Delve into the cinematic legacy of Portofino. This year Belmond were thrilled to team up with the Italian Riviera Film Festival to celebrate Portofino’s silver screen heritage, producing a heartfelt short film presented by beloved actor Alessandro Gassmann. Commissioned by Belmond from local production company Flying Donkeys, the film honours legendary actor, director, screenwriter and Splendido guest, Vittorio Gassmann – Alessandro’s father.
Category Archives: Stories
Home Tours: Kelmscott Manor In The Cotswolds
The architecture of Kelmscott Manor is woven into William Morris’s 1890 novel, News from Nowhere, in which a journey exploring utopian ideals in a post-industrial world leads, after much wandering, to a ‘many-gabled old house built by the simple country-folk of the long-past times’. There is no ‘extravagant love of ornament’ here, only a feeling that ‘the house itself and its associations was the ornament of the country life amidst which it had been left stranded from old times’. It is a poignant vision that underlines both a respect for the past and an ideal of a new society based on mutual interest and support.
Today, this old stone-built farm house is best known as the Morrises’ country home, from 1871. First leased as a retreat from busy London life, it became a vital point of reference for Morris, as artist, designer and poet; it was his ‘Heaven on Earth’, and a source of profound emotional and artistic inspiration.
Fig 2: The first-floor Tapestry Room, with a carved 1660s chimneypiece, is hung with a late-17th-century Oudenarde tapestry. Kelmscott Manor, Oxfordshire. ©Paul Highnam for Country Life
Preview: The New Yorker Magazine – May 23, 2022
Ana Juan’s “Making Mischief” – The artist discusses cats, letting fate choose a pet, and spirit animals.
By Françoise Mouly, Art by Ana Juan, May 16, 2022
It is thought that cats lived alongside people for thousands of years, hunting the rodents that inevitably accompany human settlements, before they deigned to become domesticated—a state that many cat owners can attest feels provisional to this day. One research paper on the history of the house cat observes, “Let us just say that our cats do not take instruction well. Such attributes suggest that whereas other domesticates were recruited from the wild by humans who bred them for specific tasks, ancestors of domestic cats most likely chose to live among humans because of opportunities they found for themselves.”
Morning News: Ukraine Stalls Russian Military, Lebanon Vote, Singapore
We give you the latest from Ukraine and discuss the election results in Lebanon. Plus: Singapore’s European Film Festival.
Travel & Photography: ‘Greek Islands’ (May 2022)
An endless expanse of shimmering waters paired with unmatched Greek hospitality awaits visitors to the islands of the Aegean Sea. Each island is home to a unique spirit and mythology.
From Patmos (a favorite of Aga Khan) to Hydra (which captivated Henry Miller, Leonard Cohen and Sophia Loren), the islands are imbued with a seductive sense of history, tradition and adventure.
Several films over the decades have been filmed on them, including Boy on a Dolphin (1957) on Hydra, The Big Blue (1988) on Amorgos and The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2005) on Santorini.
Sources of inspiration for millennia, the ancient ruins, cliffside monasteries and volcanic rims are all can’t-miss sights. Venturing on an Odyssey of their own, the author and the photographer boarded a traditional Greek sailboat and set out to capture the calming atmosphere, quintessential characters and breathtaking architecture of these gems of the Aegean. A spectacular journey re-created in the pages of Greek Islands.
Rainforests Of Africa: The Protectors Of Gabon
Gabon’s soul lies hidden beneath a thick green mantle, the source of most of the Gabonese traditions, medicines, spirituality, and resources. A precious heritage that a small number of men and women protect.
We meet Kombo, a Babongo hunter, and Juste, who is in touch with the forest spirits. In human cultures in general, and perhaps particularly in Africa, the landscape is the first shrine of tradition.
From the sand dunes of Mauritania to the currents of River Senegal, to the Lions of the Beninese savannah to the spirits of the forests of Gabon, this series explores the origin, the nature and the survival of deep links between several populations in West Africa and their habitat.
Sunday Morning: Stories From Zurich, London, Helsinki And Hong Kong
Monocle’s editorial director Tyler Brûlé and panellists Aleksandra Tirziu and Chandra Kurt cover the weekend’s biggest news. Plus: we check in with our friends and contributors in London, Helsinki and Hong Kong.
Top USA Road Trips: The Washington DC Region
Country Life Magazine, May 14, 2022 – The area around Washington DC isn’t the obvious choice for holidaymakers crossing the Atlantic, but as Sophia Constant discovered it offers a huge range of wonderful options — particularly if you pencil it in now for the autumn.
Start in Winchester, Virginia, the oldest city west of the Blue Ridge Mountains, which famously changed hands between Unionists and Confederates 72 times during the Civil War. Over 15 million Americans can trace an ancestor that travelled through Winchester on the wagon-way trail from Philadelphia to the American West. Take the Taste Winchester History tour through the historic downtown’s restaurants and bars. Explore The Mall, where original buildings and classic facades have been restored to look exactly as in the 1800’s. Don’t miss the Beaux Arts Library, Post Office, Union Bank, Court House, Clock Tower, and The Museum of The Shenandoah Valley’s 200-year old house, museum and gardens.
Winchester in Fall. The American one, not the Hampshire one. Credit: Capital Region USA
Havre de Grace, Maryland. Credit: Capital Region USA
The Shenandoah Valley’s winding country roads pass colonial-style houses, vast orchards, farms and picket fences. Enjoy gorgeous hills and forests via hiking trails, including Sky Meadows and Eagle Rock. Gastronomy is a major part of the experience. Tour Winchester Ciderworks to taste experimental blends: blackcurrant and ginger, or even turmeric chai anti-inflammatory cider. For homemade pies and cakes, head to The Homestead Farm at Fruit Hill Orchard, a fourth generation farming family’s store, set in an old carriage barn. Their BBQ and Bluegrass Night is an authentic experience, where local musicians jam on the porch and anyone’s welcome to join. The drive through Middletown is particularly striking; a half-pipe valley with mountains rising up on either side. Time this over lunch at Shaffer’s BBQ, a dilapidated gas station transformed into a restaurant serving delectable on-the-go southern cuisine. Shaffer’s sits on a Civil War battle site, Cedar Creek (1864), where annual re-enactments take place, including 3000 people, cavalry and heavy artillery
Cover Preview: Barron’s Magazine – May 16, 2022
Barron’s Magazine, May 16, 2022 – How Workers Gained Leverage, and Why They Won’t Lose It Soon
Employees in many industries have seized on the pandemic’s upheaval to score higher pay, better benefits, flexible schedules, and more. While some gains will fade, a number of economic and demographic forces suggest workers have the edge.
Saturday Morning: News And Stories From London
Georgina Godwin on the weekend’s biggest discussion topics; Charles Hecker reviews the papers; and Monocle’s Fernando Augusto Pacheco gives his prediction of who will win the ‘Eurovision Song Contest’ final in Turin.
