Travel & Hotel Books: ‘Great Escapes Greece’

Greece is the land of gods and scholars as well as the birthplace of democracy and Western philosophy. Completely surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea, it is also one of the most popular vacation destinations—and has much more to offer than just the blue and white islands of the Cyclades.

A voyage to the most beautiful hotels in Greece

Greece’s ancient art and culture form the cradle of Western civilization—numerous monuments and museums tell to this day of the country’s rich history. Greece is unique also by virtue of its breathtaking landscapes, the hospitality of its inhabitants, and its fabulous hotels, making it the dream destination of many travelers. The fresh and healthy cuisine, the crystal clear sea, and the canvas-worthy sunsets do the rest—a trip to Greece is pure delight.

Angelika Taschen travels from the mountains of Macedonia in the north to the Peloponnese with its mythical places like Corinth, Sparta, and Olympia, and to the larger and smaller groups of islands in the south. She opens the doors to some of the country’s most extraordinary hotels, including Imaret in Kavala, located in a former Ottoman complex; Tainaron Blue Retreat in a secluded former defense tower in the Mani; and The Windmill, a converted windmill on the island of Kimolos in the Cyclades. She invites readers to discover legendary luxury hotels, like Eagles Palace in Halkidiki or Poseidonion Grand Hotel on Spetses, and takes them to enchanting B&Bs like Guesthouse Mazaraki in Mystras or Mèlisses on Andros, run by food blogger Allegra Pomilio.

Along her itinerary, she visits hotels on well-known picturesque islands—such as the Mystique on Santorini and the Soho Roc House on Mykonos—but also accommodations in remote places like the Mediterraneo on the island of Kastelorizo, which lies in the very southeast of Greece off the Turkish coast. In addition she shows interesting architectural and design concepts, such as The Rou Estate hotel village, a historic, carefully restored hamlet on Corfu; the minimalist Olea All Suite Hotel on Zakynthos; and Ammos on Crete, where no two pieces of furniture are alike and new eccentric pieces are added every year.

Read more

Science Podcast: Unequal Surge In Research Papers, Energy Without Oxygen

The pandemic’s unequal toll on the research community, and a newly discovered mitochondria-like symbiosis.

In this episode:

00:48 The pandemic’s unequal toll on researchers

Although 2020 saw a huge uptick in the numbers of research papers submitted, these increases were not evenly distributed among male and female scientists. We look at how this could widen existing disparities in science, and damage future career prospects.

Editorial: COVID is amplifying the inadequacy of research-evaluation processes

09:18 Research Highlights

How a parasite can make viral infections more deadly, and the first known space hurricane.

Research Highlight: Intestinal worms throw open the door to dangerous viruses

Research Highlight: The first known space hurricane pours electron ‘rain’

11:36 Energy without oxygen

Millions of years ago, a microscopic protist swallowed a bacterium and gained the ability to breathe nitrate. This relationship partially replaced the cell’s mitochondria and allowed it to produce abundant energy without oxygen. This week, researchers describe how this newly discovered symbiosis works.

Research Article: Graf et al.

News and Views: A microbial marriage reminiscent of mitochondrial evolution

19:22 Briefing Chat

We discuss some highlights from the Nature Briefing. This time, the weakening of the Gulf Stream, and a new satellite to monitor deforestation in the Amazon.

The Guardian: Atlantic Ocean circulation at weakest in a millennium, say scientists

Science: Brazil’s first homemade satellite will put an extra eye on dwindling Amazon forests

Climate Change: The Challenges For Carbon Capture Technologies

Elon Musk, Microsoft and oil giants like BP, Occidental and Exxon Mobil are investing in carbon capture technologies. Carbon Engineering and Climeworks are two start-ups that have built machines to suck CO2 straight out of the atmosphere in a process known as direct air capture. But the technology faces a number of challenges, one of which is that there’s currently no market for the captured CO2. As a result, some companies are selling their captured CO2 to oil companies, which use it to produce even more oil.

Analysis: What Makes ‘Costco’ So Successful

Costco is one of the biggest and most successful retailers in the country. In this video, WSJ’s Sarah Nassauer dissects the wholesaler’s unique approach to doing business. Photo: Qian Weizhong/ZUMA Press

Winter Walks: ‘Central Vienna – Austria’ (4K Video)

Vienna, Austria’s capital, lies in the country’s east on the Danube River. Its artistic and intellectual legacy was shaped by residents including Mozart, Beethoven and Sigmund Freud. The city is also known for its Imperial palaces, including Schönbrunn, the Habsburgs’ summer residence. In the MuseumsQuartier district, historic and contemporary buildings display works by Egon Schiele, Gustav Klimt and other artists. 

The walk started at Schwarzenbergplatz, walk along the Ring, show you the famous Kärntnerstraße shopping street, St. Stephen’s Cathedral (Stephansdom) Graben, Freyung, the Ring and also the wonderful museums The Kunsthistorische Museum & The Natural History Museum Vienna (German: Naturhistorisches Museum Wien).

Filmed February 10, 2021

Photographers: Charly Savely – ‘Wild Alaska’

To Charly Savely, Alaska is where the wild is. This short film offers a glimpse of what goes into photographing this majestic landscape, and the animals who call it home. Through her work, Charly hopes to bring awareness to many types of wildlife species, while inspiring others in our world to keep the wild places wild.

Her Website

Science & Exploration: ‘Deep-Sea Soft Robots’

Is the future of deep-sea exploration soft? Researchers have developed a new type of soft robot designed to cope with the crushing pressures at the bottom the ocean. Inspired by the skull of the Mariana Snailfish, the deepest living fish, the researchers distributed their robot’s electronics, creating a machine that can withstand extreme pressure.