Caen is a port city and capital of Calvados department in northern France’s Normandy region. Its center features the Château de Caen, a circa-1060 castle built by William the Conqueror. It stands on a hill flanked by the Romanesque abbeys of Saint-Étienne and Sainte-Trinité, which both date from the same period. The multimedia Mémorial museum is devoted to World War II, the 1944 Battle of Normandy and the Cold War.
Category Archives: Views
Front Page: The New York Times – October 1, 2022
With Bluster and Threats, Putin Casts the West as the Enemy
Declaring that Russia would annex four regions of Ukraine, which the West rejects as illegal, the Russian president accused the U.S. and its allies of “despotism’’ and “Satanism.’’
Biden Calls on World to Punish Russia for Attempt to Annex Ukrainian Land
The U.S. imposed new sanctions on Russian officials and companies, and penalized foreign businesses aiding the Russian military. But officials are holding back on energy sanctions.
Village Walking Tours: Pienza In Tuscany, Italy (4K)
Pienza is a town in Tuscany, Italy. The central Piazza Pio II is framed by 15th-century buildings like the Pienza Cathedral and Piccolomini Palace. The latter was Pope Pius II’s summer residence and features a roof garden with valley views. Flemish tapestries and the pope’s embroidered cape are on display at the Diocesan Museum. West is the Pieve di Corsignano, a Romanesque church with a circular bell tower.
Walks: Mont Saint-Michel In Normandy, France (4K)
Mont-Saint-Michel, rocky islet and famous sanctuary in Manche département, Normandy région, France, off the coast of Normandy. It lies 41 miles (66 km) north of Rennes and 32 miles (52 km) east of Saint-Malo. Around its base are medieval walls and towers above which rise the clustered buildings of the village with the ancient abbey crowning the mount. One of the more popular tourist attractions in France, Mont-Saint-Michel was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1979.
Mont-Saint-Michel is almost circular (about 3,000 feet [900 metres] in circumference) and consists of a granite outcrop rising sharply (to 256 feet [78 metres]) out of Mont-Saint-Michel Bay (between Brittany and Normandy). Most of the time it is surrounded by vast sandbanks and becomes an island only when the tides are very high. Before the construction of the 3,000-foot causeway that connects the island to land, it was particularly difficult to reach because of quicksand and very fast-rising tides. The causeway, however, has become a barrier to the removal of material by the tides, resulting in higher sandbanks between the islet and the coast.
Filmed in August 2022.
360° Travel: The Taj Mahal, Agra, Northern India (8K)
Taj Mahal, also spelled Tadj Mahall, mausoleum complex in Agra, western Uttar Pradesh state, northern India. The Taj Mahal was built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahān (reigned 1628–58) to immortalize his wife Mumtaz Mahal (“Chosen One of the Palace”), who died in childbirth in 1631, having been the emperor’s inseparable companion since their marriage in 1612. India’s most famous and widely recognized building, it is situated in the eastern part of the city on the southern (right) bank of the Yamuna (Jumna) River. Agra Fort (Red Fort), also on the right bank of the Yamuna, is about 1 mile (1.6 km) west of the Taj Mahal.
In its harmonious proportions and its fluid incorporation of decorative elements, the Taj Mahal is distinguished as the finest example of Mughal architecture, a blend of Indian, Persian, and Islamic styles. Other attractions include twin mosque buildings (placed symmetrically on either side of the mausoleum), lovely gardens, and a museum. One of the most beautiful structural compositions in the world, the Taj Mahal is also one of the world’s most iconic monuments, visited by millions of tourists each year. The complex was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1983.
Cinematic Travel Films: ‘Lost In Alaska’ (2022)
A short film by Sam Newton.
Alaska, constituent state of the United States of America. It was admitted to the union as the 49th state on January 3, 1959.
Alaska lies at the extreme northwest of the North American continent, and the Alaska Peninsula is the largest peninsula in the Western Hemisphere. Because the 180th meridian passes through the state’s Aleutian Islands, Alaska’s westernmost portion is in the Eastern Hemisphere. Thus, technically, Alaska is in both hemispheres.
Alaska is bounded by the Beaufort Sea and the Arctic Ocean to the north, Canada’s Yukon territory and British Columbia province to the east, the Gulf of Alaska and the Pacific Ocean to the south, the Bering Strait and the Bering Sea to the west, and the Chukchi Sea to the northwest. The capital is Juneau, which lies in the southeast, in the panhandle region.
Travel Guide: The Food & Sights In Valencia, Spain
Our Valencia travel guide! Never before has a city taken me quite like Valencia did. A weekend break to this Spanish gem inspired me to return just two weeks later to film an episode in Valencia.
Video timeline: 00:00 – Intro 01:05 – Transport 03:19 – Sponsor 04:31 – Food 10:28 – Money
Spain has a lot of great cities but there’s something about Valencia that just makes me…happy. The weather maybe? Or perhaps the food? Or the friendly people? Most likely it’s that elusive combination of all three. Valencia is one of those cities that has something to offer all year round.
The port city of Valencia lies on Spain’s southeastern coast, where the Turia River meets the Mediterranean Sea. It’s known for its City of Arts and Sciences, with futuristic structures including a planetarium, an oceanarium and an interactive museum. Valencia also has several beaches, including some within nearby Albufera Park, a wetlands reserve with a lake and walking trails.
Front Page: The New York Times – September 30, 2022
Hurricane Ian’s Staggering Scale of Wreckage Becomes Clear in Florida
The extent of the damage was difficult to comprehend, even for residents who had survived and rebuilt after other powerful storms.
Far From the Coast, Ian Leaves Flooding and Damage Across Florida
The state was battered on both the Gulf and Atlantic coasts, but some residents of inland areas said the damage was not as severe as feared.
‘Putin Is a Fool’: Intercepted Calls Reveal Russian Army in Disarray
Top New Yorker Cartoons
Alpine Views: Bolzano In South Tyrol, North Italy
Bolzano is a city in the South Tyrol province of north Italy, set in a valley amid hilly vineyards. It’s a gateway to the Dolomites mountain range in the Italian Alps. In the medieval city center, the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology features the Neolithic mummy called Ötzi the Iceman. Nearby is the imposing 13th-century Mareccio Castle, and the Duomo di Bolzano cathedral with its Romanesque and Gothic architecture.
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