Tag Archives: Europe

Trends In Healthy Living: Copenhagen, Denmark Is The “Global Exemplar Of Bicycle Culture”

From a New York Times online article:

Copenhagen Cyclists Betina Garcia for The New York TimesCopenhagen’s legendary bicycle setup has been propelled by all of these aspirations, but the critical element is the simplest: People here eagerly use their bicycles — in any weather, carrying the young, the infirm, the elderly and the dead — because it is typically the easiest way to get around.

Copenhagen’s status as a global exemplar of bicycle culture owes to the accommodating flatness of the terrain and the lack of a Danish auto industry, which might have hijacked the policy levers. Trouble also played a role.

Nearly half of all journeys to school and work in Copenhagen take place on bicycles. And people like it that way.

The global oil shock of the 1970s lifted the price of gasoline, making driving exorbitantly costly. A dismal economy in the 1980s brought the city to the brink of bankruptcy, depriving it of finance to build roads, and making bicycle lanes an appealingly thrifty alternative.

To read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/09/world/europe/biking-copenhagen.html

Top New Travel Videos: “Iceland – The Prophesy” By Henry Behel (2019)

Filmed, Edited and Directed By: Henry Behel

Voiceover: Júlía Hannam
Music: Sam Plotkin
Percussionists: Amin Malekpour, Sam Archer, Kris Wismer

The Prophecy Iceland Cinematic Poem Short Film Directed by Henry Behel 2019

I filmed this in four days while traveling around Iceland alone. The sun set at midnight and rose at 3am, but it never really got dark. I shot as much of the day as I could, stopping everywhere that caught my eye. I found places off the road and slept on a pad under the stars. I got rained on and blasted with wind, but I felt alive.

I have made a habit of traveling alone in wild places. I feel magic in the howling wind, the ice on my face, the sand in my shoes. My mind can drift back to the beginning of time or out to the stars where the earth is just a dot. I finally feel the connection and peace I so long for, and yet is so elusive in my daily life.

No place has inspired me like this more than Iceland. This film is how it feels to me. Beautiful and serene, but dark and violent as well. Time moves differently here. The land still exists in some ancient forgotten epoch, when earth was still lava rock soup.

The Prophecy Iceland Cinematic Poem Short Film Directed by Henry Behel 2019

Website: http://henrybehel.com/

Top Museum Exhibitions: “Caravaggio & Bernini” At The Kunst Historisches, Vienna (Thru Jan 19, 2020)

From a Hyperallergic online review:

Caravaggio St. Francis in Meditation

Caravaggio & Bernini: The Discovery of Emotions features some of the artists’ greatest works, but also charts their influence on others. And that influence proved to be powerful and enduring. Caravaggistas spread across Europe like termites. And so we could call this exhibition a battle of the swaggerers, the pomp of a very eclectic brand of Viennese historicism facing off against the theatrical push and preen of two great Italians.

Bernini, “Medusa” (1638–40)
Bernini, “Medusa” (1638–40)

From almost the beginning, Caravaggio, that man who arrived in Rome in the 1590s, is completely outrageous. Whom did he think were his principal patrons? Churchmen, of course. Did they care that he depicted John the Baptist in an extraordinary painting, circa 1602, as a carefree, lascivious, curly-haired boy with the cheekiest of grins imaginable?

To read more: https://hyperallergic.com/526913/caravaggio-and-bernini-together-at-last/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=WE111019&utm_content=WE111019+CID_588260f48c6888b73f0b7bf45e5b79c3&utm_source=HyperallergicNewsletter&utm_term=Caravaggio%20and%20Bernini%20Together%20at%20Last

Top New Travel Videos: “A Day In Toledo” Directed By Mattia Bicchi (2019)

https://vimeo.com/371851871

Filmed, Edited and Directed by: Mattia Bicchi

Explore at 8K resolution and through the Timelapse technique, the beautiful city of Toledo. A 3.000 years old city declared ‘World Heritage Site’ by UNESCO in 1986, also known as the ‘City of three religions’ in Middle Ages where Jewish, Muslim and Christian communities peaceful coexisted.

