Category Archives: Travel

Travel: A Walking Tour Of Rouen, Northern France

Filmed on March 11 2023: Rouen, capital of the northern French region of Normandy, is a port city on the river Seine. Important in the Roman era and Middle Ages, it has Gothic churches, such as Saint-Maclou and Saint-Ouen, and a cobblestoned pedestrian center with medieval half-timbered houses. The skyline is dominated by the spires of Cathédrale Notre-Dame, much-painted by Impressionist Claude Monet. 

The old city, on the right bank of the Seine River and surrounded by a natural amphitheatre of hills, has so many historical buildings that it has been called a ville-musée (museum-town). Indeed, much of this area was designated a preservation zone. Despite its variety of architectural styles (from early Gothic to late Flamboyant) and its lack of symmetry, Rouen cathedral is considered one of the finest Gothic churches in France. Damaged during World War II, it has been admirably restored. The immense facade, covered with lacelike stonework, stands between two dissimilar towers, the left dating mostly from the 12th century, and the right from the 15th century. Its Tour de Beurre has a carillon of 55 bells. The central lantern tower (13th–16th century), with a late 19th-century spire, is the highest church tower in France (495 feet [151 metres]). 

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UHD Walking Adventures

Tours: The Lighthouse Of Chania, Island Of Crete

Smithsonian Channel (March 16, 2023) – No one is allowed up the historic Chania lighthouse anymore which, for hundreds of years, had guided sailors along the coast. But historian Bettany Hughes has special permission–and she’s taking us with her.

The original Venetian lighthouse was built around the late 16th century to protect the harbour. A chain could be connected from the base of the lighthouse to the fortress of Firkas in oder to close the harbour.

During the Turkish occupation the lighthouse fell into disrepair and was eventually rebuilt between 1824 and 1832 in the form of a minaret. The modern lighthouse is often referred to as ‘ Egyptian’ because it was built during a time where Crete was occupied by Egyptian troops who were supporting the weakening Ottoman Empire against the rebelious Cretans.

Arts/History: Smithsonian Magazine – April/May 2023

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Smithsonian Magazine – April/May 2023 Issue

America’s Waterways: The Past, Present and Future

The sun sets over the Susquehanna River in northern Pennsylvania.

Scientists endlessly study lakes and rivers, historians document them, artists paint them, and travelers continue to explore them. In a series of articles, Smithsonian magazine highlights all that draws our eyes to our nation’s fresh and coastal waters.

TRAVEL

A Nostalgic Trip Awaits at the World’s Largest Lunchbox Museum

More than 3,000 lunchboxes are on display inside the "World's Largest Lunchbox Museum."

Take a journey back to your elementary school cafeteria with a visit to the Georgia outpost

The 70 Million-Year-Old History of the Mississippi River

The Mississippi Delta, seen from space in 2001.
The Mississippi Delta, seen from space in 2001. NASA / Jesse Allen

Dive into the secret past and uncertain future of the body of water that has defined a nation


Tours: Inside France’s Most Beautiful Gardens

FRANCE 24 (March 15, 2023) – The most beautiful gardens in France are the fruit of monumental work by men and women, in partnership with Mother Nature. In the north of Corsica, the magnificent floral paradise of Parc de Saleccia was born from the ashes of a terrible fire in 1974.

Much further north, near Mont-Saint-Michel in Normandy, the Château de La Ballue is most remarkable for its listed gardens, where geometric shapes abound. Finally, on the French Riviera, the luxurious Eilenroc villa is especially famous for its rose garden, with varieties named after film stars.

Reviews: Food & Wine Magazine – April 2023

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FOOD & WINE MAGAZINE – APRIL 2023 ISSUE:

Drinks Innovators of the Year 2023

Food & Wine Drinks Innovators of the Year 2023

For our second annual Food & Wine Drinks Innovators of the Year, we combed the ranks of brewers, winemakers, and distillers to single out the people changing the way we drink. But innovation doesn’t necessarily just mean a new tweak to a process or a new category of alcoholic (or non-alcoholic) beverage. 

Why This Island Is Considered the Culinary Capital of Greece

Chania, Crete, Greece

Greece‘s largest island, Crete, is home of the first European civilization, and, in many ways, it holds the mystery — and secret — of the Mediterranean diet

Crete checks everything off the list of Greek specialtieswine from centuries-old vineyards that is some of the best in the Mediterranean; olive oil dubbed the “elixir of life” and said to be the source of the high longevity rate; and the infamous cheese, which is so specific, villages have their signature. 

