Category Archives: Travel

2022 Walks: Streets And Piazzas Of Rome, Italy

Filmed in October 2022.

Rome was called the “Eternal City” by the ancient Romans because they believed that no matter what happened in the rest of the world, the city of Rome would always remain standing. Exploring the city centre by foot surrounded by glorious monuments and colossal remains takes you back in time to the “glory that was Rome”.

With its unparalleled history, Rome is the third most visited city in Europe and the fourteenth worldwide. It attracts visitors from all over the world who are impatient to discover the city’s impressive monuments and archaeological sites; not to mention its renowned cuisine and its lively atmosphere.

When exploring the Colosseum, visitors will easily imagine how the gladiators fought for their life in the arena, cheered by the crowd. In the Circus Maximus, travelers will picture the chariots crashing into each other in order to be first in the race, and in the Roman Forum visualise what the Roman public life was like.

Cinematic Short Films: Bordeaux & Saint Emilion

Filmed and edited by: Matteo Bertoli

Bordeaux, city and port, capital of Gironde départementNouvelle-Aquitaine région, southwestern France. It lies along the Garonne River 15 miles (24 km) above its junction with the Dordogne and 60 miles (96 km) from its mouth, in a plain east of the wine-growing district of Médoc.

The dry soil of Médoc attracted settlement as early as the Bronze Age; and, at least since Roman times, Bordeaux has been a flourishing town and port, with connections particularly with Spain and Britain. As Burdigala, it was the chief town of the Bituriges Vivisci, a Celtic people. Under the Romans it was the capital of the province of Aquitania, which extended from the Pyrenees to the Loire. In the 4th century Burdigala, then the capital of Aquitania Secunda (one of the three parts into which the emperor Diocletian had divided Aquitania), was described by the writer Ausonius, a native of the city, as a square, walled town and one of the great educational centres of Gaul. During the decline of the Roman Empire, the region around Bordeaux entered a period of political instability from which it recovered only when the dukes of Aquitaine established themselves early in the 10th century.

Travel: Exploring The City Of Prague, Czech Republic

Prague is one of the most-visited cities in Europe. Before the coronavirus pandemic, overtourism was a real problem here: It was often so crowded that it was almost impossible to move around the historic Old Town, as well as around Charles Bridge, Hradcany Castle Hill, and Wenceslas Square.

What’s it like today, after the pandemic, and what ideas are there for tourism in Prague in the future? DW’s Nicole Frölich visited the Czech capital, and was surprised at what she discovered. Have you ever been to Prague?

Prague, capital city of the Czech Republic, is bisected by the Vltava River. Nicknamed “the City of a Hundred Spires,” it’s known for its Old Town Square, the heart of its historic core, with colorful baroque buildings, Gothic churches and the medieval Astronomical Clock, which gives an animated hourly show. Completed in 1402, pedestrian Charles Bridge is lined with statues of Catholic saints.

Scotland Views: The Beltie Burn – A River Restored

The Easter Beltie Restoration project returned a straightened agricultural stream to a natural meandering course, to improve habitats for nature and boost climate resilience.

The project was the only one of its kind in the north east of Scotland, and has created a new, two-kilometre stretch of meandering river corridor flowing through ten hectares of floodplain, rich in habitats where nature can thrive.

The Beltie Burn is a burn in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, which below Torphins and Glassel is known as the Burn of Canny. It begins in the hill of Benaquhallie, and flows for 25 km south-east through Torphins before joining the River Dee about 4 kilometres west of Banchory.

Previews: Country Life Magazine – Oct 5, 2022

The capital according to… Howard Jacobson tells Harry McKinley about the perfect bagel Trees for life. On the 50th anniversary of the Woodland Trust, Clive Aslet visits the Devon home of its farsighted founder, Ken Watkins. Speaking truth to power, British politicians have been at the mercy of cartoonists for centuries, finds Charles Harris.


