Category Archives: Culture

Cultural Views: A Barley Harvest In Himalayan Tibet

This is the most important season for the farmers, because it’s the harvest time for them. The hardy qingke barley, also known as highland barley, has long been the main crop on the plateau, and has become a staple of the Tibetan diet, used in almost every meal as tsampa, and even used to make barley wine and a number of other dishes. A unique, drought-resistant crop, barley is grown in many places across the plateau, and is the only grain crop that can grow comfortably in the higher reaches of the plateau, including the extreme north.

Travel: Germany’s New World Heritage Sites

Take a look at Germany’s new UNESCO World Heritage Sites. We take you to the spa towns of Baden-Baden, Bad Ems and Bad Kissingen, as well as the artist colony Mathildenhöhe in Darmstadt. We will also show you the Jewish heritage cities of Speyer, Worms and Mainz, and follow the footsteps of the Romans along the limes.

Cover Previews: France Magazine – October 2021

Visit the fabled Paris bookshop Shakespeare and CompanyOutside the Paris bookshop Shakespeare and Company. Pic: Bonnie ElliottOutside the Paris bookshop Shakespeare and Company. Pic: Bonnie Elliott

“There are bookshops so packed with history, eccentricity and cultural clout they become a story themselves and the subject of literature. They have the kind of aura that extends beyond bookshelves and rises above commerce, offering writers and readers a refuge from the storms outside, a place where you feel a potential literary superstar just to hang out there.

City Lights in San Francisco (est. 1953), Strand bookstore in New York (est. 1927) and Foyles in London (est. 1903) fall into this category, but the stand-out trailblazer of them all has to be Shakespeare and Company in Paris, ‘a novel in three words’, as the founder of its current manifestation, George Whitman, once described it.”

Views: Goat Herding With Drones & Smartphones In Inner Mongolia (Video)

Troubled by his missing goat, Hu-Chun, a herder living in the steppes of Inner Mongolia, embarks on a journey to bring Ghalatar back into the fold. With a smartphone in hand and a motorcycle as his faithful steed, Hu-Chun traverses the mountain and desert plains herding around 500 goats. As a college-educated man who has returned from the city to continue his family’s agricultural way of life, Hu-Chun is part of a new generation of Mongolian herders embracing technology and a traditional lifestyle. He has also installed a 360-degree camera on top of a hill to monitor the precipitous terrain surrounding his home… continue reading on https://o6g7.app.link/kCWWETUZ1ib

Island Views: Culture, Cuisine & History Of Corfu

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.

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 TimesCNN OnlineThe Art NewspaperArtforumArtsyArtnetWallpaper* 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.

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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.