A selection of three essential articles read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist. This week, America then and now: the bitter legacy of 9/11. Why nations that fail women fail, (9:42) and a forgotten revolution in pottery (17:58)
Yearly Archives: 2021
Travel Views: Peru & The Galapagos Islands (4K)
Peru is a country in South America that’s home to a section of Amazon rainforest and Machu Picchu, an ancient Incan city high in the Andes mountains. The region around Machu Picchu, including the Sacred Valley, Inca Trail and colonial city of Cusco, is rich in archaeological sites. On Peru’s arid Pacific coast is Lima, the capital, with a preserved colonial center and important collections of pre-Columbian art.
The Galápagos Islands is a volcanic archipelago in the Pacific Ocean. It’s considered one of the world’s foremost destinations for wildlife-viewing. A province of Ecuador, it lies about 1,000km off its coast. Its isolated terrain shelters a diversity of plant and animal species, many found nowhere else. Charles Darwin visited in 1835, and his observation of Galápagos’ species later inspired his theory of evolution.
Front Page Views: Wall Street Journal – SEP 13
Morning News: America’s Vaccine Mandate, Cities Shift & Ancient Finland
President Joe Biden’s requirements for employers to insist on vaccinations are a bold move amid flatlining inoculation rates. But will they work?
For decades the world’s cities seemed invincible, but the pandemic has hastened and hardened a shift in urban demographics and economics. And an ancient Finnish burial site scrambles notions of gender roles in the distant past.
Travel Views: The Ruins Of Ayutthaya In Thailand (4K)
Ayutthaya is a city in Thailand, about 80 kilometers north of Bangkok. It was capital of the Kingdom of Siam, and a prosperous international trading port, from 1350 until razed by the Burmese in 1767. The ruins of the old city now form the Ayutthaya Historical Park, an archaeological site that contains palaces, Buddhist temples, monasteries and statues. The park is on an island between 3 rivers.
Village Walks: Varenna On Lake Como In Italy (4K)
Varenna is a comune on Lake Como in the Province of Lecco in the Italian region Lombardy, located about 60 kilometres north of Milan and about 20 kilometres northwest of Lecco. Varenna was founded by local fishermen in 769, and was later allied with the commune of Milan.
The Cotswolds: History Of Village Of Charlbury
Nestling in the Evenlode Valley, sequestered down winding B roads but with its own railway station, Charlbury is a vibrant yet picturesque Oxfordshire town. A centre for festivals, full of welcoming pubs, and ideal for walking and cycling, there’s always something going on in Charlbury.
French Walks: Collonges-la-Rouge – The Red Village
The former fiefdom of the Counts of Turenne, the medieval village of Collonges-la-Rouge, nestling some twenty kilometres to the south of Brive-la-Gaillarde, surrounded by peaceful, green countryside planted with chestnut and walnut trees, will enchant you with its picturesque charm and its famous red sandstone.
From the old grain and wine hall built in the 16th century to the magnificent houses with thackstone and slate roofs, through the Flat Gate (Porte Plate) and the fortified church, you’re sure to be won over by the beauty of this famous Corrèze town with its twenty-five towers. Lovers of beautiful stone buildings can enjoy a stroll along its pleasant streets lined with smart façades. A genuine journey through time, a walk around the village will not only show you the remarkable Church of St. Peter, with its splendid 12th-century tympanum carved out of white Turenne limestone and its imposing gabled Romanesque bell tower, but also some lavish 15th and 16th-century houses crowned with towers and turrets.
Walks: Fisherman’s Wharf & Pier 39 In San Francisco
Fisherman’s Wharf, on the northern waterfront, is one of the city’s busiest tourist areas. Souvenir shops and stalls selling crab and clam chowder in sourdough bread bowls appear at every turn, as do postcard views of the bay, Golden Gate and Alcatraz. There’s also a colony of sea lions to see and historic ships to tour. At Ghirardelli Square, boutiques and eateries reside in the famed former chocolate factory.
September 11 Views: Twin Waterfall Pool Memorial – ‘Reflecting Absence’
On the 20th anniversary of 9/11, “Sunday Morning” visits Lower Manhattan, and the memorial to those who were lost. Videographer: Derek Davis.
In January 2004, the design submitted by architect Michael Arad and landscape architect Peter Walker, Reflecting Absence, was chosen as the winning entry. Their design features twin waterfall pools surrounded by bronze parapets that list the names of the victims of the 9/11 attacks and the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. The pools are set within a plaza where more than 400 swamp white oak trees grow.
The Memorial opened on September 11, 2011, 10 years after the 9/11 attacks.
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