A Day In Toledo Spain Timelapse Video by Mattia Bicchi 2019

I spent 5 days exploring and shooting Timelapse and Hyperlapse, around this incredible city!

Many thanks to Hotel Santa Isabel (hotelsantaisabeltoledo.es) and Azotea de Carlos (carlosv.com) for the access to their beautiful rooftops.

A Day In Toledo Spain Timelapse Video by Mattia Bicchi 2019

Music: Jordan Critz – Hineni – musicbed.com/invite/ERraL

Website: https://www.mattiabicchiphotography.com/

New Travel Videos: “Never Stop Exploring” In Italy By Michael Cherkashin

“Never Stop Exploring” is a Cinematic Poem Short Film Directed By Michael Cherkashin.

Filmed, Edited and Directed by: Michael Cherkashin

Never Stop Exploring Cinematic Poem Short Film Directed by Michael Cherkashin 2019

Narrated by: Hollye Sangster

A visual ode to curiosity, to explorers and to the magnificent beauty of our world. Location is the Dolomites, South Tyrol, Italy.

Never Stop Exploring Cinematic Poem Short Film Directed by Michael Cherkashin 2019

Website: https://inhalefilms.com/films.html

Innovative Leisure: “Blindfold Travel” Books Surprise European Trips Per Travelers’ Budgets

From a The Italian Eye Magazine online review:

Blindfold TravelBlindfold Travel offers a complete package with flights and overnight stays in a European city. The customer is only asked to choose the budget and fill out a questionnaire to indicate wishes and preferences. Blindfold Travel organises your holiday from the starting point to the end by providing all the useful information to travellers, who reach the airport completely unaware of their destination. Before leaving, a package containing the various directions arrives at home, and a series of numbered envelopes guide you step by step to the discovery of the journey as in a treasure hunt.

https://www.blindfoldtravel.com/

The only important elements to know are the departure datetime and some hints about what to bring with you; but it’s only shortly before leaving that boarding passes are sent by email. The surprises continue with other offers already included in the package, such as guided toursmuseum tickets and many other activities. If you are already curious and want to find out more, you will be amazed!

To read more: https://www.theitalianeyemagazine.com/en/alternative-travels-3-websites/2

Top New Travel Videos: “Albion” Is An Aerial View Of Great Britain (2019)

Filmed, Edited and Directed by: Alex William Helin

Albion Short Travel Video In England by Alex William Helin 2019

Albion, another name for the island of Great Britain, is a journey through foggy English countryside via rocky limestone scenery to Scottish highlands.

Albion Short Travel Video In England by Alex William Helin 2019

Music: Aeons 2 by Mark Petrie/ Andrew Phralow

Website: https://www.awhelinphotography.com/

 

 

Top Scenic Bike Rides: The Hilly Scenery Of Bologna’s Back Country

From an Italy Magazine online article:

Bologna Italy BikingThe awesome sight of the expansive Reno river greets you as you enter Casalecchio di Reno. A fairly non-descript satellite town, Casalecchio’s best asset is Parco Della Chiusa (also known as Parco Talon), a vast forest and nature reserve full of crumbling old mansions, hiking trails and great views of the river and undulating hills. The park is a popular spot for picnics and makes a worthwhile destination on its own.

Italy MagazineIn this half-day cycle starting from central Bologna and ending at the small town of Sasso Marconi, you can take in hilly scenery of Bologna’s back country, see where history was made at the villa of radio pioneer Guglielmo Marconi and sample some local delicacies in one of the province’s best osterias. The route is entirely flat, mostly along cycle paths and can be done by even the most beginner cyclist. With no tourists around, it offers a chance to see Italian life in all of its ordinariness, away from the sometimes twee environs of the centro storico.

In total, the ride from Bologna to Sasso Marconi should take you one hour at a leisurely pace, not counting stops along the way. Rent a bicycle from Dynamo, a bike co-op on Via dell’Indipendenza near the bus station – a half day rental will cost you 13 euros.

To read more: https://www.italymagazine.com/featured-story/get-out-town-half-day-cycle-trip-bologna