Category Archives: Travel

Top New Travel Videos: “The Arctic Autumn” In Northern Norway By Night Lights Films (2019)

https://vimeo.com/367276687

Filmed, Edited and Directed by: Adrien Mauduit

The Arctic Autumn is back again on Senja island in Northern Norway. And it shows! Each year, September marks the beginning of the Arctic Fall. For many locals, this season is like a new beginning. Not that the summer wasn’t full of life and colors either, but the autumn is largely considered as a favorite time to go outdoors. It might seem odd, but as life progressively goes into its wintery sleep, the landscapes come back to life!

THE ARCTIC AUTUMN short film by Adrien Mauduit 2019
First off, the midnight sun disappears and nighttime comes back. Each day, we lose about 10 minutes of sunlight. With these ever shortening days, the night sky becomes darker for longer. All those dim objects like the milky way that were not visible in the bright summer nights become visible again. More importantly for many chasers, the aurora borealis can finally be contemplated again too! Locals are always so happy to see the first aurorae of the season. Nonetheless the Arctic Fall is so particular because of the palette of colors it has to offer. Already starting from the second week of September, the blueberry and Skrubbær shrubs are turning red on the forest floor. At the very same time, Birch and Aspen trees can take on very flashy yellows or oranges, contrasting with the ever-green pine trees. It’s also a time where the highest mountaintops get sprinkled by the first snowflakes.

THE ARCTIC AUTUMN short film by Adrien Mauduit 2019

Website: https://www.nightlightsfilms.com/

IBM Announces First Fully-Autonomous Ship That Will Cross The Atlantic In September 2020

From an IBM newsroom online release:

“Putting a research ship to sea can cost tens of thousands of dollars or pounds a day and is limited by how much time people can spend onboard – a prohibitive factor for many of today’s marine scientific missions,” said Brett Phaneuf, a Founding Board Member of ProMare and Co-Director of the Mayflower Autonomous Ship project (together with fellow Board Member Fredrik Soreide). “With this project, we are pioneering a cost-effective and flexible platform for gathering data that will help safeguard the health of the ocean and the industries it supports.”

LONDONOct. 16, 2019   IBM announced today that it has joined a global consortium of partners, led by marine research organization ProMare, that are building an unmanned, fully-autonomous ship that will cross the Atlantic on the fourth centenary of the original Mayflower voyage in September 2020.

The Mayflower Autonomous Ship (MAS) will use IBM’s AI, most powerful servers, cloud and edge computing technologies to navigate autonomously and avoid ocean hazards as it makes its way from Plymouth, England to Plymouth, Massachusetts. If successful, it will be one of the first self-navigating, full-sized vessels to cross the Atlantic Ocean and will open the door on a new era of autonomous research ships.

To read more: https://newsroom.ibm.com/2019-10-16-IBM-Boards-the-Mayflower-Autonomous-Ship-Project#assets_all

Top New Travel Videos: “Remains Of The Fall” In Lapland, Finland (2019)

Filmed and Edited by: Timo Oksanen

Remains of the Fall Short Travel Film by Timo Oksanen 2019

In the end of September 2019 the leaves had fallen from most of the trees in Enontekiö, Finland, but the colours were still visible in the ground. I captured the remains of the fall foliage with my DJI Mavic 2 Pro with some help from ground-level timelapse cameras.

Music: Ian Post – Jump Jump

Remains of the Fall Short Travel Film by Timo Oksanen 2019

Website: http://timoksanen.fi/

Top New Exhibitions: “The Last Knight” At The Metropolitan Museum, NYC Through Jan 5, 2020

From the MetMuseum.org online:

The Last Knight Metropolitan Museum of Art Exhibition BookThe Last Knight: The Art, Armor, and Ambition of Maximilian I examines the profound significance of European armor at the dawn of the Renaissance, through the lens of Emperor Maximilian I’s (1459–1519) remarkable life. On view only at The Met, The Last Knight coincides with the five-hundredth anniversary of Maximilian’s death, and is the most ambitious North American loan exhibition of European arms and armor in decades. Including 180 objects selected from some thirty public and private collections in Europe, the Middle East, and the United States, The Last Knight will explore how Maximilian’s unparalleled passion for the trappings and ideals of knighthood served his boundless worldly ambitions, imaginative stratagems, and resolute efforts to forge a lasting personal and family legacy.

