The Hudson River School: Kindred Spirits in Life and Art
The British-born Thomas Cole (1801–1848), considered the school's 'founder,' inspired contemporaneous artists as well as successive generations to take up their brush to capture America's unique landscape. He encouraged the elevation of this genre through the incorporation of biblical, historical, and literary subjects and symbolism.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNBC
an hour ago
- CNBC
Fewer people are drinking — and that's changing how they travel
Peter Shankman, an American, said he looked forward to free drinks when he flew business class for work. The entrepreneur would have a drink, then a few more, sleep, then land. All was well, he said. Until it wasn't. "Eventually, I realized that I wasn't fine," he said. "I was tired, cranky … [it] wasn't the way to live." So, he said, he quit drinking — at first just on planes, then altogether. "I like myself better when I don't drink," Shankman said. "I get up earlier. I work out. I don't eat like crap." A single dad, Shankman said he's now in the gym by 5:00 a.m. and back home to send his daughter to school at 6:30 a.m. On work trips, he exercises and sleeps better than before. "The change in me is massive," he said. "I'm dropping weight, I'm just happier overall." Shankman is part of a large contingent of people who are drinking less or quitting alcohol completely. Only 54% of Americans now say they consume alcohol, according to a Gallup poll released in August — the lowest number recorded since the company began tracking consumption habits in 1939. In another first, a majority of adults (53%) say drinking, even in moderation, is bad for one's health — up from 28% in 2018, the survey showed. For Jonathan Ayala, a real estate marketing strategist, giving up alcohol meant more energy and better sleep, but also "more money left in my budget for experiences that matter." "In the past, I wouldn't have imagined taking a trip without drinking," he said. But now, "I find myself waking up earlier for hikes, markets or cultural tours. I end up seeing more of the place I came to visit, which has made my travels feel richer and more intentional." Ayala also said going alcohol-free has changed where he travels too. "I'm more drawn to destinations with strong food cultures, wellness offerings, or outdoor adventures, rather than places where nightlife is the main attraction," he said. Travel blogger Jo Raby told CNBC Travel she and her husband's vacations once revolved around food and drinks, including wine tastings and bourbon tours. Now, they opt for outdoor trips that involve white water rafting, hiking, biking and kayaking as well as off-the-beaten path destinations, instead of trips to all-inclusive hotels or beach resorts. However, they don't shy away from events that involve drinking, she said. As big music fans, they still enjoy live performances, and they even joined a tapas and wine tour in Granada, Spain. "In Spain, it took a little more explaining to get the point across that we were not going to be able to consume any alcohol at all — not even a 'little bit,'" she said. Eventually "they produced an [non-alcoholic] version for us to try, cracking it open very obviously for the first time!" Seasoned traveler Robert Minchak said his decision to stop drinking four years ago hasn't changed where he travels, only what he drinks while there. "I skip the wine — but I haven't stopped visiting vineyards," he said, adding that he's also visited breweries and eaten at Michelin-starred restaurants during trips to Europe, North America and South America. He's also in better health ("no meds for acid reflux") and has better relationships in his life. "Family and friends notice a calmer, kinder me," he said. Though the health and cost benefits are plenty, some travelers find that going alcohol-free comes with its own set of challenges. For Raby, "it definitely feels strange to be in settings where the majority of people are drinking, and this has taken a lot of work on our parts from a mental aspect to adjust," she said. Ayala said he sometimes feels he doesn't get the full travel experience in some locations. "The main downside is that in some destinations, nightlife is such a big part of the culture that skipping it can feel like missing out," he said. He also said not drinking can complicate group trips, and that reactions from fellow travelers have been mixed. "Some are supportive or even curious about trying it themselves, while others are puzzled or assume it means I'm less fun," he said. "I've learned to frame it as a choice that actually helps me get more out of the trip, which usually shifts the conversation in a positive way." Paul Sendou, a French expatriate based in Singapore, said most of his friends have been understanding of his decision to reduce his drinking from four times a week to twice per month. However, he said his lifestyle led him to cancel one trip with "two very party-oriented friends," he said. To Sendou, the trade-off is worth it. "I'm more myself, more confident, clearer on what I want with myself and others," he said.
