Theme Week Monaco – Monte Carlo

31 December 2016 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, French Riviera Reading Time:  6 minutes

Monte Carlo and Port Hercule © Martinp1/cc-by-sa-3.0

Monte Carlo and Port Hercule © Martinp1/cc-by-sa-3.0

Monte Carlo officially refers to an administrative area of the Principality of Monaco, specifically the ward of Monte Carlo, where the Monte Carlo Casino is located. Informally the name also refers to a larger district, the Monte Carlo Quarter (corresponding to the former municipality of Monte Carlo), which besides Monte Carlo also includes the wards of La Rousse/Saint Roman, Larvotto/Bas Moulins, and Saint Michel. The permanent population of the ward of Monte Carlo is about 3,500, while that of the quarter is about 15,000. Monaco has four traditional quarters. From west to east they are: Fontvieille (the newest), Monaco-Ville (the oldest), La Condamine, and Monte Carlo.   read more…

Theme Week Monaco – Fontvieille

30 December 2016 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, French Riviera Reading Time:  6 minutes

Port of Fontvieille © Georges Jansoone/cc-by-3.0

Port of Fontvieille © Georges Jansoone/cc-by-3.0

Fontvieille is the southernmost ward in the Principality of Monaco. It was developed by an Italian architect, Manfredi Nicoletti, between the 1970s and the 1990s. In contrast to the other city districts Monaco-Ville, Monte Carlo and La Condamine, Fontvieille was constructed, after Italian engineer Gianfranco Gilardini’s design, almost entirely on artificially reclaimed land and thus represents one of the younger parts of the principality. In order to combat the chronic land shortage in the extremely densely populated principality, the work was begun in 1966 to create new land in the Mediterranean Sea southwest of le rocher. In 1981, the then Crown Prince Albert (since April 6, 2005 Albert II, Prince of Monaco) laid the cornerstone for the new city quarter. The existence of Fontvieille, and its many public works projects, relates substantially to former Prince of Monaco, Prince Rainier III‘s reputation as the Builder Prince.   read more…

California’s Wine Country

30 December 2016 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Bon appétit Reading Time:  7 minutes

Sonoma Vineyards in Russian River Valley © flickr.com - Simon Davison/cc-by-2.0

Sonoma Vineyards in Russian River Valley © flickr.com – Simon Davison/cc-by-2.0

The Wine Country is an area of Northern California known worldwide as a premium wine-growing region. Viticulture and wine-making have been practiced in the region since the mid-19th century. There are over 400 wineries in the area north of San Francisco, mostly located in the area’s valleys, including Napa Valley in Napa County, and the Sonoma Valley, Alexander Valley, Dry Creek Valley, Bennett Valley, and Russian River Valley in Sonoma County. Wine grapes are also grown at higher elevations, such as Atlas Peak and Mount Veeder AVAs. The region is defined not only by its viticulture, but also its ecology, geology, architecture, cuisine, and culture. The majority of the grape harvest, by both area and value, derives from Sonoma County.   read more…

Theme Week Monaco – Larvotto

29 December 2016 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, French Riviera Reading Time:  4 minutes

Larvotto Beach © V&A Dudush/cc-by-3.0

Larvotto Beach © V&A Dudush/cc-by-3.0

Larvotto is the easternmost Ward in the Principality of Monaco. Larvotto is southeast of Monte Carlo and La Rousse. It borders Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, France, to the northeast.   read more…

Theme Week Monaco – Monaco City

28 December 2016 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, French Riviera Reading Time:  6 minutes

Monaco City © Antonu/cc-by-sa-3.0

Monaco City © Antonu/cc-by-sa-3.0

Monaco City (French: Monaco-Ville) is the southcentral Ward in the Principality of Monaco. Located on a headland that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, Monaco City is nicknamed The Rock (French: Le Rocher). The name “Monaco City” is misleading, Monaco City is a historical and statistical district, not a city. Monaco City is one of the four traditional quarters (French: quartiers) of Monaco, the others are La Condamine, Monte Carlo, and Fontvieille.   read more…

Portrait: Erasmus of Rotterdam, Renaissance humanist, Catholic priest, social critic, teacher, and theologian

