Anne McElvoy asks the former German ambassador to the US, Wolfgang Ischinger, if America can still be relied upon as a “protective uncle” and how it should deal with China.
And, who will succeed Chancellor Merkel in 2021? Anne talks to German cabinet minister Jens Spahn, one of a proposed ‘dream team’ of candidates in the upcoming party leadership contest.
Filmed and Edited by: Alessio Viviani
The Palazzo Vecchio “Old Palace” is the town hall of Florence, Italy. It overlooks the Piazza della Signoria, which holds a copy of Michelangelo’s David statue, and the gallery of statues in the adjacent Loggia dei Lanzi. Originally called the Palazzo della Signoria, this building was also known by several other names: Palazzo del Popolo, Palazzo dei Priori, and Palazzo Ducale, in accordance with the varying use of the palace during its long history. This 4K video shows the exterior and interior of this amazing building, focusing on the art present on walls, ceilings and rooms.
Located away from prying eyes, in the heart of the village, a few steps from the ski slopes and at the end of a private road, the Chalet Fleur des Neiges dominates with a breathtaking view of the Dents du Midi chain. Easy to access, it benefits from a privileged setting as well as an enchanting landscape with its generous wooded garden.
Santorini is one of the Cyclades islands in the Aegean Sea. It was devastated by a volcanic eruption in the 16th century BC, forever shaping its rugged landscape. The whitewashed, cubiform houses of its 2 principal towns, Fira and Oia, cling to cliffs above an underwater caldera (crater). They overlook the sea, small islands to the west and beaches made up of black, red and white lava pebbles.
Filmed in September 2020
Koblenz, spelled Coblenz before 1926, is a German city on the banks of the Rhine and of the Moselle, a multi-nation tributary. Koblenz was established as a Roman military post by Drusus around 8 B.C. Its name originates from the Latin cōnfluentēs, meaning ” confluence”.
Vatican City, a city-state surrounded by Rome, Italy, is the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church. It’s home to the Pope and a trove of iconic art and architecture. Its Vatican Museums house ancient Roman sculptures such as the famed “Laocoön and His Sons” as well as Renaissance frescoes in the Raphael Rooms and the Sistine Chapel, famous for Michelangelo’s ceiling.
Le Lustre, a beautiful modern-contemporary duplex penthouse, located in the historic heart of Chamonix. Covering more than 400m2 and with a rooftop south-facing terrace of more than 100m2, the duplex offers breath-taking 360 degree views of the Mont Blanc mountain landscape. Over a 2-year period, with the involvement of leading architect firms from Hong Kong and Chamonix in conjunction with the best local artisans, Le Lustre moved from concept to reality and this iconic building came back to life in the center of town.
Chamonix-Mont-Blanc (usually shortened to Chamonix) is a resort area near the junction of France, Switzerland and Italy. At the base of Mont Blanc, the highest summit in the Alps, it’s renowned for its skiing. Year-round, cable cars take visitors up to several nearby peaks with panoramic views, including Aiguille du Midi above town, and Pointe Helbronner, across vast glacier fields on the Italian border.
Normandy is a region of northern France. Its varied coastline includes white-chalk cliffs and WWII beachheads, including Omaha Beach, site of the famous D-Day landing. Just off the coast, the rocky island of Mont-Saint-Michel is topped by a soaring Gothic abbey. The city of Rouen, dominated by Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Rouen, is where military leader and Catholic saint Joan of Arc was executed in 1431.
Venice, the capital of northern Italy’s Veneto region, is built on more than 100 small islands in a lagoon in the Adriatic Sea. It has no roads, just canals – including the Grand Canal thoroughfare – lined with Renaissance and Gothic palaces. The central square, Piazza San Marco, contains St. Mark’s Basilica, which is tiled with Byzantine mosaics, and the Campanile bell tower offering views of the city’s red roofs.
Boomers Daily 