Anthony Bourdain Once Said This Restaurant in Paris Was a Must-Visit, Second Only to the Eiffel Tower

North Carolina’s ‘Triangle’ Is the Perfect Destination for a Weekend of Eating

Aerial Views: Island Of Santo Antão, Cape Verde

March 15, 2023: Santo Antão is the westernmost island of Cape Verde. At 785 km², it is the largest of the Barlavento Islands group, and the second largest island of Cape Verde. The nearest island is São Vicente to the southeast, separated by the sea channel Canal de São Vicente.

Cape Verde or Cabo Verde, officially the Republic of Cabo Verde, is an archipelago and island country in the central Atlantic Ocean, consisting of ten volcanic islands with a combined land area of about 4,033 square kilometres.

Filmed and edited by: Fabian Wüst

Travel: The Historic Trans-Bhutan Trail Is Reopened

BBC News (March 14, 2023) – Once the lifeline of Bhutan, the 403km Trans-Bhutan Trail connected the affluent western districts of Haa to the remote far eastern Trashigang. The trail dates back to the 16th Century, and was used by monarchs, traders, pilgrims and messengers for hundreds of years, but fell into disuse soon after Bhutan developed its highway in the 1960s. Now, more than 60 years later, the historic trail has reopened.

Trans Bhutan Trail
A local walks in a field in Paro; 70 percent of the kingdom is covered with greenery.

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Travel & Nature: National Geographic – April 2023

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National Geographic Magazine – April 2023

​There’s a true story behind ‘Cocaine Bear’—and it’s no laughing matter

​The new comedic horror film is based on the real-life drug overdose of an American black bear—and illustrates how human recklessness endangers wildlife.

Black bear eating dandelion.

Unlike the movie, the real-life cocaine bear didn’t go on a coke-fueled rampage, but it did consume a fatal amount of cocaine left in the woods by smugglers. Here, an American black bear, Ursus americanus, eats dandelions. 

New Books: Wanderlust Nordics – May 2023

Gestalten Publishing (May 2023) – From spectacular fjords in Norway, the arctic tundra and serene forests in Sweden, to a plethora of enchanting lakes in Finland and the Ice Sheet of Greenland —the Nordics offer a breathtaking variety of landscapes and endless options to hike.

Mid-June to late September. Due to the warm currents of the Gulf Stream, the Lofoten Islands experience a relatively mild oceanic climate. Despite it lying at a similar latitude to places such as Alaska and Greenland, average winter and summer temperatures in the archipelago are a comparatively balmy 1°C (33.8°F) and 13°C (55.4°F), respectively. Get more hiking tips with Wanderlust Nordics, a book by gestalten and Cam Honan.

Wanderlust Nordics invites you to boast into this distinctive wilderness with a wide range and appealing mix of trails. This is a book that will have you heading north.

Approximately 80 percent of Greenland is covered by a vast ice sheet. The remaining 20 percent of this ironically named island is a coastal corridor that is mostly ice-free during the summer months. It is here among the sparsely populated bays, inlets, and fjords, that the Arctic Circle Trail (ACT) can be found, a legendary hiking route that traverses the most extensive strip of terra firma in Western Greenland. Discover more in Wanderlust Nordics by gestalten and Cam Honan.

Cam Honan has trekked across 61 countries and six continents, logging over 60,000 mi (96,500 km) in three decades. He has authored four bestselling titles for gestalten—WanderlustWanderlust USAWanderlust Himalaya, and The Hidden Tracks. Cam has been described by Backpacker Magazine as “the most travelled hiker on Earth”.

Traverse the World's most beautiful Archipelago with Wanderlust Nordics, a incredible book by Cam Honan.

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Italy Travel: The ‘Via Di Linari’ Pilgrimage Route

Emilia Romagna Tourism (March 13, 2023) – Walking along the Via di Linari, an ancient pilgrimage route towards Rome (alternative to the Via Francigena) which connects Fidenza to the Linari Abbey, a religious settlement that once stood on the mountain ridge between Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna.

It was established as a safer route to Tuscany compared to the Via Francigena, and it soon became an important road both for pilgrims on their way to Rome and as a trade route for the city of Parma. Like the  St Vicinio Way, the Linari Way was dotted with parish churches and hospitalia, places where travellers could find shelter from the elements and bandits.