Tag Archives: Reviews

Innovations, Leisure, Reviews, Travel, Videos

Top New Camper Trailers: “Carapate” From France – “Innovation, Design And Detailed Woodwork”

April 8, 2020 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

Whether called “teardrop” or “mini-caravan”, the Carapate is distinguished by its design, technical innovations and careful finishes.

The Carapate offers a maximum of possibilities in a minimum of space. Ingenious and comfortable, it accompanies you during your weekends and trips

Its optimal weight, around 450kg depending on the options, allows it to be towed by most cars with just its B license in its pocket. Its optimized dimensions (3.20m / 1.90m) make it a handy vehicle, easy to move and winter. It will pass all the parking gantries and tolls at no additional cost. Its studied height (1.70m) ensures good handling and low consumption during your getaways.

The insulating qualities of its wooden structure (marine plywood) promise you great nights, summer and winter. Its carefully studied bedding is delivered with the compliments of the sandman.

Solar panel, shore socket, 220 volt sockets, USB ports, cigarette lighter; so many possibilities to enjoy the “Carapate” while traveling or at the campsite. Freedom is yours!

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Diet & Nutrition, Food, Reviews

Diet & Nutrition Health: Benefits Of “Turmeric And Chili Pepper” Spices (BBC)

April 7, 2020 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

From a BBC.com article by Jessica Brown (April 6, 2020):

Red chili, black pepper and turmeric at local market — Red chili, black pepper and turmeric.

“The major findings were that higher intake of spicy foods is related to a lower risk of mortality, particularly deaths due to cancer, heart disease, and respiratory diseases,” says researcher Lu Qi, professor of nutrition at Harvard’s school of public health.

Many researchers believe the health benefits of spices actually come from what we eat them with. For example, there’s a tendency to use them to replace salt, says Lipi Roy. “Spices make food delicious and flavourful, and they can be a healthier alternative to salt,” she says.

Spices have been a part of our diets for thousands of years – it’s second nature to sprinkle our chips with pepper, sip on ginger tea and add chillies to our meals. But recently, some spices have been unofficially promoted from everyday culinary staples to all-healing superfoods.

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Books, Culture, Photography, Travel

Travel & Photography: “Amalfi Coast” – “Pinnacle Of The Italian Dream” (Assouline, April 2020)

April 5, 2020 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

The Amalfi Coast is the pinnacle of the Italian dream. Tucked amongst the lemon blossoms and the bougainvillea is a line of thirteen towns that comprise the Amalfi Coast. Known for its vertical landscape, the villages are only accessible via the Strada Statale 163 — a narrow, winding, cliffside route that while unsettling to traverse, offers unparalleled views.

This magical strip joins the mountains and the Mediterranean Sea below and aesthetes from around the world flock here year after year to enjoy its quaint pebbled beaches, scenic hikes, perfect climate and legendary establishments, which are not limited to storied hotels and restaurants.

Landmarks from the Cathedral in Amalfi to Villa Rufolo in Ravello, all evoke the culture and the spirit of bygone centuries, and landmarks enjoyed by the likes of Jacqueline Kennedy, John Steinbeck, and Gore Vidal abound. With its signature limoncello, both grown and enjoyed locally, finest villas and breathtaking vistas, the Amalfi Coast is in a class of its own.

Carlos Souza is a global brand ambassador for Valentino and a contributor at Architectural Digest with over forty years of experience in the art and fashion world. His photography career began at the request of Andy Warhol, who asked him to shoot fashion shows for Interview. He has previously worked with Assouline on #Carlos’s Places (2014) and Comporta Bliss (2018).

Charlene Shorto was born in Recife, Brazil, and educated in Switzerland and Great Britain. She is wed to Carlos Souza and has two sons, Sean and Anthony. The family moved to Rome, where Charlene worked tirelessly under the fashion designer Valentino, eventually ascending to the position of director of Oliver by Valentino. Shorto also collaborated with Souza on Comporta Bliss (2018).

Future Of Mobile Living: “HAAKS Opperland Camper” Easily Detaches From Chasis – “Open Living Area”

April 2, 2020 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

At the push of a button, the HAAKS camper extends its support legs, so that the car can be driven out of it; it remains available for day trips. The module self-levels and the automatically extendable roof unfolds your sleeping area.

HAAKS campers offers you the freedom and flexibility for your adventures, with a new way of camping. A way of camping with luxury and comfort, but also more sustainable and with natural materials. Closer to nature.

A motorhome should feel like a second home. Building a HAAKS motorhome is a process that we go through together. Take us on your journey. What does your ideal adventure look like? Where have you been and what do you want to do? Together we design the perfect camper for all your travels. Do you want a specific type of upholstery, a different layout, or a different toilet? We fully adapt the camper to your wishes. So that you feel at home in it.

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Arts & Literature, Books, Interviews, Podcasts, Reviews

Podcast Interviews: Irish-British Author Maggie O’Farrell On Her New Novel “Hamnet” (BBC)

Audio March 29, 2020 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

BBC Radio 4 “Books And Authors” Talks To Maggie O’Farrell on her new novel, “Hamnet”

On a summer’s day in 1596, a young girl in Stratford-upon-Avon takes to her bed with a fever. Her twin brother, Hamnet, searches everywhere for help. Why is nobody at home?

