Tag Archives: Europe
Monocle 24 “The Urbanist” discusses the impact that quarantines can have on cities and what lessons city planners can learn when an outbreak causes borders to close. Here is a report from the ground on the changing nature of city life in Milan.
New Wine Books: “The 100 Burgundy” – Building A “Dream Cellar” (Assouline)
An exceptional Burgundy is not only well crafted and well balanced, it also must have essential qualities reflecting its own terroir as well as those unique to the particular vintage, distilling the very essence of the vine itself and the earth from which it springs.
Essential reading for all fine wine aficionados, whether curating a dream cellar or selecting the best Burgundy wines to experience with friends and family, The 100 Burgundy: offers a fresh perspective by a dedicated professional who visits the region regularly and recognizes the best it has to offer.
For wine enthusiasts discovering Burgundy—and those already smitten with the region’s seductive wines—The 100 Burgundy: is the first guide of its kind to the region’s best wines and makers, detailing the domaines and highlighting each chosen wine with tasting notes. Considering factors such as a wine’s quality, its ability to evolve and improve over time, and its ability to evoke emotion, Master of Wine Jeannie Cho Lee invites readers to explore 100 memorable Burgundy wines of the Côte d’Or, from benchmark domaines to rising stars.
With a foreword by Lalou Bize-Leroy, owner of Domaine Leroy and co-owner of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, this enlightening volume is a journey through the countryside of Burgundy, capturing the context, people, and history that inspire the creation of these masterful wines.
Jeannie Cho Lee is the first Asian Master of Wine (MW), an award-winning author, wine critic, judge, and educator. Currently a professor at Hong Kong Polytechnic University, where she helped launch the Master of Science program in International Wine Management, she is also a consultant for Singapore Airlines since 2009.
Top New Travel Videos: “Vogüé” – A Beautiful Southern France Village
Ranked among the most beautiful villages in France, Vogüé takes place in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, in the department of Ardèche. Located in a limestone cliff, the town is today an important tourist site appreciated by visitors. English subtitles.
Travel & Culture Books: “St. Tropez Soleil” By Simon Liberati (Assouline)
The legend of St. Tropez starts with a dog, a rooster, and a martyr; and it leads to movie stars, world-renowned artists and distinguished writers. Located on the sparkling French Riviera, St. Tropez has enjoyed the spotlight for more than half a century, for better or worse, with celebrities flocking to this idyllic locale for its beaches and a dose of Mediterranean sun.
A picturesque oasis, St. Tropez has served as inspiration for a who’s who of notable writers from Françoise Sagan to Colette; as well as renowned artists Paul Signac and Henri Matisse; and even filmmakers. However, St. Tropez would not be the same without then belle du jour Brigitte Bardot, her films and lovers and many other famous couples including Annabel and Bernard Buffet and Bianca and Mick Jagger.
St. Tropez Soleil guides the reader through its storied past and ever-evolving present. Featuring annual mainstays such as Les Bravades and the Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez as well as exclusive events like a Chanel fashion show at the quintessentially Tropezian Sénéquier café and the White Party at Nikki Beach begun by Naomi Campbell. But despite all that changes, the spirit of St. Tropez remains the same and this volume is an ode to the unique joie de vivre that keeps everyone coming back.
Simon Liberati is an award-winning French writer and journalist. He has worked for publications such as Purple, Numéro, and 20 Ans and he frequently collaborates with Vogue. He has written ten books including Jayne Mansfield 1967 (2011), which won the prix Femina, and the best-selling Eva (2015).
W.H.O. Update: 80% Of “Coronavirus/Covid-19” Patients – “Mild Symptoms”
Mar.03 — World Health Organization spokesman Tarik Jasarevic speaks from Geneva about the latest advice for avoiding the coronavirus. He also comments on efforts to develop a vaccine and advice for public health workers. He speaks on “Bloomberg Markets: European Open.”
Top New Travel Videos: “Äkäsmylly – Finland” By Timo Oksanen (Feb 2020)
Filmed and Edited by: Timo Oksanen
Visited this idyllic place again on February 21st 2020 and shot the snow covered fairytale sceneries with my DJI Mavic 2 Pro drone.