This exhibition features many works of art on view outside Europe for the first time, including Maximilian’s own sumptuous armors that highlight his patronage of the greatest European armorers of his age, as well as related manuscripts, paintings, sculpture, glass, tapestry, and toys, all of which emphasize the emperor’s dynastic ambitions and the centrality of chivalry at the imperial court and beyond.

To read more: https://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2019/last-knight-art-armor-ambition-maximilian?utm_source=Exhibitions&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2019_1019_Met_Exhibitions

Future Of Recreation: Winnebago’s Latest All-Electric, Zero-Emission RV

From a Curbed.com online review:

The RV industry has been slow to adopt electric technology, and the innovations that have occurred are stemming from Europe. In recent years we’ve seen a few eco-friendly concept RVs, like an RV covered in solar panels or a travel trailer that can be towed by an electric car. Most recently, a German company debuted the world’s first manufactured electric camper with a decent range of 249 miles. In the U.S., however, the closest thing to an electric camper is the yet to be produced Rivian truck that features a kitchen and tent for overland camping.

Winnebago RV All-Electric

Although years behind the auto industry, the RV industry is finally making making strides in efficiency and green technology. In the latest eco-friendly news, Winnebago Industries has announced that they will help fund the expansion of Motiv Power Systems, a provider of all electric commercial chassis.

To read more: https://www.curbed.com/2019/10/17/20919270/winnebago-rv-electric-camper-motiv-power-systems-investment

Top Scenic Bike Rides: The Hilly Scenery Of Bologna’s Back Country

From an Italy Magazine online article:

Bologna Italy BikingThe awesome sight of the expansive Reno river greets you as you enter Casalecchio di Reno. A fairly non-descript satellite town, Casalecchio’s best asset is Parco Della Chiusa (also known as Parco Talon), a vast forest and nature reserve full of crumbling old mansions, hiking trails and great views of the river and undulating hills. The park is a popular spot for picnics and makes a worthwhile destination on its own.

Italy MagazineIn this half-day cycle starting from central Bologna and ending at the small town of Sasso Marconi, you can take in hilly scenery of Bologna’s back country, see where history was made at the villa of radio pioneer Guglielmo Marconi and sample some local delicacies in one of the province’s best osterias. The route is entirely flat, mostly along cycle paths and can be done by even the most beginner cyclist. With no tourists around, it offers a chance to see Italian life in all of its ordinariness, away from the sometimes twee environs of the centro storico.

In total, the ride from Bologna to Sasso Marconi should take you one hour at a leisurely pace, not counting stops along the way. Rent a bicycle from Dynamo, a bike co-op on Via dell’Indipendenza near the bus station – a half day rental will cost you 13 euros.

To read more: https://www.italymagazine.com/featured-story/get-out-town-half-day-cycle-trip-bologna

Travel Destinations: The Nikko Kanaya Hotel Is A “Glorious Relic From A Lost World” In Japan

From a Wall Street Journal online review:

Nikko Kanaya Hotel Japan HistoryFINICKY WESTERN EATERS would still be relieved to find filet mignon on the French menu of the hotel, now known as the Nikko Kanaya, a 90-minute drive from Tokyo. The dining room itself looks much as it did when it first opened, in 1893 and eagle-eyed diners might notice that the wooden pillars are decorated with flower carvings that echo those of the nearby Toshogu shrine. The views from the guest rooms are likewise unchanged—forest-covered mountains in the background, the same fastidiously manicured gardens in the foreground that the Einsteins strolled in 1922. Other parts of the hotel feel mildly haunted, like a Japanese version of “The Shining.” The wood-paneled lobby is well worn, stairwells creak noticeably and a shadowy cocktail bar features fading black-and-white photos of forgotten ’20s parties, with men in tuxedos and women in frocks smiling at the camera. 

