Category Archives: Travel

Lifestyle: Country Life Magazine – Nov 16, 2022

Country Life Magazine – November 16, 2022 issue:

SURVIVING WINTER: Joe Gibbs summons the fortitude of our forebears in a bid to survive the cold season in an old house with rattling windows, draughty chimneys and a leaky roof.

NEWS: What impact will inflation and the cost-of-living crisis have on our historic houses and churches?

MASTERPIECEThe Forstye Saga‘s enduring appeal.

ARCHITECTURE: Drapers’ Hall: An enduring force for good.

FURNITURE: The joys of gilded furniture.

INTERIORS: Fat, often glistening metallic tassels, fringes, cords and braids—known as passementerie—have been beautifying interiors for centuries, reveals an admiring Matthew Dennison.

Micronesia Views: Marine Sanctuaries In Palau

CBS Mornings – As small island developing states make their case for climate awareness at COP27 in Egypt, one member of the group is reconsidering a historic act of preservation it undertook two years ago. Lee Cowan reports.

Palau is an archipelago of over 500 islands, part of the Micronesia region in the western Pacific Ocean. Koror Island is home to the former capital, also named Koror, and is the islands’ commercial center. The larger Babeldaob has the present capital, Ngerulmud, plus mountains and sandy beaches on its east coast. In its north, ancient basalt monoliths known as Badrulchau lie in grassy fields surrounded by palm trees.

Photography: National Geographic – Dec 2022

Picture of a person wearing a silver head-to-toe suit holding a rake standing on black rocks with blue sky and pink clouds in the background, surrounded by a yellow border.

National Geographic – December 2022: Clad in protective gear, military emergency specialist Armando Salazar makes his way across sizzling rock as he helps scientists collect samples during the fall 2021 volcanic eruption on La Palma, one of the Spanish Canary Islands.

Blue Cypress Lake, Florida // Mac Stone

A stream of light in the night sky over a swampy area in Florida

Qaanaaq, Greenland // Kiliii Yüyan

Two people pushing baby strollers across ice in the arctic

Travel Tours: Museum Of The Bavarian Kings (2022)

Many visitors to Schloss Neuschwanstein combine their visit with the Museum of the Bavarian Kings, also located in Hohenschwangau in the former Grandhotel Alpenrose. The museum that opened in 2011 offers more than 1000 m2 of exhibition on the history of the dynasty of the Bavarian Kings.

Old objects, interesting stories and interactive media take you into the history of the Wittelsbach dynasty. In particular King Maximilian II, who made the Hohenschwangau Castle into a summer residence, and King Ludwig II, who built Neuschwanstein , play a central role in the museum. From the first floor you have a magnificent panorama over the Alpsee lake.

Michelin Guide: A Tour Of Restaurants In Estonia

MICHELIN Guide – The MICHELIN Guide makes you travel to Estonia to discover the treasures of this country and their products. Following the launch of the first MICHELIN Guide Estonia in May 2022, we take a closer look at this popular Baltic region.

We hear from several of the forward-thinking chefs whose restaurants feature in the first MICHELIN Guide Estonia. They tell us about culinary traditions and classic recipes passed down through generations, as well as the importance of the seasons, foraging and fermentation in Estonian culture. Discover why now is an exciting time to be a chef in Estonia, as the country’s diverse cuisine finally gets the international recognition it deserves.

Some MICHELIN Guide Selections:

Wicca

Laulasmaa, Estonia

Lahepere Villa

Kloogaranna, Estonia

Puri

Tallinn, Estonia

NOA Chef’s Hall

Tallinn, Estonia

City Guide: Top Things To Do In Vilnius, Lithuania

This is not for people with a fear of heights: Join DW reporter Axel Primavesi on the observation deck of the Vilnius TV tower! But before Axel looks down from a height of 170 meters onto the capital of Lithuania, he will introduce you to Cathedral Square and a typical Lithuanian specialty, Šaltibarščiai.

Views: Sugba Lagoon In Siargao, Philippines (4K)

Sugba Lagoon is a hidden gem and a must-visit when in Siargao, Philippines. It can be reached within less than an hour by boat from Siargao and is definitely worth a trip. This lagoon offers the most transparent and turquoise water, stand-up paddleboarding, kayaking, and much more.

Nature: ‘Four Seasons In Yorkshire Dales’, England

The Yorkshire Dales is home to outstanding scenery, great castles, abbeys and a breathtakingly peaceful atmosphere. At its heart are two very special protected areas – Yorkshire Dales National Park  and  Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) – as well as it having the Forest of Bowland AONB and North Pennines AONB as its close neighbours. These protected areas are truly not to be missed.

“Yorkshire Dales, a home to 20000 people and 600000 sheep. The Dales is group of river valley in north England, each valley having its own character. This short film shows variety of seasons in the Dales and typical Yorkshire Dales landscape, such as drystone walls, wildflower meadows and limestone pavements.”

