JWH TRAVEL BITS AND MORE…November 12, 2020

Filmmaker Andrea Dorfman reunites with poet Tanya Davis to craft tender and profound animation on the theme of isolation, providing a wise and soaringly lyrical sequel to their viral hit How to Be Alone. https://www.nfb.ca/film/how-to-be-at-home/

London's traditional pie, mash and liquor shops go back to mid-Victorian time when they sprung up in blue collar areas. Changing tastes and population movements caused many of them to close. There were around 60 shops across London 25 years ago but now there is barely one third of that total. Rajan Datar looks at how the shops are adapting to survive by pulling in tourists from other countries and offering vegan choices. BBC Travel Show Mar 14, 2020

Hosted by Vlaho Carević Viking TV

Discover the wonders of Dubrovnik—Croatia’s famed “Pearl of the Adriatic”—with professional tour guide Vlaho Carević. With more than a decade of experience introducing the delights of this city, particularly its UNESCO-listed Old Town, Vlaho has a reputation for engaging guests with his captivating storytelling. In this episode, join Vlaho as he explores Dubrovnik and offers his tips and answers viewers’ questions on how to fully enjoy this remarkable city.

Hosted by Karine Hagen – Viking TV

Following the 1917 Revolution, the Soviets confiscated large apartments from Russian nobility and converted them into 'Kommunalkas' to hold numerous families. While there are other housing options today, many Russians still choose and enjoy this way of life. Join us on our visit to a typical 'Kommunalka' for a rare glimpse into a living part of the Soviet past.

Situated on the site of Bloomberg’s new European headquarters, this anticipated new cultural hub showcases the ancient temple, a selection of the remarkable Roman artefacts found during the recent excavation, and a series of contemporary art commissions responding to one of the UK’s most significant archaeological sites.

The making of the Mithraeum

The site lies over the course of one of London’s lost rivers, the Walbrook. Nearly 2,000 years ago when Londinium was founded by the Romans, this river marked the limits of their first settlement. In the 3rd century AD, nearly 200 years after the founding of London, a Roman Londoner, built a temple to the god Mithras on this reclaimed ground, next to the river. https://www.londonmithraeum.com/about/

Hosted by Karine Hagen Viking TV

History, culture and friends—all rolled into one delicious and creative feast. Explore the floating markets along the Mekong Delta and master the culinary art of rolling your very own Vietnamese Spring Rolls with Karine.

The trend could pick up steam in a post-pandemic world . According to a recent report from The New York Times, it’s time to add a new phrase to our 2020 lexicon: regenerative travel. The tourism industry has beat the sustainability drum for a decade now (and we’ve been happy to join in, covering everything from “sustainable adventures” to “sustainable attractions” to “sustainable Airbnbs“) but many agencies, hoteliers and operators are no longer satisfied with travel simply trying to not harm a place. They believe it should work to actively improve the area.

If you've ever thought that environmentally friendly accommodation can't be luxurious, you need to take a look this extraordinary bamboo treehouse in Juluchuca, Mexico.

Situated 35-minutes south of Zihuatanejo, the Playa Viva resort's beachfront accommodation is spread over 700-square-feet and is surrounded by lush palms, making it a truly memorable place to stay. Designed by Deture Culsign and built by Artistree, the treehouse suite was completed in just six months from concept drawings to first guest check in. During the creative process the main aim was to visually intrigue and highlight sustainable strategies to deliver a natural immersive guest experience.

With electricity and hot water provided by solar power, the design allows guests to experience indoor and outdoor living within one seamless space; locally sourced wood means that the treehouse blends into the natural habitat surrounding it.

Features include an open-air sitting room, private ground-floor bathroom and upper sleeping area with a king-sized bed and two-person hammock perfect for star-gazing.

Hosted by Rupert Woodard – Viking TV

Discover the rural charm of England’s Cotswolds with Rupert Woodard, the Managing Director of tour company Excursions Limited, a UK shore excursion operator and valued Viking travel partner that provides and operates shore excursions and land programs throughout the British Isles. Together with his wife Anna and their three sons, Rupert has lived in Lechlade On Thames—a town at the southern edge of the Cotswolds in Gloucestershire—for the past 23 years and is a trusted expert on the area. Watch as Rupert answers viewers’ questions during this Livestream while sharing his insights and tips for getting the most out of one of England’s most beloved regions.

Our travel choices should not only positively impact the environments we visit, but also the people that live there. Such as creating employment opportunities for many locals who would otherwise not have equal opportunities for work – like the amazing female porters who are changing the face of trekking in Nepal. Intrepid Travel

Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver discusses his latest cookbook 7 Ways: Easy Ideas for Every Day of the Week, and shares a few tunes that help him out in the kitchen. Ahead of the U.S. presidential election tomorrow, our fashion contributor Mosha Lundström Halbert tells us how democracy has become fashion's biggest trend this season. Actress and author Lisa Ray talks about her new memoir Close to the Bone, in which she reflects on her childhood, her rise as a popular Bollywood star and her battle with cancer.

 

We had the honor of filming our friend, textile artist Bisa Bulter. She is more than just an amazing artist, she is a beautiful person with a tremendous heart for her people.

Check her out her art on Instagram 

Bisa Butler Portraits: Presented by Paul Chinnery Photography (Virtual Tour)

By Kate Doyle

You don’t need to study up on curry before sampling Indian cuisine. Instead, just do what the locals do and jump in. The past is always present in India. An amalgam of spiritual sects and cultures, its traditions run deep, and the cuisine is no exception. With techniques and ingredients varying region to region, new colours, aromas and spices are just a train ride away. .......

Muralism in Mexico represents one of the world's great art movements. Sparked partially by a trio of renowned painters in the 1920s, Mexico's vibrant tradition of public art now reaches well beyond its borders -- as seen in a recently reopened exhibit in New York. Before the pandemic, Jeffrey Brown traveled to Mexico City for this report, part of our ongoing arts and culture series, Canvas.

In this week’s episode of “Cocktails with a Curator,” examine the exceptional Mughal carpets—the only two objects at the Frick made in India—with Deputy Director and Peter Jay Sharp Chief Curator Xavier F. Salomon. These incredibly luxurious carpets were likely created during the reign of Shah Jahan, one of the greatest Mughal emperors and the builder of the Taj Mahal. Rarely on view, they will be on display at Frick Madison in early 2021. This week’s complementary cocktail is a Chai Martini. – The Frick Collection, October 2020

To view these carpets in detail, please visit our website: https://www.frick.org/mughalcarpets

 Captured as the museum was closing its doors for a while, curator Anna Jackson guides you through the exhibition spaces, providing a personal insight into the making of the show, star exhibits and the fascinating history of the kimono. Sometimes perceived as traditional, timeless and unchanging, Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk counters this conception, presenting the garment as a dynamic and constantly evolving icon of fashion.

 

The exhibition reveals the sartorial, aesthetic and social significance of kimono from the 1660s to today, both in Japan and the rest of the world.

This film looks at: kimono as fashion | the Edo period | the thing to wear | kimono as haute couture of its day | kimono construction | kimono and the body | surface pattern, colour and technique | dyeing and embroidery | social status | samurai taste | displaying kimono

Hosted by Karine Hagen – Viking TV

Using time-honored techniques perfected in the Far East and Africa, island artists produce distinctive batik garments with a Caribbean flair. Discover the steps they take to create elaborate designs on fabric.