Top New Travel Videos: ‘Spring In New Zealand’

Filmed and Edited by: Santiago Ruiz

A cinematic travel film in New Zealand, my home. I’ve always had a passion for travelling and exploring new countries and cultures but always took for granted the beauty my home had to offer and due to the uncertainty of 2020, I finally had a good excuse to explore the South Island of New Zealand for the first time.

Top Interviews: Paul R. Milgrom & Robert B. Wilson, Nobel Prize In Economics For 2020

“He was the advisor everybody recommended you should have,” says Paul Milgrom of Robert Wilson, his PhD supervisor and now near neighbour in Palo Alto and co-Laureate in Economic Sciences. In this conversation with Adam Smith, recorded 20 minutes after Milgrom had learned of his prize, he describes how it was Wilson who actually delivered the news, in person: “He and his wife just walked over and rang the doorbell.”

Not only are the 2020 Economics Science Laureates long-time collaborators, they are also neighbours in Palo Alto, and so when Robert Wilson heard the news of his prize from Stockholm, he simply crossed the street and knocked on Paul Milgrom’s door to wake him! “It sounds like something from the nineteenth century,” says Wilson in this conversation with Adam Smith, recorded shortly after the news became public. He describes his pride at the fact that Milgrom is the third of his students, after Alvin Roth and Bengt Holmström, to be awarded the prize, a perfect combination of events that he calls his “trifecta”.

New Walking Tour Videos: ‘Catania, Sicily Fish Market’

This walk was filmed on June 13th, 2020. It is part of a much longer 3 hour walk around Catania but I thought this clip of the fish market deserved its own video.

Catania is an ancient port city on Sicily’s east coast. It sits at the foot of Mt. Etna, an active volcano with trails leading up to the summit. The city’s wide central square, Piazza del Duomo, features the whimsical Fontana dell’Elefante statue and richly decorated Catania Cathedral. In the southwest corner of the square, La Pescheria weekday fish market is a rowdy spectacle surrounded by seafood restaurants.

New Aerial Travel Videos: ‘Kilpisjärvi, Northwest Finland’ Autumn Colors

Filmed and Edited by: Timo Oksanen

On September 15th 2020 I did a brief visit to Kilpisjärvi, which is the northwesternmost point of Finland in the municipality of Enontekiö. Autumn colours were at their very best and gave me a good opportunity to test the IBIS of my new Canon EOS R6 with RF 15-35mm f/2.8L. Drone footage shot with DJI Mavic 2 Pro.

Music: Michael Shynes – Return to the Wild

Kilpisjärvi is a village in the municipality of Enontekiö, Lapland, Finland. It is located in Finland’s northern “arm” near the very northwesternmost point of Finland. Although Kilpisjärvi is one of the largest villages in Enontekiö, it is still quite small. In 2000 its population was recorded as 114.

Morning News Podcast: Supreme Court Hearings, Coronavirus Relief Bill

Supreme Court nominee hearings set up partisan battle ahead of election, White House seeks limited coronavirus relief bill, and Minnesota community comes together to build a disabled Navy vet a ramp.

Travel Videos: ‘Mount Jefferson Wilderness’, In Northwest Oregon

Filmed and Edited by: James Parsons

Passing through the Mount Jefferson Wilderness two weeks before it would be dramatically changed for generations. I am currently section hiking the PCT through Oregon, and just happened to do this section 2 weeks before it was overtaken by fire.

The Mount Jefferson Wilderness is a wilderness area located on and around Mount Jefferson in the central Cascade Range of Oregon in the United States. It is situated where the Willamette, Deschutes, and Mount Hood National Forests meet. 

Global News: Ant Group & Fintech, Covid Disparities, US Election (Podcast)

A selection of three essential articles read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist. This week: Ant group and fintech come of ageeconomic disparities after covid-19 (09:30) the US election in miniature (17:00). 

New Travel Videos: ‘Praia Da Ursa Beach, Portugal’

Set on the Atlantic west coast just north of Cabo da Roca is a little gem of a beach – Praia da Ursa. Unspoilt and wild, this little beach is often cited as one of the most beautiful in the area. The name of the beach comes from the “Rocha da Ursa” (bear rock) one of two huge sea stacks at the northern end of the beach. It is said that the rock resembles a bear with its cub, although I can’t quite see this myself!

This beach is a little off the beaten track and access is difficult to say the least. It involves a bit of a scrabble down a steep sided valley with plenty of loose rocks under foot. Maybe this is why Praia da Ursa is one of the area’s unofficial naturist beaches.

Top French Estate Tours: ‘Rochefoucauld Castle’ In Charente River Valley

The castle, part of the Rochefoucauld family fiefdom for a thousand years is concealed from the visitor’s eye. Passed the automatic entrance gates, a long tree-lined bridle path with park and woods on one side and outbuildings on the other, turns towards the end to reveal the impressive façade. The estate stretches the length of the village or perhaps the reverse.

“He who lives without madness is not as wise as he thinks”, one of François-de-la-Rochefoucauld’s maxims.

Ground floor: The entrance archway with its mosaic floor tiles leads, on one side, to a small lounge that opens into a through dining room featuring a beautiful coffered ceiling and kitchen that was moved up to this floor in 19th century. Behind the dining room is one of the four staircases and a small bedroom and ensuite bathroom.

First floor: Two more intimate lounges are to be found on the ground floor for a cosier family atmosphere. Four bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms, two of which have their private toilet and a fifth one with a shower room. Two of the bedrooms are very formal, full of history and decorative features: they have seen visitors such as Charles Quint in 16th century and Queen Mum in 20th century. 

The library: Originally, a renaissance gallery linked the castle to the library and chapel. The library had always been part of an ensemble. It is located in the centre, built on the site of a former watchtower and features a vaulted ceiling.

The main courtyard: An ornamental pond is fed by water from the river thanks to a clever system bringing water up to a tank on the library roof and from where it is then poured. Under part of the main courtyard, there are large vaults, built together in 15th century with the consent of King Charles VII, with an additional defensive wall, after helping the La Rochefoucauld to reconquer their castle.

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Sunday Morning Podcast: NEWS FROM ZURICH, AUSTRIA LONDON AND BANGKOK

Monocle’s editor in chief, Tyler Brûlé, discusses the weekend’s top news with guests Rob Cox, Chandra Kurt and Eemeli Isoaho. Plus: a word from our editors and correspondents in London and Bangkok, and a check-in with Rainer Nowak, editor in chief of Austria’s ‘Die Presse’ newspaper.

News, Views and Reviews For The Intellectually Curious