Travel & Culture Books: ‘Gstaad Glam’ (Assouline)

In the southwest corner of Switzerland, nestled among the snowy mountains of the Swiss Alps is the picturesque, upscale resort town of Gstaad. Teeming with exclusive ski clubs and a fur coat–clad jet set, Gstaad is the definition of Alpine chic, which is evident in the luxurious, family-owned Gstaad Palace, the members-only restaurant The Eagle and the high-fashion boutiques that line the town’s main promenade.

It is this combination of opulence and quiet that has attracted a plethora of celebrities including Madonna, Grace Kelly, Stavros Niarchos and Julie Andrews, to name a few. While glitz and glamour are in abundance, local tradition and culture are always close by. Whether it’s in the Pinte Bar at Hotel Olden that exudes authentic charm or a farm on the outskirts of town showcasing a quaint, pastoral lifestyle, this beautiful volume showcases Gstaad’s elegant traditions and unexpected treasures.There is no shortage of amusements in Gstaad.

It is nature at its finest that yearns to be explored. With 124 miles of slopes, visitors can participate in skiing, snowboarding and sledding in the winter months and hiking, biking, polo and golf in the summer. Gstaad’s calendar is packed with can’t-miss events including the Swiss Open, hot-air balloon festival and Menuhin Festival of music. And after a long day of hitting the slopes and experiencing all Gstaad has to offer, cozy up with a cup of hot chocolate from the decades-old Charly’s, the perfect spot to people-watch along the Promenade.

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Coastal Views: Calanques National Park In France

Between the southern French cities of Marseille and La Ciotat lies a magnificent coastline with 40 kilometres of cliffs and coves. The landscapes of the Calanques National Park are breathtaking. To safeguard this fragile natural heritage and rescue amateur mountaineers who get into difficulty, wardens and firefighters are constantly on a war footing. FRANCE 24 went to meet them.

Morning News: Israel PM Visits UAE, Capitol Hill Riot Panel, Christmas Ghosts

We discuss the Israeli prime minister’s visit to the UAE, and the Capitol Hill riot panel’s recommendation that Mark Meadows, Donald Trump’s former chief of staff, face criminal prosecution. Plus: urbanism news and the ghosts of Christmas past.

City Views: Sarasota In Southwest Florida (4K)

Sarasota is a city south of Tampa on Florida’s Gulf Coast that was once the winter home of the Ringling Brothers Circus. Today, it hosts a number of cultural institutes, notably the Ringling Museum of Art, which showcases old masters and modern art. It’s also the gateway to miles of beaches with fine sand and shallow waters, such as Lido Beach and Siesta Key Beach. 

Housing: Why Rents Are Rising In The U.S. (CNBC)

Fresh numbers from the fall of 2021 suggest that rents will increase at a rapid pace in the coming years. That’s a problem for Americans; many spend 30% or more of their income on rent. A decade-long slowdown in house building is coming to a close, which could help renters.

But the new developments in construction are generally for high-end and luxury apartment units. Experts say the market conditions are pushing people further away from their jobs and weighing on the economy writ large. Market indicators suggest that rent hikes are coming in 2022.

Average rents for a one-bedroom apartment in the booming suburbs of Phoenix, Arizona, have more than doubled year over year, according to data from Apartment Guide. Meanwhile, rents in Manhattan have reached fresh records as life returns to the cities, according to Zumper.

The problems aren’t confined to the usual suspects, however. Rents for single-family homes across the country jumped more than 9% on average in August 2021 from the prior year, according to a report from the analytics firm CoreLogic.

Rents are moving fastest in the buzzy enclaves across the South and West. For Maria Arredondo, a teacher based in Austin, Texas, a sudden rent hike of nearly $400 forced her to make a move. “If I had signed the lease … it would be taking a lot of my savings. And so I decided to move to a new building, losing about 150 square feet,” she told CNBC. Mark Zandi of Moody’s Analytics said the strains on the housing construction market were building well before the pandemic took hold in the states.

“There’s a lot of evidence that the lack of housing closer to where the demand is and urban cores is having a meaningful negative consequence on long-term economic growth.“ Generous monetary and fiscal policies have juiced demand for goods and services coming out of the pandemic. All that extra money sloshing around the economy is bubbling up into the rent. The fresh demand is giving investors a reason to jump into the market.

Experts say that’s boosting desperately needed supply. But there’s a catch: The homes being built are priced into the high end of the market. As a result, the evidence suggests that renters will be paying more for shelter this decade.

Aerial Views: Manchester – Northwest England (4K)

Manchester is a major city in the northwest of England with a rich industrial heritage. The Castlefield conservation area’s 18th-century canal system recalls the city’s days as a textile powerhouse, and visitors can trace this history at the interactive Museum of Science & Industry. The revitalised Salford Quays dockyards now house the Daniel Libeskind-designed Imperial War Museum North and the Lowry cultural centre. 

Views: The Landscapes And Endless Beauty Of Iceland

Iceland, a Nordic island nation, is defined by its dramatic landscape with volcanoes, geysers, hot springs and lava fields. Massive glaciers are protected in Vatnajökull and Snæfellsjökull national parks. Most of the population lives in the capital, Reykjavik, which runs on geothermal power and is home to the National and Saga museums, tracing Iceland’s Viking history.

Art & Culture: History Of Indigo (National Gallery)

Our Conservation Fellow, Kendall Francis takes a closer look at indigo, a blue dye and pigment extracted from the leaves of plants, and how it is used and represented in paintings in our collection.

Kendall’s research reveals histories that are not explicitly portrayed in the paintings and highlights the important contributions from a wider range of people, including the enslaved people who cultivated the crops and extracted the indigo against their will. Supported using public funding by Arts Council England.