The French Riviera, also known as the Côte d’Azur, is one of the most incredible regions in Europe. Enjoy this travel guide across the French Riviera’s most amazing places. From the chic vibes of Saint Tropez, to the Calanques of Cassis, the French Riviera is waiting to be experienced.
Category Archives: Travel
Travel Guide: Gulf Shores & Orange Beach, Alabama
Gulf Shores is a city on Alabama’s Gulf Coast. Its Gulf State Park has beaches, trails and a pier, plus a golf course and a zip line over the dunes. To the west, sea turtles and migratory birds thrive among the coastal habitats of Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge. Farther west, 19th-century Fort Morgan guards Mobile Bay. The Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo offers hands-on encounters with lemurs, kangaroos and sloths.
Orange Beach is a small city on Alabama’s Gulf Coast. It’s known as a water sports hub. Located on Wolf Bay, Waterfront Park has a fishing pier and picnic areas. The Orange Beach Indian & Sea Museum explores Native American and fishing history. To the west, The Wharf is a shopping area with an amphitheater. The Backcountry Trail winds from the city through Gulf State Park’s beaches in the nearby city of Gulf Shores.
Cinematic Short Films: ‘Watchtower Of China’
Directed and Edited by Leonardo Dalessandri
Creating Watchtower of China was a labour of love. I say labour because we, meaning my crew and I, throughout three consecutive summers, visited over seventy cities and travelled countless thousands of kilometers. Everywhere we went, we found ourselves channelling the powerful energy of this great land to find the strength and inspiration to continue our quest along what became life-changing for all of us. When we initially gathered together we were a film crew. By the time we were done, three years later, we had become a family.
I say love, because what we have created is more than just a film. It is a declaration of our love for this Country.
When I set out on this project I wanted to create a visual tribute to China – an honest observation of daily life. Not a surface travelog, but a real and raw representation of the cultural history. An honoring of Chinese culture, identity, and the complex and varied way of living that spans the enormity of the Chinese territory. A window on the dedication and discipline, the craftsmanship and hard work of the Chinese people. They have an energy of moving forward together as they draw power and inspiration from a culture that looks back over thousands of years, yet rushes fearlessly towards a bold future.
I started to feel this intense energy, as though this cultural pride and determination were now moving through me and my camera. The experience of this film buried itself so deeply within me that I can still feel the hard day’s work in my muscles.
It couldn’t have come together without the help of my dear friends, especially Jolien Snyers and Ricky Choy (did you spot Ricky in the film? She’s in multiple shots and sings in the very last taxi shot!)
It is one of my proudest accomplishments.
I hope you love it.
INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/leonardodalessandri
FACEBOOK: facebook.com/leonardolucadalessandri
MUSIC by Ezio Bosso
© Sony Music Italy – Buxus Edizioni
eziobosso.com
Dutch Views: Keukenhof – Garden Of Europe (4K)
Keukenhof, also known as the Garden of Europe, is one of the world’s largest flower gardens, situated in the municipality of Lisse, in the Netherlands. According to the official website, Keukenhof Park covers an area of 32 hectares and approximately 7 million flower bulbs are planted in the gardens annually.
Village Walks: Zermatt In Southern Switzerland
Zermatt, in southern Switzerland’s Valais canton, is a mountain resort renowned for skiing, climbing and hiking. The town, at an elevation of around 1,600m, lies below the iconic, pyramid-shaped Matterhorn peak. Its main street, Bahnhofstrasse is lined with boutique shops, hotels and restaurants, and also has a lively après-ski scene. There are public outdoor rinks for ice-skating and curling.
Adventure: Cycling In The Rainforests Of Costa Rica
Four bike riders travel to the verdant lands of Costa Rica. With 90% humidity and an average daily temperature of 31º, the conditions posed a challenge but it was the terrain that proved the biggest test. From unexpected river crossings and unrelenting rainstorms to forging new friendships and fortuitous cafe finds, the Costa Rican climate and its contagious ‘Pura Vida’ perspective set up one very special trip.
Costa Rica is a rugged, rainforested Central American country with coastlines on the Caribbean and Pacific. Though its capital, San Jose, is home to cultural institutions like the Pre-Columbian Gold Museum, Costa Rica is known for its beaches, volcanoes, and biodiversity. Roughly a quarter of its area is made up of protected jungle, teeming with wildlife including spider monkeys and quetzal birds.
Hikes: Tüfelsschlucht Gorge In Switzerland
The name Tüfelsschlucht means “The Devil’s Gorge” and this is considered to be one of the most beautiful of the numerous gorges in the Jura. The 2.2km long gorge winds its way along the Cholersbach Stream and is connected by 32 bridges and catwalks.
Cabin Tours: Coromandel Bach In New Zealand (4K)
Coromandel Bach, an architect’s own tiny cabin, is designed by Crosson Architects as a functional holiday home. The timber residence is the ideal place of retreat away from busy urban life. Settled on the eastern side of The Coromandel Peninsula, Coromandel Bach is an architect’s own tiny cabin.
Video timeline: 00:00 – The Local Project Print Publication 00:10 – Introduction to the Architect’s Own Tiny Cabin 00:36 – Designing Using Timber 01:35 – The Perfect Holiday House 02:33 – Entering the Tiny Cabin 03:19 – The Bathroom 04:00 – The Kitchen and Dining Spaces 04:23 – An Experimental Home 05:42 – Celebrating Success 06:04
The holiday house sits on a site with no other buildings; no bush, just a north-facing view to white sandy beaches and a series of islands. As an architect’s own tiny cabin, Coromandel Bach expresses a studious approach to form and function. In a manner reminiscent of a suitcase, the architecture of the home can fold open or closed depending on the needs of the occupant, protecting its interior from the natural elements in some instances or embracing the outdoors in others.
The inspiration underpinning Coromandel Bach’s ‘refined camping’ is thoroughly executed, as would be expected in an architect’s own tiny cabin. Crosson Architects omits curtains and drapes from the interior design, enabling occupants to rise with the sun. Nature is celebrated using natural timber and through innovative features such as a bathtub on wheels that allows bathing outdoors in the morning sun or under the stars.
A unique example of an architect’s own tiny cabin, Coromandal Bach is a textural building with an innate sense of dynamism. The residential experience proposed by Crosson Architects is synonymous with the experience of nature.
Walking Tour: Compiègne In Northern France (4K)
Compiègne, town, Oise département, Hauts-de-France région, northern France. It lies along the Oise River, at the northwest edge of the forest of Compiègne.
Of Roman origin, it was referred to in 557 as Compendium, a name derived from a word meaning “short cut” (between Beauvais and Soissons). The town flourished in the Middle Ages and was the site of assemblies and councils under the Merovingian kings. In 833 Louis the Pious was deposed there. Charles II the Bald enlarged the town and founded the Abbey of Saint-Corneille, now the home of the municipal library. Compiègne became a commune in 1153, and a monument to Joan of Arc commemorates her capture there by the Burgundians in 1430.
Village Walks: Frigiliana In Southern Spain (4K)
Frigiliana is a town in southern Spain. It’s known for its Moorish old quarter and narrow streets decorated with ceramic mosaics. El Ingenio is a 16th-century Renaissance palace now housing a sugar cane factory. Exhibits at the Archaeological Museum include Neolithic bones, Phoenician pottery and a 16th-century dagger. Sierras de Tejeda, Almijara y Alhama Natural Park shelters Spanish ibex and peregrine falcons.
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