Filmed and Edited by: Alex William Helin

Music by Mark Petrie and Andrew Phrahlow, licensed from Audio Network. Sound effects are from Epidemic Sound.

Travel Tours: Gorizia In Northeastern Italy (4K)

Massimo Nalli – Gorizia is a town and comune in northeastern Italy, in the autonomous region of Friuli Venezia Giulia. It is located at the foot of the Julian Alps, bordering Slovenia. It was the capital of the former Province of Gorizia and is a local center of tourism, industry, and commerce. 

The video shows the main attractions of the city of Gorizia. The city forms an urban area integrated also administratively with the Slovenian municipalities of Nova Gorica and San Pietro-Vertoiba. The territory of the Slovenian city of Nova Gorica was an integral part of the municipality of Gorizia until 1947, when Istria and a large part of Venezia Giulia were ceded to Yugoslavia following the Treaty of Paris.

  • – Gorizia Cathedral: dedicated to the Aquileian saints Ilario and Taziano and elevated to the rank of cathedral in 1752, it is the main ecclesiastical building in Gorizia. – Church of Sant’Ignazio: It is a Baroque building erected between 1654 and 1723-1724, which was consecrated only in 1767. While the facade is a synthesis of Austrian and Latin elements, the interior is of purely Latin derivation. It contains valuable paintings and frescoes. – Castle of Gorizia: Perhaps the best known monument of the city, it stands on the highest point of a steep hill. The manor welcomes visitors with a Venetian lion, which however is not the one that was affixed by the Republic of Venice during the brief occupation of the city (1508-1509) but by the fascist government, after a radical restoration, which ended in 1937. Closed at the time of my visit.
  • – Piazza della Vittoria; The largest in the city, overlooked by the church of Sant’Ignazio. Here we also find the Casa Torriana, of sixteenth-century origin, today the seat of the Prefecture. Among the many illustrious guests who lived there, there was also Giacomo Casanova, who stayed there in 1773. In the center of the square is the Fountain of Neptune, built in the mid-eighteenth century by the Paduan Marco Chiereghin on a project by Nicolò Pacassi, while in front to the church of Sant’Ignazio there is the Column of Sant’Ignazio, donated by Count Andrea di Porcia and placed here in 1687.
  • – Piazza Sant’Antonio: Bordered by an airy colonnade, which once belonged to the cloister of a convent founded in the thirteenth century – as legend has it – by Saint Anthony of Padua. Two of the most interesting buildings in the city overlook the square, the Palazzo dei Baroni Lantieri and the Palazzo dei Conti di Strassoldo. – Piazza della Transalpina: The Piazza della Transalpina takes its name from the Jesenice-Trieste railway line to which the station located in Slovenian territory belongs. This stretch, which was inaugurated by Archduke Francesco Ferdinando in 1906, connects Trieste with Jesenice and then enters Central Europe. In modern times the whole square appears to have been restructured to form a single public space where the free movement of pedestrians is allowed. In place of the central part of the Wall of Gorizia that divided the square there is a circular mosaic and the state border – the physical barrier removed – is now indicated by a line of stone tiles.
  • – Piazza Camillo Benso count of Cavour: bounded by the linear facade of the Palazzo degli Stati Provinciali, which now houses the Police Headquarters. Built in 1200 and enlarged in the sixteenth century, the palace was the seat of the “fathers of the Gorizia homeland”, the assembly, which included representatives of the nobility, the clergy and the county, who administered the city and its territory for six centuries. . Other ancient buildings overlook the square: the sixteenth-century Casa del Comune, with its characteristic projection on the upper floors, home of the Gastaldo; the Casa degli Ungrispach, one of the oldest in the city, in late Gothic style, on whose facade stands a plaque with the date Mccccxli. Note the presence of ancient houses at the entrance to via Rastello.

Austria Views: Vienna Christmas Markets 2022

From mid-November until Christmas 2022, Vienna’s most beautiful squares are once again transformed into magical Christmas markets. The aroma of Christmas baking, hot punch and toasted almonds wafts through the air. The Old City and shopping streets are decorated with festive lights that spread the Christmas cheer in Vienna.

A tall arched gateway with candles welcomes visitors at the entrance to the Viennese Christmas Market on City Hall Square. The traditional Christmas Market offers Christmas gifts, Christmas tree decorations, handicrafts, culinary treats, confectionery, and warming drinks. At the Vienna Ice World at the Christmas Market, ice skaters can put on their skates and make rounds through the romantically illuminated City Hall Park. A special attraction for couples in love is the tree of hearts. For children, there’s a 12 meter-high multi-level carousel and in the park a Christmas world with reindeer train, nativity scene trail, children’s chalet, and a designated skating ring.