tea Plantation, The Azores, Portugal
There are few parts of Europe that produce tea. The Azores, a Portuguese archipelago, are one of them. Here, tea is cultivated and processed without the use of chemicals. Chá Gorreana, located on the largest of the islands, is Europe’s oldest tea plantation. The family-run business has been producing black and green tea since 1883. DW reporter Hendrik Welling visited the plantation to learn about the fine art of producing Azores tea.
World News Podcast: Headlines From London, Paris & Vienna (Jan 30)
The weekend’s biggest discussion topics: Simon Brooke on the day’s newspapers, Monocle’s editor in chief Andrew Tuck’s column and a look at ‘Alexander’, a new digital storytelling platform.
Caribbean Island Views: ‘Belmond La Samanna’ Resort, St. Martin (Video)
Perched beside one of the most spectacular private beaches in the French West Indies, La Samanna is as dazzling as the crystal clear waters that lap the sand. Sink into a chic suite, designed to reflect the hypnotic shapes and colours of sea life. Then dress to impress and sample the world-class restaurants, before diving into the island’s vibrant social scene.
Views: ‘Top 3 Places To Visit In The Dolomites, Italy’
The Dolomites are without a doubt one of my favorite places ever! I’ve been there twice and made a drone video showing you my favorite top 3 must visit spots!
First place: Alpe di Siusi/Seiser Alm
Second place: Cadini di Misurina & Tre Cime di Lavaredo
Third place: Lago di Braies/Pragser wildsee even though it’s always crowded, even at sunrise this place will always be magical
Political News: ‘Brooks & Capehart’ On Biden’s Executive Actions (Video)
New York Times columnist David Brooks and Washington Post columnist Jonathan Capehart join Judy Woodruff to discuss the week in politics, including President Biden’s use of executive actions, Biden’s $1.9 trillion relief package, and the state of the Republican Party after former President Trump.
Views: ‘Tomo, Fukuyama’ – Hiroshima, Japan (4K Video)
Tomonoura, formerly known as Tomonotsu, is a port in the Tomo ward of Fukuyama, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. It stands on the southern point of the Numakuma Peninsula, 14 kilometers south of Fukuyama Station. Tomonoura has been a prosperous port since ancient times.
Fukuyama is a city on Japan’s Ashida River. Myōō-in Temple has an ornate 5-story pagoda built in the 1300s. The grounds of Fukuyama Castle feature cherry blossoms in spring and colorful foliage in fall. The Hiroshima Prefectural Historical Museum displays the ruins of Kusado Sengen, the area’s medieval port. South, Tomonoura is a port town known for its Edo-era buildings and the stone Jōyatō Lighthouse.
English Estates: ‘Hillfield House, 1860’ – Gloucester
Hillfield House was once home to Gloucester’s Trading Standards officers — not that you’d know it to see the place today. Toby Keel takes a look.
This Grade II-listed building, in the Wotton area just north of Gloucester’s centre, was built in the 1860s and is filled with period touches, from the fireplaces and ornate cornicing to stone pillars and the extraordinary stained glass windows.
Just as grand is the first floor, accessed by a stone staircase, lit from a skylight above and ringed by an ironwork balustrade that looks out onto the space below. All your fantasies of hosting a Bridgerton-style ball can finally be fulfilled.
For all this grandeur, the living rooms themselves do offer cosier, more intimate nooks. Off the main hallway and the corridor beyond are a drawing room, sitting room, study, kitchen-breakfast room and seemingly-endless series of reception rooms.
Cocktails With A Curator: ‘El Greco’s “Vincenzo Anastagi”‘ (Frick Video)
In this week’s episode of “Cocktails with a Curator,” journey to sixteenth-century Rome with Deputy Director and Peter Jay Sharp Chief Curator Xavier F. Salomon as he discusses El Greco’s “Vincenzo Anastagi,” one of three important paintings by the Renaissance artist in the Frick’s collection. Born in Crete, El Greco spent a formative seven years in Rome, where he painted this rare, full-length portrait of a minor aristocrat from Perugia then serving as Sergeant Major of Castel Sant’Angelo. Look closely at this unusual painting while sipping an Ouzo Lemonade, which gets its kick from the anise-flavored spirit popular in the artist’s birthplace.
To view this painting in detail, please visit our website: https://www.frick.org/anastagielgreco
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