English Country Homes: ‘Merfield House In Rode’

Built at the height of the wool trade, Merfield House, a spectacular Georgian house stands in 32 acres of land in the pretty village of Rode, between Bath and Frome.

The picturesque village of Rode on Somerset’s eastern border, 10 miles south of Bath and five miles north-east of Frome, is one of a series of ancient wool villages that line the banks of the River Frome. The river meanders along a tree-lined channel to the west of the village, with a historically important crossing-point at Rode Bridge and, over the centuries, it has been the life-blood of the area.

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Culinary Travel: ‘Street Food In Oujda, Morocco’

The array of street food in Morocco is quite vast and includes tea time and breakfast sweets, simple snacks, sandwiches, soups, grilled meats and seafood, fried fish and hearty main dishes such as stewed lentils, rotisserie chicken and classic tagines. The recipes below are all foods that can found while walking Moroccan streets and souks.

Oujda is a city in northeast Morocco, near the Algerian border. It’s known for its Great Mosque, built in the late 13th century, with intricate carved wood and mosaic tiling. The mosque is in the old town, or medina, behind ramparts and the imposing Sidi Abdelouahab gate. Numerous shops and souks sell fruit, spices, jewelry and traditional clothing. The Art Gallery of Oujda shows modern and traditional Eastern art. 

Morocco, a North African country bordering the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea, is distinguished by its Berber, Arabian and European cultural influences. Marrakesh’s medina, a mazelike medieval quarter, offers entertainment in its Djemaa el-Fna square and souks (marketplaces) selling ceramics, jewelry and metal lanterns. The capital Rabat’s Kasbah of the Udayas is a 12th-century royal fort overlooking the water.

City Views: ‘Bern – Capital Of Switzerland’ (Video)

Bern, the capital city of Switzerland, is built around a crook in the Aare River. It traces its origins back to the 12th century, with medieval architecture preserved in the Altstadt (Old Town). The Swiss Parliament and diplomats meet in the Neo-Renaissance Bundeshaus (Federal Palace). The Französische Kirche (French Church) and the nearby medieval tower known as the Zytglogge both date to the 13th century. 

Video timeline: 0:00​ Highlights 1:51​ Parliament Building 3:52​ View from Nydeggbrücke 6:04​ Münsterplattform 6:50​ Cathedral of Bern 7:32​ Zytglogge 8:51​ Going up to Gurten 10:17​ View of Bern from above the hill 11:02​ Rose Garden

Hikes: ‘Black Canyon Of The Gunnison’, Colorado

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park is in western Colorado. It surrounds part of a deep, steep-walled gorge carved through Precambrian rock by the Gunnison River. Roads and trails along the north and south rims have views of the Black Canyon’s dramatic drops and the striated Painted Wall cliff. The winding East Portal Road descends to the river. Wildlife includes mule deer, elk and golden eagles.

Aerial Views: ‘Cancún – Mexico’ (4K Video)

Cancún, a Mexican city on the Yucatán Peninsula bordering the Caribbean Sea, is known for its beaches, numerous resorts and nightlife. It’s composed of 2 distinct areas: the more traditional downtown area, El Centro, and Zona Hotelera, a long, beachfront strip of high-rise hotels, nightclubs, shops and restaurants. Cancun is also a famed destination for students during universities’ spring break period. 

Musical Instruments: ‘The Ancient Oud Of Lebanon’

Nazih Ghadban is one of the few remaining makers of the oud instrument. He’s handcrafted them at his small Lebanese village since 1976.

The oud is a short-neck lute-type, pear-shaped stringed instrument, usually with 11 strings grouped in 6 courses, but some models have 5 or 7 courses, with 10 or 13 strings respectively. The oud is very similar to modern lutes, and also to Western lutes. 

Top Walks: ‘Athens – Greece’ (4K UHD Video)

Athens is the capital of Greece. It was also at the heart of Ancient Greece, a powerful civilization and empire. The city is still dominated by 5th-century BC landmarks, including the Acropolis, a hilltop citadel topped with ancient buildings like the colonnaded Parthenon temple. The Acropolis Museum, along with the National Archaeological Museum, preserves sculptures, vases, jewelry and more from Ancient Greece. 

Walking Tours: ‘Chester’ – Northwest England (4K)

Chester is a city in northwest England, founded as a Roman fortress in the 1st century A.D. It’s known for its extensive Roman walls made of local red sandstone. In the old city, the Rows is a shopping district distinguished by 2-level covered arcades and Tudor-style half-timber buildings. A Roman amphitheatre, with ongoing excavations, lies just outside the old city’s walls. 

Video timeline: Timeline: 0:00​ Chester Cathedral 8:00​ Northgate Street 11:00​ City Walls 17:30​ Eastgate Clock 19:00​ City Center to Roman Amphitheatre 23:30​ Chester Roman Amphitheatre 27:30​ St John Street 29:00​ Eastgate Street / Watergate St 34:00​ West of the Old Town 38:00​ Back into the Old Town 41:00​ Pepper Street / Grosvenor Shopping Centre 44:00​ Eastgate Street 45:00​ Frodsham Street 47:30​ Along the Canal 48:30​ Walking Towards the Railway Station 50:00​ Brooke Street 55:00​ Chester Station

Aerial Views: ‘Kazakhstan – Landscapes & Waters’ (4K)

Kazakhstan, a Central Asian country and former Soviet republic, extends from the Caspian Sea in the west to the Altai Mountains at its eastern border with China and Russia. Its largest metropolis, Almaty, is a long-standing trading hub whose landmarks include Ascension Cathedral, a tsarist-era Russian Orthodox church, and the Central State Museum of Kazakhstan, displaying thousands of Kazakh artifacts.