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Layered City @LayeredCity

The internet’s best content about places in Europe.

Joined October 2020
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37 Photos and videos
In May 1941, at the end of the weeks-long bombing campaign known as the Blitz, the Houses of Parliament were nearly destroyed. This video from Half-Asleep Chris describes how 51 countries contributed to the postwar reconstruction of the House of Commons. youtu.be/gN9D8N0MClQ
There is no Portuguese pastry more well-known than the tasty pastel de nata, an egg custard tart. This video from Great Big Story goes behind the scenes—almost—at the famous pastry shop in Belem that serves tens of thousands of the sweet treats per day. youtu.be/YzjTsjehKVA
Rembrandt’s monumental masterpiece The Night Watch is arguably the most famous and beloved painting in the Rijksmuseum. This video from The Nerdwriter has a fascinating analysis of the artwork’s subject matter, formal composition, and subtle details. youtu.be/5E8f64yj1Jk
In August 1944, a band of French resistance fighters occupied the Hôtel de Ville, using it as a makeshift headquarters as they were on the cusp of retaking Paris from the Nazis. Witness History relays riveting firsthand accounts of those victorious days. overcast.fm/ Ip83phT2E
Founded in 1689, Ede & Ravenscroft is a London tailor with an unusual focus: making traditional wigs for the judiciary system. This video from Great Big Story shows how they stitch the horsehair wigs by hand and explains why modern judges still wear them. youtu.be/dvoHXzObShc
Several of Amsterdam’s 165 canals converge north of Rembrandtplein, so it’s a handy spot to see Waternet employees hoist bikes out of the water with a crane arm. This entertaining video from Great Big Story explains why there are so many submerged bikes. youtu.be/qrxfT5EQxgI
Shortly after World War II, fashion houses in Paris staged an exhibition at the Louvre to save the struggling industry. This episode of Articles of Interest brilliantly describes how the exhibition’s unique collection ended up in a museum in rural Oregon. overcast.fm/ RIdS00THA
This video from Monocle Films illuminates the thinking behind the new buildings and public spaces in the King's Cross neighborhood. The architects and planners describe their efforts to make the redeveloped area vibrant, engaging, and inviting for all. youtu.be/5BcYGCWURIg
Since 1741, Fábrica Sant'Anna has been contributing to the astounding array of tiles that adorn buildings around Lisbon. In this video from Great Big Story, proud tilemaker Francisco Tomás explains the factory's process and a broader historical context. youtu.be/If3AEwgpKXM
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This episode of Witness History shares a sorrowful firsthand story of Dutch starvation as the Nazis tried to keep their grip on the Netherlands in 1944. For more, the fascinating Dutch Resistance Museum has an exhibit about the famine that killed 20,000. overcast.fm/ BuvhMdGMA
Jellied eels were once a popular dish in the east end of London, but have fallen out of favor as tastes change. This video from Great Big Story visits suppliers of live eels and a restaurant in Greenwich that proudly serves up a wiggly bowl of the fish. youtu.be/9TTGrN4W8nQ
This alluring video from National Geographic profiles Gangolf Ulbricht, an expert papermaker in Berlin. The process is messy and industrial, yet seems to be therapeutic and perhaps even spiritual for him. This video will give you a new respect for paper. youtu.be/k122JM-Nwjs
A strange column in Lisbon’s Belem area is affixed with a plaque that forever forbids the land’s use. This riveting episode of Noble Blood vividly explains how the landowners made a grave mistake in 1758 — they tried to assassinate Portugal’s King José I. overcast.fm/ S4onP89cU
The blue commemorative plaques affixed to many buildings across London are so ubiquitous that they blend into the backdrop of the city. This surprisingly inspiring video shows how each plaque is lovingly hand-made by artisans Frank and Sue Ashworth. youtube.com/watch?v=BjWEA6rl…
Northeast of Amsterdam is Afsluitdijk, a giant dike built after World War I. In this fun episode of The Omnibus, Ken Jennings and John Roderick banter about how the inventive Dutch have tamed the North Sea with an array of dams, windmills, and dikes. overcast.fm/ Wi6bMhH-I
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Thirty minutes north of Paris, the once-idyllic village of Goussainville has had an unfortunate half-century. This video from Messy Nessy Chic describes the horror and abandonment that resulted from Charles de Gaulle Airport being built next door in 1974. youtu.be/omBKnoyvEg4
Cycling Without Age provides volunteer “pilots” to help older people get around by bike, creating heartwarming multigenerational bonds along the way. This clip from Great Big Story describes how the Copenhagen-based service has expanded into 41 countries. youtu.be/Am8nvuQWBwo
Punk music may have originated in America, but the iconic style came from London. This fun episode of Articles of Interest takes a thought-provoking look at how the safety-pin aesthetic emerged from designer Vivienne Westwood’s shop at 430 Kings Road. overcast.fm/ RIdQIIvJY
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Completed in 2014, The Fondation Louis Vuitton is an art museum housed in a gorgeous undulating building by famed architect Frank Gehry. In this great video from Nowness, he reflects on his approach to creating unique shapes and forms inspired by nature. youtu.be/v98ahM6mr-w
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Memorials near Bernauer Strasse 97 commemorate a series of dramatic attempts by free West Berliners to liberate East Berliners through a makeshift tunnel in 1964. This riveting episode of 99% Invisible describes the daring escape that freed 57 people. overcast.fm/ DBSOS6w
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