Tag Archives: Eastern Europe

Best New Food Books: “Ana Roš – Sun And Rain” -Essays, Recipes And Stories From The Top Slovenian Chef

Ana Roš - Sun and Rain Food and Cooking Book 2020A personal chef monograph, and the first book, from globally-acclaimed chef Ana Roš of Hiša Franko in Slovenia

Set near the Italian border in Slovenia’s remote Soča valley, in the foothills of mountains and beside a turquoise river full of trout, Ana Roš tells the story of her life. Through essays, recollections, recipes, and photos, she shares the idyllic landscape that inspires her, the abundant seasonal ingredients from local foragers, the tales of fishing and exploring, and the evolution of her inventive and sophisticated food at Hiša Franko – where she has elevated Slovenian food and become influential in the global culinary landscape.

Ana Roš Sun and Rain Monograph book kitchen

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Top Destination Hotels: “Villa Geba”, Montenegro

Villa Geba, a secret hideaway, nestled among olive trees, overlooking the Adriatic Sea. Guests lulled by the view of the Sveti Stefan peninsula and the blue-lagoon horizon. A timeless experience with a Riviera feel in a place designed as a family home.

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New Travel Books: “Uzbekistan – The Road to Samarkand” (Assouline)

Uzbekistan Assouline Book Cover 2020At the heart of Central Asia lies a land where colossal mountains and sweeping valleys sleep under a blanket of lush greenery. Crowned with golden palaces and wondrous monuments, the architectural landscape of the region is so rich with detail, the structures have been said to mirror the heavens themselves.

One of the few destinations on Earth where imagination aligns with reality, Uzbekistan flourishes with unparalleled scenery and unforgotten traditions. The towns and cities are like ‘open museums’, each edifice offering a unique and intricate aesthetic, each a testament to diverse cultural influences and diverse periods of history. Nature and architecture have a unique relationship, seemingly inspired by each other, as if they were trying to to outdo each other with their beauty. Discover the beautiful colors, textures and flavors of this incredible culture and journey through the cities of the Silk Road and the lands of Alexander The Great with stunning original photography by Laziz Hamani.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

For over 40 years, Yaffa Assouline has captured the luxury and publishing industry as a journalist, consultant and creative art director. She specializes in innovative and made-to measure publishing. Uzbekistan was inspired by Yaffa’s desire to introduce the world to a country unknown to most: an exotic land filled with immense beauty unseen to most eyes. For more than a year, Yaffa embarked on a journey where she captured the essence of the country, from east to west, north to south, filled with unforgettable encounters along the way. It was a vast undertaking—given a place with such a rich culture, long diverse history and all this beauty to offer—to give a taste of the flavor of the country. The book is an invitation to voyage, to discover more and to see what could only be fully appreciated with one’s own eyes.

Photographer Laziz Hamani, is long-time friend of Yaffa Assouline. With his talent and eye for intimate details, he was the only person who was suited to be Yaffa’s partner – a visual scribe in this adventure. Of Berber origin, he was born and lives in Paris. He is passionate about creating beautiful images, his life defined by a constant search for aesthetics and meaning. He has worked with many prestigious luxury brands, such as Dior, Cartier, Jaeger-LeCoultre and with designer Axel Vervoordt; and he has collaborated with Assouline Publishing on more than twenty titles.

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Top New Travel Videos: “Best Of Prague – Aerial 4K” By Marek Bubenik

Filmed and Edited by: Marek Bubenik

This Prague travel guide by drone 4K takes you to the city whose glory reach the stars and to the place where every step you make tells you a story of the past.

In this aerial video I would like to present you Prague the city where I was born and where I spend most of my life. Prague beauty is very hard to explain by words, everywhere you look there’s always something new to see, artists performing in the streets and an atmosphere that takes you away. Everything is so old and beautiful, it is a marvel of architecture and culture.