Their mother, Agnes, is over a mile away, in the garden where she grows medicinal herbs. Their father is working in London. Neither parent knows that one of the children will not survive the week.

Hamnet is a novel inspired by the son of a famous playwright. It is a story of the bond between twins, and of a marriage pushed to the brink by grief. It is also the story of a kestrel and its mistress; flea that boards a ship in Alexandria; and a glovemaker’s son who flouts convention in pursuit of the woman he loves. Above all, it is a tender and unforgettable reimagining of a boy whose life has been all but forgotten, but whose name was given to one of the most celebrated plays ever written.

Music Interviews: Singer John Legend Talks About Career And Songwriting

Audio March 26, 2020 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

During these tough times, Rick Rubin wanted to have a chat with an artist he finds inspiring. Top of mind was John Legend. So he called him up via Zoom, while both were sheltering in place, for a quick chat about his career and the creative process behind two of his biggest songs.

Listen to John Legend’s new single “Actions” below and check for a new album later this year.

Arts & Literature, Books, Interviews, Podcasts

Book Interviews: “Out Of Darkness, Shining Light” Author Petina Gappah

Audio March 22, 2020 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

BBC Radio 4 speaks to Petina Gappah on her new book, “Out of Darkness, Shining Light”.

“This is how we carried out of Africa the poor broken body of Bwana Daudi, the Doctor, David Livingstone, so that he could be borne across the sea and buried in his own land.”

Petina Gappah Author — Author Petina Gappah

So begins Petina Gappah’s powerful novel of exploration and adventure in nineteenth-century Africa—the captivating story of the loyal men and women who carried explorer and missionary Dr. Livingstone’s body, his papers and maps, fifteen hundred miles across the continent of Africa, so his remains could be returned home to England and his work preserved there.

Narrated by Halima, the doctor’s sharp-tongued cook, and Jacob Wainwright, a rigidly pious freed slave, this is a story that encompasses all of the hypocrisy of slavery and colonization—the hypocrisy at the core of the human heart—while celebrating resilience, loyalty, and love.

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Auto Racing, History, Reviews, Sports

Auto Racing Nostalgia: “Targa Florio” Endurance Race In Sicily (1906 – 1977)

March 22, 2020 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

The Targa Florio was an open road endurance automobile race held in the mountains of Sicily near the island’s capital of Palermo. Founded in 1906, it was the oldest sports car racing event, part of the World Sportscar Championship between 1955 and 1973. While the first races consisted of a whole tour of the island, the track length in the race’s last decades was limited to the 72 kilometres (45 mi) of the Circuito Piccolo delle Madonie, which was lapped 11 times.

After 1973, it was a national sports car event until it was discontinued in 1977 due to safety concerns. It has since been run as a rallying event, and is part of the Italian Rally Championship.

The race was created in 1906 by the wealthy pioneer race driver and automobile enthusiast, Vincenzo Florio, who had started the Coppa Florio race in Brescia, Lombardy in 1900. The Targa also claimed to be a worldly event not to be missed. Renowned artists, such as Alexandre Charpentier and Leonardo Bistolfi, were commissioned to design medals. A magazine was initiated, Rapiditas, which aimed to enhance, with graphic and photographic reproductions of the race, the myth of the car and the typical character of modern life, speed.^[1]

One of the toughest competitions in Europe, the first Targa Florio covered 3 laps equalling 277 miles (446 km) through multiple hairpin curves on treacherous mountain roads, at heights where severe changes in climate frequently occurred. Alessandro Cagno won the inaugural 1906 race in nine hours, averaging 30 miles per hour (50 km/h).

By the mid-1920s, the Targa Florio had become one of Europe’s most important races, as neither the 24 Hours of Le Mans nor the Mille Miglia had been established yet. Grand Prix races were still isolated events, not a series like today’s F1.

After winning the race several times, Porsche named the hardtop convertible version of the 911 after the Targa. The name targa means plaque or plate, see targa top.

From Wikipedia

Arts & Literature, Music, News

Tributes: 81-Year Old Country Singer Kenny Rogers Dies (1938 – 2020)

March 21, 2020 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

March 21, 2020 – The Rogers family is sad to announce that Kenny Rogers passed away last night at 10:25PM at the age of 81. Rogers passed away peacefully at home from natural causes under the care of hospice and surrounded by his family.

In a career that spanned more than six decades, Kenny Rogers left an indelible mark on the history of American music. His songs have endeared music lovers and touched the lives of millions around the world. Chart-topping hits like “The Gambler,” “Lady,” “Islands In The Stream,” “Lucille,” “She Believes In Me,” and “Through the Years” are just a handful of Kenny Rogers’ songs that have inspired generations of artists and fans alike.

Rogers, with twenty-four number-one hits, was a Country Music Hall of Fame member, six-time CMA Awards winner, three-time GRAMMY® Award winner, recipient of the CMA Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013, CMT Artist of a Lifetime Award honoree in 2015 and has been voted the “Favorite Singer of All Time” in a joint poll by readers of both USA Today and People.

The family is planning a small private service at this time out of concern for the national COVID-19 emergency. They look forward to celebrating Kenny’s life publicly with his friends and fans at a later date.

From the Kenny Rogers Facebook page