Country Life Preview 60

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Autumn 2022 Views: The Lake District, Cumbria, UK

The Lake District is a region and national park in Cumbria in northwest England. A popular vacation destination, it’s known for its glacial ribbon lakes, rugged fell mountains and historic literary associations. Market towns such as Kendal, Ambleside and Keswick on scenic Derwentwater are bases for exploring the area and home to traditional inns, galleries of local art and outdoor equipment shops. 

Brougham castle, Ullswater, Buttermere, Honister Pass, Wast Water.

Travel Tours: A Day In Salzburg, Austria (4K)

Salzburg, city, capital of Salzburg Bundesland (federal state), north-central Austria. It is situated in a level basin on both sides of the Salzach River near the northern foothills of the Alps and the Bavarian (German) border. The historic centre of the city, with its rich mix of art and architecture, was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1996.

Salzburg was originally the site of a Celtic settlement and later of the Roman town of Juvavum. About 700 CE the Benedictine Abbey of St. Peter and the Nonnberg Nunnery were founded there by St. Rupert. Salzburg was made a bishopric by St. Boniface in 739 and was raised to an archbishopric in 798. Its archbishops were acknowledged as princes of the Holy Roman Empire in 1278, and the city became the seat of their powerful ecclesiastical principality. Among the most notable of the prince-archbishops were Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau (reigned 1587–1612), who brought Italian Renaissance architecture and styles to the city, notably by offering commissions to the Italian architect Vincenzo Scamozzi for public squares, a cathedral, and other buildings; Markus Sittikus von Hohenems (reigned 1612–19), who continued to rebuild the city with another Italian architect, Santino Solari; Paris, Graf (count) von Lodron (reigned 1619–53), who founded the city’s university (1622); and Leopold Anton von Firmian (reigned 1727–44).

Filmed in October

Walks: Omaha Beach In Normandy, France (4K)

Omaha Beach is a landing area in Normandy, northern France, used by Allied forces in the WWII D-Day invasion. Today, the beach is dotted with the remains of German bunkers. On the shore, the stainless-steel sculpture Les Braves commemorates American soldiers. Behind the beach is the Musée Mémorial d’Omaha Beach, also documenting the invasion. Nearby, the Overlord Museum displays WWII tanks, artillery and dioramas.

Recording Date: August 2022

Home Tours: Turramurra Threads, Sydney, Australia

As the soothing colours of its interior spill into the garden space, Turramurra Threads feels deliberately nestled into its outdoor complement. Crafted by Benn + Penna, the calming family house is filled with a sense of peace resulting from its understated design.

Video timeline: 00:00 – An Introduction to the Calming Family House 00:30 – Location of the Home 00:43 – The Clients of the Project 01:23 – The Original House 01:51 – The Architects Brief 02:05 – Connecting the House to the Garden 02:25 – Using a Neutral Palette and Natural Materials 03:14 – The Importance of Light in the House 03:45 – The Large Skylight 04:07 – The Arch in the Living Room 04:24 – The New Extension of the Home

Surrounded by charming heritage builds on the northern outskirts of Sydney, Turramurra Threads reimagines an existing Victorian construction. The design brief called for the historic front windows and delicate ceiling detail of the calming family house to be retained whilst an extension be added to the rear, celebrating established architecture in unison with modern amenity.

Featuring the original façade, the calming family house captures a simple spatial plan, directing residents from the old structure into the new. A secondary living space and master bedroom sits perpendicular to the entrance corridor, which leads onto three bedrooms and a study. Beyond, the extension forms a primary living pavilion, opening at its far end to reveal the garden. Rays of sunlight penetrate the calming family house from three points of entry, indicating a studious approach to natural lighting and building materials.

The beams enter from a small pocket garden that serves as a transparent border between the historic and additional architecture and a large skylight positioned on the southern slope of the roof. Enhancing the functionality of a heritage home, Benn + Penna creates an open interior design that engages the garden space. Turramurra Threads is built to embrace the natural surrounds, using its subtle properties to establish a calming family house.