Julia visits the lush Ionian island of Corfu, often called the least Greek of all the Greek islands. She discovers a little slice of Italy, and samples the delights of its cuisine. Her trip begins in the capital Corfu Town where she discovers a surprising cosmopolitan city more like slice of Italy than Greece.
Category Archives: Culture
Travel & Culture Books: ‘Dubai Wonder’ (Assouline)
Dubai Wonder tours readers through this storied city and its cultural diversity and distinct neighborhoods, including Deira, home to the Khor Dubai, a creek that Dubai’s economy relied on for several decades for pearl diving and fishing; Al Quoz, the cultural heart of the city; the Dubai International Financial Centre and Jumeirah, a largely residential district featuring the emirate’s notable resorts along its coast.
An international port city and desert oasis, Dubai is one of the most important metropolises in the Middle East. With modest beginnings in the industries of pearl diving, fishing and trade, Dubai has since eclipsed its historic origins. The most populated of the seven emirates united by founder Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan in 1971, Dubai is a treasure trove of the best, the biggest and the brightest, drawing such stars of architecture as Zaha Hadid, Foster + Partners, and Santiago Calatrava. Dubai’s skyline features the world’s tallest tower, Burj Khalifa; the giant Dubai Mall; the Burj Al Arab seven-star hotel and the Dubai International Airport—the ultimate extravagance.
Other stops on the tour include Dubai’s burgeoning art scene, the Art Dubai fair and Alserkal Avenue, a cluster of warehouses containing art galleries. Dubai Wonder also takes readers inside the highly anticipated Expo 2020 Dubai, opening in October 2021 and already heralded as the grandest world fair in history. A hub of innovation and firsts, Dubai represents a vision for the future, where anything is possible, as each page of this awe-inspiring addition to Assouline’s Travel Series demonstrates.
Myrna Ayad is an arts consultant, cultural strategist and editor, with a focus on visual art and culture from the Arab world, Iran and Turkey. She established her namesake consultancy in 2018 following her directorship of Art Dubai, the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia’s foremost international art fair. Ayad has written for The New York Times, CNN Online, The Art Newspaper, Artforum, Artsy, Artnet, Wallpaper* and The National, among others, and contributed to artist monographs and exhibition catalogues. From 2007 to 2015, she served as editor of Canvas, the premier magazine for visual art from the Middle East, where she oversaw the production of the title’s affiliate newspapers, catalogues and luxury art books. Over the years, Ayad has served both as a panelist and moderator and sits on the committees of cultural entities in the region. For almost four decades, she has been based in Dubai, where she lives with her husband and two children.
Cover Views: ‘Romeing’ Magazine – August 2021
Views: ‘Bellissimo’ – Italy Magazine Summer 2021
We share more than 100 pages of insider info so you can plan your next visit (or simply indulge in some armchair travel) from sights to see and dishes to try to little-known gems to seek out and discover.
Learn about the region’s premium epicurean delights, including Parmigiano Reggiano, Prosciutto di Parma, balsamic vinegar, and Lambrusco wine. Explore the top automobile museums marking the birthplaces of iconic brands like Ferrari and Maserati. Head to the hills along hiking trails through the rolling countryside past medieval villages and quiet vineyards. Bask in the resurging art scene in the resort town of Rimini, birthplace of Fellini.
Bellissimo comes out four times a year, so be sure to check out former issues for a deep dive into other captivating regions we’ve explored over time.
France: The 161st Annual Hospices de Beaune Charity Wine Auction
The Hospices de Beaune or Hôtel-Dieu de Beaune is a former charitable almshouse in Beaune, France. It was founded in 1443 by Nicolas Rolin, chancellor of Burgundy, as a hospital for the poor.