Music: Runar Blesvik – Hidden World
Italian Cars: “1966 Alfa Romeo GTA 1600 Stradale”
The Alfa Romeo GTA is a coupé automobile manufactured by the Italian manufacturer Alfa Romeo from 1965 to 1971. It was made for racing (Corsa) and road use (Stradale).
In 1962, the successor for the very popular Giulietta series was introduced. This car was the Alfa Romeo Giulia, internally called the “Series 105”. The coupé of the 105 series, used the shortened floorpan from the Giulia Berlina and was designed by Bertone. The name of the car evolved from Giulia Sprint GT to Giulia Sprint and to GTJ (Junior) and GTV (Veloce) in the late 1960s.
From Wikipedia
New Video Travel Guides: Where To Go In “Vienna”
Our Vienna Travel Guide! So many layers to this wonderful Austrian city and we barely had time to scratch the surface. Vienna is one of those cities that offers something for everyone; culture, food, adventure.
Vienna is polished on the surface but dig a little deeper and there’s so much more to discover. Beyond the incredible museums, cathedrals, and markets, this Austrian city is an exciting year-round destination for all travelers.
Top New Travel Videos: “Heart Of The Arctic Winter” In Norway (4K)
Filmed and Edited by: ADRIEN MAUDUIT (Night Lights Films)
Believe it or not, we didn’t have that much of a winter. Even in Arctic Norway! Since November, 13 consecutive extra-tropical cyclones have brushed the coast of Norway affecting even the coldest places of the country. As a consequence, lots of positive temperatures and rain on top of the snow, somehow destroying the typical arctic wonderland.
However in between the lukewarm rainstorms, the cold came back and allowed for short periods of freezing temperatures and snow. In these moments it was important for me to get out there whenever I could and capture all I could get. Cold also meant clearer skies and as a result aurora. Nonetheless it was never as easy as that because of the solar minimum we are at. It means lower auroral activity and fewer big shows.
Top Upcoming Books: “Paris, City Of Dreams” By Mary McAuliffe (May 2020)
Paris, City of Dreams traces the transformation of the City of Light during Napoleon III’s Second Empire into the beloved city of today. Together, Napoleon III and his right-hand man, Georges Haussmann, completely rebuilt Paris in less than two decades—a breathtaking achievement made possible not only by the emperor’s vision and Haussmann’s determination but by the regime’s unrelenting authoritarianism, augmented by the booming economy that Napoleon fostered.
Acclaimed historian Mary McAuliffe vividly recaptures the Paris of Napoleon III, Claude Monet, and Victor Hugo as Georges Haussmann tore down and rebuilt Paris into the beautiful City of Light we know today.
McAuliffe follows the lives of artists such as Edouard Manet, Berthe Morisot, and Claude Monet, as well as writers such as Emile Zola, Gustave Flaubert, and the poet Charles Baudelaire, while from exile, Victor Hugo continued to fire literary broadsides at the emperor he detested.
McAuliffe brings to life a pivotal era encompassing not only the physical restructuring of Paris but also the innovative forms of banking and money-lending that financed industrialization as well as the city’s transformation. This in turn created new wealth and lavish excess, even while producing extreme poverty. More deeply, change was occurring in the way people looked at and understood the world around them, given the new ease of transportation and communication, the popularization of photography, and the emergence of what would soon be known as Impressionism in art and Naturalism and Realism in literature—artistic yearnings that would flower in the Belle Epoque.
Napoleon III, whose reign abruptly ended after he led France into a devastating war against Germany, has been forgotten. But the Paris that he created has endured, brought to vivid life through McAuliffe’s rich illustrations and evocative narrative.
Mary McAuliffe holds a PhD in history from the University of Maryland, has taught at several universities, and has lectured at the Smithsonian Institution, the Barnes Foundation, and the Frick Pittsburgh. She has traveled extensively in France, and for many years she was a regular contributor to Paris Notes. Her books include Clash of Crowns, Dawn of the Belle Epoque, Twilight of the Belle Epoque, When Paris Sizzled, and Paris on the Brink. She lives in New York City with her husband.