Top New Travel Videos Best Of Prague by Marek Bubenik January 22 2020

In video about Prague you can see:

  • The Charles Bridge It spans the Vltava river and is adorned with many statues of the saints, making its visit an unique experience
  • Prague Castle which has been a seat of power for kings of Bohemia, Holy Roman emperors, and presidents of Czechoslovakia. It is also the largest ancient castle in the world.
  • The Emmaus monastery as well as Charles bridge were founded by king Charles IV, This monastery is unique because it was the first place where ceremonies were not held in Latin but in a local language. It was allowed by pope in a condition that it will be the only monastery of this kind in the empire.
  • The Czech Prague National Theatre which is known as the alma mater of Czech opera, and as the national monument of Czech history and art. The National Theatre belongs to the most important Czech cultural institutions, with a rich artistic tradition, which helped to preserve and develop the most important features of the nation–the Czech language and a sense for a Czech musical and dramatic way of thinking.
  • The Castle Vyšehrad is fortified Castle with a lot of legends. Vyšehrad was also the place of the first settlement which later became Prague
  • Statue of Kafka – Rotating head by famous Czech artist David Černý. The 42 mobile tiers of eleven-metre-tall sculpture align to form the face of the famous Czech writer Franz Kafka.
  • The Old Town Square which features buildings belonging to various architectural styles, including the Gothic Church of Our Lady before Týn, which has been the main church of this part of the city since the 14th century. Its characteristic towers are 80 m high. The Baroque St. Nicholas Church is another church located in the square. Prague Orloj is a medieval astronomical clock mounted on the Old Town Hall. The clock was first installed in 1410, making it the third-oldest astronomical clock in the world and the oldest one still in operation. The tower of the Old Town Hall is open to the public and offers panoramic views of the Old Town. The square’s center is home to a statue of religious reformer Jan Hus, who was burned at the stake for his beliefs in Constance. This led to the Hussite Wars. The statue known as the Jan Hus Memorial was erected on 6 July 1915 to mark the 500th anniversary of his death.

Top New Travel Videos Best Of Prague by Marek Bubenik January 22 2020

Every step you discover something new and every corner tells a story of the past.

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Top New Travel Videos: “The Waters Of Slovenia” (National Geographic)

Slovenia is a country defined by water, with more than 60 rivers and streams, 300 artificial and natural lakes, and 7,500 freshwater springs – each of which is packed with minerals and nutrients.

Waters of Wellbeing - Slovenia National Geographic

Website: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/

New Aerial Travel Film “Budapest” Is A Gorgeous Collaboration Between Musician Havasi And Filmmaker Andrew Efimov

Filmed, Edited and Directed by: Andrew Efimov

Music by: Havasi
Produced by: Timelab
Drone Pilot: Andrey Rodin
Color Correction & Grading: Yaroslav Kuryanovich
Sound Design : Anton Semenov
Design: Alexandra Geletey

Budapest Aerial Travel Film Directed by Andrew Efimov 2019

 

“This new image-based video clip about Budapest is the result of an international collaboration between the Russian TimeLab video studio and the world-famous Hungarian musician, Havasi. In the video we see sleepy Budapest trams crossing the Széchenyi chain bridge.. dawn over the Danube River.. the majestic layout of the city from a bird’s eye view… the glittering lights of Budapest by night… and the sunset over St Stephen’s Basilica… and all this juxtaposed with the astounding music of Havasi.

The music in the clip is Havasi’s track ‘Golden Eagle’. It catches the special atmosphere, the amazing feeling of flight – and the underlying nobility of the city.

Budapest Aerial Travel Film Directed by Andrew Efimov 2019

 

The project isn’t their first collaboration with the Russian team. Last year, the Hungarians viewed a film Timelab had made about winter in St Petersburg – and suggested using the footage in one of their clips. This is how their Houdini’s Dream project came about.

Our video team were extremely impressed with Budapest – it’s a phenomenal city. It’s soaked up the best of many of Europe’s greatest cities. Look closely at the architecture, and you find something of everything – a little bit of Paris, a bit of St Petersburg, snippets of London… What really blew us away was the Chain Bridge over the Danube – it’s an iconic symbol of the city. There are no restrictions on filming with drones in Budapest, The Hungarian state authorities and city administration are very laid-back about all that, and want to share what they have with tourists. It meant we had complete creative freedom.”

Budapest Aerial Travel Film Directed by Andrew Efimov 2019

Website: https://timelab.pro/budapest