Ahead of the 161st annual Hospices de Beaune charity wine auction, hear about the altruistic history behind this auspicious charity sale, and how the funds raised are looking to the future. In this interview with Francois Poher (Director, Hospices Civils de Beaune) and Ludivine Griveau (Manager, Hospices de Beaune Domaine), learn about the founding of the Hospices de Beaune in the 15th century, as a hospital for the local community. Over the course of time, vineyards were donated by grateful patients and the wine produced has been sold to fund new, state of the art hospitals and technologies. Sotheby’s is proud to host the 161st Edition of the auction, which will be held at the Halles de Beaune on 21 November, the third Sunday in November, as per tradition.
Travel & Culture: The Peloponnese In Greece
The Peloponnese is a hotspot for people from all over the world but still remains to its traditional Greek roots. The olive groves, its rich history and the stunning coastline, which provides kilometres of golden beaches – it never gets old.
The Peloponnese or Peloponnesus is a peninsula and geographic region in southern Greece. It is connected to the central part of the country by the Isthmus of Corinth land bridge which separates the Gulf of Corinth from the Saronic Gulf.
Poetic Short Films: “Home” – The Himalayas Of Ladakh
Going the distance is not about how far away will you get, But from what length you are willing to return.
Seldom, we get to do projects crafted with so much perseverance, honesty, and love. Shooting at one of the most humble places in the world – Ladakh and exploring a side we hadn’t seen before, be it the raw beauty of the place or the wholehearted emotions of its people – it was a process that got us close to the feeling of being a Himalayan. Their way of life made us think if we are missing a point when we say we need to go the distance in life. Maybe at times going the distance could mean going back, to your roots. This introspection is what fuelled our latest project ‘Home’ for the Royal Enfield Himalayan.
We would like to thank some really talented minds who got associated with the project because they felt what we felt. It was an ever-evolving collaboration where each crew member brought something special to the film. A project that started with a casual conversation about doing something meaningful to shaping a strong idea and concept, to multiple jamming sessions with some of the best writers in the industry, to finally shooting in the extreme winter conditions of Ladakh (-17°C at 17,000 Feet to be precise), to endless hours on the edit, grade, and music. Yes, it’s been a long journey and a beautiful one.
We feel proud & blessed to be a part of this project and to having some of the most beautiful people in our team without whom this film wouldn’t be what it is. Grateful to each one of you for making this piece your own.
We’re excited to share our latest film with you all. Hope this finds a place in your heart as well.
Concept & Directed By : Aiman Ali
Starring : Chum Darang
Executive Producers : Nupur Guha & Tushar Raut
Senior Producer : Mrudangi Jasani Baidya
Producer : Suraj Shetty
Views: Mining Gold On Sangihe Island, Indonesia
There is gold on Indonesia’s Sangihe island, and a Canadian-listed mining company has a permit to exploit it. Environmentalists say the gold mine threatens the island’s ancient forests, which are home to endemic birds. Locals fear it will affect their water supply. The BBC visited the remote island to see what’s at stake.
1950’s: A ‘Moral Panic’ That Targeted Comic Books
Comic books have been a staple of American pop culture for the better part of 90 years. The origin story of comics as we know them, however, is much more complicated. In the 1950s, a moral panic swept across the country — one in which parents and children burned comic books by the bushel in public gatherings — and led to the near destruction of the comic book industry. Comics were big business even by the 1940s. They reached millions of readers each week. And the superheroes created then have now become billion-dollar franchises, showcased in blockbuster films and massive conventions such as Comic-Con. Events in 1954, however, almost changed that. Laws were passed. Careers were ruined. And comics fell under a strict censorship regime that lasted for decades to come.
Culture & Photography: ‘Japan – 1900’ (Taschen)
1868 saw Japan open its doors to the outside world, putting an end to more than 200 years of national seclusion and heralding a new era that brought the country firmly into the modern age.
Curating some of the first photographic images of the country, Sabine Arqué and Sebastian Dobson unveil an epic panorama of 1900s Japan, guiding us from Beppu’s hot springs to bustling Osaka, from the historic capitals of Nara and Kyoto to their modern successor, Tokyo.
Boomers Daily 