28 December 2016 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: European Union, Portrait Reading Time:  15 minutes

Erasmus statue in Rotterdam © Frank Versteegen/cc-by-sa-3.0

Erasmus statue in Rotterdam © Frank Versteegen/cc-by-sa-3.0

Erasmus of Rotterdam was a Dutch Renaissance humanist, Catholic priest, social critic, teacher, and theologian. Erasmus was a classical scholar and wrote in a pure Latin style. Among humanists he enjoyed the sobriquet “Prince of the Humanists”, and has been called “the crowning glory of the Christian humanists”. Using humanist techniques for working on texts, he prepared important new Latin and Greek editions of the New Testament, which raised questions that would be influential in the Protestant Reformation and Catholic Counter-Reformation. He also wrote On Free Will, The Praise of Folly, Handbook of a Christian Knight, On Civility in Children, Copia: Foundations of the Abundant Style, Julius Exclusus, and many other works. The popularity of his books is reflected in the number of editions and translations that have appeared since the sixteenth century. Ten columns of the catalogue of the British Library are taken up with the enumeration of the works and their subsequent reprints.   read more…

Theme Week Monaco – La Condamine

27 December 2016 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, French Riviera Reading Time:  6 minutes

La Condamine and Port Hercule © Diego Delso/cc-by-sa-4.0

La Condamine and Port Hercule © Diego Delso/cc-by-sa-4.0

La Condamine is the central Ward in Monaco. The city district is located around Port Hercule (Port de Monaco) and is surrounded itself by the districts of Monaco-Ville, Fontvieille, Jardin Exotique, Les Moneghetti, Ravin de Sainte-Dévote and Monte-Carlo. Condamine dates from the Middle Ages, and means cultivable land.   read more…

Theme Week Monaco

26 December 2016 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, French Riviera, Bon voyage, Theme Weeks Reading Time:  10 minutes

© flickr.com - Aurelie et Herve/cc-by-2.0

© flickr.com – Aurelie et Herve/cc-by-2.0

Monaco is a sovereign city-state and microstate, located on the French Riviera. France borders the country on three sides while the other side borders the Mediterranean Sea. Monaco has an area of 2.02 km2 (0.78 sq mi) and a population of about 37,800; it is the second smallest and the most densely populated country in the world. The highest point in the country is a narrow pathway named Chemin des Révoires on the slopes of Mont Agel, in the Les Révoires Ward. Monaco’s most populous Quartier is Monte Carlo and the most populous Ward is Larvotto/Bas Moulins. Through land reclamation, Monaco’s land mass has expanded by twenty percent. Monaco is known as a playground for the rich and famous. In 2014, it was noted about 30% of the population was made up of millionaires. Monaco’s mild climate, scenery, and gambling facilities have contributed to the principality’s status as a tourist destination and recreation center for the rich. In more recent years, Monaco has become a major banking center and has sought to diversify its economy into services and small, high-value-added, non-polluting industries. Monaco is not formally a part of the European Union (EU), but it participates in certain EU policies, including customs and border controls. Through its relationship with France, Monaco uses the euro as its sole currency (prior to this it used the Monégasque franc). Monaco joined the Council of Europe in 2004. It is a member of the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF).   read more…

Experience Music Project Museum in Seattle

26 December 2016 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Architecture, Museums, Exhibitions Reading Time:  9 minutes

© EMP|SFM Archive/cc-by-sa-3.0

© EMP|SFM Archive/cc-by-sa-3.0

EMP Museum is a nonprofit museum, dedicated to contemporary popular culture in Seattle. EMP Museum was founded by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen in 2000. Since that time EMP has organized dozens of exhibits, 17 of which have toured across the US and internationally. The museum, which used to be known as Experience Music Project and Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame (EMP|SFM), has founded many public programs including Sound Off! an annual 21 and under battle-of-the-bands that supports the all-ages scene and Pop Conference an annual gathering of academics, critics, musicians and music buffs. EMP, in collaboration with the Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) presents the Science Fiction and Fantasy Short Film Festival, which takes place annually every winter at Seattle Cinerama Theater.   read more…

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