India has put vaccine distribution to other countries on hold as the country battles the world’s fastest-growing Covid-19 surge. The delay in distribution is hampering the global vaccination effort. Photo illustration: Laura Kammermann
Lakefront Villa Tours: Lake Iseo, Lombardy, Italy
On the shores of Lake Iseo, at the foot of the Alps and right in front of Monte Isola, 16th-century manor villa with botanic park. The building, over 1,500 sqm, is the typical noble villa with ample frescoed halls, huge windows and direct view over the lake.
With a total of 9 bedrooms (and the possibility of creating more) the property is well suited both as a private residence and as an accommodation business.
The botanic garden, a masterwork by the biologist Fenaroli who here experimented if it was possible to cultivate kiwi in Italy, covers 2.1 hectares and is home to peculiar and exotic plants.
Lake Iseo or Iseo lake, also known as Sebino, is the fourth largest lake in Lombardy, Italy, fed by the Oglio river. It is in the north of the country in the Val Camonica area, near the cities of Brescia and Bergamo. The lake is almost equally divided between the Provinces of Bergamo and Brescia.
Performances: ‘Three Divas Live In Concert’
On May 22, sopranos Ailyn Pérez and Nadine Sierra join forces with mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard for a concert of popular arias and ensembles, live from France’s Opéra Royal du Château de Versailles. Tickets on sale now.
Ocean Walks: ‘Hale’iwa Beach Park’, Oahu, Hawaii
Located in the small town of Hale’iwa on Oahu’s North Shore, Hale’iwa Beach Park (see more photos, view panorama) is fronted by a narrow sand beach. Swimming isn’t that good here because of the shallow and rocky ocean bottom, but the park is nice for picnics.
Also, Hale’iwa Beach Park is frequently used by canoe paddlers as a training and regatta site and by kayakers as an access point to the bay. Surfers also like this beach because from here they can get to the waves at the surf spot Puaena Point. The name Hale’iwa in the Hawaiian language means “house (of) frigate bird.”
Aerial Views: Cancún – Southeastern Mexico
Cancún, a Mexican city on the Yucatán Peninsula bordering the Caribbean Sea, is known for its beaches, numerous resorts and nightlife. It’s composed of 2 distinct areas: the more traditional downtown area, El Centro, and Zona Hotelera, a long, beachfront strip of high-rise hotels, nightclubs, shops and restaurants. Cancun is also a famed destination for students during universities’ spring break period.
Exhibit View: ‘Mesopotamia – Civilization Begins’, The Getty Villa, Los Angeles
Mesopotamia—the land “between the rivers” in modern-day Iraq—was home to the ancient Sumerians, Babylonians, and Assyrians. Among their many achievements are the creation of the earliest known script (cuneiform), the formation of the first cities, the development of advanced astronomical and mathematical knowledge, and spectacular artistic and literary accomplishments. The exhibition covers three millennia, from the first cities in about 3200 BC to Alexander the Great’s conquest of Babylon in 331 BC.
Exhibition organized by the Musée du Louvre, Paris, and the J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles.
Morning News Podcast: ‘Permitless’ Gun Laws, Scottish Voters, Coffee
Today another state will enact a “permitless carry” law—no licence, checks or training required. We ask why states’ loosening of safeguards fails to reflect public sentiment.
Brexit has supercharged Scottish nationalism, and this week’s elections may pave the way to another independence referendum. And a long-forgotten coffee species may weather the climate-change era.
Travel Views: Northern Territory – Australia (4K)
The Northern Territory (aka NT) is a vast federal territory in Australia famed for its Outback desert landscapes. In the arid Red Centre lie the iconic sandstone monolith Uluru (Ayers Rock), the red-rock domes of Kata Tjuta and the sculpted cliffs of Kings Canyon in Watarrka National Park. Remote Alice Springs, the gateway town to the Red Centre desert, offers Aboriginal art galleries.
Places visited included Uluru, Yulara, Kings Canyon, Macdonnell Ranges, Alice Springs, Darwin and Litchfield National Park.
Coastal Homes: Puerto Escondido, Mexico (Video)
When Aranza de Arino and Caludio Sodi hired S-AR architects, the ground rules were, The house could not exceed 1,075 sq. ft. and Aranza and Claudio could specify the number of bedrooms, beyond that, it was carte blanche. Watch how this young firm for Monterrey answers the question, “What does it mean to design a vacation home for Mexico today?”
Read the story here: https://www.dwell.com/article/casa-co…
Puerto Escondido is a port town and resort on Mexico’s Pacific coast in the state of Oaxaca. It’s known for its many beaches and buzzing nightlife. The town’s central Principal Beach is lined with palm trees and thatch-roofed bars. Busy Zicatela Beach is renowned for its Mexican Pipeline surf break. Neighboring La Punta Beach has smaller waves. Carrizalillo Beach is set in a cove backed by steep cliffs.
English Estates: ‘Heath House’ – Staffordshire
Leave your wellies at the door. This 19th Century farm in rural Staffordshire looks less farm, more Downton Abbey. Sitting in a cool 404 acres of land, The Heath House Estate is palatial in all aspects (with not a stray chicken in sight).
It’s hard to know where to begin with a property of this magnitude. The main house (could we try the world ‘palace’?) is a spectacular Grade II-listed, Tudor Gothic mansion, designed and built by Thomas Johnson of Litchfield. With five reception rooms, 14 bedrooms, two flats and a service wing, you’re certainly not short on space.
The main house boasts tall, ornate ceilings, beautiful fireplaces and large, grand rooms, and is not hard to see why this property is listed due to its historical and architectural importance.
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