Boston Globe
4 hours ago
- Boston Globe
Paris residents fight overtourism of beloved Montmartre neighborhood
'I told myself that I had no other choice but to leave since, as I have a disability, it's even more complicated when you can no longer take your car, when you have to call a taxi from morning to night,' he told The Associated Press. Advertisement From Venice to Barcelona to Amsterdam, European cities are struggling to absorb surging numbers of tourists. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Some residents in one of Paris' most popular tourist neighborhoods are now pushing back. A black banner strung between two balconies in Montmartre reads, in English: 'Behind the postcard: locals mistreated by the Mayor.' Another, in French, says: 'Montmartre residents resisting.' Atop the hill where the Basilica of Sacré-Cœur crowns the city's skyline, residents lament what they call the 'Disneyfication' of the once-bohemian slice of Paris. The basilica says it now attracts up to 11 million people a year — even more than the Eiffel Tower — while daily life in the neighborhood has been overtaken by tuk-tuks, tour groups, photo queues, and short-term rentals. Advertisement 'Now, there are no more shops at all, there are no more food shops, so everything must be delivered,' said 56-year-old Baroin, a member of a residents' protest group called Vivre a Montmartre, or Living in Montmartre. The unrest echoes tensions across town at the Louvre Museum, where staff in June staged a brief wildcat strike over chronic overcrowding, understaffing, and deteriorating conditions. The Louvre logged 8.7 million visitors in 2024, more than double what its infrastructure was designed to handle. Paris, a city of just over two million residents if you count its sprawling suburbs, welcomed 48.7 million tourists in 2024, a two percent increase from the previous year. Sacré-Cœur, the most visited monument in France in 2024, and the surrounding Montmartre neighborhood have turned into what some locals call an open-air theme park. Local staples like butchers, bakeries, and grocers are vanishing, replaced by ice-cream stalls, bubble-tea vendors, and souvenir T-shirt stands. Paris authorities did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Visitors seemed largely to be enjoying the packed streets on a sunny Tuesday this week. 'For the most part, all of Paris has been pretty busy, but full of life, for sure,' said American tourist Adam Davidson. 'Coming from Washington, D.C., which is a lively city as well, I would say this is definitely full of life to a different degree for sure.' In Barcelona, thousands have taken to the streets this year, some wielding water pistols, demanding limits on cruise ships and short-term tourist rentals. Venice now charges an entry fee for day-trippers and caps visitor numbers. In Athens, authorities are imposing a daily limit on visitors to the Acropolis to protect the ancient monument from record-breaking tourist crowds. Advertisement Urban planners warn that historic neighborhoods risk becoming what some critics call 'zombie cities' — picturesque but lifeless, their residents displaced by short-term visitors. Paris is trying to mitigate the problems by cracking down on short-term rentals and unlicensed properties. But tourism pressures are growing. By 2050, the world's population is projected to reach nearly 10 billion, according to United Nations estimates. With the global middle class expanding, low-cost flights booming, and digital platforms guiding travelers to the same viral landmarks, many more visitors are expected in iconic cities like Paris. The question now, residents say, is whether any space is left for those who call it home.
Business Insider
9 hours ago
- Business Insider
I moved from San Diego to Southern Italy for a simpler, slower life, but the best part was that I fell in love
It was 2019. I was reasonably healed from a grueling divorce, and I began to think about what I wanted my life to look like when I was solo. My son, Max, would be graduating in a couple of years, and I knew I didn't want to remain in this empty nest. San Diego had never felt like a forever home. When I was married, my now ex-husband and I discussed traveling around the world when our son graduated, and staying in one place for a few months at a time. For me, though, the idea of living out of a suitcase sounded like a nightmare. Where would I like to live? I asked myself. The answer was simple: Italy. After the divorce, I'd taken my second trip to Italy, spending a challenging but cathartic week hiking the Dolomite mountains in the north and processing my emotions in a yoga retreat in Lucca. A few years later, I took a solo trip to Sardinia. Something kept pulling me back to this country, which was surprising to me because I'd always been drawn to France. I even majored in French and studied abroad there. However, whenever I visited Italy, the people were wonderfully welcoming. And because I'd studied French, picking up Italian was easy. Why not move to Italy? What have I got to lose? Cleaning my empty nest I'll admit, I had qualms about packing up and leaving my teenage son. Okay, I wouldn't actually be leaving him since he was moving thousands of miles away to Orlando, but still, not being a few hours away by plane felt neglectful. People asked me how Max felt about his mother moving so far away. I asked him myself and got a shrug. "I dunno. It's cool." I took that as his blessing. The week after I bravely hid my tears as Max embraced me and headed into his own bright future, a moving company collected my paltry 11 boxes. I gave the keys to the rental house to our landlord, hugged my friends (not bothering to hide the tears this time), and boarded a plane with two cats in tow. It was the fall of 2022. This is how life is meant to be Despite being born in the US, I'd never felt truly at home in any American city. I never bought into the whole " hustle culture" and always longed for a simpler life. Whenever I'd come back from my many trips to Europe over the years, I'd promise myself that I'd slow down and savor life, which seemed to be so easy abroad. That effort never lasted long, though, and I would inevitably fall back into feeling harried. However, in Italy, life is slower. There's always time to stop and have a coffee and chat with friends. Evenings over Aperol Spritzes seem endless in the golden summer light. My work day only begins once I've had my swim in the Ionian Sea. Whereas Americans are seemingly slaves to work, Italians prioritize life. That may mean that the office you need to visit will be closed when you go, since the owner decided to close early and have an aperitivo (pre-dinner drink) with friends. Still, I love that people work to live here, not the other way around. And you don't have to take out a loan to live well. As a freelance writer, my unsteady income goes a lot further here in the south of Italy. Rent is so much cheaper in Calabria, the region where I live. In San Diego, I paid $2,500 a month for a two-bedroom house; in Italy, I had an apartment by the sea with two bedrooms for under $500 a month. And now we live rent-free in a house my husband's family gave us. Groceries are so much cheaper and fresher. For the two of us, we can eat well for under $300 a month. It's a relief being here with these prices when I hear so much about how prices have skyrocketed back in the US. And while this slower life has been blessing enough, do you know the best thing that has happened to me? I fell in love. I met Francesco on a tour he was giving just nine months after I moved here (he's a tour guide). We got married on our two-year anniversary, surrounded by his welcoming family. My experience living in Italy has gotten even better now that I'm married and have a fantastic Italian family. With them, I've picked olives, made wine, canned tomatoes, made sausage, and learned Calabrian dialect. I'm more connected to what I eat and to the nature around me than I ever was in the US. I laugh at the fact that 10 years ago, I could never have imagined that I'd be living a fabulous life in a tiny Italian town, but my life is so much better for taking this leap. As for my son, he enjoys visiting and getting to know my husband and his family. He's even learning Italian.