THE 19TH-CENTURY FOREIGNERS who first ventured to the Japanese mountain town of Nikko came away enchanted by the scenery: ornate Shinto shrines set among rivers, forests and waterfalls. But those same visitors were less impressed with the lodging options. Many griped about the local inns, furnished with futon-beds set on the floor and paper walls that offered no privacy. And the food? Overly exotic at best. British traveler Isabella Bird offered a typical review: “The fishy and vegetable abominations known as ‘Japanese food’ can only be swallowed and digested by a few, and that after long practice.” In 1873, in an attempt to cater to Western sensibilities, Zenichiro Kanaya, a 21-year-old temple musician, opened rooms in his family house, serving guests simply-prepared poultry, rainbow trout and eggs.

To read more: https://www.wsj.com/articles/this-japanese-hotel-is-a-glorious-relic-from-a-lost-world-11571314355

New Destination Hotels: Le Grand Contrôle At The Château de Versailles Opens In Spring 2020

From a Curbed.com online article:

Le Grand Contrôle Hotel Versailles FrancePart of the luxury hotel chain Les Airelles, Le Grand Contrôle is named for the building it will occupy—a 17th-century structure once used as the finance hub of the palace. The hotel will have 14 rooms, some of them apartments, as well as a wellness center, indoor swimming pool, and an Alain Ducase restaurant.

Its views include the ornate gardens outside of the Orangery, a building custom built for housing the palace’s array of tropical trees during winter.

Though the hotel is keeping mum about the details on the interior, The Spaces reports that Parisian designer Christophe Tollemer will render the hotel in classic 18th-century style, gold, glass, and molding. There’s no word on rates yet, but we’ll go ahead and guess they’ll be as haute as the hotel itself.

To read more: https://www.curbed.com/2019/10/16/20916473/versailles-france-hotel-le-grand-controle

Top New Travel Videos: “Redwoods” Directed By Rudy Wilms (2019)

Filmed and Directed by: Rudy Wilms

Redwoods Nature Film by Rudy Wilms (2019)

There is no other forest in the world then this one with it largest tree in the world. The redwoods are the tallest, among the oldest,and one of the most massive tree species on Earth.I am so grateful for the work of the Save the Redwoods League, that was founded in 1918 to preserve remaining old-growth nearly 90% of the original redwood trees had been logged. It was our biggest challenge to capture the true beauty and greatness of these giants this is definitely a park you need to see with your own eyes we have visited many different national park but this one is so magical I truly believe it should be on one of the wonders of the world list.No wonder Jurassic Park and one of the Star wars was filmed here this forest feel so ancient when we saw fern canyon I could easily imagine the dinosaur passing us when we walked in the canyon.

Redwoods Nature Film by Rudy Wilms (2019)

Website: http://www.rudywilms.com/

Ultimate Campers: The High Technology Inside 2019 Hymer Camper Vans

From a New Atlas online article:

Hymer certainly gave credit where it was due, recognizing BASF’s role in the opening paragraph of its VisionVenture announcement and detailing elements like the Chromacool exterior paint and Veneo Slate transforming-bathroom trim. Still, it wasn’t quite clear just how deep BASF’s participation ran. Knowing a thing or two about the power of a buzzy concept vehicle (like a bike or car), BASF released some additional information last week to squeeze a little extra press out of the VisionVenture, a star of the 2019 Caravan Salon that featured in RV, auto and tech publications and blogs all over the world.

Hymer Camper Van BASF Advanced Materials

VisionVenture from HymerEven with a few months of 2019 left to go, we feel confident that the Hymer VisionVenture is the coolest camper van of the year. The concept camper has absolutely captured the public’s imagination, showing how a little bit of creative tinkering can turn the art of sleeping in a van into world-class luxury travel. When Hymer announced the concept at the start of the 2019 Düsseldorf Caravan Salon, it mentioned incorporating over 20 materials and technologies from German chemical giant BASF, touching upon some of the most integral. BASF jumped in this month to further detail exactly how its tech can benefit future van lifers.

To read more: https://newatlas.com/automotive/basf-details-hymer-visionventure-camper-van/